# US 11,896,446 B2 · Surgical robotic automation with tracking markers

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- Number: US 11,896,446 B2
- Document ID: US11896446B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/157,444
- Filed: 2016-05-18
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2012-06-21
- Assignees: Globus Medical, Inc.
- Applicants: Globus Medical, Inc.
- Inventors: Neil R. Crawford; Stephen Cicchini; Norbert Johnson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896446B2

## CPC

- A61B 90/98: using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
- A61B 5/064: {using markers (A61B5/062 takes precedence)}
- A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
- A61B 34/30: Surgical robots
- A61B 34/32: operating autonomously
- A61B 90/96: using barcodes
- A61B 17/17: Guides {or aligning means} for drills {, mills, pins or wires}
- A61B 90/11: with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
- A61B 2017/00876: {magnetic}
- A61B 2034/2051: {Electromagnetic tracking systems}
- A61B 2034/2055: {Optical tracking systems}
- A61B 2034/2057: {Details of tracking cameras}
- A61B 2034/2072: {Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient}
- A61B 2090/034: {abutting on parts of the device itself}
- A61B 2090/0811: {for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument}
- A61B 2090/376: {using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy}
- A61B 2090/3762: {using computed tomography systems [CT]}
- A61B 2090/3937: {Visible markers}
- A61B 2090/3945: {Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes}
- A61B 2090/3983: {Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Devices, Systems, and Methods for detecting a 3-dimensional position of an object, and surgical automation involving the same. The surgical robot system may include a robot having a robot base, a robot arm coupled to the robot base, and an end-effector coupled to the robot arm. The end-effector, surgical instruments, the patient, and/or other objects to be tracked include active and/or passive tracking markers. Cameras, such as stereophotogrammetric infrared cameras, are able to detect the tracking markers, and the robot determines a 3-dimensional position of the object from the tracking markers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A surgical robot system comprising:
a robot having a robot base, a robot arm coupled to the robot base, and an end-effector coupled to the robot arm, the end-effector having a guide tube;
an instrument having an array extending from the instrument with a plurality of fixed tracking markers and a moveable tracking marker, the instrument receivable in the guide tube and having a proximal rotatable knob;
an implant configured to be inserted in a patient, the implant configured to be detachably coupled to the instrument, the implant being expandable relative to the instrument, wherein the implant is adapted to be expandable by rotation of the proximal knob; and
at least one camera able to detect the plurality of fixed tracking markers and the moveable tracking marker on the instrument, wherein the robot determines a position or movement of the moveable tracking marker to determine a level of expansion of the implant,
wherein the end effector includes a plurality of markers placed around the surface of the end effector, wherein the distribution of the plurality of markers is configured to be tracked when the end-effector is translated and rotated in the surgical field,
wherein the implant is an expandable interbody fusion device positioned between adjacent vertebral bodies,
and wherein the surgical robot system correlates the position of the moveable tracking marker to a particular position, orientation, and height of the expandable interbody fusion device and determines the height of the expandable interbody fusion device based on the location of the moveable tracking marker.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the moveable tracking marker linearly translates relative to the plurality of fixed tracking markers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the moveable tracking marker rotates relative to the plurality of fixed tracking markers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the robot is configured to align the instrument along a given trajectory for a surgical procedure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the fixed tracking markers is a light emitting diode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the robot continuously determines a changing expansion level of the implant based on the changing position of the moveable tracking marker relative to the fixed tracking markers.

### Claim 7

A surgical robot system comprising:
a robot having a robot base, a robot arm coupled to the robot base, and an end-effector coupled to the robot arm, the end-effector having a guide tube;
an instrument having an array extending from the instrument with a plurality of fixed tracking markers and a moveable tracking marker, the instrument receivable in the guide tube and having a proximal rotatable knob;
an implant configured to be inserted in a patient, the implant configured to be detachably coupled to the instrument, the implant being expandable relative to the instrument, wherein the implant is adapted to be expandable by rotation of the proximal knob; and
at least one camera able to detect the plurality of fixed tracking markers and the moveable tracking marker on the instrument, wherein the robot determines a position or movement of the moveable tracking marker to determine a level of expansion of the implant,
wherein the implant is an expandable interbody fusion device positioned between adjacent vertebral bodies,
and wherein the surgical robot system correlates the position of the moveable tracking marker to a particular position, orientation, and height of the expandable interbody fusion device and determines the height of the expandable interbody fusion device based on the location of the moveable tracking marker.