Neuro-navigation system

• US 20020095081A1
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainlab Medizinische Computersysteme GmbH (Brainlab AG)
• Original Assignee: Brainlab Medizinische Computersysteme GmbH (Brainlab AG)
• Inventors: Vilsmeier, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 6,859,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable
• 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 2034/2063 Acoustic tracking systems, e.g. using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3925 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/397 electromagnetic other than visible, e.g. microwave
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• 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 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 for diagnosis of the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/10 for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/20 Surgical microscopes characterised by non-optical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/32 Micromanipulators structurally combined with microscopes

Abstract

The invention relates to a Neuro-navigation system comprising a reflector referencing system including passive reflectors and a marker system with markers or landmarks wherein the reflectors as well as the markers as regards their shape, size and material selection as well as their arrangement or attachment on the parts of the body to be operatively treated and on the surgical instruments are configured so that mapping their locations is substantially facilitated or is able to take place more accurately positioned by a computer/camera unit having a graphic display terminal as well as the operative treatment with the aid of this unit. Optionally a surgical microscope, an ultrasonic diagnostic system as well as a calibration procedure may be integrated in the Neuro-navigation system in accordance with the invention.

Claims

1. A reflector referencing system for neurosurgical instruments and operative treatment apparatus comprising

a source of preferably infrared radiation,

at least two mapping or referencing cameras,

a computer unit connected to the cameras having a graphic display terminal and several reflectors,

characterized in that

at least two reflectors can be applied removably via adapters to instruments or operative treatment apparatus in an arrangement exclusively characteristic for this array of reflectors.

2. The reflector referencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reflectors are configured spherical and with a reflective coating.

3. The reflector referencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein two reflectors are secured to an instrument via connectors applied to said instrument, more particularly, via a pointer or a calibration rod.

4. The reflector referencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein three reflectors are each secured to at least one arm end of an adapter configured with reflector arms and a fastener base, said fastener base being securable to a surgical instrument or an operative treatment apparatus.

5. The reflector referencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least three reflectors are secured to an adapter for attachment to a surgical microscope.

6. The reflector referencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein it furthermore comprising a three-armed reference fasteners having a fastener base likewise comprising three reflectors securable in a particularly characteristic arrangement at each arm end, said base being provided at its end with a clip flexibly adapting to said fastener point in each case.

7. The reflector referencing system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said reference adapter comprises preferably at said output point of said three arms a conically tapered funnel bowl having a central calibration point for the tips of said surgical instruments.

19. An ultrasonic diagnostic system comprising

an ultrasonic emitter/detector,

an analyzer unit and display terminal connected to said ultrasonic emitter/detector,

wherein

a reflector adapter having at least three reflectors is secured to said ultrasonic emitter detector, said reflector adapter being integrated in a reflector referencing system as set forth in claim 1.

20. A Neuro-navigation system comprising

a reflector referencing system as set forth in claim 1 and

a marker system as set forth in claim 8.

8. A marker system for referencing and mapping parts of said body to be subjected to neurosurgery, including at least three artificial landmark prominences, just as many adapters for attaching said landmark prominences to the patient, wherein each individual landmark prominence outputs an image exclusively characteristic of itself for mapping diagnostic patient data and for subsequently monitoring the operation.

9. The marker system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said landmark prominences consist of metal bodies which due to their specific material density, size, shape and arrangement are individually distinguishable when determining data in a computer tomography as well as in mapping with infrared cameras.

10. The marker system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said landmark prominences consist of aluminum balls of a mappable specific shape and/or size configured removable from said fasteners.

11. The marker system as set forth in claim 8, wherein it comprises an additional set of funnel-shaped landmark prominences, the funnel centerpoint of which corresponds to the centerpoint of said landmark prominences by which they can be swapped prior to referencing at the operating table.

13. The process as set forth in claim 12, wherein a graphic display terminal displays said projected relative position of said reflectors during said three-dimensional movement of said calibration tool.

14. The process as set forth in claim 12, wherein a pointer provided with removable reflectors is used as said calibration tool.

15. The process as set forth in claim 12, wherein a calibration rod provided with removable reflectors is used as said calibration tool.

17. The control as set forth in claim 16, wherein three-dimensional positioning said microscope in a first calibration is done by means of focusing the optics of said microscope on a point having known three-dimensional coordinates, preferably the calibration point of a reference adapter, the focusing data being transferred by a data transfer means to said computer unit whilst said computer unit maps the three-dimensional position of said microscope by means of said reflectors and said cameras.

18. The control as set forth in claim 17, wherein after said first calibration, and in each case by signalling said actuator motors of said microscope by said computer unit or by feedback of said microscope movements and position data to said computer unit, the following control sequences are implemented:

a) automatically tracking and focusing an instrument tip, the position of which is known to said computer unit via reflectors;

b) automatically focusing a memorized or predetermined point of operative treatment; and

c) focusing a point of operative treatment from various three-dimensional and angular positions of said microscope.

21. The Neuro-navigation system as set forth in claim 20, wherein furthermore a microscope control as set forth in claim 16 for a surgical microscope is comprised.

22. The Neuro-navigation system as set forth in claim 20, wherein a calibration process as set forth in claim 12 is implemented prior to application of said Neuro-navigation system.

12. A calibration process for mapping the angular and spacing position of referencing cameras, comprising

applying a calibration tool having two reflectors secured at predetermined positions at a known space away from each other in the viewing range of both cameras,

moving said calibration tool three-dimensionally in said viewing range,

mapping several intermediate positions of said calibration tool by said referencing cameras and converting the resulting data by means of a computer unit individually into three-dimensional coordinates and

computing and memorizing said angular and spacing position of said cameras from said three-dimensional positions of said reflectors by means of said computer unit.

16. A control for a surgical microscope comprising

a microscope stand having a base and several interarticulated arms movable three-dimensionally powered or manually and a microscope mounting and control unit,

a source of preferably infrared radiation,

at least two mapping or referencing cameras,

a computer unit including a graphic display terminal connected to said cameras,

wherein

at least three reflectors are connected to said microscope removably via an adapter in an arrangement uniquely characteristical for this reflector array.