System and method for verifying calibration of a surgical device

• US 9,724,165 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corporation (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corporation (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Arata, Louis, Abovitz, Rony, Aly, Sherif, Van Vorhis, Robert, Glauser, Sandi, Blackwell, Timothy, Ferre, Maurice R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundu, Sujoy
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, LYNNE D
• Application Number:
  US11/750,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20080004633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,735 Days
• Field of Search: 702 95
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1764 for the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00119 alarm; indicating an abnormal situation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00694 with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00712 simulating mathematical properties, e.g. for testing of positioning in the isocentre or focus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/108 Computer aided selection or customisation of medical implants or cutting guides
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2059 Mechanical position encoders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2065 Tracking using image or pattern recognition
• 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 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 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 34/25 : User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 : Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 : Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 : Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 : Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety

Abstract

The invention relates to a surgical system and, more particularly, to a surgical system and method for verifying calibration of a surgical device. The surgical system or method can be configured to perform the steps of: identifying an interface on an anatomy of a patient, determining a position of a checkpoint of the interface in a coordinate frame of reference, contacting the interface with a portion of a surgical tool of the surgical device, determining a position of the portion of the surgical tool in the coordinate frame of reference, and determining whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has an expected correspondence to the position of the checkpoint. The interface may comprise a painted portion of a bone of the patient, a divot made in the bone, or a mechanical interface that includes a portion configured to be affixed to the bone and an interface portion that is configured to be contacted by the portion of the surgical tool.

Claims

1. A method for verifying registration of an anatomy tracker, comprising the steps of:

attaching a mechanical interface to an anatomy of a patient;

establishing an expected correspondence between a checkpoint of the interface and the anatomy tracker;

contacting the interface with a surgical tool of the surgical device, wherein a position of a portion of the surgical tool corresponds to a position of the checkpoint of the interface;

receiving, by a computer, information indicative of the contacting of the interface with the surgical tool of the surgical device;

determining, by the computer, the position of the portion of the surgical tool when the surgical tool is contacting the interface;

determining, by the computer, whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has the expected correspondence to the anatomy tracker; and

using at least the determination of whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has the expected correspondence to the anatomy tracker to determine whether the anatomy tracker has moved relative to the anatomy of the patient since an earlier registration of the anatomy;

wherein the interface is disposed on a bone of the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of contacting the interface with the surgical tool includes contacting at least one of a bone of a patient and a mechanical interface disposed on the bone with a tip of a surgical tool.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

attaching a second interface to the anatomy of the patient;

establishing an expected correspondence between a second checkpoint of the second interface and a second anatomy tracker;

contacting the second interface with the surgical tool, wherein a position of a portion of the surgical tool corresponds to a position of the second checkpoint of the second interface; and

determining whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has the expected correspondence to the position of the second anatomy tracker.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interface is disposed on a first bone of the patient and the second interface is disposed on a second bone of the patient.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of contacting the interface includes contacting at least one of a first bone of the patient and the mechanical interface disposed on the first bone with a tip of the surgical tool, and wherein the step of contacting the second interface includes contacting at least one of a second bone of the patient and the second interface disposed on the second bone with the tip of the surgical tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the first position of the checkpoint includes associating the checkpoint with a representation of the anatomy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has the expected correspondence to the anatomy tracker includes determining whether a distance between one of a tip of the surgical tool and a center of the tip of the surgical tool and the checkpoint is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

