METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING INVASIVE MEDICAL PROCEDURES USING A SURGICAL ROBOT

• US 20130123799A1
• Filed: 07/05/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, David W., DeSanctis-Smith, Regina, Pitt, Alan M., Theodore, Nicholas, Crawford, Neil
• Granted Patent: US 9,078,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7076 for driving, positioning or assembling spinal clamps or bone anchors specially adapted for spinal fixation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• 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 2034/2057 Details of tracking cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• 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 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/73 Manipulators for magnetic surgery
• 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 90/10 for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A method and system for performing invasive procedures includes a surgical robot which is controlled by a guidance system that uses time of flight calculations from RF transmitters embedded in the robot, surgical instrument, and patient anatomy. Sensors around the room detect RF transmissions emitted by the RF transmitters and drive the robot according to a preprogrammed trajectory entered into the guidance system.

Claims

1. A system performing an invasive medical procedure, comprising:

a robot having an effectuator element, the effectuator element forming or being adapted to securely hold an instrument that is to be positioned at a desired position within a patient'"'"'s body;

a motor assembly that is mounted on the robot, and that is adapted to move the effectuator element in each one of the x, y and z directions independently of movement in the others of the x, y and z directions, the x, y and z directions being perpendicular to each other; and

a control unit that is capable of being operatively coupled to the motor assembly, the control unit supplying signals to the motor assembly to cause it to selectively move the effectuator element along the x, y and z directions, the control unit being adapted (i) to calculate the position of the transmitter by analysis of radio frequency signals emitted by a transmitter that is adapted to be affixed to the instrument element, (ii) to allow a position of the instrument with respect to a patient'"'"'s body to be shown on a display, and (iii) to control actuation of the motor assembly by means of the analyzed radio frequency signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the effectuator element is comprises a tube having a pitch axis, a roll axis and a tube axis defining an axis of rotation of the tube.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the effectuator element comprises a needle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the effectuator element includes a beveled leading edge, a distal end of the effectuator element being adapted to have an RF transmitter attached thereto so that, when the RF transmitter is attached thereto, RF energy can be emitted therefrom which produces a force that balances the mechanical displacement force created by the beveled edge of the effectuator element.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the effectuator element includes a non-beveled leading edge that can ablate a pathway through tissue to reach the target position and will not be subjected to the mechanical forces and deflection created by the present bevel tissue cutting system, a distal end of the effectuator element being adapted to have an RF transmitter attached thereto so that, when the RF transmitter is attached thereto, RF energy can be emitted.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising three or more RF receivers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to receive information from a plurality of RF receivers in an iterative fashion.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to receive information from a plurality of RF receivers in a dynamic fashion.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to allow a user to pick a desired location within a human body and to dynamically provide information that allows the motor assembly to move the effectuator element to the desired location.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a computer.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a leading edge of the effectuator element is adapted to have an RF transmitter affixed thereto.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein, when an RF transmitter is attached to the effectuator element, and when the RF transmitter is operatively coupled to the control unit, the control unit is adapted to cause the RF transmitter to emit RF signals at desired times.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control unit is adapted to cause the RF transmitter to emit RF signals at desired frequencies.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the effectuator element is adapted to have two or more RF transmitters affixed at desired locations thereof, the two or more RF transmitters being selectively energizable to generate forces that are applied to the effectuator element and cause at least a portion of it to move in a desired direction.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the RF transmitters are capable of generating an ablation field to steer the effectuator element.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the effectuator element is adapted to have at least three RF transmitters affixed at desired locations thereof, the three RF transmitters being selectively energizable to generate forces that are applied to the effectuator element cause at least a portion of it to move in a desired direction.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the RF transmitters are capable of generating an ablation field to steer the effectuator element.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the effectuator element is adapted to have three RF transmitters evenly radially distributed around it.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the effectuator element is adapted to have three RF transmitters affixed to a distal end thereof.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the three RF transmitters is located on a leading edge of the effectuator element.