Surgical visualization system with camera tracking

• US 9,615,728 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CamPlex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CamPlex, Inc.
• Inventors: Charles, Steven T., Tesar, John
• Primary Examiner(s): WOODALL, NICHOLAS W
• Application Number:
  US13/802,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20140005486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000095 for image enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0004 for electronic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00149 using articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/24 for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors tongue depressors per se A61B13/00; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth combined with saliva removers A61C17/00; mouth openers for animals A61D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/32 Devices for opening or enlarging the visual field, e.g. of a tube of the body dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets A61B18/00 takes precedence; contraceptive devices, pessaries, or applicators therefor A61F6/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/02 for holding wounds open; Tractors specula A61B1/32 ; drainage appliances for wounds A61M27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0206 with antagonistic arms as supports for retractor elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/025 Joint distractors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0293 with ring member to support retractor elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/16 Bone cutting, breaking or removal means other than saws, e.g. Osteoclasts; Drills or chisels for bones; Trepans arthroscopic bone cutters A61B17/320016; dental implant drills potentially for other surgical use A61C8/0089; bone grinders A61F2/4644, A22C17/06; A61B17/1662 takes precedence over all other subgroups except A61B17/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1604 Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1628 Motors; Power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1644 using fluid other than turbine drive fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3211 : Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00207 : with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0256 : for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/371 : with simultaneous use of two cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/00 : Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence; image processing per se G06T; details of algorithms for analysing medical images G06T7/0012
• 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 5/0077 : Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 : Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 : User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 : Trolleys, e.g. carts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/15 : Mayo stands; Tables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/20 : Surgical microscopes characterised by non-optical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 : Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 : Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation

Abstract

A surgical device includes a plurality of cameras integrated therein. The view of each of the plurality of cameras can be integrated together to provide a composite image. A surgical tool that includes an integrated camera may be used in conjunction with the surgical device. The image produced by the camera integrated with the surgical tool may be associated with the composite image generated by the plurality of cameras integrated in the surgical device. The position and orientation of the cameras and/or the surgical tool can be tracked, and the surgical tool can be rendered as transparent on the composite image. A surgical device may be powered by a hydraulic system, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference with tracking devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

inserting a retractor into an opening in a body through an incision, the retractor comprising a plurality of video cameras disposed thereon; and

electronically tracking the locations of said video cameras;

wherein said electronically tracking comprises tracking the position of a first video camera relative to the position of a second video camera.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video cameras are removably coupled to the retractor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining respective images from each of the plurality of video cameras, and processing said respective images for simultaneous viewing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said processing comprises using the tracked locations of said video cameras.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically tracking comprises electromagnetic (EM) tracking.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the retractor comprises at least a first retractor blade and a second retractor blade each having at least one video camera thereon, and each of said first and second retractor blades have tracking devices thereon to track the relative positions of the first and second retractor blades with respect to each other.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of said plurality of video cameras comprises imaging optics and an optical sensor, said imaging optics comprising wafer-scale optics.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said imaging optics further comprises a negative power non-wafer-scale lens element disposed forward of said wafer-scale optics such that said wafer-scale optics is disposed in an optical path between said negative power non-wafer-scale lens element and said optical sensor.

9. A method comprising:

inserting a retractor into an opening in a body through an incision, the retractor comprising a plurality of video cameras disposed thereon; and

electronically tracking the locations of said video cameras,

wherein said video cameras are disposed on blades of the retractor, and wherein said electronically tracking comprises tracking the position of the blades.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the video cameras are disposed on movable blades of the retractor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the retractor blades comprise a plurality of segments connected by at least one hinge.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the retractor blades are malleable.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said blades are movable with respect to one another.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said blades are malleable or articulated.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said electronically tracking comprises tracking the degree to which said blades are bent or articulated.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of video cameras comprises at least a first video camera and a second video camera, each having tracking devices associated therewith to track the relative positions of the first and second video camera with respect to each other.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the tracking devices are removably coupled to the retractor.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein said electronically tracking comprises electromagnetic (EM) tracking.