US-12616528-B2 - Methods and systems for performing computer assisted surgery

Abstract

Methods and systems for performing computer-assisted surgery, including robot-assisted image-guided surgery. Embodiments include marker devices for an image guided surgery system, marker systems and arrays for tracking a robotic arm using a motion tracking system, and image guided surgery methods and systems using optical sensors.

Inventors

• Gordon Row
• Kyle SCHWARTZ
• Edward Daley
• Scott Coppen
• Todd FURLONG
• Michael Everman

Assignees

• MOBIUS IMAGING, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240304

Claims (17)

1. 1 . A marker device for an image guided surgery system, comprising: an electronics unit comprising at least one light source; a rigid frame attached to a robotic arm of a surgical robot and to the electronics unit, the rigid frame having at least one channel extending from the electronics unit to at least one opening in the rigid frame, wherein the electronics unit is removable from the rigid frame; and an optical guide apparatus located within the at least one channel to couple light from the at least one light source of the electronics unit to the at least one opening in the rigid frame, wherein the optical guide apparatus is removable from the rigid frame, wherein the optical guide apparatus includes at least one optical fiber.
2. 2 . The marker device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical fiber is a light pipe.
3. 3 . The marker device of claim 1 , wherein the rigid frame comprises a plurality of channels extending from the electronics unit to a plurality of openings in the rigid frame, and the optical guide apparatus couples light from the at least one light source to each of the plurality of openings in the rigid frame.
4. 4 . The marker device of claim 1 , wherein the electronics unit and the optical guide apparatus comprise an integral unit that is removable from the rigid frame.
5. 5 . The marker device of claim 1 , wherein the electronics unit and the optical guide apparatus comprise separate components that are each removable from the rigid frame.
6. 6 . The marker device of claim 1 , wherein the rigid frame is a re-sterilizable component configured for multiple surgical uses and at least one of the electronics unit and the optical guide apparatus comprises a single-use disposable component.
7. 7 . The marker device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical diffusers located over the plurality of openings in the rigid frame.
8. 8 . The marker device of claim 1 , further comprising an end effector attached to a distal end of the robotic arm, and wherein the rigid frame is attached to the end effector.
9. 9 . The marker device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).
10. 10 . The marker device of claim 9 , wherein the electronics unit comprises circuitry configured to control operation of the at least one light source; and a communication circuit configured to communicate with an external device.
11. 11 . The marker device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises at least one infrared light source.
12. 12 . The marker device of claim 11 , wherein the electronics unit further comprises at least one visible light source that is configured to provide visual feedback to a user.
13. 13 . The marker device of claim 12 , wherein the optical guide apparatus couples light from the at least one visible light source to the at least one opening in the rigid frame.
14. 14 . A surgical system comprising: a robotic arm including a plurality of links between a proximal end and a distal end of the robotic arm, each of the plurality of links having a respective outer surface with an opening extending through the outer surface; an end effector attached to the distal end of the robotic arm; and a marker system for tracking the robotic arm using a motion tracking system, the marker system comprising: one or more marker devices having a frame attached to the end effector, at least one light source removably attached to the frame, and an optical guide located within and removable from the frame, the optical guide configured to transmit light from the light source through one or more channels in the frame, the optical guide comprising an optical fiber.
15. 15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising an imaging device, the imaging device including one or more markers, wherein the marker system is further configured for tracking the imaging device.
16. 16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more marker devices comprise one or more active markers.
17. 17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one light source comprises at least one infrared light source.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/142,817 filed on May 3, 2023, which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/605,759 filed on Oct. 16, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,678,939, which is the U.S. National Stage Entry of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2018/054699 filed on Oct. 5, 2018, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/568,354 filed on Oct. 5, 2017, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND Computer-assisted surgical procedures, which may include image guided surgery and robotic surgery, have attracted increased interest in recent years. These procedures include the integration of a “virtual” three-dimensional dataset of the patient's anatomy, typically obtained using pre-operative or intra-operative medical imaging (e.g., x-ray computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging), to the actual position of the patient and/or other objects (e.g., surgical instruments, robotic manipulator(s) or end effector(s) in the surgical area. These procedures may be used to aid the surgeon in planning a surgical procedure and may also provide the surgeon with relevant feedback during the course of surgical procedure. There is a continuing need to improve the safety and ease-of-use of computer-assisted surgical systems. SUMMARY Various embodiments include methods and systems for performing computer-assisted surgery, including robot-assisted image-guided surgery. Embodiments include a marker device for an image guided surgery system that includes an electronics unit having at least one light source, a rigid frame attached to the electronics unit, the rigid frame having at least one channel extending from the electronics unit to at least one opening in the rigid frame, and an optical guide apparatus located within the at least one channel to couple light from the at least one light source of the electronics unit to the at least one opening in the rigid frame. Further embodiments include a marker device for an image guided surgery system that includes an electronics unit including a flexible circuit having a plurality of peripheral arm regions and a light source located on each of the peripheral arm regions, and a rigid frame attached to the electronics unit, the rigid frame having a plurality of channels terminating in openings in the rigid frame, each of the plurality of peripheral arm regions located within a channel with each of the plurality of light sources configured to direct light from a respective opening in the rigid frame. Further embodiments include a marker system for tracking a robotic arm using a motion tracking system that includes a light source located within the robotic arm, and a marker comprising an optical diffuser that attaches to an outer surface of the robotic arm to optically couple the light source to the diffuser. Further embodiments include a marker array having a plurality of markers for tracking a robotic arm that includes multiple axes between a proximal end and a distal end of the robotic arm, and an end effector attached to the distal end of the robotic arm, where the marker array includes at least one first marker that is distal to the most distal axis of the robotic arm, and at least one second marker that is proximal to the most distal axis of the robotic arm. Further embodiments include a multi-axis robotic arm that includes a first section that comprises at least one axis that provides both pitch and yaw rotation, a second section, distal to the first section, that comprises two mutually orthogonal rotary wrist axes, and an end effector coupled to the second section. Further embodiments include an image guided surgery system that includes an optical sensor facing in a first direction to detect optical signals from a marker device located in a surgical site, a reference marker device located along a second direction with respect to the optical sensor, and a beam splitter optically coupled to the optical sensor and configured to redirect optical signals from the reference marker device to the optical sensor. Further embodiments include an optical sensing device for a motion tracking system that includes a support structure, at least one optical sensor mounted to the support structure and configured to generate tracking data of one or more objects within a field-of-view of the optical sensor, and an inertial measurement unit mounted to the support structure and configured to detect a movement of the at least one optical sensor. Further embodiments include an image guided surgery system that includes a marker device, a least one optical sensor configured to detect optical signals from the marker device, an inertial measurement unit mechanically coupled to the at least one optical sensor and configured to measure a movement of the at least one optical sensor, and a processing system, coupled to t