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US 2003/0164172 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for guiding a surgical instrument
OwnerNicole Jane Chumas, Paul Dominic Chumasinventors
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OwnerNicole Jane Chumas, Paul Dominic Chumasinventors
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The present invention relates to a method and apparatus which provides proactive guidance to a surgeon for guiding the tip of a surgical instrument along a previously defined optimum path within the body of a mammal to a tumour or other target within the body. This path is subdivided into a plurality of sections extending from one intermediate point to another and an image is formed on the exposed surface of the body of the mammal upon which the surgeon is operating. The image is focused below the exposed surface and at the next intermediate point to be traversed along the path. The image provides the surgeon with vector information as to where he should direct the tip of the instrument. The image is preferably three or more overlapping dots of light from lasers which are directed at the intermediate point by motorised mountings under the control of a computer, the splay of the dots of light giving the surgeon the vector information. By providing the image focused at the intermediate point, the surgeon is provided with a simple visual vector to follow whose direction is continuously updated as the surgeon moves the tip of the scalpel or other surgical instrument towards the intermediate point.
A method for proactively directing the movement of the operative tip of a surgical instrument during a surgical procedure being carried out on a mammal along a predetermined path within the body of the mammal from an exposed surface of the body of the mammal via at least one intermediate point along that path to a desired target within the body of the mammal, characterised in that the method comprises:
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the image comprises a plurality of separate images which are directed to converge at the location of the intermediate point along the path to the target.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the image is formed by directing laser generated light beams at the exposed surface of the body.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the image is caused to translate between the exposed surface of the body and the intermediate point within the body to which it desired to transport the tip of the surgical instrument, whereby a moving image is provided which translates between the exposed surface and the intermediate point on the path to the target.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the desired path to the target has been determined by prior inspection of the mammal by x ray, magnetic resonance, computer aided tomography and/or infra sound techniques to provide an image of the relevant portion of the body of the mammal and this image and the co-ordinates of the intermediate points along the path are stored in a computer memory, whereby the image on the exposed surface of the body for the next intermediate point along the path to the target can be generated and displayed upon the body of the mammal as each intermediate point along the path is attained by the tip of the surgical instrument.
A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the surgeon observes and directs the movement of the surgical instrument using a microscope whose movement in space is detected and monitored, whereby the position of the tip of the surgical instrument can be related to the desired path to the target.
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the mammal is a human being.
A method as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the surgical procedure is the treatment or removal of a tumour or other feature in the brain.
A method for proactively directing the movement of the operative tip of a surgical instrument within the body of a mammal substantially as hereinbefore described with respect to any one of the accompanying drawings.
Apparatus for use during a surgical procedure to be carried out on a mammal and for proactively guiding the tip of a surgical instrument to be used in that procedure along a predetermined path within the body of the mammal from an exposed surface on the body to a target within the body, via at least one intermediate point along that path, which apparatus is characterised in that it comprises:
Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the desired path to the target has been determined by prior inspection of the mammal by x ray, magnetic resonance, computer aided tomography and/or infra sound techniques to provide an image of the relevant portion of the body of the mammal and this image and the co-ordinates of the intermediate points along the path are stored in the memory of the computer, whereby the image on the exposed surface of the body for the next intermediate point along the path to the target can be generated and displayed upon the body of the mammal as each intermediate point along the path is attained by the tip of the surgical instrument.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.