System and method for detecting and adjusting reference marker errors in surgical navigation systems

1. A method of determining a registration error source in a surgical navigation system, by way of a detection and adjustment system, comprising:

providing the detection and adjustment system, providing the detection and adjustment system comprising: providing a first plurality of sensors as a plurality of patient reference markers registered in a common coordinate space; providing a second plurality of sensors as a plurality of reference markers disposed in known positions relative to the plurality of patient reference markers, providing the first plurality of sensors comprising configuring the first plurality of sensors to individually monitor a position of each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers in the common coordinate space, providing the second plurality of sensors comprising configuring the second plurality of sensors to individually monitor a position of each reference marker of the plurality of reference markers relative to each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers, and providing the second plurality of sensors comprising providing at least one sensor thereof as one of a 3D scanner, a gyroscope, an accelerometer;

providing a computer processor configured by a set of executable instructions, storable in relation to a nontransient memory device, to:

receive a first output from the at least one sensor of the first plurality of sensors and determine, based on the first output, movement of each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers; and

receive a second output from the at least one sensor of the second plurality of sensors and determine, based on the second output, movement of each reference marker of the plurality of reference markers relative to each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers;

registering the plurality of patient reference markers in a common coordinate space by operating the computer processor;

positioning the plurality of reference markers in known positions relative to the plurality of patient reference markers by operating the computer processor;

registering a patient in an operating space containing the registered plurality of patient reference markers by operating the computer processor;

draping a first patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers, thereby leaving a second patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers undraped;

re-registering the first patient reference marker to the second patient reference marker by operating the computer processor;

draping the second patient reference marker;

re-registering the second patient reference marker to the first patient reference marker by operating the computer processor;

individually monitoring a position of each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers in the common coordinate space and a position of each reference marker relative to the first patient reference marker by operating the computer processor;

upon detecting a change in position of each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers, determining whether each reference marker of the plurality of reference markers has changed position relative to the first patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers by operating the computer processor; and

by operating the computer processor, performing one of:

if the change in the position of the first patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers is detected, designating movement of the first patient reference marker; and

if the change in the position of the first patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers is not detected, designating movement of a second patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers,

thereby instantly revealing an inaccuracy error while simultaneously determining a source thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein positioning the plurality of reference markers comprises providing at least one reference marker of the plurality of reference markers as at least one patient reference marker registered to the common coordinate space.

3. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein providing the second plurality of sensors as the plurality of reference marker markers comprises positioning the plurality of reference markers in known positions relative to all patient reference markers of the plurality of patient reference markers, and

wherein determining comprises:

determining whether a position of each at least one reference marker has changed relative to each patient reference marker; and

by operating the computer processor, performing one of:

designating movement of each patient reference marker for which the position of such each patient reference marker has changed; and

designating non-movement of each reference marker for which the position of such each patient reference marker has not changed.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the second plurality of sensors as comprises providing at least one sensor of the second plurality of sensors as one of an electromagnetic tracking system, an ultrasound tracking system, an optical tracking system, an optical camera, an infrared camera, a stereo camera, and a laser range finder.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein providing the at least one sensor of the second plurality of sensors comprises providing the optical camera as an optical tracking camera.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein positioning the plurality of reference markers comprises providing at least one reference marker of the plurality of reference markers as an object registered to the common coordinate space.

7. A detection and adjustment system for determining a registration error source in a surgical navigation system, comprising

a first plurality of sensors comprising a plurality of patient reference markers registered in a common coordinate space, the first plurality of sensors configured to individually monitor a position of each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers in the common coordinate space;

a second plurality of sensors comprising a plurality of reference markers disposed in known positions relative to the plurality of patient reference markers, the second plurality of sensors configured to individually monitor a position of each reference marker of the plurality of reference markers relative to each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers, and at least one sensor of the second plurality of sensors comprising one of a 3D scanner, a gyroscope, an accelerometer;

a computer processor configured by a set of executable instructions, storable in relation to a nontransient memory device, to:

receive a first output from the at least one sensor of the first plurality of sensors and determine, based on the first output, movement of each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers; and

receive a second output from the at least one sensor of the second plurality of sensors and determine, based on the second output, movement of each reference marker of the plurality of reference markers relative to each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers;

registering the plurality of patient reference markers in a common coordinate space by operating the computer processor;

positioning the plurality of reference markers in known positions relative to the plurality of patient reference markers by operating the computer processor;

registering a patient in an operating space containing the registered plurality of patient reference markers by operating the computer processor;

draping a first patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers, thereby leaving a second patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers undraped;

re-registering the first patient reference marker to the second patient reference marker by operating the computer processor;

draping the second patient reference marker;

re-registering the second patient reference marker to the first patient reference marker by operating the computer processor;

individually monitoring a position of each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers in the common coordinate space and a position of each reference marker relative to the first patient reference marker by operating the computer processor;

upon detecting a change in position of each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers, determining whether each reference marker of the plurality of reference markers has changed position relative to the first patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers by operating the computer processor; and

by operating the computer processor, performing one of:

if the change in the position of the first patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers is detected, designating movement of the first patient reference marker; and

if the change in the position of the first patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers relative to another patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers is not detected, designating movement of a second patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers,

thereby instantly revealing an inaccuracy error while simultaneously determining a source thereof.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein at least one reference marker of the plurality of reference markers comprises a patient reference marker registered to the common coordinate space.

9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein at least one sensor of the second plurality of sensors is also registered to the common coordinate space.

10. The system according to claim 7 ,

wherein the at least one reference marker of the plurality of reference markers is operable as at least one patent reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers, and

wherein the at least one sensor of the second plurality of sensors is operable as at least one pseudo patient reference marker,

whereby analysis is improvable for determining existence of any accuracy error exists and the source of any such accuracy error.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein at least one sensor of the second plurality of sensors further comprises one of: an electromagnetic tracking system, an ultrasound tracking system, an optical tracking system, an optical camera, an infrared camera, a stereo camera, and a laser range finder.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the optical camera comprises an optical tracking camera.

13. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one reference marker of the plurality of reference markers comprises an object registered to the common coordinate space.

14. The system according to claim 7 , wherein positioning comprises providing the at least one reference marker of the plurality of reference markers as a patient reference marker registered to the common coordinate space.

15. The system according to claim 7 , wherein positioning comprises providing at least one sensor as the at least one reference marker of the plurality of reference markers.

16. The system according to claim 15 ,

wherein providing the at least one sensor as the at least one reference marker comprises positioning the at least one reference marker in a known position relative to all patient reference markers of the plurality of patient reference markers, and

wherein determining comprises:

determining whether a position of each at least one reference marker has changed relative to each patient reference marker of the plurality of patient reference markers; and

by operating the computer processor, performing one of:

designating movement of each at least one reference marker for which the position of such each at least one reference marker has changed; and

designating non-movement of each reference marker for which the position of such each at least one reference marker has not changed.

17. The system according to claim 15 , wherein providing the at least one sensor as a reference marker further comprises providing at least one of: an electromagnetic tracking system, an ultrasound tracking system, an optical tracking system, an optical camera, an infrared camera, a stereo camera, and a laser range finder.

18. The system according to claim 15 , wherein monitoring comprises using an optical tracking camera.