Electromagnetically tracked K-wire device

• US 20060173291A1
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Electronics Limited (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Electronics Limited (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Glossop, Neil David
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3975 active
• 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 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/94 coded with symbols, e.g. text
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

Devices and methods for registering, dynamically referencing, and navigating an anatomical region of interest of a patient are provided using a tracked Kirschner wire (K-wire), where the K-wire includes a position-indicating element.

Claims

1. A device for image guided surgery that includes an elongated member for insertion in an anatomical body and a removable coupling mechanism, the elongated member comprising:

a. at least one electromagnetic position-indicating element, located in the elongated member and capable of providing the position and orientation of the location of the position-indicating element;

b. at least one conductive lead-wire from which signals are carried along at least a portion of the length of the elongated shaft to a proximal end;

c. a plurality of connection bands associated with the elongated member, that connect the at least one conductive lead-wire to an electromagnetic position sensor system.

2. The device of claim 1, where the connection bands facilitate axial rotation of the elongated member while maintaining contact with the electromagnetic position sensor system.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the connection bands connect the at least one conductive lead wire to the electromagnetic position sensor system via a rotary slip coupling that permits rotational movement of the elongated member while maintaining electrical contact between the electromagnetic sensor system and the position indicating element.

4. The device of claim 1, where a tip of the elongated member includes a sharp point.

5. The device of claim 1, where at least part of the elongated member is threaded.

6. The device of claim 1, where the at least one position-indicating element contains radio-opaque markings.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the radio-opaque markings further form a pattern that can be used to encode information relating to the elongated member.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the information can be decoded using X-rays.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the elongated member includes an integrated identification system encoding information relating to the elongated member and the connector is capable of reading the identification information.

10. The device of claim 9, where the identification information includes at least one of:

a. a pattern of dark and light regions that effectively constitute barcode or other similar code and that can be optically determined;

b. a plurality of switches that can be used to construct a binary number that encodes information;

c. a memory device;

or

d. an RFID device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive elements are of the same or smaller diameter than the remainder of the elongated member.

12. A method for registration of a portion of an anatomy of a patient using an instrumented K-wire that includes at least one electromagnetic position-indicating element, located in an elongated member that is capable of providing its position and orientation as patient space data, the method comprising:

securing the K-wire to the anatomy of the patient;

imaging the anatomy and the secured K-wire to produce one or more images;

gathering image space data regarding the location of the at least one position-indicating element on the one or more images;

gathering the patient space data by sampling the location of the at least one electromagnetic position indicating element within the anatomy of the patient; and

calculating a registration of the portion of the anatomy of the patient using the image space data and the patient space data.

13. A method for dynamic referencing a portion of an anatomy of a patient using at least one instrumented K-wire that includes at least one electromagnetic position-indicating element, located in an elongated member that is capable of providing its position and orientation as patient space data, the method comprising:

securing the at least one instrumented K-wire to the portion of the anatomy of the patient; and

tracking the portion of the anatomy of the patient by tracking the position and orientation of the at least one position indicating element.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein tracking the portion of the anatomy further comprises updating a registration of the portion of the anatomy utilizing information relating the tracking of the portion of the anatomy.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein securing the at least one instrumented K-wire further comprises determining a desired number of degrees of freedom, and determining a number of instrumented K-wires necessary to measure the desired number of degrees of freedom.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein securing the at least one instrumented K-wire further comprises:

imaging the portion of the anatomy of the patient, including the at least one secured instrumented K-wire to produce one or more images;

determining, from the one or more images, location and orientation of the at least one position-indicating element for each of the at least one secured instrumented. K-wires to obtain image space data; and

determining a six degree of freedom rigid body using the image space data, wherein the motion of the rigid body can be determined and tacked,

wherein tracking the position and orientation of the at least one position indicating elements further comprises tracking the rigid body.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein securing the at least one instrumented K-wire further comprises:

measuring the position and location of the at least one position indicating element of each secured instrumented K-wire within the portion of the anatomy of the patient to obtain patient space data; and

determining a six degree of freedom rigid body using the patient space data, wherein the motion of the rigid body can be determined and tacked,

wherein tracking the position and orientation of the at least one position indicating elements further comprises tracking the rigid body.

18. A method for navigating an instrumented K-wire to a bone or bones, wherein the at least one instrumented K-wire includes at least one electromagnetic position-indicating element, located in an elongated member that is capable of providing its position and orientation as patient space data, the method comprising:

imaging the bone or bones to obtain image space data;

receiving patient space data regarding the bone or bones from a registration device equipped with one or more position indicating elements;

calculating a registration by registering the image space data to the patient space data;

navigating the instrumented K-wire to the bone or bones using an icon of the instrumented K-wire displayed on an image of the bone or bones, wherein the registration is used to display the icon of the instrumented K-wire on the image of the image of the bone or bones; and

securing the instrumented K-wire to the bone or bones.