Surgical tracker and implantable marker for use as part of a surgical navigation system

A surgical tracker and marker assembly, said assembly including:

• a housing, said housing having a surface area of 180 cm2 or less and a maximum depth of 8 cm so that said housing can be placed against skin that extends over body tissue which is to be tracked;
• at least one navigation system component mounted to said housing for receiving signals from or transmitting signals to a static navigation unit remote from said housing so that the position of said housing relative the static navigation unit can be determined wherein, said at least one navigation system component receives or transmits signals other than electromagnetic or radio frequency signals and there is no wired connection between said at least one navigation system component and the static navigation unit;
• a first coil assembly disposed in said housing, said first coil assembly having at least one coil;
• a second coil assembly disposed in said housing, said second coil assembly having at least one coil and being separate from said first coil assembly and spaced from said first coil assembly;
• at least one current source disposed in said housing that is connected to said first and second coil assemblies, said current source able to output an AC signal that, when applied to either one of said coil assemblies causes said coil assembly to output an electromagnetic or radiofrequency signals into adjacent body tissue wherein, the signal output by said at least one current source to a single coil of either said coil assembly has a maximum power level of 1.67 Watts;
• a control circuit internal to said housing, said control circuit configured to regulate which one of said first or second coil assemblies outputs the electromagnetic or radiofrequency signals so that each one of said first or second coil assemblies is the only coil assembly that outputs the electromagnetic or radiofrequency signals;
• a data transmitter disposed in said housing, said data transmitter able to wirelessly transmit signals to a receiver to which a processor remote from said housing is connected;
• a battery disposed in said housing for powering said at least one navigation system component, said coil assemblies, said control circuit and said data transmitter;
• a marker separate from said housing, said marker dimensioned to be implanted subcutaneously, said marker including:
• a stem dimensioned to be embedded in the body tissue so as to hold said marker in a static state to the body tissue;
• and at least one transducer attached to said stem, said transducer being located a maximum distance of 25 cm from said housing coil assemblies so that said transducer can receive and be sensitive to the signals transmitted by said coil assemblies and that generates a signals based on the sensed signals, wherein said transducer is connected to said housing data transmitter, and said housing data transmitter is able to transmit through the receiver to the remote processor the signals generated by said marker transducer so that the remote processor, which receives signals exchanged between the static navigation unit and the housing at least one navigation system component, based on the exchanged signals between the static navigation unit and said housing at least one navigation system component and the signals generated by said marker transducer, can determine the position of said marker relative to the static navigation unit.

A surgical tracker and marker assembly, said assembly including:

• a housing, said housing having a surface area of 180 cm2 or less so that said housing can be placed against skin that extends over body tissue which is to be tracked;
• at least one navigation system component mounted to said housing for receiving signals from or transmitting signals to a localizer remote from said housing so that the position of said housing relative to the localizer can be determined wherein the signals received by or transmitted from said at least one navigation system component are signals other than electromagnetic or radiofrequency signals;
• a coil assembly disposed in said housing, said coil assembly having at least one coil;
• at least one bi-polar current source disposed in said housing that is connected to said coil assembly, said current source able to output an AC signal that, when applied to said coil assembly causes said coil assembly to output an electromagnetic or radiofrequency signals into adjacent body tissue;
• a data transmitter disposed in said housing, said transmitter able to wirelessly transmit signals to a receiver to which a processor remote from said housing is connected;
• a battery disposed in said housing that powers said at least one navigation system component, said at least one current source and said data transmitter;
• and
• a marker separate from said housing, said marker dimensioned to be implanted subcutaneously, said marker including:
• a stem dimensioned to be embedded in the body tissue so as to hold said marker in a static state to the body tissue;
• and at least one transducer attached to said stem, said transducer being sensitive to the signals transmitted by said coil assembly and that generates signals based on the sensed signals, wherein said transducer is spaced a maximum distance of 25 cm from said coil assembly so that the signal output by said at least one coil of said coil assembly has a maximum power of 1.67 Watts and said transducer is connected to said housing data transmitter, and said housing data transmitter is able to transmit to through the receiver to the remote processor the signals generated by said marker transducer so that the remote processor, based on the exchange of signals between the localizer and said housing at least one navigation system component and the signals generated by said marker transducer, can determine the position of said marker relative to the localizer.