SURGICAL ROBOTIC AUTOMATION WITH TRACKING MARKERS AND CONTROLLED TOOL ADVANCEMENT

• US 20180147018A1
• Filed: 01/29/2018
• Published: 05/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Crawford, Neil R., Johnson, Norber, Theodore, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 11,298,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/02 for holding wounds open; Tractors specula A61B1/32 ; drainage appliances for wounds A61M27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1757 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7035 Screws or hooks, wherein a rod-clamping part and a bone-anchoring part can pivot relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7082 for driving, i.e. rotating, screws or screw parts specially adapted for spinal fixation, e.g. for driving polyaxial or tulip-headed screws driving other bone screws A61B17/8875
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7083 Tools for guidance or insertion of tethers, rod-to-anchor connectors, rod-to-rod connectors, or longitudinal elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0042 with special provisions for gripping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00876 magnetic
• 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 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• 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 2090/3762 using computed tomography systems [CT]
• 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 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3979 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• 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 34/30 : Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/32 : operating autonomously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 : Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 : with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4455 : for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages intervertebral discs A61F2/442
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4465 : having a circular or kidney shaped cross-section substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/447 : substantially parallelepipedal, e.g. having a rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 : of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30133 : kidney-shaped or bean-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4628 : with linear motion along or rotating motion about an axis transverse to the instrument axis or to the implantation direction, e.g. clamping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4629 : connected to the endoprosthesis or implant via a threaded connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0662 : Guide tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/00 : Dilators with or without means for introducing media, e.g. remedies instruments for performing visual medical inspections of cavities or tubes of the body A61B1/00

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for aiding insertion of a surgical implant by providing a threaded guide tube configured to engage a threaded surgical instrument such that an end-effector of a robot may provide force to drive the surgical implant into a patient. In addition, devices, systems, and methods relating to a dilator system for use with a robotic system that allows independent and separate control of tools within the dilator system.

Claims

1. A surgical robot system comprising:

a robot having a robot base, a robot arm coupled to the robot base, an end-effector coupled to the robot arm, a guide tube coupled to the end-effector, and a surgical instrument coupled to the guide tube,

wherein the robot is configured to control movement of the end-effector to perform a given surgical procedure,

wherein the guide tube has an internal threading and the surgical instrument has an external threading configured to engage the internal threading, and

wherein the surgical instrument is configured to engage a surgical implant while threadably engaged with the guide tube.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument is a screw driver.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the surgical implant is a screw.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot is configured to install a polyaxial screw.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot performs orthopedic operations.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot performs surgical operations on the spine.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot performs operations in trauma.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the end-effector is configured to maintain a position such that a driving force is applied to the surgical implant by the surgical tool.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal threads and external threads match a pitch of threads on the surgical implant.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the surgical tool is configured to move within the external threading along a longitudinal axis of the guide tube.

11. A system for independently advancing multiple components of a tool into bone, comprising:

a center shank configured to advance a first component of the tool into a bone, wherein the center shank is threaded;

a rod disposed around the center shank and configured to advance a second component of the tool in the bone, wherein the rod is configured to move independently from the center shank.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is mounted to a surgical robot, the first component is a center pin, and the second component is an inner dilator.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an outer sleeve and an outer dilator,

wherein the center shank, the rod, the inner dilator, and the outer dilator are disposed within the outer sleeve, and

wherein the inner dilator is configured to advance over the center pin and the outer dilator is configured to advance over the inner dilator.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising at least one handle configured to advance the outer dilator over the inner dilator.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the center pin is configured to have a pointy distal end to engage the bone, and wherein the rod is corkscrew shaped and helically disposed around the center shank.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the inner dilator is restricted from rotating as rod advances the inner dilator.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a threaded cap.

18. The dilator system of claim 17, wherein the threaded cap has a corkscrew shaped through-hole configured to receive the rod and a threaded through-hole configured to receive the central shaft.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the robot is configured to position the system relative to a patient.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of helical rods disposed around the center shank and configured to independently rotate as nested helices, each helical rod configured to advance a different component of the tool into a patient.