Method and apparatus for intraoperative measurements of anatomical orientation

• US 10,335,241 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Frasier, William, Hawkins, John Riley, Lomeli, Roman, Hall, Mark, Chien, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Inoussa, Mouloucoulaye
• Application Number:
  US14/983,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20170189121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 606 88, 623 2215, 702150
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00455 Orientation indicators, e.g. recess on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2048 using an accelerometer or inertia sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/005 with a lid or cover
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/3006 Nested casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/3008 having multiple compartments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0223 Magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/067 using accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects

Abstract

Electronic devices that detect their position and/or orientation with respect to earth'"'"'s frame of reference are described. A coupler can removeably maintain the electronic devices in physical proximity of one another. Each electronic device can have a housing and the coupler can be included on the housing and arranged to physically connect the housing of the electronic device to the housing of at least one other electronic device. Alternatively, the coupler can be a packaging that maintains the electronic devices in physical proximity of one another. Each electronic device can be calibrated using the orientation or position information obtained by other electronic devices maintained by the coupler. Further, each electronic device can include a power source that remains inactive until the device is ready for use.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of electronic devices, each electronic device including an internal power source and being configured to detect at least one of an orientation or a position of the electronic device with respect to earth'"'"'s frame of reference in a plurality of dimensions; and

a coupler configured to removeably maintain the plurality of electronic devices in physical proximity of one another, the coupler maintaining the plurality of electronic devices in at least one of a similar orientation or a similar position;

wherein the internal power source of the electronic device is configured to be deactivated when at least a portion of the coupler is in proximity to the electronic device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupler is configured to maintain each electronic device in an orientation in which the electronic device is expected to detect the orientation or position most accurately.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each electronic device includes a housing, the coupler being included on the housing and configured to physically connect the housing of the electronic device to housing of at least one other electronic device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the housing includes one or more features for connecting the electronic device to at least one of a location within an operating room, a medical instrument in the operating room, a location on body of a patient, or for aligning the apparatus with an anatomical feature of the patient in the operating room.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the coupler is configured to connect the housing of the electronic device to the housing of the at least one other electronic device using at least one of a mechanical connection or a magnetic connection.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the housing includes one or more markings configured to assist a user in aligning the electronic device with the body of the patient.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupler comprises a packaging, the packaging being configured to maintain the plurality of electronic devices in at least one of physical proximity of one another or a specific physical orientation with respect to one another.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the packaging is at least one of round or human body-shaped.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the packaging includes one or more markings configured to assist a user in aligning the plurality of electronic devices with the body of the patient.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the packaging includes one or more features for maintaining each electronic device within the packaging.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the packaging includes a temperature controller configured to maintain the electronic device at a predetermined temperature.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the internal power source is configured to be activated once the electronic device is removed from the packaging.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the internal power source is configured to be activated once the electronic device is detached from the coupler.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each electronic device includes at least one of a removable pull-tab or a magnetic reed switch that is any of mechanically and magnetically coupled to at least a portion of the coupler such that the internal power source remains inactive prior to at least one of removal of the pull-tab or activation of the magnetic reed switch and becomes activated upon at least one of removal of the pull-tab or activation of the magnetic reed switch.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each electronic device includes a cover configured to removeably cover at least a portion of the electronic device, the cover being connected to the coupler and a switch configured to activate the internal power source.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each electronic device includes a temperature controller configured to maintain the electronic device at a predetermined temperature.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each electronic device includes a communications interface, the communications interface being configured to report the detected orientation or position of the electronic device to a computing device that makes use of the detected orientation or position information.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each electronic device includes an interface arranged to transfer at least one of power from an external power source to the electronic device or data between the electronic device and an external processor.

19. A system comprising:

a plurality of electronic devices, each electronic device including an internal power source and being configured to detect at least one of an orientation or a position of the electronic device with respect to earth'"'"'s frame of reference in a plurality of dimensions;

a coupler configured to removeably maintain the plurality of electronic devices in physical proximity of one another, the coupler maintaining the plurality of electronic devices in at least one of a similar orientation or a similar position; and

a processor configured to communicate with the plurality of electronic devices; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to communicate with the processor and containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control calibration of each electronic device using orientations or positions detected by other electronic devices;

wherein the internal power source of the electronic device is configured to be deactivated when at least a portion of the coupler is in proximity to the electronic device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the coupler is arranged to allow movement of at least one electronic device to a desired projection plane and the processor is configured to use a quaternion generated based on the movement of the electronic device to define a projection plane used for controlling calibration of the electronic device.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the coupler is arranged to maintain the plurality of electronic devices in a predetermined similar orientation and the processor is configured to use a fixed quaternion value representing the orientation of the electronic devices to define a projection plane used for controlling calibration of each electronic device.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the electronic device includes a housing, the coupler being included on the housing and configured to physically connect the housing of the electronic device to housing of at least one other electronic device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the housing includes one or more features for connecting the electronic device to at least one of a location within an operating room, a medical instrument in the operating room, or a location on body of a patient in the operating room.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the coupler is configured to connect the housing of the electronic device to the housing of the at least one other electronic device using at least one of a mechanical connection or a magnetic connection.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the coupler comprises a packaging, the packaging being configured to maintain the plurality of electronic devices in at least one of physical proximity of one another or a specific orientation with respect to one another.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the packaging is at least one of round or human body-shaped.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the packaging includes a temperature controller configured to maintain the electronic device at a predetermined temperature.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the internal power source is configured to be activated once the electronic device is removed from the packaging.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the internal power source is configured to be activated once the electronic device is detached from the coupler.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the electronic device includes an interface arranged to transfer at least one of power from an external power source to the electronic device or data between the electronic device and an external processor.