FLOW CONTROL IN COMPUTER-ASSISTED SURGERY BASED ON MARKER POSITION

• US 20130006270A1
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Original Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Inventors: Schaal, Alexander, Besinger, Axel, Manus, Johannes, Schmoll, Rainer, Flossman, Sven
• Granted Patent: US 10,092,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/254 being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/256 having a database of accessory information, e.g. including context sensitive help or scientific articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/368 changing the image on a display according to the operator's position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• 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

Abstract

The invention is in particular directed to a data processing method for use in computer-assisted surgery, comprising the following steps: a) providing marker data which describe a spatial arrangement of at least one marker device and/or a change in a relative spatial arrangement of at least two marker devices (5, 6, 7); b) providing condition data which describe a condition for the spatial arrangement of at least one marker device and/or a condition for the change in the relative spatial arrangement of the at least two marker devices (5, 6, 7); and c) controlling a control flow of the data processing method on the basis of the marker data and the condition data.

Claims

1. A data processing method for use in computer-assisted surgery, comprising the following steps:

a) providing marker data which describe a spatial arrangement of at least one marker device and/or a change in a relative spatial arrangement of at least two marker devices;

b) providing condition data which describe a condition for the spatial arrangement of at least one marker device and/or a condition for the change in the relative spatial arrangement of the at least two marker devices; and

c) controlling a control flow of the data processing method on the basis of the marker data and the condition data.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the marker data describe a relative spatial arrangement of at least two marker devices, and the condition data describe a condition for the relative spatial arrangement of at least two marker devices.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterised in that the condition for the change in the relative spatial arrangement includes a condition for a movement which implies that all the extreme parts of at least one of the marker devices have to move during at least a part of the movement.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the condition for the change in the relative spatial arrangement includes a condition for a movement which implies that at least one of the marker devices has to perform a translational movement during at least a part of the movement.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the condition for the spatial arrangement and/or change in the relative spatial arrangement includes a condition for the motion state of the at least one marker device, said motion state including at least one of the following:

velocity;

acceleration;

direction of velocity of the marker devices; and

remaining in a static status for a predetermined length of time.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the condition data comprise a time-dependent condition.

7. The method according to, claim 1, characterised in that the condition data comprise a condition derived from the positions of at least two marker devices, in particular derived from a distance between at least two marker devices.

8. The method according to, claim 1, characterised in that the condition data comprise a condition for the identity of a marker device.

9. The method according to, claim 1, characterised in that the condition data comprise conditions for the presence or absence of a marker device in a region and/or for the presence or absence of a set of marker devices in a plurality of regions.

10. The method according to, claim 1, characterised in that the condition data comprise a condition for a sequence of positions of the marker devices and/or in that a condition for controlling the control flow is the control flow history.

11. The method according to, claim 1, characterised in that the condition data describe a pattern which represents the conditions for a set of marker devices, the condition being at least one of the following:

a condition for a motion state of a marker device;

a condition for a distance between marker devices;

a condition for a position of a marker device; and

a condition for the presence or absence of a marker device in a region.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that controlling the control flow involves determining a control flow statement depending on whether the marker data meet the condition defined by the condition data and in accordance with respective assignments between a plurality of different conditions and a plurality of different control flow statements.

13. A method for use in computer-assisted surgery comprising the data processing method of claim 1, wherein the marker data are provided by the following steps:

detecting the spatial arrangement of the at least one marker device and/or the change in a relative spatial arrangement of the at least two marker devices by means of a marker detection device, and

generating the marker data based on the detection.

14. A program which, when running on a computer or when loaded onto a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to claim 1, and/or a program storage medium on which the program is stored, and/or a computer on which the program is running or into the memory of which the program is loaded, and/or a signal wave, in particular a digital signal wave, which carries information representing the program.

15. A navigation system for computer-assisted surgery, comprising:

a detection device for detecting the position of at least one marker device; and

the computer of claim 14.