Dynamic reference method and system for use with surgical procedures

• US 20080300481A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker European Operations Holdings, LLC (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Groszmann, Daniel Eduardo
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00694 with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00699 correcting for movement caused by respiration, e.g. by triggering
• 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 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/367 creating a 3D dataset from 2D images using position information
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3908 Soft tissue, e.g. breast tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• 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 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/527 using data from a motion artifact sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation

Abstract

A substrate configured for placement on an internal organ or tissue is provided. In certain embodiments, the substrate conforms to and moves with the internal organ or tissue. Three or more sensor elements are integrated on the substrate. In one implementation, the substrate and associated sensor elements provide dynamic referencing of the internal organ or tissue after registration of the sensor data with images and/or volumetric representations of the internal organ or tissue.

Claims

1. A surgical reference system comprising:

a substrate configured for placement on an internal organ or tissue such that the substrate conforms to and moves with the internal organ or tissue; and

three or more sensor elements integrated on the substrate.

2. The surgical reference system of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises surgical gauze.

3. The surgical reference system of claim 1 wherein the three or more sensor elements comprise three or more electromagnetic sensor coils.

4. The surgical reference system of claim 1 comprising one or more receiving components configured to detect positional and/or directional signals generated by the three or more sensor elements.

5. The surgical reference system of claim 1 comprising one or more antennas configured to detect electromagnetic fields generated by the three or more sensor elements.

6. The surgical reference system of claim 1 comprising one or more transmitters configured to generate electromagnetic fields detectable by the three or more sensor elements.

7. The surgical reference system of claim 1 wherein the three or more sensor elements allow tracking of the substrate.

8. The surgical reference system of claim 1 wherein each sensor element provides position information in three dimensions and orientation information in two directions.

9. The surgical reference system of claim 1 wherein the three or more sensor elements in combination provide position information in three dimensions and orientation information in three directions.

10. The surgical reference system of claim 1 comprising a power supply electrically connected to the three or more sensor elements.

11. The surgical reference system of claim 1 wherein the three or more sensor elements are not substantially collinear.

12. A method for tracking dynamic motion of an organ comprising the acts of:

generating a first set of position data for three or more sensor components integrated on a substrate placed on an internal organ, wherein the first set of position data is based on signals or fields generated or detected by the sensor components;

generating a second set of position data for the three or more sensor components based on an identification of the three or more sensor components in one or more radiological images or volumetric representations of the internal organ;

identifying corresponding sensor components in the first set of position data and the second set of position data; and

registering the first set of position data with the one or more radiological images or volumetric representations based on the identification of corresponding sensor components in the first set of position data and the second set of position data.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising generating the one or more images or volumetric representations based on image data acquired using at least one of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, or three-dimensional fluoroscopy.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of generating the first set of position data, generating the second set of position data, identifying corresponding sensor components, or registering the first set of position data with the one or more images or volumetric representations is performed automatically.

15. The method of claim 12 comprising tracking a surgical instrument using the registered first set of position data and the one or more images or volumetric representations.

16. A method for tracking dynamic motion of an organ comprising the acts of:

generating position and orientation data for one or more sensor components provided on a substrate placed on an internal organ, wherein the position and orientation data is based on signals or fields generated by the sensor components;

generating a shape model of the substrate based on the position and orientation data;

segmenting a region of interest in one or more radiological images or volumetric representations, wherein the region of interest comprises at least one of the internal organ, a portion of the internal organ, or a region proximate or connected to the internal organ;

generating a shape model of the region of interest based on the segmentation; and

registering the shape model of the substrate and the shape model of the region of interest.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising generating the one or more images or volumetric representations based on image data acquired using at least one of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, or three-dimensional fluoroscopy.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein at least one of generating the position and orientation data, generating the shape model of the substrate, segmenting the region of interest, generating the shape model of the region of interest, or registering the shape model of the substrate and the shape model of the region of interest is performed automatically.

19. The method of claim 16 comprising tracking a surgical instrument using the registered shape model of the substrate and shape model of the region of interest.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising placing the substrate on the internal organ via a surgical open or laparoscopic technique.