Adjustable marker arrangement

• US 20050267358A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Original Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Inventors: Tuma, Gregor, Plassky, Norman
• Granted Patent: US 7,688,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/414
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• 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 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers

Abstract

The invention relates to a reference star adapter and a method of re-calibrating a previously registered body using the reference star adapter. The reference star adapter includes a first fixing element for coupling the reference star adapter to a body, and a second fixing element for coupling the reference star adapter to a plurality of markers. At least one joint is coupled between the first fixing element and the second fixing element, and at least one position detector is operatively coupled to the at least one joint, wherein the at least one position detector provides data describing a position or a geometry of the at least one joint.

Claims

1. A reference star adapter, comprising:

a first fixing element for coupling the reference star adapter to a body;

a second fixing element for coupling the reference star adapter to a plurality of markers;

at least one joint coupled between the first fixing element and the second fixing element; and

at least one position detector operatively coupled to the at least one joint, wherein the at least one position detector provides data describing a position or a geometry of the at least one joint.

2. The reference star adapter of claim 1, wherein the at least one joint is selected from the group consisting of a movable bearing, a fixed bearing, a turning joint, a sliding joint, a cam joint, a screw joint, a turning and sliding joint, a ball joint and a plate joint.

3. The reference star adapter of claim 2, wherein the movable bearing is a transverse bearing, a sliding bearing or a rolling bearing.

4. The reference star adapter of claim 2, wherein the fixed bearing is a transverse and longitudinal bearing or a fixed joint.

5. The reference star adapter of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism to fix the at least one joint at predetermined positions.

6. The reference star adapter of claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism is a latch mechanism.

7. The reference star adapter of claim 1, wherein markings are provided at predetermined positions of the at least one joint to enable the position of the at least one joint to be read.

8. The reference star adapter of claim 1, wherein the at least one position detector can measure a translational movement.

9. The reference star adapter of claim 1, wherein the at least one position detector can measure a rotational movement.

10. The reference star adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

a computational unit; and

a communications link, wherein the communications link operatively couples the at least one position detector to the computational unit, and the data is communicated to the computational unit via the communications link.

11. The reference star adapter of claim 10, wherein the communications link is a wireless link.

12. The reference star adapter of claim 11, wherein the wireless link is an optical link or a radio link.

13. The reference star adapter of claim 1, wherein the data provided by the at least one position detector is analog data.

14. The reference star adapter of claim 1, wherein the data provided by the at least one position detector is digital data.

15. The reference star adapter of claim 1, further comprising at least one actuator operatively coupled to the at least one joint, wherein the at least one actuator can change the position of the at least one joint.

16. A method of re-calibrating a previously registered body in a navigation system, said body being coupled via at least one joint to a plurality of reference markers that are detectable by the navigation system, and the navigation system having a specified field of vision in which the markers are detectable, said navigation system storing position data of the registered body, comprising the steps of:

re-positioning the plurality of reference markers with respect to the body such that the plurality of reference markers are within the field of vision of the navigation system; and

detecting a change in position of the reference markers with respect to the body.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of applying the change in position of the reference markers to the stored position data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of applying the change in position of the reference markers to the stored position data includes the step of applying the change in position of the reference markers to the stored position data after motion of the plurality of reference markers has not been detected for a preset time period.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of applying the change in position of the reference markers to the stored position data includes the step of continuously applying the change in position of the reference markers to the stored position data.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of re-positioning the plurality of reference markers includes the step of locking the plurality of reference markers in a known position.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of detecting a change in position of the reference markers includes the step of reading position data from the joint.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of transmitting the position data to a computational unit.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting the position data to the computational unit includes the step of wirelessly transmitting the position data to the computational unit.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of re-positioning the plurality of reference markers includes the step of using an actuator to automatically change the position of the plurality of reference markers.

25. A computer program which, when loaded onto a computer or running on a computer, performs the method as set forth in claim 16.

26. A program embodied in a computer-readable medium for re-calibrating a previously registered body in a navigation system, said body being coupled via at least one joint to a plurality of reference markers that are detectable by the navigation system, and the navigation system having a specified field of vision in which the markers are detectable, said navigation system storing position data of the registered body, comprising:

code that provides an indication that the plurality of reference markers are not within the field of vision of the navigation system; and

code that detects a change in position of the reference markers with respect to the body.

27-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A system for re-calibrating a previously registered body in a navigation system, said body being coupled via at least one joint to a plurality of reference markers that are detectable by the navigation system, and the navigation system having a specified field of vision in which the markers are detectable, said navigation system storing position data of the registered body, comprising:

a processor circuit having a processor and a memory;

a calibrating system stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the calibrating system comprising;

logic that generates an indication that the plurality of reference markers are not within the field of vision of the navigation system; and

logic that detects a change in position of the reference markers with respect to the body.

34-39. -39. (canceled)