Intraoperative stereotaxic navigation systems

Inventors: William Lindsay Walter (Crows Nest, AU); Daniel Marsden-Jones (Crows Nest, AU)

Assignee: VIVID SURGICAL PTY LTD

A61B34/20 A61F2/4609 A61B2034/2048 A61B2034/2051 A61B2034/2068 A61F2002/4681

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12685597
App. No.: 18/264,711
Granted: Jul 21, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Intraoperative stereotaxic navigation system 10 for determining an orientation of a surgical tool ( 12 ) relative to a patient's anatomy located within a surgical environment ( 16 ). The system ( 10 ) includes a radar-based sensor ( 18 ) which is operable to define a field-of-view FOV 20 and determine at least one of relative distance to, direction to, and orientation of, one or more objects in the FOV 20 , and a mount ( 24 ) configured to releasably secure the sensor ( 18 ) to one of the patient ( 26 ) and the tool ( 12 ) to allow the other of the patient ( 26 ) and the tool ( 12 ) to be within the FOV 20 . A processor ( 28 ) is communicatively connectable with the radar-based sensor ( 18 ) and configured to determine the orientation of the tool ( 12 ) responsive to receiving at least one of relative distance, direction and/or orientation information, from the sensor ( 18 ), relating to at least one of the patient ( 26 ) and the tool ( 12 ), and receiving information relating to orientation of the patient ( 26 ) relative to the surgical environment ( 16 ).

Claims (27)

1 . An intraoperative stereotaxic navigation system for determining an orientation of a surgical tool relative to a patient's bone located within a surgical environment, the system including:

a radar-based sensor comprising a millimetre wave sensor operable to transmit electromagnetic signals having a wavelength in the millimetre range, and receive reflected signals, across a defined field-of-view (FOV) to determine at least one of relative distance to, direction to, and orientation of, one or more objects reflecting signals in the FOV;

a mount configured to releasably secure the radar-based sensor to one of the patient and the surgical tool to allow the other of the patient and the surgical tool to be within the FOV; and

a processor communicatively coupled with the radar-based sensor, the processor receives at least one of relative distance, direction, and orientation information relating to at least one of the patient and the surgical tool from the radar-based sensor, and receives patient orientation information relating to the orientation of the patient relative to the surgical environment, the patient orientation information defining at least one vector defined by the patient, and

wherein the processor outputs the orientation of the surgical tool relative to the patient's bone based on the relative distance, direction, and/or orientation information, and the patient orientation information.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to outputs the orientation of the surgical tool responsive to receiving relative distance information and/or direction information from the radar-based sensor, wherein the relative distance and/or direction information relates to one or more points defined by a portion of the patient's bone or the surgical tool.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein at least two points are defined by the patient's bone or the surgical tool, and,

wherein, responsive to receiving the relative distance and/or direction information relating to the at least two points, the processor determines a vector defined between the at least two points to determine a position of the patient's bone or the surgical tool.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further including at least one tracker defining at least one point and configured to be mounted to the patient, the surgical tool, or the surgical environment, and wherein the processor outputs the orientation of the surgical tool based on relative distance information and/or direction information relating to the, at least one tracker.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein at least two points are defined by the at least one tracker, and

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the mount is configured to releasably secure the radar-based sensor to the patient, and the at least one tracker is configured to be mounted to the surgical tool.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein, responsive to receiving the relative distance and/or direction information relating to the at least one tracker, the processor determines at least one of: an orientation of the surgical tool, a velocity of the surgical tool, an acceleration of the surgical tool, an angular displacement of the surgical tool, an angular velocity of the surgical tool, and an angular acceleration of the surgical tool.

8 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the mount is configured to releasably secure the radar-based sensor to the surgical tool, and the at least one tracker is configured to be mounted to the patient.

9 . The system claim 4 , comprising a plurality of the trackers, at least some of the trackers being configured to be mounted to the surgical environment, and wherein, responsive to receiving the relative distance and/or direction information relating to the at least some of the trackers, the processor determines the orientation of the patient relative to the surgical environment.

10 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the, or each, tracker is a reflective marker.

11 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the mount is configured to releasably secure the radar-based sensor to the patient, and including a further mount configured to releasably secure a further radar-based sensor to the surgical tool, and

a plurality of the trackers, wherein at least one tracker is configured to be mounted to one of the further mount and the further radar-based sensor to be within the FOV of the radar-based sensor, and at least one other tracker is configured to be mounted to the patient to be within the FOV of the further radar-based sensor, and

wherein the processor is communicatively coupled to the further radar-based sensor to receive relative distance information.

12 . The system of claim 1 , further including an orientation sensor communicatively coupled to the processor and operable to determine the orientation of the patient relative to the surgical environment.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the orientation sensor is operable to determine at least two vectors defined by the patient.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the orientation sensor is releasably securable to one of the radar-based sensor and the mount.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the orientation sensor and the radar-based sensor are mounted to a common housing.

16 . The system of claim 1 , further including at least one further radar-based sensor configured to emit signals and be mounted to one of the patient, the surgical tool, and the surgical environment to allow being within the FOV, and wherein the radar-based sensor is operable to receive the signals from the further radar-based sensor, and

wherein the processor determines the orientation of the tool responsive to receiving at least one of relative distance information and direction information, from the radar-based sensor, relating to the further radar-based sensor.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the mount is an integral portion of the, or each, radar-based sensor.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the surgical tool is an acetabular cup impactor.