Systems and Methods for Establishing Virtual Constraint Boundaries
AssigneeStryker Corporation
InventorsDavid Gene Bowling, Donald W. Malackowski, José Luis Moctezuma de la Barrera, Patrick Roessler, Jerry A. Culp, John Michael Stuart, Joel N. Beer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for establishing and tracking virtual boundaries. The virtual boundaries can delineate zones in which an instrument is not permitted during a surgical procedure. The virtual boundaries can also delineate zones in which the surgical instrument is permitted during the surgical procedure. The virtual boundaries can also identify objects or structures to be treated by the instrument or to be avoided by the instrument during the surgical procedure.
Claims19
A surgical system for use with a plurality of virtual boundaries, said system comprising:
- an instrument;
- an instrument tracking device to track movement of said instrument;
- a first boundary tracking device to track movement of a first of the plurality of virtual boundaries wherein the first virtual boundary is associated with anatomy to be treated by said instrument;
- a second boundary tracking device to track movement of a second of the plurality of virtual boundaries wherein the second virtual boundary is associated with an object to be avoided by said instrument;
- and
- a controller configured to receive information associated with said tracking devices including positions of said instrument relative to the first and second virtual boundaries, said controller configured to guide movement of said instrument relative to each of the first and second virtual boundaries as the first and second virtual boundaries move relative to one another.
A method of using a plurality of virtual boundaries to guide movement of a surgical instrument, said method comprising:
- providing an instrument;
- tracking movement of a first of the plurality of virtual boundaries wherein the first virtual boundary is associated with anatomy to be treated by the instrument;
- tracking movement of the instrument;
- and
- tracking movement of a second of the plurality of virtual boundaries relative to the first virtual boundary wherein the second virtual boundary is associated with an object to be avoided by the instrument;
- guiding movement of the instrument relative to each of the first and second virtual boundaries as the first and second virtual boundaries move relative to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.