Imaging platform to provide integrated navigation capabilities for surgical guidance

A method of generating a scout view image for an image-guided surgical procedure, the method comprising:

• (a) in a non-radiographic imaging mode, manually positioning one of an X-ray source and an X-ray sensor mounted on a first robotic arm so as to designate a beginning point of a desired anteroposterior (AP) radiograph, the other of the X-ray source and the X-ray sensor being mounted on a second robotic arm;
• (b) in the non-radiographic imaging mode, manually positioning said one of the X-ray source and the X-ray sensor mounted on the first robotic arm so as to designate an ending point of the desired AP radiograph;
• (c) receiving at a control system the designated beginning point and the designated end point;
• (d) by the control system, calculating respective radiographic imaging paths for the X-ray source and the X-ray sensor;
• (e) by the control system, controlling the first and second robotic arms to follow the calculated radiographic imaging paths from the designated beginning point to the designated end point while imaging using the X-ray source and the X-ray sensor;
• (f) by the control system, generating a contiguous X-ray image scan based on signals from the X-ray sensor obtained during (e);
• (g) by the control system, displaying the X-ray image scan on a computer screen;
• (h) manually positioning a marker mounted on a third robotic arm to designate a spatial point;
• and
• (i) by the control system, while controlling the third robotic arm to hold the marker in place at the spatial point, repeating (e) so as to generate a confirmatory radiograph.

A method of registering a tool for use with an image platform system, the image platform system including an X-ray source mounted on a first robotic arm and an X-ray sensor mounted on a second robotic arm, the image platform system further including a robotic tool-holder with a third robotic arm, the method comprising:

• (a) fixing a sterile target at a location in a surgical field navigation reference frame of the image platform system, the sterile target including a small detent or recess for tool registration;
• (b) registering the sterile target using optical, electromagnetic (EM), or robot probes;
• (c) attaching the tool to the robotic tool-holder;
• (d) moving the third robotic arm such that a tip of the attached tool is positioned within said small detent or recess of the sterile target;
• (e) moving the attached tool in a conical arc;
• (f) at a same time as the moving in (e), by a control system, recording the motion of the attached tool through the third robotic arm;
• and
• (g) by the control system, calculating the tip of the attached tool with respect to the third robotic arm and the navigation reference frame based on the recorded motion.