| Method and system for calibrating a surgical tool and adapter therefor -> Monitor Keywords |
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Method and system for calibrating a surgical tool and adapter thereforRelated Patent Categories: Surgery, InstrumentsMethod and system for calibrating a surgical tool and adapter therefor description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070173790, Method and system for calibrating a surgical tool and adapter therefor. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/246,599, filed Sep. 18, 2002. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention generally relates to calibrating surgical tools for use with a surgical navigation system. More particularly this invention relates to the calibration of a combination of a universal tracking device and the surgical tool so that the position and orientation of the surgical tool can be determined by the surgical navigation system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The use of image guided surgical navigation systems for assisting surgeons in performing delicate surgery has become more common. Typical surgical navigation systems utilize specially developed tools that include built in tracking devices so that the surgeon can see the position of the surgical tool overlaid on a monitor that shows a preoperative image or an intraoperative image. The preoperative images are typically prepared using well-known preoperative scanning techniques, such as MRI or CT scans. The intraoperative images can be prepared using flouroscope, low level x-ray and similar devices. The tracking devices typically include multiple optical emitters, such as LED's, that can be detected by the surgical navigation system. From the position of the emitters, the surgical navigation system can determine the position and/or orientation of the surgical tool. [0004] As used in this specification, the term position means the coordinates of the tip of the surgical tool in three-dimensional space, the x, y, z or Cartesian coordinates, relative to the surgical navigation system. The term orientation means the pitch, roll, and yaw of the surgical tool. When both the position and the orientation of a surgical tool are defined, the absolute position of that surgical tool is known to the surgical navigation system. [0005] In order for a surgeon to use a surgical tool without a built in tracking device with a surgical navigation system, a universal tracking device must be attached to the surgical tool. The universal tracking device and the surgical tool combination must be calibrated so that the surgical navigation system knows the relation between tip of the surgical tool and the position of the tracking device. Surgical tools with the attached universal tracking device can be calibrated and then tracked. If the tracking device and surgical tool have been calibrated relative to the surgical navigation system so that only the position of the tip of the surgical tool is known to the surgical navigation system, then only the position of the tip but not the orientation of the surgical tool can be tracked by the system. Because the exact path the surgeon will take during a particular surgical procedure is very important, it is preferable to know both the position and orientation of the surgical tools used during that procedure so that the surgical tools can be completely represented on the monitor of typical surgical navigation systems. [0006] In order to provide both position and orientation data for the combination of the surgical tool and the attached universal tracking device, both the position and orientation for each surgical tool and tracking device combination must be calibrated. Typical prior calibration devices have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,987,960, 5,921,992 and 6,306,126. Each of these calibration devices utilizes the principal of constraining the axis of the surgical tool in a plane perpendicular to a base of the calibration device. Because the position of the base of the calibration device and the position of the axis of the surgical tool are known relative to optical tracking elements contained on the calibration device, the surgical navigation system can calculate the position and the orientation for the particular surgical tool and the tracking device combination. Thereafter, that surgical tool and tracking device combination can be completely tracked by the surgical navigation system. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention is directed to an improved method of calibrating both the position and orientation of a surgical tool for use with a surgical navigation system. This method includes the steps of attaching a tracking device capable of communicating with the surgical navigation system to the surgical tool using an adapter, wherein the surgical tool has both a tool axis and a tool tip and the adapter has a known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis. The method further includes the step of touching the tool tip to a calibration device capable of communicating with the surgical navigation system and capable of determining the position of the tool tip relative to the position of the tracking device. The method further includes the step of calculating the position of the tool tip and then calculating orientation data for the surgical tool from the known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis. Lastly, the method includes the step of storing the position of the tool tip and the orientation data for the surgical tool within memory of the surgical navigation system so that when the surgical tool is used with the surgical navigation system, the position and the orientation of the surgical tool can be tracked by the surgical navigation system. [0008] A further method of the present invention for calibrating the position and the orientation of the surgical tool for use with the surgical navigation system comprises the following steps. The first step is attaching a tracking device capable of communicating with the surgical navigation system to the surgical tool using an adapter wherein the surgical tool has a tool axis and a tool tip and the adapter has a known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis. The second step in the method is touching the tool tip to a calibration device capable of communicating with the surgical navigation system and capable of determining a position of the tip of the surgical tool relative to a position of the tracking