Surgical navigational and neuromonitoring instrument

• US 7,987,001 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Verard, Laurent, Teichman, Robert, Ryterski, Eric, Adcox, W. Keith, Clayton, John B., Mire, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gedeon; Brian T
• Application Number:
  US11/626,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 607/145, 607/150, 607/151
• US Class Current: 607/151
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/02 for holding wounds open; Tractors specula A61B1/32 ; drainage appliances for wounds A61M27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1655 for tapping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8875 Screwdrivers, spanners or wrenches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00039 Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• 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 2034/256 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 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 6/506 for diagnosis of nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes

Abstract

The invention relates to a surgical instrument capable of applying an electrostimulation to a neural structure. The surgical instrument also has a tracking system associated therewith to provide navigational tracking during a surgical procedure.

Claims

1. A surgical tool capable of applying electrostimulation comprising:

an instrument having a handle portion and a body member extending from the handle portion, the body member having an electrically conductive portion connected to an energy source and capable of applying electrostimulation energy provided by the energy source; and

a tracking system associated with the instrument and operative to provide information regarding a position of the instrument on a display, the tracking system being configured to detect neurological information based on the electrostimulation energy applied by the instrument and provide the neurological information with the instrument position information on the display;

wherein the electrically conductive portion has a distal end configured to removably couple to an electrically conductive implant and configured to apply electrostimulation energy through the electrically conductive implant into adjacent tissue.

2. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the handle portion includes an electrical lead connectable to the energy source, wherein the energy source is remote from the instrument.

3. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the energy source includes a battery pack disposed within the handle portion.

4. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the body member includes an electrically insulated outer surface area, and wherein the electrically conductive portion extends from the handle portion and internal to the insulated outer surface.

5. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the tracking system includes a set of reflectors connected to the instrument and operative to reflect energy that can be detected and analyzed by a navigation system to determine a real-time position of the instrument.

6. The surgical tool of claim 5 wherein the set of reflectors are connected to an outer surface of the handle portion.

7. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the tracking system includes a set of emitters connected to the instrument and operative to provide detectable energy that can be analyzed by a navigational system to determine a real-time position of the instrument.

8. The surgical tool of claim 7 wherein the set of emitters are powered by electrical energy provided to the instrument by the energy source.

9. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is capable of applying bi-polar electrostimulation.

10. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is a surgical probe.

11. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is a surgical tap.

12. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is a screwdriver.

13. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is a retractor.

14. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is capable of applying uni-polar electrostimulation.

15. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive implant includes a pedicle screw.

16. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive implant includes a nucleus replacement.

17. A surgical tool capable of applying electrostimulation comprising:

an instrument having a handle portion and a body member extending from the handle portion, the body member having an electrically conductive portion connected to an energy source and capable of applying electrostimulation energy provided by the energy source; and

a tracking system associated with the instrument and operative to provide information regarding a position of the instrument,

wherein the electrically conductive portion has a distal end configured to removably couple to an electrically conductive implant,

wherein the electrically conductive implant includes an artificial disc.