Automatic identification of instruments used with a surgical navigation system

• US 20080200926A1
• Filed: 02/19/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Navigation Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Laurent Verard
• Inventors: Verard, Laurent, Teichman, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• 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 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• 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 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 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

A system and apparatus taught to determine the identification and selected information relating to surgical instruments near a reader. The information can be stored on a member operable to transmit the information to a reader at a selected time. The information can be used in a navigation system to assist in navigation of the instrument relative to a patient.

Claims

1. A system to determine information related to a selected device used with a surgical navigation system for navigating a procedure relative to an anatomy, the system comprising:

a surgical instrument operable to perform a surgical procedure on the anatomy;

an identification member associated with the surgical instrument and including selected information related to the surgical instrument;

a tracking device associated with the surgical instrument;

a tracking system operable to track a location of the tracking device;

a navigation processor operable to determine the position of the surgical instrument based upon the tracked position of the tracking device and determine an identity of the surgical instrument based upon the selected information; and

a display operable to display an icon representing the specific surgical instrument based upon the selected information.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a receiver,

wherein the identification member includes a radio frequency tag;

wherein the radio frequency tag is operable to transmit a signal to the receiver including the selected information stored on the radio frequency tag.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument includes a plurality of surgical instruments:

wherein the identification member includes a plurality of identification members;

wherein each of the plurality of surgical instruments includes at least one of the plurality of identification members;

wherein each of the plurality of identification members includes specific selected information relating to each of the plurality of the surgical instruments.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

an identification member reader;

wherein the identification member reader is operable to obtain information from each of the plurality of identification members relating to each of the plurality of surgical instruments.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

a communication system;

wherein the communication system interconnects the identification member reader and the navigation processor;

wherein the navigation processor is operable to cause the display to display a representation of the selected information read from the identification member associated with one of the plurality of surgical instruments.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the tracking system includes an electromagnetic coil localizer;

wherein the electromagnetic coil localizer is operable to obtain data from the identification member.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a communication system operable to interconnect the tracking system and the navigation processor;

wherein the navigation processor is operable to determine the identification of the surgical instrument based upon the data transferred to the navigation processor from the identification member.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instrument displayed on the display is based upon the information transferred to the navigation processor from the identification member;

and

an alert system operable to indicate to a user the appropriateness of the surgical instrument displayed on the display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the navigation processor is operable to compare the displayed instrument to a plan.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the tracking system includes a localizer;

wherein the localizer and the information member reader are one item.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an alert system operable to provide an alert to a user regarding the appropriateness of the specific instrument displayed on the display.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected information includes at least one of calibration information, orientation information, size information, sterilization condition information, use information, or combinations thereof.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument includes a plurality of surgical instruments;

wherein one of a plurality of icons can be displayed on the display to represent one of the plurality of instruments;

wherein the navigation processor is operable to select one of the plurality of icons based on the selected information.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a writing system; and

wherein the writing system is operable to write the selected information to the identification member.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the writing system is operable to write the selected information to the identification member during a plurality of writing instances.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the writing system is operable to write the selected information to the identification member to include a change in calibration information after a use of the surgical instruments.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument includes at least one of an awl, a drill bit, a screw, a prosthesis, a tap, a probe, or combinations thereof.

18. A system to determine information related to a selected device used with a surgical navigation system for navigating a procedure relative to an anatomy, the system comprising:

an information tag operable to receive and transmit selected information;

an information tag reader operable to at least one of read information from, write information to, or combinations thereof relative to the information tag;

a surgical instrument associated with the information tag wherein the information tag includes information specific to the surgical instrument;

a navigation system;

a communication system interconnecting the information tag reader and the navigation system wherein information read from the information tag is transmitted to the navigation system; and

a display operable to display information regarding the surgical instrument based upon the information read by the information tag reader from the information tag.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the surgical instrument includes a first portion and a plurality of a second portion;

wherein each of the plurality of second portions are operable to be interconnected with the first portion at a selected time.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

an automatic information tag reader system operable to automatically obtain information from the information tag via the information tag reader and transmit the information via the communication system to the navigation system.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the navigation system includes:

a tracking device;

a localizer;

wherein the surgical instrument is associated with the tracking device to be tracked via the localizer;

wherein the position of the surgical instrument can be displayed with the information on the display.

25. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

an imaging device operable to obtain image data of the anatomy;

wherein the image data of the anatomy can be displayed on the display with the information read from the information tag.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the information specific to the surgical instrument includes information relating to manufacturing of the surgical instrument, information relating to a calibration of the surgical instrument at the time of manufacturing, information regarding calibration of the instrument at a time after manufacturing information regarding size of the surgical instrument, or combinations thereof.

27. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a writing system; and

wherein the writing system is operable to write the selected information to the identification member.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the writing system is operable to write the selected information to the identification member during a plurality of writing instances.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the writing system is operable to write the selected information to the identification member to include a change in calibration information after a use of the surgical instruments.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein the surgical instrument includes at least one of an awl, a drill bit, a screw, a prosthesis, a tap, a probe, or combinations thereof.

19. The system of Clam 18, wherein the information tag includes a flash memory storage system interconnected with at least one of a transmission system, a receiving system, or combinations thereof.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the information tag reader is operable to receive data transmitted from the information tag.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the information tag reader includes a radio frequency transceiver operable to receive data from the information tag.

31. A method of using a system to determine information related to a selected device used with a surgical navigation system for navigating a procedure relative to an anatomy, the method comprising:

providing a surgical instrument;

associating an information member with the surgical instrument;

storing data on the information member describing characteristics of the surgical instrument;

retrieving the data from the information member;

providing the retrieved data to the surgical navigation system; and

using the provided information during an operative procedure.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein providing the surgical instrument includes providing a first portion of the surgical instrument and providing a plurality of second portions of the surgical instrument;

wherein the first portion and each of the plurality of second portions can be interconnected for use during a surgical procedure.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the associating the information member with the surgical instrument includes associating the information member with each of the first portion and each of the plurality of second portions;

wherein storing data on the information member includes storing information on the information member that is specific to each of the first portion and each of the plurality of second portions.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein storing the data on the information member includes writing data on the information member during at least one of a manufacturing process, a calibration process, a tracking process, an identification process, or combinations thereof.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein storing data on the information member includes writing the data on the information member via a radio frequency transmission.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein retrieving the data from the information member includes retrieving the data from the information member via a radio frequency transmission.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the radio frequency transmission is induced by a radio frequency source;

wherein the radio frequency transmission is operable to be processed by a processor to determine information relating to the surgical instrument.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein providing the retrieved data to the surgical navigation system includes transmitting the data via a wired transmission system, a wireless transmission system, a media transmission system, or combinations thereof.

39. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

navigating a surgical procedure with the surgical instrument relative to the anatomy;

wherein using the provided information during an operative procedure includes displaying specific information relating to the surgical instrument on a display; and

viewing the information on the display by a user.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

obtaining image data of the anatomy;

displaying image data of the anatomy on the display; and

displaying the information regarding the surgical instrument on the display relative to the image data of the anatomy.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

tracking the surgical instruments;

determining a position of the surgical instrument relative to the anatomy; and

determining a position of an icon on the display relative to the image data of the anatomy based at least in part on the tracking of the surgical instrument, the information provided from the information member, or combinations thereof.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

providing a display; and

displaying on the provided display an icon representing a specific surgical instrument based at least in part on the provided information from the information member.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

changing an icon on the display based upon changing data retrieved from the information member.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein changing the data retrieved from the information member is instigated by providing a second surgical instrument including a second information member, an input from a user, or combinations thereof.

45. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

performing a procedure with the surgical instrument;

obtaining re-calibration information by calibrating the surgical instrument after performing a procedure with the surgical instrument; and

wherein storing data with the information member includes storing the re-calibration information on the information member.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein storing data includes storing a size, storing a length, storing an orientation, storing a number of uses, or combinations thereof.

47. The method of claim 31, wherein providing a surgical instrument includes providing at least one of an awl, a probe, a tap, a screw implant, a prosthesis, or combinations thereof.