Robotic trajectory guide

• US 20010053879A1
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Solar, Matthew S., Raghavan, Raghu, David, John, Miller, Thomas I., Brady, Martin, Mills, Gerald W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/417
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• 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 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints

Abstract

A surgical alignment device is shown that is controlled remotely through the use of an actuator, where the actuator in turn controls at least one local adjustment device. The alignment device is suited for neurosurgery, although it is not exclusively limited to neurosurgery. The alignment device includes an insertion guide that is coupled to the local adjustment device, the insertion guide being used to guide a device such as a catheter into a patient. The alignment device may also be coupled to a control module such as a microcomputer that controls the orientation of the insertion guide in response to inputs from the surgeon as to a location of interest within the patient.

Claims

1. An alignment device comprising:

a base, the base having a mounting plane;

an insertion guide, having an opening therein and an insertion axis through the opening;

an adjustable joint attached to a distal end of the insertion guide, and coupled to the base;

a local adjustment device attached to the adjustable joint; and

an actuator remotely coupled to the local adjustment device, the actuator being controlled from a remote location.

2. The alignment device of

claim 1

, wherein the adjustable joint includes a ball and socket joint.

3. The alignment device of

claim 1

, wherein the local adjustment device includes a linear slide coupled to the insertion guide.

4. The alignment device of

claim 3

, wherein the linear slide includes a threaded adjuster coupled to a collar, the collar being coupled to the insertion guide.

5. The alignment device of

claim 4

, wherein the collar includes a ball and socket joint coupled to the insertion guide.

6. The alignment device of

claim 1

, wherein the local adjustment device includes a rotating joint that rotates about an axis normal to the mounting plane.

7. The alignment device of

claim 6

, wherein the rotating joint includes a worm gear mechanism.

8. The alignment device of

claim 1

, wherein the actuator includes an electrically powered actuator.

9. The alignment device of

claim 8

, wherein the electrically powered actuator includes a stepper motor.

10. An alignment system comprising:

an imaging device;

an alignment device comprising;

a base, the base having a mounting plane;

an insertion guide, having an opening therein and an insertion axis through the opening;

an adjustable joint attached to a distal end of the insertion guide, and coupled to the base;

a local adjustment device attached to the adjustable joint;

a detachable actuator coupled to the first local adjustment device;

a control module in remote communication with the actuator and in communication with the tissue imaging device, the control module aligning the insertion axis with the target location.

11. The alignment system of

claim 10

, wherein the control module includes microcomputer.

12. The alignment system of

claim 10

, wherein the imaging device includes a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device.

13. The alignment system of

claim 10

, further including a first reference device coupled to the insertion guide, the first reference device being capable of locating the insertion axis in three dimensional space relative to a patient.

14. The alignment system of

claim 13

, further including a second reference device coupled to a patient reference frame patient, the second reference device being capable of locating the patient relative to the first reference device.

15. The alignment system of

claim 13

, wherein the first reference device includes a conducting coil capable of locating the insertion axis in three dimensional space relative to the patient.

16. The alignment system of

claim 13

, wherein the first reference device includes a number of LED devices capable of locating the insertion axis in three dimensional space relative to the patient.

17. The alignment system of

claim 13

, wherein the first reference device includes a number of infra red (IR) reflecting devices capable of locating the insertion axis in three dimensional space relative to the patient.

18. The alignment system of

claim 13

, wherein the first reference device includes a potentiometer capable of locating a primary medical device along the insertion axis.

19. The alignment system of

claim 13

, wherein the alignment system is a closed loop system.

20. A method of aligning a medical device comprising:

coupling a base to a patient reference frame;

attaching an insertion guide to the base using an adjustable joint, the insertion guide having an insertion axis, and the adjustable joint having a range of motion;

attaching a local adjustment device to the adjustable joint;

coupling a detachable actuator to the local adjustment device; and

remotely actuating the actuator to adjust the insertion axis within the range of motion.

21. The method of

claim 20

, wherein coupling a base to a patient reference frame includes attaching a base directly to the skull of a patient.

22. The method of

claim 20

, wherein coupling the detachable actuator to the local adjustment device includes remotely coupling the actuator to the local adjustment device.

23. The method of

claim 20

, wherein actuating the actuator includes engaging a rotary motor, the rotary motor being coupled to the local adjustment device by a rotating cable drive.

24. The method of

claim 23

, further including coupling the actuator to a remote control module, the remote control module being capable of adjusting the insertion axis by remotely actuating the actuator.

25. The method of

claim 24

, further including:

imaging a patient with a tissue imaging device;

inputting a target location to the control module; and

computing an adjustment with the control module and aligning the insertion axis with the target location through actuation of the actuator.

26. The method of

claim 25

, wherein computing an adjustment with the control module and aligning the insertion axis includes computing an adjustment with the control module and aligning the insertion axis using a closed loop system.

27. A method of manufacturing an alignment device comprising:

providing a base;

coupling an adjustable joint to the base;

coupling an insertion guide to the adjustable joint;

attaching a local adjustment device to the adjustable joint, the adjustment device being capable of adjusting the insertion guide within a range of motion;

attaching a detachable actuator to the local adjustment device; and

remotely coupling a control module to the actuator.

28. The method of

claim 27

, wherein attaching a detachable actuator to the local adjustment device includes remotely coupling a rotary motor to the local adjustment device through a rotating cable.