Virtual mouse for use in surgical navigation

• US 20070073133A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schoenefeld, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/227,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073133A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00207 with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/108 Computer aided selection or customisation of medical implants or cutting guides
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• 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 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A surgical navigation system including a computer, a tracking system, and patient anatomical information. The surgical navigation system includes a structure based control system to enable a surgeon to reduce surgery time and costs. A virtual mouse or its functional equivalent is provided to enable a surgeon to access various features of the software based control system.

Claims

1. A method of performing a surgery, comprising:

operating a surgical navigation system having a tracking system, computer and monitor placed outside of a sterile field;

placing a pad having a pad array within the sterile field;

placing a probe having a probe array within the sterile field;

acquiring the pad array and the probe array with the tracking system;

activating a virtual mouse by moving the probe near the pad; and

making a mouse input to the computer with the virtual mouse.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mouse input comprises moving a pointer on the monitor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe is moved along a substantially flat surface of the pad to make the mouse input.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising moving the probe away from the surface to make a second mouse input to the computer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second mouse input comprises selecting a function.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising occluding the probe array to make a second mouse input to the computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe is moved to a pad marker disposed on the pad to make a second mouse input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe is moved in three dimensions to manipulate a corresponding object on the computer monitor.

9. The method in claim 8, wherein the corresponding object is a human anatomy image.

10. A surgical navigation system, comprising:

a computer having surgical navigation utilities software;

a tracking system coupled to the computer for recognizing and tracking movement of arrays within a measurement field;

a monitor coupled to the computer;

a virtual mouse input device, including,

a pad having a pad array, the pad array being trackable by the tracking system and recognizable by the computer as associated with the pad; and

a probe having a probe array, the probe array being trackable by the tracking system and recognizable by the computer as associated with the probe;

wherein movement of the probe relative to the pad causes a mouse input to the computer.

11. The surgical navigation system of claim 10, wherein the mouse input comprises movement of a pointer on the monitor.

12. The surgical navigation system of claim 10, wherein the pad comprises a pad marker which is configured to cooperate with the probe to provide a second mouse input to the computer.

13. The surgical navigation system of claim 10, wherein the pad has a substantially flat surface and the probe has a tip which when moved along the substantially flat surface is configured to cause the mouse input.

14. The surgical navigation system of claim 13, wherein the mouse input comprises movement of a pointer on the monitor.

15. A virtual mouse input device for a surgical navigation system, comprising:

a touch pad adapted for use in a sterile field;

a pad array attached to the touch pad, the pad array being trackable by a surgical navigation system and recognizable by the surgical navigation system as a touch pad; and

a probe suitable for use in a sterile field;

a probe array attached to the probe, the probe array being trackable by the surgical navigation system in relation to the pad array;

wherein movement of the probe array corresponds to movement of a marker on a monitor coupled to the surgical navigation system.

16. The virtual mouse of claim 15, wherein the touch pad has a substantially flat surface and the probe has a tip configured to move along the substantially flat surface to cause the movement of the marker on the monitor.