using at least the determination of whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has the expected correspondence to the anatomy tracker to determine at least one of whether the portion of the surgical tool is correctly positioned, whether the surgical device has moved relative to the anatomy tracker, whether the surgical tool is installed in a desired orientation on the surgical device, and whether the desired surgical tool is installed on the surgical device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of re-contacting the interface with the surgical tool to verify the information received indicative of the contacting of the interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mechanical interface includes a portion configured to be affixed to a bone of the patient and a portion configured to be contacted by the surgical tool.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mechanical interface includes at least a bioabsorbable material.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the mechanical interface includes at least one of a frustoconical surface and a conical surface.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of determining at least one of a depth of penetration of the portion of the surgical tool into the at least one of the frustoconical surface and the conical surface of the mechanical interface and a distance between the portion of the surgical tool and the checkpoint.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of determining an orientation of the mechanical interface.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of obtaining information about the mechanical interface, wherein the mechanical interface comprises a feature configured to provide the information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the feature provides at least one of a position and an orientation of the mechanical interface.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the feature is at least one of embedded in the mechanical interface, integral to the mechanical interface, and formed on a surface of the mechanical interface.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the feature is configured to emit a signal that provides the information.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of reminding an operator of the surgical device to remove the mechanical interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of reminding includes at least one of attaching a suture to the mechanical interface, providing a visual warning with the surgical device, and applying surgical tape to the anatomy of the patient.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool is static.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein whether the portion of the surgical tool is static is determined by the steps of:

determining the position of the portion of the surgical tool a plurality of times;

determining a standard deviation for the plurality of determined positions of the portion of the surgical tool; and

determining whether the standard deviation exceeds a threshold value.

23. A system for verifying calibration of a surgical device, comprising:

a mechanical interface, the mechanical interface including a portion configured to be attached to a bone of the patient and a portion configured to be contacted by a portion of a surgical tool of the surgical device;

the surgical tool of the surgical device configured to contact the mechanical interface attached to an anatomy of a patient; and

a computing system programmed to;

establish an expected correspondence between a checkpoint of the mechanical interface and an anatomy tracker;

determine the position of the portion of the surgical tool when the surgical tool is contacting the mechanical interface and when the portion of the surgical tool corresponds to a position of the checkpoint of the mechanical interface;

determine whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has the expected correspondence to the anatomy tracker; and

determine whether the anatomy tracker has moved relative to the anatomy of the patient since an earlier registration of the anatomy, using at least the determination of whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has the expected correspondence to the anatomy tracker.

24. The system of claim 23,

wherein the surgical tool is configured to contact a second interface on an anatomy of a patient, and

wherein the computing system is programmed to:

establish an expected correspondence between a second checkpoint of the second interface and a second anatomy tracker;

determine the position of a portion of the surgical tool when the surgical tool is contacting the interface and when the portion of the surgical tool corresponds to a position of the second checkpoint of the second interface; and

determine whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has the expected correspondence to a second anatomy tracker.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the computing system is programmed to determine the first position of the checkpoint by at least associating the checkpoint with a representation of the anatomy.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the computing system is programmed to determine whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has the expected correspondence to the anatomy tracker by at least determining whether a distance between a tip of the surgical tool or a center of the tip of the surgical tool and the checkpoint is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the computing system is programmed to use at least the determination of whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool has the expected correspondence to the anatomy tracker to determine at least one of whether the portion of the surgical tool is correctly positioned, whether the surgical device has moved relative to the anatomy tracker, whether the surgical tool is installed in a desired orientation on the surgical device, and whether the desired surgical tool is installed on the surgical device.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the mechanical interface includes at least a bioabsorbable material.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the mechanical interface includes at least one of a frustoconical surface and a conical surface.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the computing system is programmed to determine at least one of a depth of penetration of the portion of the surgical tool into the at least one of the frustoconical surface and the conical surface of the mechanical interface and a distance between the portion of the surgical tool and the checkpoint.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the mechanical interface comprises a feature configured to provide information about the mechanical interface.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the feature provides at least one of a position and an orientation of the mechanical interface.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the feature is at least one of embedded in the mechanical interface, integral to the mechanical interface, and formed on a surface of the mechanical interface.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the feature is configured to emit a signal that provides the information.

35. The system of claim 23, wherein the computing system is programmed to determine whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool is static.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the computing system is programmed to determine whether the position of the portion of the surgical tool is static by:

determining the position of the portion of the surgical tool a plurality of times;

determining a standard deviation for the plurality of determined positions of the portion of the surgical tool; and

determining whether the standard deviation exceeds a threshold value.