Systems for performing computer assisted surgery

1. A surgical system comprising:

a robotic arm including a plurality of links between a proximal end and a distal end of the robotic arm, each of the plurality of links having a respective outer surface with an opening extending through the outer surface;

an end effector attached to the distal end of the robotic arm; and

a marker system for tracking the plurality of links of the robotic arm using a motion tracking system, the marker system comprising:

a light source associated with each of the plurality of links of the robotic arm located below the outer surface of the respective link and supported within the respective link to emit light through the opening of the respective link, and

a marker associated with each of the plurality of links of the robotic arm and comprising an optical diffuser configured to releasably attach to the respective link above the outer surface of the respective link to optically couple the light source associated with the respective link to the optical diffuser.

2. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein power for the light sources is provided through the robotic arm.

3. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the optical diffuser of each of the markers comprises a spherical or semi-spherical outer surface.

4. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the markers each comprise a base portion that includes an optical guide, the base portion disposed in the opening defined by the outer surface of the respective link of the robotic arm.

5. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the markers of the marker system are releasably attached to the respective links of the robotic arm.

6. The surgical system of claim 2 , wherein the light sources associated with each of the plurality of links are each further defined as a respective plurality of light sources located within the respective link; and

wherein the markers associated with each of the plurality of links are each further defined as a respective plurality of markers optically coupled to a respective light source of the plurality of light sources.

7. The surgical system of claim 2 , wherein a surgical drape is disposed above the outer surface of each of the plurality of links of the robotic arm and between the robotic arm and the optical diffusers of the markers.

8. The surgical system of claim 7 , wherein the surgical drape is disposed between each of the optical diffusers and each of the light sources.

9. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the marker system further includes an optical guide associated with each of the plurality of links of the robotic arm optically coupled to the light source associated with the respective link of the robotic arm and disposed in the opening of the respective link.

10. The surgical system of claim 9 , wherein a surgical drape is disposed between each of the optical guides and each of the optical diffusers.

11. The surgical system of claim 9 , wherein a surgical drape is disposed between each of the light sources and each of the optical guides.

12. The surgical system of claim 9 , wherein the markers are each configured to releasably attach to the optical guides.

13. The surgical system of claim 12 , wherein the optical guides each comprise a mating feature to facilitate releasable attachment of the markers to the optical guides.

14. A surgical system comprising:

a robotic arm including a plurality of links between a proximal end and a distal end of the robotic arm, each of the plurality of links having a respective outer surface with an opening extending through the outer surface;

an end effector attached to the distal end of the robotic arm;

a surgical drape covering the robotic arm; and

a marker system for tracking the plurality of links of the robotic arm using a motion tracking system, the marker system comprising:

a light source associated with each of the plurality of links of the robotic arm located below the outer surface of the respective link and supported within the respective link to emit light through the opening of the respective link,

an optical guide associated with each of the plurality of links of the robotic arm optically coupled to the light source associated with the respective link and extending between a first end disposed in the opening of the respective link and a second end, and

a marker associated with each of the plurality of links of the robotic arm and comprising an optical diffuser configured to releasably attach to the second end of the optical guide associated with the respective link to optically couple the light source associated with the respective link to the optical diffuser.

15. The surgical system of claim 14 , wherein the surgical drape is disposed between each of the optical diffusers and the second end of each of the optical guides.

16. The surgical system of claim 14 , wherein the surgical drape is disposed between each of the light sources and the first end of each of the optical guides.

17. The surgical system of claim 14 , wherein the light sources associated with each of the plurality of links are each further defined as a respective plurality of light sources located within the respective link; and

wherein the markers associated with each of the plurality of links are each further defined as a respective plurality of markers optically coupled to a respective light source of the plurality of light sources.

18. The surgical system of claim 14 , wherein power for the light sources is provided through the robotic arm.

19. The surgical system of claim 14 , wherein the optical diffuser of each of the markers comprises a spherical or semi-spherical outer surface.

20. The surgical system of claim 14 , wherein the optical guides each comprise a mating feature to facilitate releasable attachment of the markers to the optical guides.