Surgical tool systems and methods
AssigneeGlobus Medical, Inc.
InventorsNeil R. Crawford, Chris Major, Michael Bartelme, Nobert Johnson, Stephen Cicchini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a surgical robot system may include an end-effector element configured for controlled movement and positioning and tracking of surgical instruments and objects relative to an image of a patient's anatomical structure. In some embodiments the end-effector and instruments may be tracked by surgical robot system and displayed to a user. In some embodiments, tracking of a target anatomical structure and objects, both in a navigation space and an image space, may be provided by a dynamic reference base located at a position away from the target anatomical structure.
Claims18
A computer-implemented method of tracking a target anatomical structure of a patient by a surgical navigation system including a processor, a camera system, a temporary registration fixture adapted to be temporarily attached to the patient and a dynamic reference base adapted to attach to the patient, wherein the temporary registration fixture includes temporary markers trackable by the camera system and radiopaque markers in a fixed position relative to the temporary markers, wherein the dynamic reference base includes reference markers trackable by the camera system, the method comprising:
- storing an x-ray image containing the target anatomical structure and the radiopaque markers;
- performing, by the processor, an initial registration of the target anatomical structure from an imaging coordinate system to a camera coordinate system based on the stored x-ray image and on the fixed position relationship of the temporary markers relative to the radiopaque markers;
- transferring, by the processor, the initial registration to a subsequent registration of the target anatomical structure relative to the dynamic reference base based on a relative position relationship between the temporary markers and the reference markers;
- after the subsequent registration, tracking by the surgical navigation system the target anatomical structure in the camera coordinate system with the dynamic reference base, but without the temporary registration fixture;
- and
- using the tracking of the target anatomical structure to operate a surgical robot.
A computer-implemented method of tracking a location of a target anatomical structure of a patient by a surgical robot system, said method comprising:
- storing an image representing the target anatomical structure in an image space;
- detecting an imaging pattern of fiducials in the image space, the fiducials being disposed on a registration fixture device that is attached to the patient in proximity to the target anatomical structure;
- performing a registration of the registration fixture device in the image space based upon the imaging pattern of the fiducials;
- detecting a navigation pattern of optical markers in a navigation space, the optical markers being disposed on the registration fixture device;
- performing a registration of the registration fixture device in the navigation space based upon the navigation pattern of the optical markers;
- transferring the registration of the registration fixture device in the image space to the navigation space based upon a relative position of the imaging pattern of the fiducials in relation to a position of the navigation pattern of the optical markers;
- detecting a navigation pattern of optical markers of a dynamic reference base in the navigation space, the dynamic reference base rigidly attached to the patient via a patient fixture instrument,
- performing a registration of the dynamic reference base in the navigation space based upon the navigation pattern of the optical markers of the dynamic reference base;
- transferring the registration of the registration fixture device in the navigation space to the registration of the dynamic reference base in the navigation space;
- tracking the target anatomical structure in the image space and the navigation space based solely on the dynamic reference base;
- and
- using the tracking of the target anatomical structure to operate a surgical robot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.