Granted Patent B2

US 12,251,140 · App. 18/319,775 · Granted Mar 18, 2025

Inventors: Neil Crawford (Chandler, AZ); Nicholas Theodore (Ruxton, MD)

Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.

A61B17/7074A61B5/061A61B5/062A61B5/066A61B10/02A61B10/0233A61B10/0275A61B17/025A61B17/1615A61B17/1671A61B17/1703A61B17/1757A61B17/7002A61B17/7082A61B17/8866A61B34/10A61B34/20A61B34/25A61B34/30A61B34/32A61B34/70A61B34/74A61B34/76A61B46/20A61B50/13A61B90/37A61B90/39A61B90/96A61B90/98A61M5/172A61N1/0529B25J9/1065A61B5/064A61B2010/0208A61B2017/00119A61B2017/00203A61B2017/00207A61B2017/00876A61B2017/0256A61B17/17A61B2034/107A61B2034/2051A61B2034/2055A61B2034/2072A61B2034/301A61B2034/741A61B2034/742A61B2034/743A61B2034/744A61B2090/034A61B2090/064A61B2090/0811A61B90/11A61B90/14A61B2090/365A61B2090/374A61B2090/3762A61B2090/3764A61B2090/378A61B2090/3937A61B2090/3941A61B2090/3945A61B2090/395A61B2090/3966A61B2090/3975A61B2090/3979A61B2090/3983

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. A method for removing bone with a robot system comprising:

positioning along a desired trajectory an end effectuator to which a drill is adapted to be attached;

retrieving a slice plane from a 3-D CT image scan volume, the retrieved slice plane being a two-dimensional slice lateral to the longitudinal axis of the drill attached to the end effectuator and being near the distal end of the drill; and

controlling the drill to remove bone from the desired trajectory in the intersection of a defined perimeter and the slice plane;

continuously retrieve a slice plane distally down the desired trajectory;

for each retrieved slice plane, performing the following steps:

repositioning the end effectuator such that the each retrieved slice plane is near the distal end of the drill; and

controlling the drill to remove bone from the desired trajectory in the intersection of the defined perimeter and the each retrieved slice plane,

wherein the each retrieved slice plane is a reformatted slice of the 3-D CT image scan volume, and

wherein each retrieved slice plane is a two-dimensional slice perpendicular to the desired trajectory.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising defining, by a user, a perimeter on a pathway through the anatomy.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying, on a display device, the each retrieved slice plane as the end effectuator is repositioned.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end effectuator includes a tube, further comprising inserting the drill through the end effectuator tube.

5. The method of claim 1 , under the control of the robot system, automatically demarcating drilling area and non-drilling soft tissue area in the intersection of the defined perimeter and the each retrieved slice plane.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of automatically demarcating includes demarcating using grayscale thresholding.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of drilling includes controlling the drill to drill only in the drilling area under the control of the robot system.

8. The method of claim 1 , under the control of the robot system, further comprising:

automatically demarcating drilling area and non-drilling soft tissue area in the intersection of the defined perimeter and the each retrieved slice plane using gray scale thresholding; and

wherein the step of drilling includes controlling the drill to drill only in the drilling area.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a critical structure to avoid in the slice plane; and

placing a second perimeter around the identified critical structure within the first parameter.

10. The method of claim 9 , controlling the drill to remove bone only within the second perimeter.

11. A method for inserting a tubular element into a patient with a robot system comprising:

loading a 3-D computed tomography scan volume on to a control device of the robot system, the robot system further including a tubular element configured to receive a drill;

programming a route for the tubular element to travel through the patient to a target anatomical location on a display, wherein the control device is configured to manipulate the tubular element; and

controlling the tubular element with the robot system to guide the tubular element along the programmed route through the patient,

wherein the control device calculates a two-dimensional slice lateral to the longitudinal axis of the drill and iteratively recalculates a slice plane distally down the programmed route and distal to the tubular element as the tubular element is advanced, and

preparing a pathway for positioning of an implant,

wherein each calculated slice plane is a two-dimensional slice perpendicular to the programmed route.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising altering by a surgeon the programmed route while the robot system is moving the tubular element through the patient.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

continuously sensing neural activity through a neural sensing probe inserted into the tubular element; and

automatically changing the programmed route based upon the neural activity sensed by the neural probe.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (7)

References Cited (400)