Electromagnetic tracking system and methods of using same

#This invention relates to an electromagnetic (EM) tracking system and, more particularly, to an EM tracking system including a patient support element that is superposed relative to an EM field generator.

#Minimally invasive, image-guided surgery (IGS) offers potential benefits to surgeons and patients alike by providing improved visualization of a surgical target, critical structures surrounding the surgical target, as well as the positioning of instruments used during the surgery, thereby leading to improved surgical accuracy, patient safety, patient recovery, and clinical outcome. Applications of IGS include a wide spectrum of surgical interventions, such as intracranial, head and neck, orthopaedic, spine, and thoracic surgeries. Among the systems enabling next-generation IGS are intraoperative imaging systems, such as mobile C-arms capable of 3D imaging, and guidance systems that register real-time tracking with intraoperative images.

#An integral part of IGS is the tracking system. Well known tracking systems include the Polaris Spectra (Northern Digital (NDI), Waterloo, ON Canada), which is based on a stereoscopic infrared camera and retro-reflective markers attached to tracked tools, and the MicronTracker (Claron Technology Inc., Toronto, ON Canada), which is based on a stereoscopic video camera and checkerboard markers. Such systems demonstrate excellent geometric accuracy (about 0.5-2 mm target registration error (TRE)) but suffer potential limitations associated with line of sight obstruction and the inability to track flexible devices within the body. As a result, such optical trackers are typically limited to externalized, rigid tools, such as, for example, rigid pointers and other devices having handles (and markers) that remain outside the body.

#These and other features of the preferred embodiments of the invention will become more apparent in the detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:

#FIG. 1 displays a conventional setup for an electromagnetic tracking system, as used during a C-arm fluoroscopy and/or CBCT procedure.

#FIG. 2A displays an exemplary patient support table having an integral electromagnetic field generator, as described herein. FIG. 2B displays a partial cut-away view of the patient support table of FIG. 2A that schematically depicts the tracking of a surgical tool by the electromagnetic tracking system described herein.

#The present invention can be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description, examples, drawings, and claims, and their previous and following description. However, before the present devices, systems, and/or methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, systems, and/or methods disclosed unless otherwise specified, and, as such, can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting.

#The following description of the invention is provided as an enabling teaching of the invention in its best, currently known embodiment. To this end, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate that many changes can be made to the various aspects of the invention described herein, while still obtaining the beneficial results of the present invention. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present invention can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the present invention without utilizing other features. Accordingly, those who work in the art will recognize that many modifications and adaptations to the present invention are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances and are a part of the present invention. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present invention and not in limitation thereof.

#As used throughout, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a splint” can include two or more such splints unless the context indicates otherwise.