Computer-assisted surgery system and method

• US 9,532,848 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ORTHOsoft ULC. (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Othosoft, Inc.
• Inventors: Boivin, Michel, Brosseau, Yannick, Amiot, Louis-Philippe, Szmutny, ric
• Primary Examiner(s): Cattungal, Sanjay
• Application Number:
  US12/139,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20080312529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,123 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/424, 606/130, 340/573.1, 340/426.18, 340/539.12
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• 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 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2063 Acoustic tracking systems, e.g. using ultrasound
• 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 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3925 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/397 electromagnetic other than visible, e.g. microwave
• 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 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers

Abstract

There is described a system and a method for assisting a user manipulating an object during a surgery, the method comprising: tracking the object in a sterile field in which surgery is being performed at a location using a tracking device which generates tracking data; processing the tracking data using a processing device located outside the sterile field to generate position and orientation information related to the object; and sending the position and orientation information related to the object to a displaying device positioned in the sterile field adjacent to the location at which the surgery is being performed, for display to the user.

Claims

1. A system for assisting a user manipulating an object during a surgery, the system comprising:

a tracking device for tracking the object in a sterile field in which surgery is being performed, and for generating tracking data for the object;

a processing device positioned outside the sterile field, for generating tracking information related to the object by processing the tracking data received from the tracking device; and

a sterilized displaying device located in a volume within the sterile field defined as being above a plane of and delimited by an operating table and below the shoulders of an operator standing next to a patient lying on the operating table, the displaying device for displaying the tracking information received wirelessly from the processing device to the user during the surgery, the displaying device having a touch-screen for interaction with the user through said processing device, the displaying device being supported directly by the operating table via a support extending between the displaying device and the operating table.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the displaying device is positioned within a same field of view as a location at which the surgery is being performed from a surgeon'"'"'s viewpoint, for display of the information to the surgeon during manipulation of the object.

3. The system as in claim 1, further comprising an imaging device for acquiring images of at least one of the object and a location at which the surgery is being performed, the displaying device displaying the images.

4. The system as in claim 3, wherein the processing device comprises a coordinate translating device for translating the object position and orientation information into a coordinate system relative to the images.

5. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a server operatively connected to the processing device, for allowing a communication between the processing device and the displaying device.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein the server comprises a wireless server for allowing wireless communication between the displaying device and the processing device.

7. The system as in claim 6, wherein the displaying device comprises a portable handheld computing device in the sterile field in close proximity to the location of the surgery.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein the user comprises multiple users, and the displaying device comprises multiple displaying devices each comprising a dedicated user interface, wherein each of the displaying devices are dedicated to one of the users, and each of the users executes a specific role.

9. The system as in claim 8, further comprising a communications interface for assigning a communication priority between one of the displaying devices and the processing device, the communication priority being in accordance with the dedicated user interface involved in the communication.

10. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a database operatively connected to the processing device, the database storing information on at least one of the surgery, the object and the location, the information for being displayed by the displaying device.

11. The system as in claim 1, wherein the tracking device comprises markers placed on the object, the markers for being tracked using one of:

a mechanical frame, an electro-mechanical device, an acoustic device, an electro-magnetic device, an optical device and a radio-frequency device.

12. A method for assisting a user in manipulating an object during a surgery, the method comprising:

tracking the object located in a sterile field at which surgery is being performed to generate tracking data, the sterile field comprising a volume defined as being above a plane of and delimited by an operating table and below the shoulders of an operator standing next to a patient lying on the operating table;

processing the tracking data from a location remote of the sterile field, to generate tracking information related to the object; and

wirelessly sending the tracking information from the location remote of the sterile field for display in the volume of the sterile field to the user on a sterilized displaying device, during the surgery, the displaying device having a touch-screen for interaction with the user through said processing device, the displaying device being supported directly by the operating table via a support extending between the displaying device and the operating table.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein the sending comprises sending the tracking information to the displaying device positioned within a same field of view as an area at which the surgery is being performed from a surgeon'"'"'s viewpoint, during manipulation of the object by the surgeon.

14. The method as in claim 12, further comprising acquiring an image of at least an area at which the surgery is being performed, and sending the image acquired for display in the sterile field.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein the processing comprises translating the object position and orientation information to a coordinate system in accordance with the image acquired.

16. The method as in claim 12, wherein the sending comprises communicating the object position and orientation information to a displaying device via a server.

17. The method as in claim 12, further comprising receiving data entered by the user using an input device of the displaying device positioned in the sterile field, and using the data entered in at least one of:

the processing of the tracking data and the sending for display of the tracking information.

18. The method as in claim 12, wherein the sending comprises sending dedicated information to one of multiple of the displaying devices, the dedicated information being dependent on:

the one of the multiple displaying devices to which the dedicated surgery information is being sent, and

a particular task to be performed by a specific user of the one of the multiple displaying devices.

19. The method as in claim 18, further comprising assigning a communication priority to each one of the multiple displaying devices, and determining when to accept a communication from one of the multiple display devices based on the communication priority.