Non-imaging, computer assisted navigation system for hip replacement surgery

• US 6,711,431 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kinamed Inc (VME Acquisition Corp)
• Original Assignee: Kinamed Inc (VME Acquisition Corp)
• Inventors: Sarin, Vineet Kumar, Pratt, William Ralph, Pratt, Clyde Ronald, Apgar, Mark Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, D. Jacob
• Application Number:
  US10/075,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20030153829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 606/130, 600/424, 600/427, 600/429, 600/426
• US Class Current: 600/426
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• 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 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• 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 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6878 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/94 coded with symbols, e.g. text
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/34 Acetabular cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4603 for insertion or extraction of endoprosthetic joints or of accessories thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4609 of acetabular cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4657 Measuring instruments used for implanting artificial joints for surgical instruments A61B90/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4684 Trial or dummy prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4632 : using computer-controlled surgery, e.g. robotic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4658 : for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4668 : for measuring angles

Abstract

The invention includes: a locating system; a computer, interfaced to the locating system and interpreting the positions of tracked objects in a generic computer model of a patient'"'"'s hip geometry; a software module, executable on the computer, which defines the patient'"'"'s pelvic plane without reference to previously obtained radiological data, by locating at least three pelvic landmarks; and a pelvic tracking marker, fixable to the pelvic bone and trackable by the locating system, to track in real time the orientation of the defined pelvic plane. Preferably, the system also includes a femoral tracking marker, securely attachable to a femur of the patient by a non-penetrating ligature and trackable by the locating system to detect changes in leg length and femoral offset.

Claims

1. A method of verifying reliability of a computer assisted, optically tracked surgical navigation system, comprising the steps of:

fixing an optically trackable marker to a bone at a point of attachment;

placing a mark on said bone at a location removed from said point of attachment;

inputting an initial position of said mark into an optical tracking system by touching said mark with an optically trackable probe, while simultaneously tracking said optically trackable marker;

calculating an initial vector locating said mark in the reference frame of said optically trackable marker;

at a later time, inputting a later position of said mark into the optical tracking system by touching said mark again with the optically trackable probe, while simultaneously tracking said optically trackable marker;

calculating a second vector locating the later position of said mark in the later reference frame of the optically trackable marker; and

comparing said initial and said later vectors to verify that said optically trackable marker has remained fixed relative to said mark.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said mark is made by cauterization.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said optically trackable marker is fixed by a bone screw.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said optically trackable marker is fixed by a collar and opposing ligature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said optically trackable marker is fixed by a clamp.