Surgical microscope for conducting computer-supported stereotactic microsurgery and a method for operating the same

• US 5,657,128 A
• Filed: 06/24/1996
• Issued: 08/12/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
• Original Assignee: Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
• Inventors: Luber, Joachim, Muller, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VIERRA EISENBERG, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US08/670,772
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 356/375, 356/300, 356/314, 128/653.1, 364/413.13, 250/201.3, 606/130, 348/79-80, 378/206
• US Class Current: 356/612
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/10 for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/20 Surgical microscopes characterised by non-optical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/04 Measuring microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0012 Surgical microscopes counterbalanced structures for surgical microscopes G02B7/001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/22 Stereoscopic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/361 Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups

Abstract

A defined determination of the field of view observed through a surgical microscope is made. To achieve this determination, the relative current position of the plane of the field of view to the position of an object detail of interest is detected in a sighting method with the aid of a position detection system operating according to the laser triangulation principle. As soon as the plane of the field of view and the object detail are coincident, then with the aid of detected optical system data, the position of the object detail with reference to the surgical microscope is determined and, with the detected coordinates of the surgical microscope, the position of the field of view is determined in space. The position detecting system required for this purpose operates on an optical basis and can be integrated into the optics of the surgical microscope.

Claims

1. A surgical microscope arrangement for computer-supported stereotactic microsurgery, wherein a diagnostic image can be generated from presurgically generated diagnostic data and can be superposed on an image of an object portion being observed, said image of said object portion being generated by said surgical microscope;

said surgical microscope being mounted on a multi-link stand including a sensor unit for supplying signals indicative of actual spatial coordinates and orientation of said surgical microscope and said surgical microscope arrangement comprising;

a magnification system for observing said object portion being located at an object portion distance from said surgical microscope;

said magnification system having a magnification system setting defining a focus plane at a focus plane distance from said surgical microscope and defining a depth of field range in which said object portion being observed is located;

a detection unit for detecting said magnification system setting and therefore for determining said focus plane distance;

a position-detecting system for detecting a deviation of said object portion distance from said focus plane distance and for generating a deviation signal representative of said deviation; and

,

said deviation signal being used together with said focus plane distance and said spatial coordinates and orientation of said surgical microscope to generate said diagnostic image which precisely corresponds to said object portion and to superpose said diagnostic image on said image of said object portion being observed.

2. The surgical microscope arrangement of claim 1, said position-detecting system being configured to operate pursuant to the laser triangulation principle.

3. The surgical microscope arrangement of claim 2, said position-detecting system comprising:

a laser light source for generating a laser light;

optical means for receiving said light and forming a laser light beam therefrom; and

,

a deflecting element mounted between said magnification system and an objective of said surgical microscope for directing said laser light beam through said objective to said object portion.

4. The surgical microscope arrangement of claim 2, said surgical microscope being a stereomicroscope with two observation beam paths and an objective;

and, said position-detecting system comprising;

a laser light source for directing a laser light beam through said objective on to said object portion where the light of the laser light beam backscatters from said object portion and enters said observation beam paths;

an out-coupler being arranged in one of said observation beam paths for coupling the backscattered light out of said one observation beam path;

an imaging optic for receiving and transmitting the backscattered light; and

,

a position resolving detector for receiving the light transmitted by said imaging optic.