Neuro-navigation system

• US 6,351,659 B1
• Filed: 08/28/1997
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Original Assignee: Brainlab Medizinische Computersysteme GmbH (Brainlab AG)
• Inventors: Vilsmeier, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): JAWORSKI, FRANCIS J
• Application Number:
  US08/919,454
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 600/410, 600/417, 600/414, 600/426, 600/407, 606/130
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2063 Acoustic tracking systems, e.g. using ultrasound
• 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 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3925 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/397 electromagnetic other than visible, e.g. microwave
• 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 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 for diagnosis of the brain
• 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: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/32 Micromanipulators structurally combined with microscopes

Abstract

The invention relates to a Neuro-navigation system comprising a reflector referencing system including passive reflectors and a marker system with markers or landmarks wherein the reflectors as well as the markers as regards their shape, size and material selection as well as their arrangement or attachment on the parts of the body to be operatively treated and on the surgical instruments are configured so that mapping their locations is substantially facilitated or is able to take place more accurately positioned by a computer/camera unit having a graphic display terminal as well as the operative treatment with the aid of this unit. Optionally a surgical microscope, an ultrasonic diagnostic system as well as a calibration procedure may be integrated in the Neuro-navigation system in accordance with the invention.

Claims

1. A referencing system for surgical instruments and operative treatment apparatus, said system comprising:

a source of infrared radiation,

plural cameras for detecting reflected infrared radiation,

a computer connected to the cameras,

plural adaptors each configured for removable attachment to a respective surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus, and

plural sets of at least three infrared reflectors secured to said plural adaptors, respectively, for respective application to surgical instruments or operative treatment apparatus to enable the position of the surgical instruments or operative treatment apparatus to be detected by the cameras, and wherein the cameras provide output signals to said computer which is operative to determine the position of the surgical instruments or operative treatment apparatus in a reference space, and said reflectors of said sets are secured to their respective adaptors in respective unique characteristic arrangements.

2. The referencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plural sets of at least three reflectors include at least one spherical reflector.

3. The referencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said adaptor has a fastener base and plural arms extending from said fastener base, said at least three reflectors are secured to said arms, respectively, and said fastener base is securable to the surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus.

4. The referencing system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said at least three reflectors are secured to respective said arms of said adaptor.

5. The referencing system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said fastener base is provided with a clip.

6. The referencing system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said adapter includes a conically tapered recess providing a central calibration point for tips of surgical instruments.

7. The referencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said adaptor has a fastener base and plural arms extending from said fastener base, and said unique characteristic arrangements are provided by different lengths and/or angular relationships of said arms.

8. The referencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plural reflectors are removably secured to said adaptor.

9. The referencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reflectors of each set thereof are screwed onto threaded portions of the respective adaptor.

10. The referencing system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising more than one surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus, and said plural sets of at least three reflectors are secured by said adaptors to said more than one surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus, respectively.

11. The referencing system as set forth in claim 10, comprising a display for displaying the determined position of at least one of the more than one surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus.

12. The referencing system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the display is operative to display the determined position in relation to a scan image of a portion of a patient'"'"'s body.

13. A surgical referencing method comprising the steps of:

applying plural sets of at least three infrared reflectors to more than one surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus by the use of respective adaptors each configured for removable attachment to the respective surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus, to enable the position of the more than one surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus to be detected by a pair of cameras operative to detect reflected infrared radiation and provide output signals related to the detected reflected infrared radiation, the reflectors of said sets being secured to their respective adaptors in respective unique characteristic arrangements for differentiating said sets from one another,

using a source of infrared radiation to irradiate an operating field in which the more than one surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus is located, and

using a computer to process the output signals from the cameras to determine the position of the more than one surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus in a reference space.

14. The surgical referencing method as set forth in claim 13, including the step of displaying the determined position of at least one of the more than one surgical instrument or operative treatment apparatus on a display.

15. The surgical referencing method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the displaying step includes displaying the determined position in relation to a scan image of a portion of a patient'"'"'s body.