Surgical navigation using a three-dimensional user interface

• US 20060100505A1
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Inventors: Viswanathan, Raju R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• 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 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A system for controlling a medical device in a patient. A display system displays an image of a volume of the patient in a virtual three-dimensional space. A stylus is controllable to actuate a virtual element in the virtual space. A navigation system controls the medical device in the patient volume based on a position of the actuated virtual element. This inherently three-dimensional interface allows a physician to actuate the medical device more intuitively than possible using a two-dimensional interface.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a medical device in a patient comprising:

a display system that displays an image of at least part of a volume of the patient in a virtual three-dimensional space;

a stylus controllable to actuate a virtual element in the virtual space; and

a navigation system that controls the medical device in the patient volume based on a position of the actuated virtual element.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a device localization system that obtains a position of the medical device and provides the device position to the navigation system;

wherein the navigation system uses the device position to control the medical device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the virtual element is registered with at least one of the stylus and the medical device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the stylus is controllable to actuate the virtual element to define a path in the virtual space, and wherein the navigation system navigates the medical device in the subject in accordance with the path.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the stylus is controllable to actuate the virtual element to define a target location in the virtual space, and the navigation system navigates the medical device in the patient to the defined target location.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the display system displays the medical device as a reference in the virtual space;

the stylus is controllable to actuate the virtual element to actuate the reference; and

the navigation system controls the medical device based on the actuated reference.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the stylus provides haptic feedback to the user.

12. The system of claim 1b, where the stylus provides haptic feedback to the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the navigation system comprises a source for applying a magnetic field to the operating volume, and the medical device comprises at least one magnetically responsive element that can be oriented by the magnetic field applied by the source.

8. A system for controlling a medical device in an operating volume in a subject, the system comprising:

a device localization system that determines a position of the medical device in the operating volume in the subject;

a navigation system that controls the position of the device in the operating volume in the patient based at least in part upon the position determined by teh device localization system;

a stylus controllable in a real space; and

a display system that displays the stylus as a virtual three-dimensional element relative to an image of at least part of the patient volume and communicates a position of the virtual element to the navigation system;

wherein the navigation system uses the virtual element position as an input to control the navigation system to control the medical device.

9. A system for controlling a medical device in an operating volume in a subject, the system comprising:

a device localization system that determines the position of the medical device in the operating volume in the subject;

a navigation system that controls the medical device in the operating volume in the subject based on the determined position;

a stylus controllable in a real space;

the navigation system changing the position of the medical device in the operating region based upon changes in the position of the stylus in real space.

10. The system of claim 9, where the stylus provides haptic feedback to the user.

28. The method of claim 9, where the three dimensional anatomical data represents an anatomical surface.

11. A system for controlling a medical device in an operating volume in a subject, the system comprising:

a device localization system that determines the position of the device in the operating volume in the subject;

a navigation system that controls the device in the operating volume of the subject based at least in part on the position determined by the device localization system;

a stylus controllable in a real space; and

wherein the navigation system controls the position of the distal end of the medical device in response to the position of the stylus in real space.

29. The method of claim 11, where the three dimensional anatomical data represents an anatomical surface.

30. The method of claim 29, where the three dimensional anatomical data is acquired intraoperatively.

14. A system-implemented method of controlling a medical device in a patient comprising:

receiving data that locates the medical device in a volume of the patient;

receiving data describing actuation of a virtual element by a user-operated stylus relative to a three-dimensional representation of the patient volume; and

actuating the medical device in the patient volume based on the data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the stylus is registered with the virtual element relative to the three-dimensional representation.

16. A method of controlling a medical device in a patient comprising:

moving a stylus in a real space to actuate a virtual element relative to a virtual three-dimensional space corresponding to a volume of the patient; and

observing, in the virtual three-dimensional space, a representation of the medical device actuated in the patient volume in accordance with the actuated virtual element.

17. A system for controlling a medical device within a patient, comprising:

a display system that converts movement of a real stylus to virtual movement of a virtual element;

a navigation system that uses the virtual movement to control the medical device; and

an imaging system that provides at least one image of a patient volume to at least one of the navigation system and the display system;

wherein the virtual element is displayed in three virtual dimensions relative to the at least one image.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying the virtual element further comprises displaying at least one image describing at least part of a volume of the patient in which the medical device is actuated.

18. A system for controlling a medical device within a patient, comprising:

a navigation system that uses actuation control variables to control the medical device;

an interface system that converts movement of a stylus to actuation control variables of the navigation system; and

an imaging system that provides at least one image of a patient volume to at least one of the navigation system and the interface system.

19. A method of displaying a medical device within a patient, comprising:

receiving data describing movement of a stylus;

displaying a virtual element in three virtual dimensions in accordance with the stylus movement data;

providing data describing the virtual element to a navigation system that actuates the medical device in the patient based on the virtual element data and provides data describing actuation of the medical device; and

displaying the virtual element in accordance with the medical device actuation data.

21. A method for controlling a medical device within an operating region in a subject, comprising:

a navigation system that controls the orientation of the distal end of a medical device in response to actuation control variables;

an interface system that converts movement of a real stylus operated by a user to actuation control variables for the navigation system; and

a display incorporating a representation of a virtual stylus together with three dimensional anatomical data that is registered to the navigation system, and where movements of the virtual stylus are matched with movements of the real stylus.

22. The method of claim 21, where the stylus provides haptic feedback to the user.

23. A method for controlling a medical device within a patient, comprising:

a navigation system that orients the distal end of a medical device in response to actuation control variables to control the medical device;

an interface system that converts movement of a real stylus operated by a user to actuation control variables for the navigation system; and

a display incorporating a representation of a registered, localized device with three dimensional anatomical data that is registered to the navigation system, where movements of the real stylus are converted through said actuation control variables to movements of the medical device.

24. The method of claim 23, where the stylus provides haptic feedback to the user.

25. The method of claim 23, where the stylus controls the orientation of the medical device.

26. The method of claim 25, where the stylus provides haptic feedback to the user.

27. The method of claim 23, where the three dimensional anatomical data is acquired intraoperatively.