System for assisting a surgeon during surgery

• US 5,950,629 A
• Filed: 04/28/1994
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Taylor, Russell Highsmith, Kim, Yong-yil
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/234,294
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 128/897, 128/670, 128/671, 128/200, 434/262, 606/37, 606/130
• US Class Current: 128/897
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output with imaging means A61B90/37, A61B34/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00203 with speech control or speech recognition
• 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 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3916 Bone tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3945 Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/5025 with a counter-balancing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• 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 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0275 Universal joints, e.g. Hooke, Cardan, ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/04 by rotating at least one arm, excluding the head movement itself, e.g. cylindrical coordinate type or polar coordinate type
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37074 : Projection device, monitor, track tool, workpiece form, process on display
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40418 : Presurgical planning, on screen indicate regions to be operated on
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40609 : Camera to monitor end effector as well as object to be handled
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45123 : Electrogoniometer, neuronavigator, medical robot used by surgeon to operate
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45166 : Tomography

Abstract

The system and method includes a manipulator for manipulating a surgical instrument relative to a patient'"'"'s body and, a position sensor for sensing the position of the surgical instrument relative to the patient'"'"'s body. The manipulator can be manually or computer actuated and can have brakes to limit movement. In a preferred embodiment, orthogonal only motion between members of the manipulator is provided. The position sensor includes beacons connected to the patient and manipulator or surgical instrument and, a three dimensional beacon sensor adapted to sense the location and position of the beacons. Redundant joint sensors on the manipulator may also be provided. The system and method uses a computer to actively interact with the surgeon and can use various different input and output devices and modes.

Claims

1. A system for assisting a surgeon during surgery, the system comprising:

means for sensing a surgical operation in different sensing modes; and

means for automatically selecting different ones of the sensing modes to be used by the means for sensing based upon information from the means for sensing of the sensed surgical operation.

2. A system as in claim 1 further comprising means for advising a surgeon of predetermined information based upon the sensed surgical operation and, means for automatically selecting different types of advice to be advised based upon the sensed surgical operation.

3. A system as in claim 2 further comprising means for manually selecting advice to be advised to the surgeon.

4. A system for assisting a surgeon during surgery, the system comprising:

means for sensing a surgical operation, the means for sensing being adapted to sense the surgical operation in different sensing modes; and

means for automatically selecting different ones of the sensing modes that are used by the means for sensing to sense the surgical operation based, at least partially, upon the surgical operation as it is being sensed by the means for sensing.

5. A system for assisting a surgeon during surgery, the system comprising:

at least one sensor for sensing a surgical operation, the at least one sensor being adapted to sense the surgical operation in different sensing modes; and

a selector for automatically selecting the sensing mode to be used by the sensor based upon information from the sensor regarding the surgical operation being sensed by the sensor.

6. A method for assisting a surgeon during surgery, the method comprising steps of:

providing a system for assisting the surgeon, the system comprising a sensor;

sensing at least a portion of a surgical operation by the sensor;

automatically selecting different sensing modes to be used by the system based upon information sensed by the sensor during the surgical operation; and

advising the surgeon by the system based upon at least some of the sensed information.

7. A method for assisting a surgeon during surgery, the method comprising steps of:

providing a system for assisting the surgeon, the system comprising a surgeon interface, a sensor and an instrument positioning robot;

sensing at least a portion of a surgical operation by the sensor; and

automatically selecting different movements of the robot to be used by the system based upon information sensed by the sensor during the surgical operation input from the surgeon interface.