Method and apparatus for intraoperative measurements of anatomical orientation
Electronic devices that detect their position and/or orientation with respect to earth's frame of reference are described. A coupler can removeably maintain the electronic devices in physical proximity of one another. Each electronic device can have a housing and the coupler can be included on the housing and arranged to physically connect the housing of the electronic device to the housing of at least one other electronic device. Alternatively, the coupler can be a packaging that maintains the electronic devices in physical proximity of one another. Each electronic device can be calibrated using the orientation or position information obtained by other electronic devices maintained by the coupler. Further, each electronic device can include a power source that remains inactive until the device is ready for use.
1. A method for determining at least one of an orientation or position of a medical instrument or an orientation or position of an anatomical feature on a patient, the method comprising:
coupling an electronic device to the medical instrument or the anatomical feature of the patient, the electronic device being selected from among a plurality of electronic devices each configured to detect at least one of an orientation or a position of the electronic device with respect to earth's frame of reference, each of the plurality of electronic devices comprising a coupler configured to removeably couple each electronic device to one another and the plurality of electronic devices being removeably coupled to one another in at least one of a similar orientation or a similar position and in physical proximity of one another; and
determining at least one of the orientation or position of the medical instrument or the orientation or position of the anatomical feature of the patient based on the orientation or the position detected by the electronic device coupled thereto,
wherein an internal power source of the electronic device is configured to be deactivated when at least a portion of the coupler of another electronic device is in proximity to the electronic device.
2. The method of claim 1 further including arranging components included in each electronic device in an orientation in which the electronic device is expected to detect its orientation or position most accurately.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising removeably coupling the plurality of electronic devices by physically connecting a housing of each electronic device to housing of at least one other electronic device using at least one of a mechanical connection or a magnetic connection.
4. The method of claim 1 further including aligning the electronic device with the medical instrument or the body of the patient using one or more markings included on the medical device.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising removeably coupling the plurality of electronic devices by including the plurality of electronic devices in a packaging.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the packaging is at least one of round or human body-shaped.
7. The method of claim 5 further including aligning the electronic device with the medical instrument or the body of the patient using one or more markings included on the packaging.
8. The method of claim 5 further including maintaining the electronic device at a predetermined temperature within the packaging.
9. The method of claim 1 further including maintaining an internal power source included in each electronic device in an inactive configuration while the plurality of electronic devices remain removeably coupled to one another and activating the electronic device upon detachment from the plurality of electronic devices.
10. The method of claim 1 further including maintaining an internal power source included in each electronic device in an inactive configuration and activating the electronic device upon at least one of removal of a removable pull-tab connected to the internal power source or activation of a magnetic reed switch connected to the internal power source.
11. The method of claim 1 further including maintaining an internal power source included in each electronic device in an inactive configuration and activating the electronic device upon removal of a cover configured to removeably cover at least a portion of the electronic device.
12. The method of claim 1 further including calibrating each of the electronic devices using orientations or positions detected by other electronic devices.
13. The method of claim 1 further including reporting the detected orientation or position of the electronic device to a computing device that makes use of the detected orientation or position information.
14. The method of claim 1 further coupling the electronic device to at least one of an external power source arranged to transfer power to the electronic device or an external processor arranged to send/receive data to/from the electronic device via an interface included in the electronic device.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the electronic devices is configured to detect at least one of an orientation or a position of the electronic device with respect to earth's frame of reference in a plurality of dimensions.
16. A method for determining at least one of an orientation or position of a medical instrument or an orientation or position of an anatomical feature on a patient, the method comprising:
coupling an electronic device to the medical instrument or the anatomical feature of the patient, the electronic device being selected from among a plurality of electronic devices each configured to detect at least one of an orientation or a position of the electronic device with respect to earth's frame of reference, the plurality of electronic devices being removeably coupled to one another in at least one of a similar orientation or a similar position and in physical proximity of one another;
determining at least one of the orientation or position of the medical instrument or the orientation or position of the anatomical feature of the patient based on the orientation or the position detected by the electronic device coupled thereto;
maintaining an internal power source included in each electronic device in an inactive configuration; and
activating the electronic device upon at least one of removal of a removable pull-tab connected to the internal power source or activation of a magnetic reed switch connected to the internal power source.