IP Library Granted Patent US 12708446
Granted Patent B2
US 12708446 · App. 17/089,117 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Computer-assisted surgery with electromagnetic tracking

Inventor: Ramnada Chav (Laval, CA)
Assignee: ORTHOSOFT ULC
A61B34/20A61B17/56A61B34/30A61B90/37A61B2017/00119A61B2017/564A61B2034/2051A61B2034/2061A61B2034/2065A61B2090/3916
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12708446
App. No.
17/089,117
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is described a system for tracking at least one tool relative to a bone in computer-assisted surgery. The system generally has a processing unit; and a non-transitory computer-readable memory communicatively coupled to the processing unit and comprising computer-readable program instructions executable by the processing unit for: continuously emitting an electromagnetic field in a surgical volume incorporating at least one electromagnetic sensor on a bone and/or tool; continuously receiving a signal indicative of a position and/or orientation of the electromagnetic sensor relative to the emitting of electromagnetic field; processing the signal to determine the position and/or orientation of the at least one electromagnetic sensor; obtaining geometrical data relating the at least one electromagnetic sensor to the bone and/or tool; and continuously tracking and outputting a first position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool using the geometrical data and the position and/or orientation of the at least one electromagnetic sensor.

Claims (36)

1 . A system for tracking at least one tool relative to a bone in computer-assisted surgery, comprising:

a processing unit; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory communicatively coupled to the processing unit and comprising computer-readable program instructions executable by the processing unit for:

calibrating a surface of a bone and/or tool relative to at least one electromagnetic sensor by registering a geometrical relation of points of the surface of the bone and/or tool relative to the at least one electromagnetic sensor;

continuously emitting an electromagnetic field in a surgical volume incorporating the at least one electromagnetic sensor on the bone and/or tool;

continuously receiving a signal indicative of a position and/or orientation of the at least one electromagnetic sensor relative to the emitting of electromagnetic field;

processing the signal to determine the position and/or orientation of the at least one electromagnetic sensor; and

continuously tracking and outputting a first position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool using the geometrical data and the position and/or orientation of the at least one electromagnetic sensor.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein continuously emitting includes continuously emitting electromagnetic fields of different frequencies.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the outputting includes imaging the bone and/or tool.

4 . The system of claim 1 further comprising moving a robot arm based on the outputting of the first position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool.

5 . The system of claim 1 further comprising, using an optical waveguide modeling system having at least one multicore optical fiber with at least one portion attached to the bone and/or tool, generating a waveguide model representing the multicore optical fiber as attached to the bone and/or tool; and continuously tracking and outputting a second position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool using the waveguide model.

6 . The system of claim 5 further comprising comparing the first position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool to the second position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool.

7 . The system of claim 5 further comprising generating an alert upon determining a difference exceeding a threshold between the first and second positions and/or orientations of the bone and/or tool.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one electromagnetic source;

at least one electromagnetic sensor configured to be secured to a bone and/or a tool; and

a computer-assisted surgery controller for continuously driving the electromagnetic source to emit the electromagnetic field in the surgical volume incorporating the at least one electromagnetic sensor.

9 . The system of claim 8 further comprising continuously displaying the first position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool on a display screen.

10 . The system of claim 8 further comprising a robot arm moved based on the first position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool.

11 . The system of claim 8 further comprising an optical waveguide modeling system having at least one multicore optical fiber with at least one portion attached to the bone and/or tool, the computer-assisted surgery controller generating a waveguide model representing the multicore optical fiber as attached to the bone and/or tool; and continuously tracking and outputting a second position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool using the waveguide model.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the computer-assisted surgery controller is for comparing the first position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool to the second position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the computer-assisted surgery controller is for generating an alert upon determining a difference exceeding a threshold between the first and second positions and/or orientations of the bone and/or tool.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic sensor is secured to the bone and/or tool via an adhesive.

15 . The system of claim 1 , further including merging the points with a 3D model of the bone and/or tool.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein registering the geometrical relation of points of a surface of the bone and/or tool relative to the electromagnetic sensor includes registering the points using a registration pointer.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein registering the geometrical relation of points includes a position and orientation of the electromagnetic sensor.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein registering the geometrical relation of points relating the at least one electromagnetic sensor to the bone and/or tool includes registering the geometrical relation of points after receiving said signal.

19 . A system for tracking at least one tool relative to a bone in computer-assisted surgery, comprising:

a processing unit; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory communicatively coupled to the processing unit and comprising computer-readable program instructions executable by the processing unit for:

calibrating a surface of a bone and/or tool relative to at least one electromagnetic sensor by registering a fixed geometrical relation of points of the surface of the bone and/or tool relative to the at least one electromagnetic sensor;

continuously emitting an electromagnetic field in a surgical volume incorporating the at least one electromagnetic sensor on the bone and/or tool;

sensing the electromagnetic field with the at least one electromagnetic sensor and continuously receiving a signal indicative of a position and/or orientation of the at least one electromagnetic sensor relative to the emitting of electromagnetic field;

processing the signal to determine the position and/or orientation of the at least one electromagnetic sensor; and

continuously tracking and outputting a first position and/or orientation of the bone and/or tool using the geometrical data and the position and/or orientation of the at least one electromagnetic sensor.