Selective gesturing input to a surgical navigation system

• US 20070016008A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: EBI LP (Zimvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: EBI LP (Zimvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schoenefeld, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/290,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016008A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00207 with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• 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 2034/252 indicating steps of a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0818 Redundant systems, e.g. using two independent measuring systems and comparing the signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3762 using computed tomography systems [CT]
• 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 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A surgical navigation system uses selective gesturing within a sterile field to provide inputs to a computer, which can reduce surgery time and costs. The teachings comprise configuring an array with at least a first marker and a second marker; exposing the array to a measurement field of the tracking system; occluding the exposure of either the first marker or the second marker to the tracking system within the sterile field; and assigning the occlusion of the first marker as a first input and assigning the occlusion of the second marker as a second input to the computer system, wherein the first input is different than the second input.

Claims

1. A method for selective gesturing input to a surgical navigation system within a sterile field, comprising:

configuring an array with a first marker and a second marker, wherein the first marker and the second marker are distinguishable by a tracking system;

exposing the array to a measurement field of the tracking system;

occluding the exposure of either the first marker or the second marker to the tracking system within the sterile field; and

assigning the occlusion of the first marker as a first input and assigning the occlusion of the second marker as a second input to the computer system, wherein the first input is different than the second input.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the array with the tracking system;

calculating a first position of the array before the occlusion;

calculating a second position of the array after the occlusion;

calculating the difference between the first position and the second position; and

preventing execution of the first or second input if the difference exceeds a predetermined value, or executing the first or second input if the difference is less than the predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input and second input are executed within a single page of an application program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input and the second input are selected from the group consisting of page forward, page back, tool monitor, and help.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the array is a reference array.

6. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform selective gesturing in a surgical navigation system that includes an array having first and second markers and a tracking system, the selective gesturing comprising the following:

identifying the array with the tracking system when the array is exposed to a measurement field of the tracking system; and

recognizing the occlusion of the first marker from the tracking system as a first input and recognizing the occlusion of the second marker from the tracking system as a second input that is different than the first input.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the selective gesturing further comprises:

identifying the array with the tracking system;

calculating a first position of the array before the occlusion;

calculating a second position of the array after the occlusion;

calculating the difference between the first position and the second position; and

preventing execution of the first or second input if the difference exceeds a predetermined value, or executing the first or second input if the difference is less than the predetermined value.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the first input and second input are executed within a single page of an application program.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the first input and the second input are selected from the group consisting of page forward, page back, tool monitor, and help.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the array is a reference array.

11. A surgical navigation system, comprising:

a tracking system having a measurement field;

first and second markers that are distinguishable by the tracking system when exposed to the measurement field;

means for recognizing occlusion of the first marker and occlusion of the second marker from the measurement field;

means for causing a first action in response to the occlusion of the first marker; and

means for causing a second action in response to the occlusion of the second marker, wherein the second action is different than the first action.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second markers are attached to an array.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for calculating a first position of the array when exposed to the measurement field;

means for calculating a second position of the array after the exposure of the first or second marker has been temporarily occluded from the measurement field;

means for calculating the difference between the first position and the second position; and

means for preventing execution of the first or second action if the difference exceeds a predetermined value, or executing the first or second action if the difference is less than the predetermined value.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first action and second action are executed within a single page of an application program.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first action and the second action are selected from the group consisting of page forward, page back, tool monitor, and help.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the array is a reference array.