Dynamic reference method and system for use with surgical procedures

• US 8,886,289 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker European Operations Holdings, LLC (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Groszmann, Daniel Eduardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Long
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVOY, NICHOLAS LANE
• Application Number:
  US13/223,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20110319751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00694 with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00699 correcting for movement caused by respiration, e.g. by triggering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• 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 2090/367 creating a 3D dataset from 2D images using position information
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3908 Soft tissue, e.g. breast tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• 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 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/527 using data from a motion artifact sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation

Abstract

A substrate configured for placement on an internal organ or internal tissue is provided. In certain embodiments, the substrate conforms to and moves with the internal organ or internal tissue. Three or more sensor elements are integrated on the substrate. In one implementation, the substrate and associated sensor elements provide dynamic referencing of the internal organ or internal tissue after registration of the sensor data with images and/or volumetric representations of the internal organ or internal tissue.

Claims

1. A surgical reference system, comprising:

a substrate that conforms to and moves with an internal organ or internal tissue when placed thereon;

three or more sensor elements each generating x, y, and z coordinate information and integrated on the substrate, wherein the sensor elements generate one or both of positional or directional signals when in use; and

a power supply electrically connected to the three or more sensor elements.

2. The surgical reference system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises surgical gauze.

3. The surgical reference system of claim 1, wherein the three or more sensor elements comprise three or more electromagnetic sensor coils.

4. The surgical reference system of claim 1, comprising one or more receiving components configured to detect the positional or directional signals generated by the three or more sensor elements.

5. The surgical reference system of claim 1, comprising one or more antennas configured to detect electromagnetic fields generated by the three or more sensor elements.

6. The surgical reference system of claim 1, comprising one or more transmitters configured to generate electromagnetic fields detectable by the three or more sensor elements.

7. The surgical reference system of claim 1, wherein the three or more sensor elements allow tracking of the substrate.

8. The surgical reference system of claim 1, wherein each sensor element provides position information in three dimensions and two or more of roll, pitch, or yaw.

9. The surgical reference system of claim 1, wherein the three or more sensor elements in combination provide position information in three dimensions and roll, pitch, and yaw information.

15. The surgical reference system of claim 1, wherein the three or more sensor elements are arranged as an array on the substrate.

10. A surgical reference system, comprising:

a substrate that conforms to and moves with an internal organ or internal tissue when placed thereon;

three or more sensor elements each generating x, y, and z coordinate information and integrated on the substrate, wherein the sensor elements generate one or both of positional or directional data when in use;

a power supply electrically connected to the three or more sensor elements; and

a registration module configured to register image data generated by an imaging system with the positional or directional data generated by the three or more sensor elements without use of a fixed reference system.

11. The surgical reference system of claim 10, wherein the registration module is configured to register image data with the positional or directional data without use of an anatomical or fiducial marker.

12. The surgical reference system of claim 10, wherein the registration module is configured to provide the registered image data and positional or directional data to be used during an image-guided surgical procedure.

13. The surgical reference system of claim 10, wherein registration module is configured to provide the registered image data and positional or directional data to be used to track a surgical instrument during an invasive surgical procedure.

14. The surgical reference system of claim 13, wherein the surgical instrument comprises an instrument sensor element, wherein the instrument sensor element generates positional or directional signals when in use.