device. The method further includes the step of calculating the position of tool tip and the step of storing the position of the tool tip within memory of the surgical navigation system. Lastly, the method includes the step of determining orientation data for the surgical tool from the position of the tool tip and from a database of stored relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip such that the position of the tool tip intersects an axis of the surgical tool from the database so that when the surgical tool is used with the surgical navigation system, the position and orientation of the surgical tool can be tracked by the surgical navigation system. [0009] The present invention also is directed to an adapter to attach a tracking device to a surgical tool having axis, which comprises a body having an exterior surface, and an interior surface. The adapter also includes a docking structure for the tracking device attached to the exterior surface. Lastly, the adapter includes the interior surface that defines an opening extending through the body, the opening having an axis and the opening having a shape to engage the surgical tool such that there is identity between the axis of the opening and the tool axis. [0010] The present invention further includes a system for the calibration of a surgical tool for use with a surgical navigation system. The system comprises a memory unit, an adapter that can be attached to a surgical tool having a tool tip and a tool axis, and a tracking device attached to the adapter, the tracking device capable of being tracked by the surgical navigation system, wherein the adapter has a known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis. The system further includes a calibration device capable of determining the position of the tool tip relative to the position of the tracking device and capable of communicating with the surgical navigation system. The system also includes a first circuit operative to calculate the position of the tool tip relative to a position of the tracking device and an orientation of the surgical tool from the known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip, and a second circuit operative to store the position of the tool tip and the orientation of the tool in the memory unit. [0011] A further system of the present invention for calibrating a position and an orientation of a surgical tool for use with a surgical navigation system comprises means for attaching a tracking device capable of communication with the surgical navigation system to the surgical tool using an adapter, the surgical tool having a tool axis and a tool tip, and the adapter having a known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis. The system also includes means for calculating a position of the tool tip by touching the tool tip to a calibration device capable of communication with the surgical navigation system and capable of determining the position of the tool tip relative to a position of the tracking device and means for calculating orientation data for the surgical tool from the known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip. In addition, the system includes means for storing the position of the tool tip for the surgical tool and the orientation data for the surgical tool within memory of the surgical navigation system so that when the surgical tool is used with the surgical navigation system, the position and the orientation of the surgical tool can be tracked by the surgical navigation system. [0012] A still further system of the present invention for calibrating a surgical tool for use with a surgical navigation system comprises a memory unit and means for attaching an adapter to a surgical tool having a tool tip and a tool axis. The system also includes means for tracking the surgical tool attached to the adapter, the tracking means capable of being tracked by the surgical navigation system, wherein the adapter has a known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis and means for calibrating capable of determining a position of the tool tip relative to the position of the tracking means and capable of communicating with the surgical navigation system. The system further includes means for calculating the position of the tool tip; and an orientation of the surgical tool from the known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip, and means for storing the position of the tool tip and the orientation of the surgical tool in the memory unit. [0013] Another system of the present invention for calibrating a position and an orientation of a surgical tool for use with a surgical navigation system comprises means for attaching a tracking device capable of communication with the surgical navigation system to the surgical tool using an adapter, the surgical tool having a tool axis and a tool tip, and the adapter having a known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis. The system also includes means for calculating a position of the tool tip by touching the tool tip to a calibration device capable of communicating with the surgical navigation system and capable of determining the position of the tool tip relative to a position of the tracking device, and means for storing the position of tool tip within memory of the surgical navigation system. In addition the system has means for determining orientation data for the surgical tool from the position of the tool tip and from a database of stored relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip, such that the position of the tool tip intersects an axis of the surgical tool from the database, so that when the surgical tool is used with the surgical navigation system the position and the orientation of the surgical tool can be tracked by the surgical navigation system. [0014] Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the surgical navigation system; [0016] FIG. 1a is a block diagram of the surgical navigation system of FIG. 1; [0017] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the adapter according to the present invention; [0018] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the adapter of FIG. 2; [0019] FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the adapter of FIG. 2; [0020] FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the adapter of FIG. 2 from the end opposite FIG. 4; Continue reading about Method and system for calibrating a surgical tool and adapter therefor... 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