Fluoroscopic image guided orthopaedic surgery system with intraoperative registration

A fluoroscopic image guided surgery system, comprising:

• a fluoroscopic imager for generating an image of a region of a patient, at least one radiator being positioned on the fluoroscopic imager;
• a surgical instrument capable of being positioned proximate the region, at least one radiator being positioned on the surgical instrument;
• a reference device capable of positioning In the region of the patient, at least one radiator being positioned in the reference device:
• a position sensor for sensing signals emitted by radiators of the fluoroscopic Imager, the surgical Instrument, and the reference device, and for determining positions of at least one of the fluoroscopic imager and the surgical instrument with respect to the reference device;
• only one fiducial marker for attachment to the region, the one fiducial marker and a shape of the region being visible in the fluoroscopic images, wherein only the one fiducial marker and the shape of the region are used for determining a position of the region relative to the position sensor;
• and
• a monitor for displaying the image of the region produced by the fluoroscopic imager and the position of the surgical instrument overlaying the image in near real time for continually monitoring a position of the surgical instrument.

A method of performing fluoroscopic image guided surgery with Intraoperative registration, comprising the steps of:

• attaching a reference device to an object bone in a region of a patient, the reference device having a first set of radiators;
• obtaining at least one fluoroscopic image of the region, the Image being obtained by a fluoroscopic imager having a second set of radiators;
• determining a position of the fluoroscopic imager relative to the reference device for the at least one fluoroscopic Image by detecting signals from the first and second set of radiators using a position sensor;
• storing the at least one fluoroscopic image and the fluoroscopic imager position;
• placing a surgical instrument proximate to the region, the surgical Instrument having a third set of radiators;
• determining a position of the surgical instrument relative to the reference device by detecting signals from the first and third set of radiators using a position sensor;
• attaching only one fiducial marker to the object bone;
• determining a position of the object bone relative to the position sensor by use of only the one fiducial marker and a shape of the object bone;
• and
• real-time displaying the at least one fluoroscopic image with an image of the surgical instrument.

A fluoroscopic image guided surgery system, comprising:

• a C-arm fluoroscope for obtaining fluoroscopic Images of an object bone, the C-arm fluoroscope including at least one set of emitters;
• a reference bar capable of attaching to the object bone, the reference bar including emitters;
• a surgical instrument for performing an operation, the instrument including emitters:
• a digitizer system In communication with the at least one set of emitters of the C-arm fluoroscope, the emitters of the reference bar, and the emitters of the surgical instrument so that the digitizer system can determine a position of each of the C-arm fluoroscope, the reference bar, and the surgical Instrument;
• and
• only one fiducial marker for attachment to the object bone, the one fiducial marker being visible in the fluoroscopic images, wherein only the one fiducial marker and a shape of the object bone are used for determining a position of the object bone relative to the digitizer system.