System and method for navigating an instrument

1. A system for determining a position of a working end of a driven instrument, comprising:

an elongated tubular member having a cannula therein;

a hub extending along a longitudinal axis and connected to the elongated tubular member; and

a tracking device connected to the hub having at least one tracking member;

wherein the hub is configured to be connected to a tool motor handle having a tool motor to drive a shaft and the tracking device has an external cross-sectional dimension transverse to the longitudinal axis of the hub less than at least an external cross-sectional dimension transverse to the longitudinal axis of a distal end of the tool motor handle;

wherein an external surface of the hub defines a plurality of rectangular-shaped wells formed into the external surface; and

wherein the tracking device includes a plurality of tracking devices, one of each of the plurality of tracking devices positioned in a corresponding one of each rectangular-shaped well formed in the hub.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

the shaft positioned and extending through the cannula; and

the working end attached to the shaft and extending from the elongated tubular member to be driven by the shaft.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the shaft extends through the hub.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:

the tool motor handle;

wherein the elongated tubular member, the hub, the tracking device, the shaft, and the working end are configured as an assembly and attached to the tool motor handle as a single unit.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hub includes a plurality of straight walls extending from the external surface to form the plurality of rectangular shaped wells in a surface of the hub.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein each of the tracking devices includes a coil of conductive material formed around a core and carried by a printed circuit board to form a tracking coil assembly having a rectangular shape;

wherein the conductive material is connected to the printed circuit board;

wherein a rectangular shaped tracking coil assembly is received in each rectangular shaped well.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the working end includes a burr, a rotating cutter, a grinder, or combinations thereof.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a connector electrically connected to the tracking device;

wherein the connector includes a memory having calibration information regarding the drive instrument.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of tracking devices includes a coil coupled to a printed circuit board and each coil and printed circuit board forms a tracking coil assembly rectangular-shaped positioned in each well.

10. A system for determining a position of a working end of a driven instrument, comprising:

an instrument assembly, including:

an elongated tubular member having a cannula therein;

a working tool having a shaft extending through the cannula and a working end attached to the shaft, wherein the working end extends from the elongated tubular member and configured to be driven by the shaft;

a hub fixedly connected to the elongated tubular member, wherein the shaft extends through the hub; and

a tracking device connected to the hub, wherein the tracking device includes at least one tracking member; and

a tracking system configured to track a position of the tracking device;

wherein the hub is configured to be connected to a tool motor to drive the shaft;

wherein the hub has an external surface that defines a rectangular-shaped well formed within the external surface; and

wherein the tracking device having the at least one tracking member includes a coil attached to a printed circuit board to form a rectangular-shaped tracking coil assembly having a surface area less than the about 20 square millimeters;

wherein the rectangular-shaped tracking coil assembly having the coil and the printed circuit board is received in the rectangular-shaped well formed in the external surface of the hub.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

the tool motor having a handle and a motor;

wherein the working tool is rotated by the motor while the tracking system tracks the tracking device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein an external cross-sectional dimension transverse to a longitudinal axis of the hub and tracking device is less than an external cross-sectional dimension transverse to a longitudinal axis of the handle adjacent to the hub.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the tracking device is adhered to the external surface of the hub.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the hub includes a plurality of rectangular-shaped wells forming walls extending from the external surface;

wherein the tracking device is adhered to the external surface of the hub within a well defined by the plurality of well forming walls.

15. A system to track an instrument, comprising:

a hub extending along an axis and having an exterior surface, the exterior surface defining a rectangular-shaped recessed well therein;

a tubular member connected to the hub;

an instrument shaft extending through the tubular member and the hub; and

a tracking member affixed within the rectangular-shaped recessed well within the exterior surface of a wall of the hub, the tracking member having a coil affixed to a printed circuit board to form a rectangular-shaped tracking coil assembly;

wherein the hub is configured to be fixed to a power tool handle.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the tracking member is configured to track a position of a working end connected to the instrument shaft while the instrument shaft rotates.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the tracking member affixed to the hub defines an external cross-sectional dimension transverse to the axis less than an external cross-sectional dimension transverse to a longitudinal axis of the power tool handle.

18. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

the power tool handle, wherein the power tool handle includes a motor configured to selectively rotate the instrument shaft.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the power tool handle is operable to be manipulated by a single hand of a user to perform a procedure.