Curved surgical instruments and method of mapping a curved path for stereotactic surgery

A method of mapping a curved path for stereotactic surgery using a substantially rigid instrument, said method being aided by a virtual reality apparatus, said apparatus including a

• a display means, and a stylus adapted for allowing a user to interact with said virtual reality apparatus via said display means, said virtual reality apparatus adapted for displaying medical images on said display means and superimposing a helical curve of a selected radius r and angle α within said images, said method comprising:
• a) displaying an accurate image of an affected area of a patient's body on said display means, said image including a target region;
• b) determining high-risk areas around said target region;
• c) pointing said stylus to a point P in said target region;
• d) moving said stylus until a helical curve originating from point P is displayed on said displaying means such that no part of the helical curve intersects said high-risk areas, said curve defining the curved path for which a rigid stereotactic surgical instrument having an identical shape as said curve will be navigated to said target region.

A method of mapping a least-invasive curved path for stereotactic surgery using a substantially rigid instrument comprising:

• obtaining an accurate image of an affected area of a patient's body, said image including a target region and an opening site;
• determining high-risk areas around said target region;
• assigning a medical acceptability value to each of said high-risk areas;
• selecting a plurality of curves within said image wherein each of said curves is substantially helical in shape, and said curves intersecting said target region and said opening site;
• assigning a medical acceptability value to each of said curves based on its interaction with said high-risk areas;
• comparing said curves based on said medical acceptability value;
• and
• choosing a curve with an optimal value, said curve defining the curved path for which a rigid stereotactic surgical instrument having an identical shape as said curve will be navigated to said target region.

A method of mapping a curved path for intracranial stereotactic surgery using a substantially rigid surgical instrument comprising:

• obtaining an accurate image of an affected area of a patient's intracranial area, said image including a target region and an opening site;
• determining high-risk areas around said target region;
• selecting a curve within said image wherein said curve is substantially helical in shape,
• whereby said curve intersects said target region and said opening site, but not said high-risk areas, said curve defining the curved path for which a rigid stereotactic surgical instrument having an identical shape as said curve will be navigated to said target region.