Methods and systems for display of patient data in computer-assisted surgery

#Computer-assisted surgical procedures, which may include image guided surgery and robotic surgery, have attracted increased interest in recent years. These procedures include the integration of a “virtual” three-dimensional dataset of the patient's anatomy, typically obtained using pre-operative or intra-operative medical imaging (e.g., x-ray computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging), to the actual position of the patient and/or other objects (e.g., surgical instruments, robotic manipulators) or end effector(s) in the surgical area. These procedures may be used to aid the surgeon in planning a surgical procedure and may also provide the surgeon with relevant feedback during the course of surgical procedure. There is a continuing need to improve the safety and ease-of-use of computer-assisted surgical systems.

#Various embodiments include methods and systems for performing computer-assisted image-guided surgery, including robotically-assisted surgery.

#Embodiments include methods of displaying image data that include displaying image data of a patient on a display screen of a handheld display device, tracking at least one of a position and an orientation of the handheld display device with respect to the patient, and modifying at least a portion of the image data displayed on the display screen in response to a change in at least one of the position and orientation of the handheld display device with respect to the patient.

#Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a system for performing robotically-assisted image-guided surgery according to an embodiment.

#FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a system for performing robotically-assisted image-guided surgery having an optical sensing device for a motion tracking system on an arm extending from a gantry of an imaging system.

#The various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. References made to particular examples and implementations are for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the claims.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for performing computer-assisted image-guided surgery according to various embodiments. The system 100 in this embodiment includes an imaging device 103, a motion tracking system 105 and a robotic arm 101 for performing a robotically-assisted surgical procedure. The robotic arm 101 may comprise a multi-joint arm that includes a plurality of linkages connected by joints having actuator(s) and optional encoder(s) to enable the linkages to rotate, bend and/or translate relative to one another in response to control signals from a robot control system. The robotic arm 101 may be fixed to a support structure at one end and may have an end effector 102 at the other end of the robotic arm 101.

#The imaging device 103 may be used to obtain diagnostic images of a patient 200, which may be a human or animal patient. In embodiments, the imaging device 103 may be an x-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging device. The patient 200 may be positioned within a central bore 107 of the imaging device 103 and an x-ray source and detector may be rotated around the bore 107 to obtain x-ray image data (e.g., raw x-ray projection data) of the patient 200. The collected image data may be processed using a suitable processor (e.g., computer) to perform a three-dimensional reconstruction of the object. In other embodiments, the imaging device 103 may comprise one or more of an x-ray fluoroscopic imaging device, a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging device, a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging device, a single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), or an ultrasound imaging device. In embodiments, image data may be obtained pre-operatively (i.e., prior to performing a surgical procedure), intra-operatively (i.e., during a surgical procedure) or post-operative (i.e., following a surgical procedure) by positioning the patient 200 within the bore 107 of the imaging device 103. In the system 100 of FIG. 1, this may be accomplished by moving the imaging device 103 over the patient 200 to perform a scan while the patient 200 may remain stationary.