Surgical instrument navigation system

• US 20090157059A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Allen, Paul G., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Smith, Michael A., Weaver, Thomas A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Boyden, Edward S., Hillis, W. Daniel, Jung, Edward K.Y., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. JR., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Application Number:
  US12/002,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157059A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00119 alarm; indicating an abnormal situation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00123 and automatic shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00207 with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition
• 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 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• 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 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/75 Manipulators having means for prevention or compensation of hand tremors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback

Abstract

The disclosure pertains to a surgical system. In an embodiment, the system comprises one or more sensors operably responsive to physical boundary limitations of an operating field. Furthermore, the one or more sensors provide information regarding the physical boundary limitations of the operating field. In another embodiment, the system comprises a surgical instrument that is configured to respond to the information by either activation or inactivation. In another aspect the disclosure includes generating an anatomical image or anatomic positional reference data from one or more anatomical objects. Additionally, the method includes creating haptic feedback signals based at least partly on the anatomical image or anatomic positional reference data, and determining a position or orientation of a surgical instrument. Furthermore the method includes activating or inactivating the surgical instrument based at least partly on the haptic feedback signals.

Claims

1. A surgical system, comprising:

a feedback system having one or more sensors responsive to physical boundary limitations of an operating field;

wherein the one or more sensors provide information regarding the physical boundary limitations of the operating field; and

a surgical instrument that is responsive to the information by either activation or inactivation.

2. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the activation or the inactivation occurs within the physical boundary limitations of the operating field.

3. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the activation or the inactivation occurs without the physical boundary limitations of the operating field.

4. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the activation or the inactivation occurs through modification of one or more operative characteristics of the surgical instrument.

5. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the information provided by the one or more sensors includes at least one boundary-sensing signal.

6. The surgical system of claim 5, wherein the at least one boundary-sensing signal includes one of a magnetic resonance signal, a computed tomography signal, a computed axial tomography signal, an X-ray imaging signal or an optical imaging signal.

7. The surgical system of claim 5, wherein the at least one boundary-sensing signal is delivered to the surgical instrument.

8. The surgical system of claim 5, wherein the at least one boundary-sensing signal is co-delivered or simultaneously delivered to one or more users.

9. The surgical system of claim 5, wherein the at least one boundary-sensing signal is delivered to the surgical instrument via a direct connection that includes a hardwired system.

10. The surgical system of claim 5, wherein the at least one boundary-sensing signal is delivered to the surgical instrument via a wireless system.

11. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the activation or the inactivation occurs while the surgical instrument is at least partly functioning within the operating field.

12. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors provide information regarding at least one orientation or position of the surgical instrument relative to the operating field.

13. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors provide information regarding at least one orientation or position of the surgical instrument relative to a human or robotic user.

14. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors track at least one trajectory of the surgical instrument during a surgical operation.

15. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the activation or the inactivation occurs in operable communication with an instrument positioning system.

16. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument includes at least one of an endoscope, a dissector, a scalpel, a laser scalpel, a knife, a blade, a needle, a catheter, a scissors, a cutter, a grasper, a surgical tool, a driver, a drill, a saw, a clamper, a pulverizer/crusher, a grinder, a trocar device, a suturer or a stapler, a sucker, a suction device, a cauterizing instrument, a retractor or a probe.

17. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors provide information regarding at least one position of the surgical instrument proximate to a bodily tissue having at least one contour or shape.

18. The surgical system of claim 1, further comprising at least one processor.

19. The surgical system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor includes a comparator.

20. The surgical system of claim 19, wherein the comparator provides information regarding differences between a desired trajectory of the surgical instrument and an actual trajectory of the surgical instrument along any two or more spatio-temporal coordinates.

21. The surgical system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor translates into audio signals information regarding differences between a desired trajectory of the surgical instrument and an actual trajectory of the surgical instrument.

22. The surgical system of claim 21, wherein the audio signals are played back to a user through an audio-generating device to assist the user in positioning the surgical instrument relative to a surgical target path.

23. The surgical system of claim 1, further comprising at least one memory storage device.

24. The surgical system of claim 23, wherein the at least one memory storage device stores a surgical target path expressed in terms of two or more spatio-temporal coordinates along a three dimensional surface representing an anatomical object.

25. The surgical system of claim 1, further comprising a visual display or a haptic cues display for informing a human or a robotic user of a position of the surgical instrument.