CONTROLLING A SURGICAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20120323364A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Original Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Inventors: Birkenbach, Rainer, Urban, Alexander, Druse, Alexander, Christian, Georg, Lechner, Christian, Besinger, Axel, Schaal, Alexander, Gerken, Till
• Granted Patent: US 9,542,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/257
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output with imaging means A61B90/37, A61B34/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00207 with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00216 with eye tracking or head position tracking control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2048 using an accelerometer or inertia sensor
• 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 2034/741 Glove like input devices, e.g. "data gloves"
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/372 Details of monitor hardware
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3945 Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes
• 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 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• 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 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a control system for a surgical navigation system, wherein the navigation system is associated with a detection unit for detecting system control inputs made by a user, and wherein the navigation system is controlled in accordance with the control inputs and the detection unit comprises a gesture detection for detecting user gestures. The invention also relates to a method for controlling a surgical navigation system, wherein a detection unit for detecting system control inputs made by a user is associated with the surgical navigation system, the navigation system is controlled in accordance with the control inputs, and user gestures are used as said control inputs.

Claims

1. A control system for a surgical navigation system, wherein the navigation system is associated with a detection unit for detecting system control inputs made by a user, and wherein the navigation system is controlled in accordance with the control inputs, characterized in that the detection unit comprises a gesture detection system for detecting user gestures.

2. The control system for a surgical navigation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection unit is a gesture detection unit comprising a gesture detection system for detecting augmented user gestures.

3. The control system for a surgical navigation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control system also comprises a gesture support which is moved by the user and designed to augment a user gesture, wherein the gesture detection system is adapted to detect gestures augmented by the gesture support.

4. The control system for a surgical navigation system according to claim 3, characterized in that the gesture support is directly or indirectly attached to the user or a part of the user'"'"'s body, in particular the user'"'"'s hand or head.

5. The control system for a surgical navigation system according to claim 3, characterized in that the gesture support is a device which is manipulated by the user, in particular a separate or integrated device.

6. The control system for a surgical navigation system according to claim 4, characterized in that the gesture support features one or any combination of the following devices or characteristics:

a glove or part of a glove or strap-on device or clip-on device or ring;

a sterile, disposable glove or part of a glove or strap-on device or clip-on device or ring;

a glove or part of a glove or strap-on device or clip-on device or ring, comprising or bearing markings which can be detected by the gesture detection system;

a glove or part of a glove or strap-on device or clip-on device or ring, comprising or bearing black-and-white or color markings or identifications which in particular identify one or more fingers;

a glove or part of a glove or strap-on device or clip-on device or ring, comprising or bearing patterns which can be detected by the gesture detection system, such as barcodes;

an active, in particular light-emitting, or passive, in particular reflective, tracking marker or part of a tracking marker for a marker tracking system associated with the surgical navigation system;

a medical instrument bearing markings or identifications which can be detected by the gesture detection system;

an acceleration sensor or gyro-sensor;

a portable or hand-held support comprising markings and/or identifications such as codes, patterns, colorings or tracking markers which can be detected by the gesture detection system, wherein said support is in particular a hand-held display unit which is separately provided for displaying the markings and identifications, or an instrument which is used in the surgical environment and additionally bears such markings and/or identifications, for example a sterile pen or pointing device.

7. The control system for a surgical navigation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection unit comprises:

a camera system for visible light, in particular a video camera system;

or

a camera system for the invisible light spectrum, in particular an infrared camera system;

or

a tracking system such as a time-of-flight camera, a laser scanner, a heat tracking system or heat camera system or a magnetic or electromagnetic tracking system;

or any combination of these.

8. A method for controlling a surgical navigation system, wherein a detection unit for detecting system control inputs made by a user is associated with the surgical navigation system, the navigation system is controlled in accordance with the control inputs, and user gestures are used as said control inputs.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein augmented user gestures are detected by a gesture detection unit while it performs computer-assisted gesture detection.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a gesture support is moved by the user in order to augment a user gesture, and wherein the gesture detection system is adapted to detect gestures augmented by the gesture support.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the gestures are made using a gesture support which is directly or indirectly attached to the user or a part of the user'"'"'s body, in particular the user'"'"'s hand or head.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the gesture support is a device which is manipulated by the user, in particular a separate or integrated device.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein a gesture support is used which features one or any combination of the following devices or characteristics:

a glove or part of a glove or strap-on device or clip-on device or ring;

a sterile, disposable glove or part of a glove or strap-on device or clip-on device or ring;

a glove or part of a glove or strap-on device or clip-on device or ring, comprising or bearing markings which can be detected by the gesture detection system;

a glove or part of a glove or strap-on device or clip-on device or ring, comprising or bearing black-and-white or color markings or identifications which in particular identify one or more fingers;

a glove or part of a glove or strap-on device or clip-on device or ring, comprising or bearing patterns which can be detected by the gesture detection system, such as barcodes;

an active, in particular light-emitting, or passive, in particular reflective, tracking marker or part of a tracking marker for a marker tracking system associated with the surgical navigation system;

a medical instrument bearing markings or identifications which can be detected by the gesture detection system;

an acceleration sensor or gyro-sensor;

a portable or hand-held support comprising markings and/or identifications such as codes, patterns, colorings or tracking markers which can be detected by the gesture detection system, wherein said support is in particular a hand-held display unit which is separately provided for displaying the markings and identifications, or an instrument which is used in the surgical environment and additionally bears such markings and/or identifications, for example a sterile pen or pointing device.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein a gesture is made using a combination of a portable gesture support and a marking attached to or associated with the user'"'"'s hand, wherein the combined location or movement of the markings on the gesture support and the attached markings constitute the gesture.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein the gestures are detected by means of a detection unit comprising:

a camera system for visible light, in particular a video camera system;

or

a camera system for the invisible light spectrum, in particular an infrared camera system;

or

a tracking system such as a time-of-flight camera, a laser scanner, a heat tracking system or heat camera system or a magnetic or electromagnetic tracking system;

or any combination of these.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein an initiating user gesture, particularly carried out with a gesture support e.g. a navigated medical instrument which can be detected by the gesture detection system, comprises drawing a certain shape, in particular a geometrical shape, which is recognized by the navigation system, whereupon

a control input is associated with the user gesture, and/or

an interaction mode is started on the navigation system, in which at least one further user gesture is identified.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein a gesture or the initiating user gesture defines a virtual volume surrounding the initiating gesture'"'"'s limits, and wherein further predetermined gestures made in the virtual volume are recognized as a control input.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the virtual volume is defined in the sterile working field of the user.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein the gesture support is an elongate navigated medical instrument, and wherein the instrument is moved in the manner of a joystick, the joystick movements being recognized as control inputs.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the instrument has a tip and a shaft portion, the joystick movements being made with the tip being fixed and the shaft portion moving.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the control inputs are distinguished by their angle of inclination with respect to a defined virtual plane including the instrument tip.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein a joystick interaction mode is started or defined on the navigation system when the instrument enters a predefined region or follows a predefined motion.

23. The method according to claim 8, wherein a feedback is given by the navigation system as to the current interaction or gesture driven control input, in particular

a visual feedback such as a menu or a highlighted element on a navigation screen, and/or

an audible feedback such as a confirmation sound.

24. A program which, when it is running on a computer or is loaded onto a computer, causes the computer to perform a method in accordance with claim 8.

25. A computer program storage medium which comprises a computer program according to claim 24.