Percutaneous registration apparatus and method for use in computer-assisted surgical navigation
First Claim
1. An apparatus for facilitating percutaneous placement of surgical instruments into the spine, adapted for use with a surgical navigation system employing an energy-detecting array in communication with a surgical navigation computer to track positions of instruments in three dimensional space relative to a known reference point, said apparatus comprising:
- a connector adapted to be rigidly attached to a portion of the spine;
at least one central post connected to said connector;
a position identification structure rigidly and removably connected to said central post at a predetermined position on said central post and adapted to be reconnected at the same said predetermined position, said identification structure being further adapted to allow a patient to be scanned with the structure connected to the central post, said structure including an assembly for communicating positioning information with respect to said assembly to the energy detecting array and surgical navigation computer; and
a connector assembly for said reconnecting of said structure substantially to said predetermined position on said central post.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and procedures for percutaneous placement of surgical implants and instruments such as, for example, screws, rods, wires and plates into various body parts using image guided surgery. The invention includes an apparatus for use with a surgical navigation system, an attaching device rigidly connected to a body part, such as the spinous process of a vertebrae, with an identification superstructure rigidly but removably connected to the attaching device. This identification superstructure, for example, is a reference arc and fiducial array which accomplishes the function of identifying the location of the superstructure, and, therefore, the body part to which it is fixed, during imaging by CAT scan or MRI, and later during medical procedures.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. An apparatus for facilitating percutaneous placement of surgical instruments into the spine, adapted for use with a surgical navigation system employing an energy-detecting array in communication with a surgical navigation computer to track positions of instruments in three dimensional space relative to a known reference point, said apparatus comprising:
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a connector adapted to be rigidly attached to a portion of the spine; at least one central post connected to said connector; a position identification structure rigidly and removably connected to said central post at a predetermined position on said central post and adapted to be reconnected at the same said predetermined position, said identification structure being further adapted to allow a patient to be scanned with the structure connected to the central post, said structure including an assembly for communicating positioning information with respect to said assembly to the energy detecting array and surgical navigation computer; and a connector assembly for said reconnecting of said structure substantially to said predetermined position on said central post. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for monitoring the location of an instrument, surgical implant and various portions of the body, to be operated on, using a surgical navigation system with a surgical navigation computer and a digitizer array for monitoring the location of instruments in three-dimensional space relative to a known reference point, said method comprising the steps of:
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attaching a fixture having a central post to a portion of the spine; removably attaching an identification structure including a fiducial array and a reference arc to said central post; providing a scanned three-dimensional image of a patient including said fiducial array rigidly attached to said central post of said fixture, said fixture being rigidly attached to the patient to identify the position of said fixture and said fiducial array on the scanned image; using an image-guided system, by touching an image guided surgical pointer to one or more fiducials on the fiducial array to register the location of a spinal element fixed to said array; and emitting a signal from said reference arc to indicate changes in position of the spinal element during a surgical procedure. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for use in performing the percutaneous placement of surgical implants and instruments into the spine using image guided surgery and a surgical navigation computer and energy detecting array, said system comprising:
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means for attaching a fixture to a portion of the spine; means for communicating position information to the surgical navigation computer and energy detecting array said means rigidly and removably connected to said means for attaching a fixture; means for providing location information of said spinal portion to the surgical navigation system adapted to be connected to spinal elements; means for indicating screw-head position said means electrically connected to the surgical navigation system and adapted to mate with the head of a screw implanted in one or more of said spinal elements. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of registering a physical space defined relative to a subject to an image space of the subject, comprising:
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connecting an attaching device to the subject; connecting at least one of a fiducial portion or a reference portion to the connected attaching device with a connector in a geometric orientation and location; acquiring image data of the subject and the connected at least one fiducial portion or reference portion that is connected to the subject in the geometric orientation and location; removing the connected at least one fiducial portion or reference portion from the connected at least one clamp or screw after acquiring the image data; and registering the physical space of the subject to the image space of the acquired image data, including; reattaching at least one of the fiducial portion or the reference portion to the connected attaching device in the geometric orientation and location as during the acquiring the image data, and determining a location of a registration portion of the connected at least one fiducial portion or reference portion. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of registering a physical space defined relative to a subject to an image space of the subject, comprising:
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connecting a device to the subject; connecting at least a portion of a super-structure to the connected device with a connector; acquiring image data of the subject and the connected at least a portion of the super-structure connected to the device that is connected to the subject; removing the connected at least a portion of the super-structure from the connected device after acquiring the image data; and registering the physical space of the subject to the image space of the acquired image data, including; re-connecting the at least the portion of the super-structure to the connected device in a same geometric orientation and location as during the acquiring the image data, and determining a location of a registration portion of the re-connected at least a portion of the super-structure. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A system for registering a physical space defined relative to a subject to an image space of the subject, comprising:
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a device operable to be connected to the subject; and at least one of a reference portion operable to be detachably connected to the device or a fiducial portion operable to be detachably connected to the device; wherein the reference portion is operable to determine a location of the subject and the fiducial portion is operable to be registered relative to an image of the subject. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification