Virtual mouse for use in surgical navigation

• US 20070073137A1
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schoenefeld, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,643,862 B2
• 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 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• 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 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A method of performing a surgery is provided including a surgical navigation system having a tracking system, computer and monitor placed outside of a sterile field. An input pad and a tracking array attachable to a surgical instrument or bone are placed into the sterile field along with a probe having a probe array. The tracking array and the probe array are acquired by the tracking system and a virtual mouse is activated by positioning the probe relative to the input pad, thereby causing a mouse input to the computer with the virtual mouse.

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 an input pad and a tracking array associated therewith into the sterile field, the tracking array being attachable to a surgical instrument or a bone;

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

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

activating a virtual mouse by positioning the probe relative to the input pad; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the virtual mouse with the probe comprises positioning a tip of the probe substantially near a pad marker located on the input pad to cause the mouse input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mouse input comprises identifying a function on the monitor with a pointer.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising moving the tip of the probe away from the pad marker to cause a second mouse input.

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

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising occluding the probe array to cause a second mouse input.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second mouse input comprises selecting the function on the monitor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the virtual mouse with the probe comprises moving the probe substantially near the input pad to cause a pointer on the monitor to correspondingly move.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the virtual mouse with the probe comprises moving a tip of the probe along a substantially flat surface of the input pad to cause the mouse input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mouse input comprises moving a pointer to correspondingly position a cursor on the monitor over an icon.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising moving the tip of the probe away from the pad marker to cause a second mouse input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second mouse input comprises selecting the function displayed by the monitor.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising occluding the probe array to cause a second mouse input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second mouse input comprises selecting the function displayed by the monitor.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the probe away from the input pad to manipulate a corresponding object on the computer monitor, the corresponding object being a human anatomy image.

16. A surgical navigation system, comprising:

a computer having a monitor and surgical navigation utilities software;

a tracking system coupled to the computer and establishing a measurement field;

a tracking array recognizable by the tracking system when exposed to the measurement field, the tracking array being attachable to a surgical instrument or a bone;

an input pad associated with the tracking array; and

a probe having a probe array recognizable by the tracking system when exposed to the measurement field;

wherein the software comprises a program that when executed causes the system to recognize positioning of the probe relative to the input pad as a mouse input.

17. The surgical navigation system of claim 16, wherein the input pad is located on the tracking array.

18. The surgical navigation system of claim 16, wherein the input pad comprises a pad array associated therewith.

19. The surgical navigation system of claim 16, further comprising a pad marker located on the input pad, the pad marker configured to cooperate with the probe during use of the system to cause the mouse input.

20. The surgical navigation system of claim 19, wherein movement of the probe'"'"'s tip near the pad marker during operation of the system causes the mouse input.

21. The surgical navigation system of claim 20, wherein movement of the probe'"'"'s tip away from the pad marker during operation of the system causes a second mouse input.

22. The surgical navigation system of claim 20, wherein occlusion of the probe array from exposure to the measurement field during operation of the system causes a second mouse input.

23. The surgical navigation system of claim 16, wherein the input pad has a substantially flat surface and the probe has a tip, movement of which along the substantially flat surface during operation of the system causes the mouse input.

24. The surgical navigation system of claim 23, wherein movement of the tip away from the surface causes a second mouse input.

25. The surgical navigation system of claim 23, wherein occlusion of the probe array from exposure to the measurement field causes a second mouse input.

26. The surgical navigation system of claim 16, wherein the tracking array comprises an instrument array or a bone reference array.

27. A virtual mouse for use with a surgical navigation system, comprising:

a tracking array having a frame, the tracking array being recognizable by a tracking system and attachable to a surgical instrument or a bone; and

an input pad disposed on the frame, the input pad being configured to cause a mouse input to a computer coupled to the navigation system when activated with a surgical probe.

28. The virtual mouse of claim 27, wherein the input pad comprises a pad marker configured to cooperate with the surgical probe to cause the mouse input.

29. The virtual mouse of claim 27, wherein the input pad comprises a substantially flat surface configured to cooperate with the surgical probe when a tip of the surgical probe is moved along the substantially flat surface to cause the mouse input.

30. The virtual mouse of claim 27, wherein the tracking array comprises an instrument array or a bone reference array.

31. The virtual mouse of claim 27, wherein the input pad is disposed on an outer surface of the frame.

32. The virtual mouse of claim 27, wherein the input pad comprises indicia configured to cause the mouse input to the computer when the input pad is activated with the surgical probe.