Method and apparatus for surgical navigation

• US 7,818,044 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Surgical Navigation Technologies, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Navigation Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Jascob, Bradley A., Dukesherer, John H., Burg, Bruce M., Kessman, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMIREZ, JOHN FERNANDO
• Application Number:
  US12/054,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20080172069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 600/424, 600/426, 600/431, 600/414, 600/433
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• 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 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/207 Divots for calibration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/256 having a database of accessory information, e.g. including context sensitive help or scientific articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/367 creating a 3D dataset from 2D images using position information
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• 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 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• 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 6/4423 related to hygiene or sterilisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 : the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 : involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 : involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 : involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2005/027 : wound on formers for receiving several coils with perpendicular winding axes, e.g. for antennae or inductive power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 : Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 : by winding or coiling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49073 : by assembling coil and core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49146 : with encapsulating, e.g., potting, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49171 : with encapsulating

Abstract

A surgical navigation system for navigating a region of a patient includes a non-invasive dynamic reference frame and/or fiducial marker, sensor tipped instruments, and isolator circuits. The dynamic reference frame may be repeatably placed on the patient in a precise location for guiding the instruments. The instruments may be precisely guided by positioning sensors near moveable portions of the instruments. Electrical sources may be electrically isolated from the patient.

Claims

1. A surgical navigation system for navigating a procedure relative to a patient having an electrical isolating portion, comprising:

an electrical source;

an instrument including a conducting element disposable near the patient; and

an isolation transformer interconnecting said electrical source and said instrument, said isolation transformer including an input side, an output side and a dielectric medium, said input side having at least one input side coil coupled to the instrument via a transmission line and said output side having an output side coil for receiving a signal from said input side coil and communicating with a workstation of the navigation system, said input side and output side coils being electrically isolated from each other by the dielectric medium;

wherein the input side coil includes a plurality of additional input side coils coupled to a respective plurality of additional instruments; and

wherein said output side coil includes a greater number of windings than each of said plurality of input side coils so as to amplify the received signal.

2. The surgical navigation system of claim 1, wherein said instrument is selected from at least one of an electro-magnetic sensor, a probe, a stylet, an electroencephalogram contact, and combinations thereof.

3. The surgical navigation system of claim 1, wherein said conducting element includes a navigation sensor for allowing a production of an induced field in the navigation sensor.

4. The surgical navigation system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a navigation probe interface, a navigation probe, and combinations thereof.

5. The surgical navigation system of claim 4, wherein said isolation transformer is disposed in said navigation probe interface.

6. The surgical navigation system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of additional instruments includes a navigation probe and a dynamic reference frame, and combinations thereof.

7. A surgical navigation system for navigating a procedure relative to a patient having an electrical isolating portion, comprising:

an electrical source;

a plurality of instruments, at least one of the plurality of instruments including a navigation sensor disposable near the patient and for producing an induced signal from a generated magnetic field; and

an isolation transformer interconnecting said electrical source and said plurality of instruments, said isolation transformer including an input side, an output side and a dielectric medium, said input side having a respective plurality of separate input side coils each coupled to a respective instrument via a transmission line, said output side having an output side coil for receiving a signal from each of said plurality of input side coils and communicating with a workstation of the navigation system, said plurality of input side coils and said output side coils being electrically isolated from each other by the dielectric medium;

wherein said plurality of instruments is selected from the group consisting of a dynamic reference frame, a navigation probe, an electro-magnetic sensor, a stylet, and an electroencephalogram contact; and

wherein said output side coil includes a greater number of windings than each of said plurality of input side coils so as to amplify the received signal.

8. The surgical navigation system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of input side coils includes at least a first coil and a separate second coil, and wherein the respective plurality of instruments includes a probe and a dynamic reference frame, the probe including the navigation sensor.

9. The surgical navigation system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of input side coils includes three coils and the respective plurality of instruments includes a stylet, a navigation probe and a dynamic reference frame, and wherein the stylet and the navigation probe each include the navigation sensor.

10. The surgical navigation system of claim 7, further comprising a navigation probe interface, wherein the navigation probe interface is coupled to the workstation and wherein the electrical source includes the workstation, the navigation probe interface, and combinations thereof.

11. The surgical navigation system of claim 10, wherein the isolation transformer is disposed in the navigation probe interface.

12. A surgical navigation system for navigating a procedure relative to a patient having an electrical isolating portion, comprising:

an electrical source;

an instrument including a navigation sensor disposable near the patient and for producing an induced signal from a generated magnetic field; and

an isolation transformer interconnecting said electrical source and said instrument, said isolation transformer including an input side, an output side and a dielectric medium, said input side having at least one input side coil coupled to the instrument via a transmission line and said output side having an output side coil for receiving a signal from said input side coil and communicating with a workstation of the navigation system, said input side and output side coils being electrically isolated from each other by the dielectric medium;

wherein said output side coil includes a greater number of windings than the input side coil so as to amplify the received signal.

13. The navigation system of claim 12, wherein the input side coil includes a plurality of input side coils, the plurality of input side coils coupled to a respective plurality of instruments.

14. The navigation system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of input side coils includes at least three coils respectively coupled to a dynamic reference frame, a navigation probe, and the instrument.

15. The navigation system of claim 12, further comprising a navigation probe interface coupled to the isolation transformer and a coil array controller of the workstation;

and

wherein the instrument is selected from at least one of a stylet, a probe, an electro-magnetic sensor, an electroencephalogram contact, and combinations thereof.

16. The navigation system of claim 15, wherein the isolation transformer is disposed in the navigation probe interface.

17. The navigation system of claim 12, wherein the isolation transformer is disposed in the instrument.

18. The navigation system of claim 12, wherein the isolation transformer is disposed in the transmission line.

19. The navigation system of claim 12, further comprising a navigation probe interface coupled to the output side coil of the isolation transformer and a workstation, the workstation including the coil array controller operable to drive a transmitter coil array to generate the magnetic field;

and wherein the electrical source includes the navigation probe interface, the workstation, and combinations thereof.