US 8,271,069 B2 · Method and apparatus for surgical navigation

Abstract

A surgical navigation system for navigating a region of a patient that may include a non-invasive dynamic reference frame and/or fiducial marker, sensor tipped instruments, and isolator circuits. The dynamic reference frame may be placed on the patient in a precise location for guiding the instruments. The dynamic reference frames may be fixedly placed on the patient. Also the dynamic reference frames may be placed to allow generally natural movements of soft tissue relative to the dynamic reference frames. Also methods are provided to determine positions of the dynamic reference frames. Anatomical landmarks may be determined intra-operatively and without access to the anatomical structure.

Claims43

Dependent claims

A navigation system for determining a position of a sensor relative to a portion of an anatomy including soft tissue, comprising:

a localizer configured to produce a field relative to the anatomy;
a tracking sensor for sensing the field produced relative to said tracking sensor to determine a position of said tracking sensor in the field;
and
a housing including said sensor;
wherein the housing is configured to allow movement of the housing relative to the soft tissue when affixed to the anatomy subcutaneously;
wherein said localizer includes a mobile localizer configured to be moved by a single hand of a user and configured with said sensor to determine the position of said sensor relative to the anatomy, the mobile localizer defining a field steerable by the user relative to the anatomy.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

12/828,912Filed 1 Jul 2010 · division

Priority

17 Oct 2003

Published

US 2010/0274124 A128 Oct 2010

Granted

18 Sep 2012

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification34 codes

A61B 5/06
Measuring for diagnostic purposes ; Identification of persons: devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies ;…
A61B 5/062
Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing…
A61B 34/20
Computer-aided surgery; Manipulators or robots specially adapted for use in surgery: surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding…
A61B 5/4528
For evaluating or diagnosing the musculoskeletal system or teeth: joints

Family

Application10/688,068Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Oct 2003

Application10/941,782Parent of this division · filed 15 Sep 2004

US 7,366,562 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Apr 2008

US 2010/0274124 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Oct 2010

US 7,751,865 B2Parent of this division

Application10/941,782Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2005/0085715 A1Published application

US 2005/0085720 A1Published application

US 8,271,069 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Method and apparatus for surgical navigation

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for surgical navigation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims43