Curved surgical instruments and method of mapping a curved path for stereotactic surgery
First Claim
1. A method of mapping a curved path for stereotactic surgery using a substantially rigid surgical instrument to access an area of a patient'"'"'s body comprising:
- a) obtaining an accurate image of an area of the body, said image including an opening site and a target region;
b) determining high-risk areas around said target region;
c) selecting a non-linear curve within said image, wherein said curve is substantially helical in shape;
whereby said curve intersects said target region and said opening site, but not said high-risk areas, said curve defining the curved path for which a rigid stereotactic surgical instrument having an identical shape to said curve will be navigated to said target region.
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Abstract
The method of mapping a curved path for stereotactic surgery involves the selection of a helical-shaped path. The first step is toobtain an accurate image of the pertinent structures of the patient'"'"'s internal areas. The image includes the lesion or target region (15) and potential opening site. Using the image, the non-target areas (16, 17, 19) surrounding the lesion area (15) are determined and evaluated for the medical acceptability of passing through them. A curved path (H) which is substantially helical in shape is then selected within the image such that the curved path (H) avoids these non-target areas (16, 17, 19), but intersects the target region (15) and the opening site. The corresponding surgical instrument (65) which will be used to follow the path has a rigid body (H) having a shape which is substantially identical to the path.
198 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method of mapping a curved path for stereotactic surgery using a substantially rigid surgical instrument to access an area of a patient'"'"'s body comprising:
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a) obtaining an accurate image of an area of the body, said image including an opening site and a target region;
b) determining high-risk areas around said target region;
c) selecting a non-linear curve within said image, wherein said curve is substantially helical in shape;
whereby said curve intersects said target region and said opening site, but not said high-risk areas, said curve defining the curved path for which a rigid stereotactic surgical instrument having an identical shape to said curve will be navigated to said target region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10)
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9. A method of mapping a curved path for stereotactic surgery using a substantially rigid instrument, said method being aided by a virtual reality apparatus, said apparatus including a
a display means, and a stylus adapted for allowing a user to interact with said virtual reality apparatus via said display means, said virtual reality apparatus adapted for displaying medical images on said display means and superimposing a helical curve of a selected radius r and angle α - within said images, said method comprising;
a) displaying an accurate image of an affected area of a patient'"'"'s body on said display means, said image including a target region;
b) determining high-risk areas around said target region;
c) pointing said stylus to a point P in said target region;
d) moving said stylus until a helical curve originating from point P is displayed on said displaying means such that no part of the helical curve intersects said high-risk areas, said curve defining the curved path for which a rigid stereotactic surgical instrument having an identical shape as said curve will be navigated to said target region.
- within said images, said method comprising;
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11. A method of mapping a least-invasive curved path for stereotactic surgery using a substantially rigid instrument comprising:
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obtaining an accurate image of an affected area of a patient'"'"'s body, said image including a target region and an opening site;
determining high-risk areas around said target region;
assigning a medical acceptability value to each of said high-risk areas;
selecting a plurality of curves within said image wherein each of said curves is substantially helical in shape, and said curves intersecting said target region and said opening site;
assigning a medical acceptability value to each of said curves based on its interaction with said high-risk areas;
comparing said curves based on said medical acceptability value; and
choosing a curve with an optimal value, said curve defining the curved path for which a rigid stereotactic surgical instrument having an identical shape as said curve will be navigated to said target region. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A method of mapping a curved path for intracranial stereotactic surgery using a substantially rigid surgical instrument comprising:
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obtaining art accurate image of an affected area of a patient'"'"'s intracranial area, said image including a target region and an opening site;
determining high-risk areas around said target region;
selecting a curve within said image wherein said curve is substantially helical in shape, whereby said curve intersects said target region and said opening site, but not said high-risk areas, said curve defining the curved path for which a rigid stereotactic surgical instrument having an identical shape as said curve will be navigated to said target region. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A non-linear surgical instrument for stereotactic surgery conducted along a curved path comprising:
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a substantially rigid, elongated body, said body being substantially helical in shape, wherein said instrument is adapted for being inserted into a small opening on a patient'"'"'s body and navigated precisely along a selected curved path having substantially same shape as said instrument to perform a surgical function. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A guide block for a surgical instrument for stereotactic surgery, said instrument being substantially helical in shape, comprising
a rigid body, a channel disposed in said rigid body, said channel having an identical shape as said surgical instrument, said channel adapted for fittingly receiving said surgical instrument and allowing said instrument to smoothly slide through said channel without deforming out of shape.
Specification