NAVIGATIONAL AND/OR ROBOTIC TRACKING METHODS AND SYSTEMS

1 . A surgical robotic system, comprising:

a robot comprising a robotic arm having an end effector, the robotic arm having a plurality of joints and a plurality of body parts;

a wireless tracking device including a wireless transmitter, a camera, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), the wireless tracking device couplable to a bone of a patient;

a plurality of markers, wherein at least one marker of the plurality of markers is attached to the robotic arm or to a joint of the robotic arm, and wherein each marker of the plurality of markers is in a known position within a surgical environment; and

a controller including a memory, one or more processors in communication with the memory, and instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:

generate reference data for the bone using the camera of the wireless tracking device to image the plurality of markers;

determine a position and orientation of the wireless tracking device using the IMU of the wireless tracking device;

fuse the reference data and the position and orientation of the wireless tracking device to generate navigation data including a position and orientation of the bone relative to a virtual coordinate system; and

use the navigation data in a surgical navigation system.

2 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the controller to update a target position for the robot based on the navigation data.

3 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of markers comprises a plurality of movable markers attached to the robotic arm, to a tool attached to the robot, or to both, and

wherein the instructions further cause the controller to:

receive intrinsic position data of the robot; and

use the intrinsic position data to determine a position and orientation of the plurality of movable markers.

4 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the controller to obtain or generate registration data regarding registration of the wireless tracking device to the bone of the patient, and to use the registration data to generate the navigation data.

5 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless tracking device is couplable to the bone of the patient via a mounting plate attachable to the bone, the mounting plate including a locating mechanism that interfaces with a corresponding feature of the wireless tracking device such that the wireless tracking device is attachable at a fixed known position relative to the mounting plate.

6 . The surgical robotic system of claim 5 , wherein the mounting plate comprises a patient-specific bone jig having an inner surface contoured to match an outer surface portion of the bone of the patient.

7 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the IMU comprises an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer.

8 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless tracking device further comprises an ultrasound probe, and

wherein the instructions further cause the controller to:

wirelessly obtain surface or structural data of the bone based on the ultrasound probe; and

use the surface or structural data together with the navigation data in the surgical navigation system.

9 . A surgical robotic system, comprising:

a robot comprising a robotic arm having an end effector, the robotic arm having a plurality of joints and a plurality of body parts;

a wireless tracking device including a wireless transmitter, a camera, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), the wireless tracking device couplable to a bone of a patient;

a plurality of markers attached to one or more of the robot, an arm or joint of the robot, a base of the robot, a cart, a fixture attached to a surgical table, surgical lighting, or an outside-in navigation camera, wherein each marker of the plurality of markers is in a known position within a surgical environment; and

a controller including a memory, one or more processors in communication with the memory, and instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:

generate reference data for the bone using the camera of the wireless tracking device to image the plurality of markers;

determine a position and orientation of the wireless tracking device using the IMU of the wireless tracking device;

fuse the reference data and the position and orientation of the wireless tracking device to generate navigation data including a position and orientation of the bone relative to a virtual coordinate system; and

use the navigation data in a surgical navigation system.

10 . The surgical robotic system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of markers comprises active infrared emitters, retroreflective fiducial markers, or visual fiducial markers.

11 . The surgical robotic system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions that cause the controller to generate the reference data further cause the controller to obtain a starting position of the wireless tracking device relative to the plurality of markers, and to determine, using the IMU, changes in position from the starting position.

12 . The surgical robotic system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions that cause the controller to use the navigation data in the surgical navigation system further cause the controller to perform one or more of:

resect or excavate the bone of the patient based on a cut plan;

display an image representing the bone of the patient; or

display an image representing a tool relative to the bone of the patient.

13 . The surgical robotic system of claim 9 , wherein:

the robot comprises a stationary base and the robotic arm is mounted to the stationary base;

at least one of the plurality of markers is attached to the stationary base and at least one of the plurality of markers is attached to one of the joints or body parts of the robotic arm; and

the reference data is associated with the stationary base and with the at least one of the joints or body parts.

14 . The surgical robotic system of claim 9 , further comprising a second wireless tracking device operably attachable to an object associated with the patient, the second wireless tracking device including at least one camera and a wireless transmitter, wherein the instructions further cause the controller to:

wirelessly obtain second reference data based on the at least one camera of the second wireless tracking device, the second reference data associated with at least one of the plurality of markers; and

use the reference data and the second reference data in the surgical navigation system.

15 . The surgical robotic system of claim 14 , wherein the object comprises a retractor or another surgical instrument.

16 . The surgical robotic system of claim 9 , wherein the camera of the wireless tracking device comprises a plurality of cameras, and the reference data is based on images from the plurality of cameras.

17 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to:

generate reference data for a bone of a patient using a camera of a wireless tracking device coupled to the bone of the patient, the reference data generated by imaging a plurality of markers, wherein each marker of the plurality of markers is in a known position within a surgical environment and the plurality of markers is attached to one or more of a robot having a robotic arm with an end effector, an arm or joint of the robot, a base of the robot, a cart, a fixture attached to a surgical table, surgical lighting, or an outside-in navigation camera;

determine a position and orientation of the wireless tracking device using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the wireless tracking device;

fuse the reference data and the position and orientation of the wireless tracking device to generate navigation data including a position and orientation of the bone relative to a virtual coordinate system; and

use the navigation data in a surgical navigation system.

18 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the processing circuit to update a target position for the robot based on the navigation data.

19 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of markers comprises a plurality of movable markers attached to the robot or to a tool attached to the robot, and

wherein the instructions further cause the processing circuit to:

receive intrinsic position data of the robot; and

use the intrinsic position data to determine a position and orientation of the plurality of movable markers.

20 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the processing circuit to:

wirelessly obtain surface or structural data of the bone based on an ultrasound probe of the wireless tracking device; and

use the surface or structural data together with the navigation data in the surgical navigation system.