System and method for hybrid tracking in surgical navigation

• US 20060058604A1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Peter Traneus, Avinash, Gopal B., Weiner, Allison Leigh
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• 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 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0818 Redundant systems, e.g. using two independent measuring systems and comparing the signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/366 using projection of images directly onto the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3925 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3954 magnetic, e.g. NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3995 Multi-modality markers
• 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 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/066 Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/067 using accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation

Abstract

A system and method for hybrid tracking in surgical navigation is disclosed. A plurality of tracking technologies is used in a medical procedure where a reconciler determines an active tracking technology. The reconciler determines the active tracking technology during the medical procedure. A switch may then activate one or more tracking technologies. The determination of which technology or technologies are to be activated may be based, for example, on metrics measured by each of the technologies, such as an accuracy measurement. In addition, a display may present representations based on at least data obtained by one or more of the tracking technologies. The switch may employ weighted switching to gradually switch the display of a first representation corresponding to a first tracking technology to the display of a second representation corresponding to a second tracking technology, where the first technology is deactivated and the second technology is activated.

Claims

1. A medical tracking system, said system including:

a plurality of tracking technologies employed during a medical procedure;

a reconciler determining an active tracking technology during said procedure, said active tracking technology including at least one of said tracking technologies; and

a switch activating said active tracking technology.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said active tracking technology determines tracking data for at least one of a medical instrument and implant.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said tracking data includes timing data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said timing data is employed to synchronize said tracking data with tracking data measured by a second active tracking technology.

5. The system of claim 2, further including a display presenting a representation based on at least said tracking data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said switch activates said active tracking technology during said procedure.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said switch deactivates at least one of said tracking technologies by causing a display device to cease displaying a representation based on at least tracking data measured by said at least one tracking technology.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said switch includes at least one of a human operator of said system, electronic circuitry receiving at least one of activation and deactivation signals from said reconciler, and a software application.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said switch activates said active tracking technology instantaneously.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said switch activates said active tracking technology over a period of time such that a visual representation corresponding to said active tracking technology becomes more visible as a visual representation corresponding to said deactivated tracking technology becomes less visible over said time period.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said reconciler includes at least one of a human operator of said system, electronic circuitry communicating at least one of activation and deactivation signals to said switch, and a software application.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said tracking technologies includes a metric to be monitored by said reconciler, said reconciler automatically determining said active tracking technology based on at least an optimization of said metrics.

13. A method for hybrid tracking in medical navigation system, said method including:

employing a plurality of tracking technologies for use during a medical procedure;

determining an active tracking technology during said procedure, said active tracking technology including at least one of said tracking technologies; and

activating said active tracking technology.

14. The method of claim 13, further including measuring tracking data for at least one of a medical instrument and implant.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said tracking data includes timing data.

16. The method of claim 15, further including synchronizing said tracking data with tracking data measured by a second active tracking technology.

17. The method of claim 14, further including displaying a representation based on at least said tracking data.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said activating step includes activating said active tracking technology during said procedure.

19. The method of claim 13, further including deactivating at least one of said tracking technologies, said deactivating including ceasing to display a representation based on at least tracking data measured by said at least one tracking technology.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said activating step is completed by at least one of a human operator of said method, electronic circuitry receiving at least one of activation and deactivation signals from said reconciler, and a software application.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said activating step occurs instantaneously.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein said activating step occurs over a period of time such that a visual representation corresponding to said active tracking technology becomes more visible as a visual representation corresponding to said deactivated tracking technology becomes less visible over said time period.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein said determining step is performed by at least one of a human operator of said method, electronic circuitry communicating at least one of activation and deactivation signals to said switch, and a software application.

24. The method of claim 13, further including monitoring a metric associated with each of said tracking technologies, wherein said determining step is based on at least an optimization of said metrics.

25. A system for optimizing an accuracy of navigation in a medical procedure, said system including:

first and second tracking systems used in said procedure;

a monitor measuring first and second accuracies of said first and second tracking systems, respectively; and

a switch activating said first tracking system and deactivating said second tracking system when said first accuracy measurement is greater than said second accuracy measurement.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said switch activates said first tracking system automatically.

27. The system of claim 26, further including a display gradually presenting a representation associated with tracking data from said first tracking system after activation and gradually removing an image associated with tracking data from said second tracking system after deactivation.

28. The system of claim 27, further including an alarm notifying a user of said system when said first and second accuracies decrease below a threshold amount.