Surgical instrument with real time navigation assistance

1. A navigation assistance system for use with a surgical instrument, comprising:

a plurality of three-dimensional imaging sensors comprising time of flight sensors located on the surgical instrument and disposed relative to a patient on which an operation is to be performed, wherein the plurality of three-dimensional imaging sensors are operative to continually detect at least one reference anatomical feature of the patient in a surgical site adjacent to the surgical instrument to generate positioning data comprising a three-dimensional representation of the surgical site adjacent to the surgical instrument in a virtual reference space representing a location of the surgical instrument relative to the at least one reference anatomical feature, the positioning data comprising the three-dimensional representation of the at least one reference anatomical feature that comprises visible anatomy of the patient relative to the location of the surgical instrument, wherein the plurality of three-dimensional sensors are disposed on the surgical instrument to have an observable field of the patient at the surgical site that extends in at least two directions relative to the surgical instrument;

a data repository comprising imaging data corresponding to an imaging study of the patient, wherein the imaging data includes at least one imaged anatomical feature of the patient; and

a navigation module that is operative to continually correlate the imaging data retrieved from the data repository with the positioning data to align the three-dimensional representation of the at least one reference anatomical feature to the at least one imaged anatomical feature in the virtual reference space and continually provide navigation data corresponding to a relative position of the surgical instrument with respect to the at least one imaged anatomical feature of the patient for navigation assistance of the surgical instrument in real-time during the operation.

2. The navigation assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a collective observable field that extends entirety about the surgical instrument.

3. The navigation assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors further comprise at least one of an ultrasound sensor, a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, or a contact sensor.

4. The navigation assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging data comprises three-dimensional data.

5. The navigation assistance system according to claim 4 , wherein the imaging study comprises a computed tomography (CT) scan.

6. The navigation assistance system according to claim 4 , wherein the imaging study comprises a magnetic resonance imaging (MM) scan.

7. The navigation assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reference anatomical feature comprises a dimensionally stable structure.

8. The navigation assistance system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one reference anatomical feature comprises an internal anatomical feature.

9. The navigation assistance system according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one reference anatomical feature comprises a bone.

10. The navigation assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reference anatomical feature comprises an external anatomical feature.

11. The navigation assistance system according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one reference anatomical feature comprises a contour of skin of the patient.

12. The navigation assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reference anatomical feature comprises one or more of an arm, a leg, a hand, a foot, a finger, a toe, a head, a torso, a spine, a pelvis, or other dimensionally stable anatomical landmark detectable by at least one of the plurality of sensors.

13. The navigation assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one imaged anatomical feature comprises at least one subcutaneous structure.

14. The navigation assistance system according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one imaged anatomical feature comprises at least one of a bone, a blood vessel, or a nerve.

15. The navigation assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the navigation module comprises a machine vision system.

16. The navigation assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the navigation data is at least in part based on a known relative position between at least one of the plurality of sensors and the surgical instrument.

17. The navigation assistance system according to claim 16 , wherein the navigation data is displayed in relation to the imaging data.

18. The navigation assistance system according to claim 17 , wherein the navigation data is displayed in an augmented reality display positioned relative to a user.

19. The navigation assistance system according to claim 18 , wherein the navigation data is at least partially based on a position of the augmented reality display relative to the patient.

20. The navigation assistance system according to claim 17 , wherein the navigation data comprises trajectory information regarding the surgical instrument relative to the patient.

21. The navigation assistance system according to claim 20 , wherein the navigation data is provided in real time relative to movements of the surgical instrument relative to the patient.

22. A navigation assistance system for use with a surgical instrument, comprising:

at least one three-dimensional imaging sensor comprising a time of flight sensor located on the surgical instrument and disposed relative to a patient on which an operation is to be performed, wherein the at least one three-dimensional imaging sensor is operative to continually detect at least one reference anatomical feature of the patient in a surgical site adjacent to the surgical instrument to generate positioning data comprising a three-dimensional representation of the surgical site adjacent to the surgical instrument in a virtual reference space representing a location of the surgical instrument relative to the at least one reference anatomical feature;

a data repository comprising imaging data corresponding to an imaging study of the patient, wherein the imaging data includes at least one imaged anatomical feature of the patient;

a navigation module that is operative to continually correlate the imaging data retrieved from the data repository with the positioning data to align the three-dimensional representation of the at least one reference anatomical feature to the at least one imaged anatomical feature in the virtual reference space and continually provide navigation data corresponding to a relative position of the surgical instrument with respect to the at least one imaged anatomical feature of the patient for navigation assistance of the surgical instrument in real-time during the operation; and

a measurement system disposed at the surgical instrument that is operative to measure a displacement of a tool portion of the surgical instrument relative to a reference point to output a displacement signal and to measure a tool drive parameter that is characteristic of the tool portion acting on the patient to output a tool drive signal representative the tool drive parameter as the tool portion is advanced relative to anatomy of the patient;

wherein the navigation data is at least in part based on the displacement signal and the tool drive signal.

23. The navigation assistance system according to claim 22 , wherein an approximate estimated surgical instrument location is provided to the navigation module.

24. The navigation assistance system according to claim 23 , wherein the approximate estimated surgical instrument position is provided in relation to the imaging data.

25. The navigation assistance system according to claim 24 , wherein the navigation module is operative to reduce the imaging data to be analyzed to an area of interest comprising less than an entirety of the imaging data based on the approximate estimated surgical instrument position.

26. The navigation assistance system according to claim 25 , wherein the navigation data comprises an alert based on at least one of a position of the surgical instrument relative to the at least one imaged anatomical feature of the patient or a trajectory of the surgical instrument relative to the at least one imaged anatomical feature of the patient.

27. The navigation assistance system according to claim 26 , wherein operation of the surgical instrument is at least in part based on the alert.

28. The navigation assistance system according to claim 27 , wherein operation of the surgical instrument is ceased at least in part based on the alert.

29. A navigation assistance system for use in a surgical operation, comprising:

a surgical instrument comprising a tool portion;

a measurement system disposed at the surgical instrument that is operative to measure a displacement of the tool portion of the surgical instrument relative to a reference point to output a displacement signal and to measure a tool drive parameter that is characteristic of the tool portion acting on a patient to output a tool drive signal representative the tool drive parameter as the tool portion is advanced relative to anatomy of the patient;

at least one three-dimensional imaging sensor comprising a time of flight sensor disposed on the surgical instrument that is operative to continually detect at least one reference anatomical feature of the patient in a surgical site adjacent to the surgical instrument to generate positioning data comprising a three-dimensional representation of the surgical site adjacent to the surgical instrument in a virtual reference space representing a location of the surgical instrument relative to the reference anatomic feature;

a data repository comprising imaging data corresponding to an imaging study of the patient, wherein the imaging data includes at least one imaged anatomical feature of the patient; and

a navigation module that is operative to continually correlate the imaging data retrieved from the data repository with the positioning data to align the three-dimensional representation of the at least one reference anatomical feature to the at least one imaged anatomical feature in the virtual reference space and continually provide navigation data, wherein the navigation data is at least in part based on the displacement signal and the tool drive signal, and wherein the navigation data corresponding to the relative position of the surgical instrument with respect to the at least one imaged anatomical feature of the patient for navigation assistance of the surgical instrument in real-time during the operation.