System and Method for Placing and Determining an Appropriately Sized Surgical Implant
Digital x-ray images taken before a surgical procedure by a fluoroscopic C-arm imager are displayed by a computer and overlaid with graphical representations of instruments being used in the operating room. The graphical representations are updated in real-time to correspond to movement of the instruments in the operating room. A number of different techniques are described that aid the physician in planning and carrying out the surgical procedure.
1 . An x-ray imaging device comprising:
a rotatable C-arm support having first and second ends;
an x-ray source positioned at the first end for initiating an imaging cycle by generating x-ray radiation;
an x-ray receiving section positioned at the second end so that x-rays emanating from the x-ray source enter the x-ray receiving section, the x-ray receiving section generating an image representing the intensities of the x-rays entering the x-ray receiving section;
a calibration and tracking target;
a tracking sensor for detecting the position, in three-dimensional space, of the calibration and tracking target; and
a computer communicating with the x-ray receiving section and the tracking sensor, the computer detecting motion of the C-arm based on changes in the position detected by the tracking sensor.
2 . The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising
a dynamic reference frame marker attached to anatomy of a patient, the tracking sensor detecting the position, in three-dimensional space, of the dynamic reference frame marker.
3 . The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising
means for detecting the beginning and end of an imaging cycle and transmitting indications of the detected beginning and end of the radiation cycle to the computer.
4 . The imaging device of claim 3 wherein the computer determines that an image acquisition cycle is erroneous when the position of the tracking target moves with respect to the patient during the imaging cycle.
5 . An x-ray imaging device comprising:
a rotatable C-arm support having first and second ends;
an x-ray source positioned at the first end for initiating an imaging cycle by generating x-ray radiation;
an x-ray receiving section positioned at the second end so that x-rays emanating from the x-ray source enter the x-ray receiving section, the x-ray receiving section generating an image representing the intensities of the x-rays entering the x-ray receiving section;
a tracking target associated with the C-arm;
a tracking sensor for detecting the position, in three-dimensional space, of the tracking target; and
a computer communicating with the x-ray receiving section and the tracking sensor, the computer detecting motion of the C-arm based on changes in the position detected by the tracking sensor.
6 . The imaging device of claim 5 wherein the receiving section is operable to convert x-rays directly to digital images, thereby reducing distortion, which may be introduced by first converting to visible light.
7 . The imaging device of claim 5 , further comprising
a dynamic reference frame marker attached to anatomy of a patient, the tracking sensor detecting the position, in three-dimensional space, of the dynamic reference frame marker.
8 . The imaging device of claim 5 , further comprising
means for detecting the beginning and end of an imaging cycle and transmitting indications of the detected beginning and end of the radiation cycle to the computer.
9 . The imaging device of claim 5 wherein the computer determines that an image acquisition cycle is erroneous when the position of the tracking target moves with respect to the patient during the imaging cycle.