System for neuronavigation registration and robotic trajectory guidance, robotic surgery, and related methods and devices

1. A method of guiding a drill for drilling an anatomical feature of a patient during a robotically assisted surgery, the method comprising:

determining a drill target and an associated drill trajectory;

moving an end effector coupled to a robotic arm to a position corresponding to the determined target and the determined drill trajectory;

coupling a drill guide to the end effector, the drill guide having a guide sleeve adapted to receive a drill bit attached to a drill, and a depth stop sleeve slidably coupled to the guide sleeve and longitudinally lockable to the guide sleeve, the depth stop sleeve having a through hole to allow the drill bit to be freely slidable therein,

setting a depth stop of the depth stop sleeve;

locking the set depth stop;

inserting the drill bit through the locked depth stop sleeve and the guide sleeve of the drill guide such that a distal tip of the drill bit extends from a distal end of the drill guide;

drilling the anatomical feature with the inserted drill bit until the locked depth stop of the depth stop sleeve stops the drill from advancing further.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of setting a depth stop includes setting the depth stop to one of a plurality of ratchet positions corresponding to the desired depth of advancement of the drill bit relative to the anatomical feature.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising locking the drill guide to the end effector with a locking mechanism disposed in the end effector.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of setting a depth stop includes raising the depth stop sleeve proximally and away from the anatomical feature until the desired depth has been reached.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein, further comprising:

prior to raising the depth stop sleeve, moving a trigger to a depth controlling position; and

after raising the depth stop sleeve, releasing the trigger to thereby place the trigger into a depth lock position.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising actuating a trigger lock disposed on the drill guide to further ensure locking of the depth stop.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting a depth stop includes:

displacing the depth stop relative to visually perceptible indicia, the indicia corresponding to graduated depths of advancement of the drill bit; and

securing the depth stop at a desire position corresponding to a selected one of the graduated depths.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein displacing and securing the depth stop include:

actuating a spring-biased trigger to disengage the depth stop from a first position;

longitudinally sliding the depth stop relative to the visually perceptible indicia to a second position, the second position corresponding to the desired position of the depth stop; and

releasing the trigger to re-engage the depth stop at the desired position.

9. A method of guiding a drill during robot-assisted surgery on an anatomical feature of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

determining, by computer processing, a drill target and an associated drill trajectory and effectuating movement of an end-effector to a position corresponding to the determined target and the determined drill trajectory;

coupling a drill guide to the end effector, the drill guide having a guide sleeve adapted to receive a drill bit attached to a drill, and a depth stop sleeve slidably received in the guide sleeve and longitudinally lockable to the guide sleeve, the depth stop sleeve having a through hole to allow the drill bit to be freely slidable therein,

setting a depth stop of the depth stop sleeve by longitudinally sliding the depth stop sleeve relative to the guide sleeve;

locking the set depth stop;

inserting the drill bit through the locked depth stop sleeve and the guide sleeve of the drill guide such that a distal tip of the drill bit extends from a distal end of the drill guide;

drilling the anatomical feature with the inserted drill bit until the locked depth stop of the depth stop sleeve stops the drill from advancing further.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of setting the depth stop comprises:

displacing the depth stop relative to visually perceptible indicia, the indicia corresponding to graduated depths of advancement of the drill; and

securing the depth stop at a desire position corresponding to a selected one of the graduated depths.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the steps of displacing and securing the depth stop comprise:

actuating a spring-biased trigger to disengage the depth stop from a first position;

longitudinally sliding the depth stop relative to the visually perceptible indicia to a second position, the second position corresponding to the desired position of the depth stop; and

releasing the trigger to re-engage the depth stop at the desired position.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of setting a depth stop includes setting the depth stop to one of a plurality of ratchet positions corresponding to the desired depth of advancement of the drill bit relative to the anatomical feature.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising locking the drill guide having the depth stop to the end effector with a locking mechanism disposed in the end effector.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of setting a depth stop includes raising the depth stop proximally and away from the anatomical feature until the desired depth has been reached.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein, further comprising:

prior to raising the depth stop, moving a trigger in the drill guide to a depth controlling position; and

after raising the depth stop, releasing the trigger to thereby place the trigger into a depth lock position.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising actuating a trigger lock disposed on the drill guide to further ensure locking of the depth stop.