System and method for tracking positions of uniform marker geometries

• US 20080161682A1
• Filed: 01/02/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Navigation Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Navigation Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Bzostek, Andrew, Kendrick, Lance, Doerr, Vince J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,220,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2065 Tracking using image or pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/256 having a database of accessory information, e.g. including context sensitive help or scientific articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3945 Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3979 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for tracking a tracking device for use with a surgical navigation system is provided. The system and method can include at least one tracking device having a plurality of faces. The faces can be operable to generate a signal upon activation. Also included is a face activation module that activates a selected one of the faces upon receipt of an activation signal. The system can also include a visibility module that generates the activation signal and receives the signal from the face to generate tracking data for the tracking device, along with a face switching module that generates a face control signal to activate a different face based on the tracking data.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a tracking device for use with a surgical navigation system comprising:

at least one tracking device having a plurality of faces, the faces operable to generate a signal upon activation;

a face activation module that activates a selected one of the faces upon receipt of an activation signal;

a visibility module that generates the activation signal and receives the signal from the face to generate tracking data for the tracking device; and

a face switching module that generates face control data to activate a different face based on the tracking data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each face of the tracking device further comprises a plurality of markers that are arranged in an identical geometric pattern on a sub-plurality of faces, and the markers generate the signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of markers comprise at least one of a light emitting diode (LED), a reflector or a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the geometric pattern includes an orientating feature to enable the visibility module to determine the orientation of the face.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the visibility module further comprises:

a localizer control module that receives the signal from the markers and transmits |localization|_[k2]data based on the signal received from the markers; and

a navigation module that generates, based on the localization data, tracking data for the tracking device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the tracking data comprises at least one of the location, an orientation or visibility of each of the faces based on the localization data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the face activation control module further comprises:

a receiver for receipt of the activation signal to transmit an activation signal; and

an activation module that activates a selected face based on the activation signal and face control data received from the face switching control module.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the face switching control module determines based on the tracking data and the activation signal which face on the tracking device to activate.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the face control data is transmitted wirelessly to the activation module from the face switching control module.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking device is coupled to an instrument selected from the group comprising:

a guide wire, an arthroscopic system, an orthopedic implant, a spinal implant, a deep-brain stimulator probe, a catheter, a reference frame microscopes, drills, drill-guides, suctions, biopsy needles, cutting guides and combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the localization module is responsive to a camera that captures the signal from the markers.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an imaging device selected from at least one of a fluoroscopy device, an O-arm device, a bi-plane fluoroscopy device, an ultrasound device, a computed tomography (CT) device, a multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) device, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, a high frequency ultrasound (HFU) device, a positron emission tomography (PET) device, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) device, an intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) device, an intra-operative CT device, an intra-operative MRI device and combinations thereof.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the tracking device is coupled to the imaging device.

14. A method of tracking a tracking device for use with a surgical navigation system comprising:

providing at least one tracking device having a plurality of faces;

activating a selected one of the faces to emit a signal;

tracking the signal emitted by the selected face; and

determining, based on the tracking of the selected face, if a different one of the faces should be activated.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

coupling a marker to each of a sub-plurality of the faces in an identical geometric pattern; and

activating each of the markers on the selected face to emit the signal.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

selecting the marker from the group comprising a light emitting diode (LED), a reflector or combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a receiver coupled to the tracking device;

transmitting a pulse to the receiver to charge the markers on the faces; and

activating only the selected face upon receipt of the pulse.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein tracking the signal emitted by the face further comprises:

providing a camera responsive to the markers;

determining if the selected face is visible to the camera such that the camera receives the signal from the markers;

determining if the different face is visible to the camera; and

determining if the different face should be activated based on at least one of the orientation of the faces and the signals from the markers on the selected face.

19. A method of tracking a portion of an anatomy comprising:

coupling a tracking device having a plurality of faces to at least one of the anatomy, an instrument, or an imaging device;

tracking the tracking device relative to the anatomy by;

activating the tracking device to illuminate a selected face;

tracking the illumination of the selected face;

determining, based on the illumination of the selected face, if a different one of the plurality of faces should be illuminated.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

coupling light emitting diodes (LEDs) to each of a sub-plurality of the faces such that each face has a substantially identical geometric LED pattern; and

activating each of the LEDs on the selected face to emit the signal.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting a wireless signal to the tracking system to illuminate the selected face.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein tracking the illumination of the selected face further comprises:

providing a camera responsive to the illumination; and

determining if the one of the plurality of different faces should be activated based on the visibility of the faces to the camera.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining if the different face is visible further comprises:

activating the different face if a line-of-sight angle between a normal to the LEDs of the different face and a line-of-sight to the camera is less than a line-of-sight angle of the selected face; and

activating the different face if the number of LEDs illuminated on the selected face is less than a maximum number of LEDs on the selected face.

24. A surgical navigation system for tracking a tracking device in a surgical procedure comprising:

at least one tracking device having a plurality of faces that are illuminated in an active state;

a tracking system that tracks the tracking device and determines which one of the faces to activate; and

a display device that displays a position of the tracking device during the surgical procedure.

25. The surgical navigation system of claim 24, wherein the tracking system is an optical tracking system and includes a camera that is responsive to the illuminated face to determine a location of the active face.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

an imaging system selected from at least one of an isocentric fluoroscopy device, an O-arm device, a bi-plane fluoroscopy device, an ultrasound device, a computed tomography (CT) device, a multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) device, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, a high frequency ultrasound (HFU) device, a positron emission tomography (PET) device, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) device, an intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) device, an intra-operative CT device, an intra-operative MRI device and combinations thereof.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the tracking device includes a receiver for receipt of a signal from the camera to charge the tracking device for illumination.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the tracking device is coupled to the imaging system, an instrument, an anatomy or combinations thereof.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the tracking device includes a plurality of markers on the faces, the markers selected from the group comprising a light emitting diode (LED), a reflector or combinations thereof.