System, method and software program for aiding in positioning of objects in a surgical environment

1. A system comprising:

a tracker being rigidly affixed to a surgical object;

a camera having a field of view and being configured to sense positions and orientations of the tracker in the field of view;

a display device; and

one or more controllers coupled to the camera and the display device and being configured to:

obtain an acceptable position range for the tracker relative to a position of the camera;

obtain an acceptable orientation range for the tracker relative to an orientation of the camera, the acceptable orientation range defined as an angle difference between the tracker and camera being less than or equal to 20 degrees;

acquire positions and orientations of the tracker as the surgical object is moved within the field of view; and

execute a graphical user interface to aid in setting up of one or more of: the camera, the tracker, or the surgical object, and wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display, on the display device:

graphical representations of: the field of view, a zone positioned within the field of view, and a current position of the tracker relative to the zone as the surgical object is moved within the field of view; and wherein the zone is positioned at a location that is static relative to the field of view such that the zone is located independent of the current position of the tracker, and wherein the zone is indicative of the acceptable position range for the tracker; and

a current angle difference between the tracker and the camera, a first visual feedback in response to the current angle difference being within the acceptable orientation range, and a second visual feedback in response to the current angle difference being outside of the acceptable orientation range.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the zone is predefined based on one or both of:

a pre-operative surgical plan including data related to planned positioning of the camera and the surgical object; and

a computer simulation including data related to the camera and the surgical object.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the zone is defined in response to the one or more controllers performing an initial evaluation of the acquired positions of the tracker.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surgical object is an anatomical part, and further comprising the one or more controllers being configured to acquire positions and orientations of the tracker as the anatomical part is manually moved throughout a range of motion by user.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surgical object is a robotic manipulator, and further comprising the one or more controllers generating an instruction to cause the robotic manipulator to move throughout a range of motion.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display, on the display device:

the graphical representation of the current position of the tracker as a shape object;

the first visual feedback as a solid-fill coloring of the shape object; and

the second visual feedback as a colored outlining of a perimeter of the shape object.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to display, on the display device, a numerical indication of a current distance of the tracker relative to the camera.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers determine the current angle difference between the tracker and the camera by being configured to compare a direction perpendicular to a surface of the tracker relative to a direction perpendicular to a surface of the camera.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the graphical user interface is configured to simultaneously display, on the display device, graphical representations of:

the field of view from a first 2D view;

the field of view from a second 2D view;

the zone positioned within the field of view from the first 2D view;

the zone positioned within the field of view from the second 2D view;

the current position of the tracker relative to the zone from the first 2D view; and

the current position of the tracker relative to the zone from the second 2D view.

10. A method of operating a system, the system comprising a tracker being rigidly affixed to a surgical object, a camera having a field of view and being configured to sense positions and orientations of the tracker in the field of view, a display device, and one or more controllers coupled to the camera and the display device, the method comprising the one or more controllers:

obtaining an acceptable position range for the tracker relative to a position of the camera;

obtaining an acceptable orientation range for the tracker relative to an orientation of the camera, the acceptable orientation range defined as an angle difference between the tracker and camera being less than or equal to 20 degrees;

acquiring positions and orientations of the tracker as the surgical object is moved within the field of view; and

executing a graphical user interface to aid in setting up of one or more of: the camera, the tracker, or the surgical object, and instructing the graphical user interface to display, on the display device:

graphical representations of: the field of view, a zone positioned within the field of view, and a current position of the tracker relative to the zone as the surgical object is moved within the field of view; and wherein the zone is positioned at a location that is static relative to the field of view such that the zone is located independent of the current position of the tracker, and wherein the zone is indicative of the acceptable position range for the tracker; and

a current angle difference between the tracker and the camera, a first visual feedback in response to the current angle difference being within the acceptable orientation range, and a second visual feedback in response to the current angle difference being outside of the acceptable orientation range.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the zone is predefined based on one or both of:

a pre-operative surgical plan including data related to planned positioning of the camera and the surgical object; and

a computer simulation including data related to the camera and the surgical object.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the one or more controllers defining the zone in response to the one or more controllers performing an initial evaluation of the acquired positions of the tracker.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the surgical object is an anatomical part, and further comprising the one or more controllers acquiring positions and orientations of the tracker as the anatomical part is manually moved throughout a range of motion by user.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the surgical object is a robotic manipulator, and further comprising the one or more controllers instructing the robotic manipulator to move throughout a range of motion.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the one or more controllers instructing the graphical user interface to display, on the display device:

the graphical representation of the current position of the tracker as a shape object;

the first visual feedback as a solid-fill coloring of the shape object; and

the second visual feedback as a colored outlining of a perimeter of the shape object.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the one or more controllers instructing the graphical user interface to display, on the display device, a numerical indication of a current distance of the tracker relative to the camera.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the one or more controllers determining the current angle difference between the tracker and the camera by comparing a direction perpendicular to a surface of the tracker relative to a direction perpendicular to a surface of the camera.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the one or more controllers:

instructing the graphical user interface to simultaneously display, on the display device, graphical representations of:

the field of view from a first 2D view;

the field of view from a second 2D view;

the zone positioned within the field of view from the first 2D view;

the zone positioned within the field of view from the second 2D view;

the current position of the tracker relative to the zone from the first 2D view; and

the current position of the tracker relative to the zone from the second 2D view.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the system further comprises a laser range finder and further comprising the one or more controllers determining a distance of the surgical object relative to the camera from the laser range finder.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium usable with a system comprising a tracker being rigidly affixed to a surgical object, a camera having a field of view and being configured to sense positions and orientations of the tracker in the field of view, a display device, and one or more processors, comprising instructions, which executed by the one or more processors, implement a program being configured to:

obtain an acceptable position range for the tracker relative to a position of the camera;

obtain an acceptable orientation range for the tracker relative to an orientation of the camera the acceptable orientation range defined as an angle difference between the tracker and camera being less than or equal to 20 degrees;

acquire positions and orientations of the tracker as the surgical object is moved within the field of view; and

execute a graphical user interface to aid in setting up of one or more of: the camera, the tracker, or the surgical object, and wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display, on the display device:

graphical representations of: the field of view, a zone positioned within the field of view, and a current position of the tracker relative to the zone as the surgical object is moved within the field of view; and wherein the zone is positioned at a location that is static relative to the field of view such that the zone is located independent of the current position of the tracker, and wherein the zone is indicative of the acceptable position range for the tracker; and

a current angle difference between the tracker and the camera, a first visual feedback in response to the current angle difference being within the acceptable orientation range, and a second visual feedback in response to the current angle difference being outside of the acceptable orientation range.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the instructions, which executed by the one or more processors, further instruct the graphical user interface to simultaneously display, on the display device, graphical representations of:

the field of view from a first 2D view;

the field of view from a second 2D view;

the zone positioned within the field of view from the first 2D view;

the zone positioned within the field of view from the second 2D view;

the current position of the tracker relative to the zone from the first 2D view; and

the current position of the tracker relative to the zone from the second 2D view.