Surgical sensor

• US 20060036189A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Navigation Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Surgical Navigation Technologies, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hunter, Mark W., McCoid, Sheri, Kessman, Paul, Martinelli, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,057,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3916 Bone tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/397 electromagnetic other than visible, e.g. microwave
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3987 Applicators for implanting markers
• 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

An integrated surgical anchor/localization sensor is disclosed. The anchor is adapted to be secured to an anatomical structure and contains a sensor housing. A receiver is located within the sensor housing and is adapted to sense reference signals generated by a surgical guidance system. A transmitter, connected to the receiver, conveys to a processor signals received by the receiver, so that the signals transmitted by the receiver are indicative of a current position of the anchor. Various other structures and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of determining a position of a plurality of portions of an anatomy, wherein the plurality of portions of the anatomy are naturally a single portion, comprising:

attaching a first tracking sensor to a first portion of the anatomy;

attaching a second tracking sensor to a second portion of the anatomy;

producing a first position signal from the first tracking sensor;

producing a second position signal from the second tracking sensor;

moving the first portion of the anatomy relative to the second portion of the anatomy; and

determining a selected position of the first portion and the second portion at least in part with the first position signal and the second position signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein producing a first position signal, producing a second position signal, or combinations thereof, include at least one of transmitting a signal, receiving a signal, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein producing a first position signal includes transmitting a first position signal from the tracking sensor and wherein producing a second position signal includes transmitting a second position signal from the second tracking sensor.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein producing a first position signal of the first tracking sensor includes:

producing a signal external to the anatomy;

receiving the signal produced external to the anatomy by said first tracking sensor; and

transmitting the first position signal from the first tracking sensor to a processor.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein producing a second position signal includes:

producing a signal external to the anatomy;

receiving the signal produced external to the anatomy by said second tracking sensor; and

transmitting the second position signal from the second tracking sensor to a processor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching a first tracking sensor to a first portion of the anatomy includes:

connecting an anchor to a portion of the anatomy;

interconnecting the first tracking sensor and the anchor in a selected orientation; and

fixing the tracking sensor to the first anchor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first tracking sensor and the anchor are operable to be interconnected in substantially only a single orientation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching a first tracking sensor to a first portion of the anatomy or attaching a second tracking sensor to a second portion of the anatomy, or combinations thereof include interconnecting an anchor with at least one of the first portion of the anatomy, the second portion of the anatomy, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a hollow in the anchor; and

positioning a sensor portion in the hollow formed in the anchor.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

interconnecting the sensor portion with the anchor;

wherein the sensor portion includes an electromagnetic sensor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the first portion of the anatomy, the second portion of the anatomy, or combinations thereof are substantially external portions of the anatomy.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the external portions of the anatomy include at least one of a skin, a portion beneath the skin, bone, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the anatomy, the second portion of the anatomy, or combinations thereof are portions of the substantially single portion of the natural anatomy.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the single anatomical portion includes a bone.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting at least one of the first position signal, the second position signal, or combinations thereof via radio frequencies.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a selected anatomical orientation of the first portion of the anatomy and the second portion of the anatomy.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining a selected orientation of the first portion or the second portion includes determining when the first portion of the anatomy and the second portion of the anatomy substantially mimic the natural anatomy.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a surgical instrument; and

providing a third tracking sensor with the surgical instrument.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a first portion of the third tracking sensor and a second portion of the third tracking sensor substantially collinear on the surgical instrument.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the surgical instrument includes selecting at least one of a cannula, a probe, a catheter, or combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching a first tracking sensor, attaching a second tracking sensor, or combinations thereof includes interconnecting at least one of a staple anchor, a head-frame pin anchor, a pigtail anchor, a rod anchor, a screw anchor, or combinations thereof and interconnecting a sensor therewith.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching at least one of a first tracking sensor, attaching a second tracking sensor, or combinations thereof includes interconnecting a sensor element with a hollow portion of an anchor interconnected with at least one of the first portion of the anatomy, the second portion of the anatomy, or combinations thereof.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining image data of the patient.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein obtaining image data includes obtaining image data of the patient with at least one of a magnetic resonance imager, a computer aided tomography imager, a fluoroscope, a positron emission scanner, a photon-emission computer tomography imager, or combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

registering the image data to the physical space of the patient.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein registering the image data includes matching a location of a fiducial in the physical space of the patient with the image data.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the fiducial includes an anchor for at least one of the first tracking sensor, the second tracking sensor, or combinations thereof.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein producing a position signal includes at least one of sensing a signal generated by a surgical navigation system, transmitting a signal from the tracking sensor to the surgical navigation system, or combinations thereof.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein conveying from the tracking sensor the position signal of the tracking sensor includes transmitting the position signal via radio frequencies.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein attaching a tracking sensor includes positioning the tracking sensor on an external portion of the anatomy.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein attaching a tracking sensor includes:

fixing an anchor to the tissue; and

fixing the tracking sensor to the anchor.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

imaging the anatomy after attaching the anchor to the anatomy but before attaching the tracking sensor to the anchor; and

registering the position of the anchor to the image data of the position of the anchor.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein attaching the tracking sensor includes:

attaching an anchor to the anatomy;

selectively attaching the tracking sensor to the anchor;

wherein the tracking sensor attaches to the anchor in substantially only a single orientation.

35. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

transmitting a signal from a surgical navigation system to the tracking sensor; and

wherein producing a position signal includes sensing the signal from the surgical navigation system.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein attaching a tracking sensor includes:

attaching an anchor to the anatomy and providing a bore in the anchor; and

interconnecting the tracking sensor with the bore provided in the anchor.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

providing a surgical instrument;

providing a surgical instrument sensor;

wherein said surgical sensor includes first sensing coil and a second sensing coil substantially collinear with the first sensing coil.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the surgical instrument is selected from at least one of a probe, a cannula, a catheter, or combinations thereof.

39. The method of claim 28, wherein attaching a tracking sensor includes selecting the anchor from at least one of a staple, a head-frame pin, a pigtail, a rod, a screw, or combinations thereof.

28-1. A method of detecting and tracking a current position of a tissue of an anatomy, comprising:

attaching a tracking sensor to a location of tissue near a surface of the anatomy;

producing a position signal with the tracking sensor;

conveying from the tracking sensor the position signal of the tracking sensor;

determining a position of the surface of the anatomy with the positional signal; and

wherein the tracking sensor is configured so that the position signals correspond to the current position of the tissue.

40. A method of determining a position of a plurality of portions of an anatomy, wherein the plurality of portions of the anatomy are naturally a single portion, comprising:

attaching a first tracking sensor to a first portion of the anatomy;

attaching a second tracking sensor to a second portion of the anatomy;

producing a tracking signal external to the anatomy;

receiving the tracking signal and producing a first position signal from the first tracking sensor;

receiving the tracking signal and producing a second position signal from the second tracking sensor;

moving the first portion of the anatomy relative to the second portion of the anatomy; and

determining a selected position of the first portion and the second portion at least in part with the first position signal and the second position signal.