Universal instrument or instrument set for computer guided surgery

1. An instrument for use in computer guided surgery, comprising:

a shaft including an instrument tip, an intermediate section formed unitary with said instrument tip, and an adapter interface formed unitary with said intermediate section;

a grip piece interface for receiving a grip piece, said grip piece interface formed unitary with said shaft and different from said adapter interface; and

a reference element adapter including a rotatable support comprising a fixed inner diameter, the rotatable support rotatably mounted at the fixed inner diameter for relative coaxial rotation on said adapter interface.

2. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the adapter interface comprises a reference axial stopper area, said reference axial stopper area limiting an axial movement of the reference element adapter.

3. The instrument of claim 2 , further comprising a reference element orientating mechanism arranged at an interface between the adapter interface and the reference element adaptor, said reference element orientating mechanism capable of fixing at least one angular position of the reference element adapter with respect to the shaft.

4. The instrument as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the reference element orientating mechanism is a selectively operable catch.

5. The instrument of claim 4 , wherein the selectively operable catch comprises an orientating pin on one of the reference axial stopper area or the reference element adapter, and at least one orientating slit on the other of the reference axial stopper area and the reference element adapter.

6. The instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a selectively operable mechanical retainer to provide retention of the reference element adapter to the adapter interface.

7. The instrument of claim 6 , wherein the selectively operable mechanical retainer comprises an angular rotational catch, said angular rotational catch providing a surmountable frictional or positive coupling between the reference element adapter and the adapter interface.

8. The instrument of claim 7 , wherein the angular rotational catch comprises a plurality of circumferentially distributed longitudinal notches in one of the adapter interface and the reference element adapter, and a ball-thrust piece in the other of the adapter interface and the reference element adapter, said ball-thrust piece engaging one of the longitudinal notches to inhibit rotation of the reference element adapter with respect to the shaft.

9. The instrument of claim 1 , further comprising the grip piece, said grip piece being selectively couplable to the grip piece interface.

10. The instrument of claim 9 , wherein the grip piece is coupled to the grip piece interface via a non-rotational quick-release lock, and said grip piece limits an axial movement of the reference element adaptor.

11. The instrument of claim 10 , wherein the grip piece interfaces with the grip piece interface via an opening in the grip piece, said grip piece interface and grip piece opening having a flattened portion that inhibits rotation of the grip piece with respect to the shaft.

12. The instrument of claim 10 , wherein the quick release lock comprises a notch on one of the grip piece interface and the grip piece, and a ball-thrust piece in the other of the grip piece interface and the grip piece, said ball-thrust piece interfacing with the notch.

13. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the reference element adaptor and the shaft comprise an aligning mechanism that prevents the reference element adaptor from being improperly placed onto the shaft.

14. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the shaft comprises at least one marking point arranged instrument-specifically, said marking point used to indicate to software the instrument type.

15. The instrument of claim 14 , wherein the at least one marking point is used to verify the accuracy of the instrument.

16. The instrument of claim 14 , wherein the at least one marking point is an indentation, said indentation capable of being traced by a pointer of a surgical navigation system.

17. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the instrument comprises a rotationally symmetrical shaft and/or a rotationally symmetrical instrument tip.

18. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the instrument comprises a rotationally asymmetrical shaft and/or a rotationally asymmetrical instrument tip.

19. The instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said reference element adapter is telescopically removable from said adapter interface.

20. An instrument set comprising at least two instruments as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the least two instruments comprise uniform adapter interfaces, and the reference element adapter is capable of being arranged on each adapter interface.

21. The instrument set of claim 20 , wherein the least two instruments comprise uniform grip piece interfaces for accepting different grip pieces, each uniform grip piece interface being formed on each respective shaft, and each grip piece has a uniform interface for coupling to the uniform grip piece interface.

22. The instrument set of claim 20 , wherein each instrument comprises at least one marking point that is arranged instrument-specifically, said marking point used to indicate to a navigation system the instrument type.

23. The instrument set of claim 22 , wherein the at least one marking point is used to verify the accuracy of each instrument.

24. The instrument set of claims 22 , wherein the at least one marking point is an indentation, said indentation capable of being traced by a pointer of a surgical navigation system.

25. The instrument set of claim 20 , wherein the at least two instruments comprise a shaft selected from the group consisting of an awl, a chisel and a bodkin.

26. An instrument for use in computer guided surgery, comprising:

a shaft including an instrument tip, an intermediate section formed unitary with said instrument tip, and an adapter interface formed unitary with said intermediate section;

a grip piece interface for receiving a grip piece, said grip piece interface formed unitary with said shaft and different from said adapter interface; and

a reference element adapter including a rotatable support comprising a fixed inner diameter, the rotatable support rotatably mounted at the fixed inner diameter for relative coaxial rotation on said adapter interface,

wherein the adapter interface comprises a reference axial stopper area, said reference axial stopper area limiting an axial movement of the reference element adapter,

wherein the instrument further comprises a reference element orientating mechanism arranged at an interface between the adapter interface and the reference element adaptor, said reference element orientating mechanism capable of fixing at least one selectively settable angular position of the reference element adapter with respect to the shaft,

wherein the reference element orientating mechanism includes an orientating pin on one of the reference axial stopper area and the reference element adapter, and at least one orientating slit on the other of the reference axial stopper area and the reference element adapter.

27. The instrument as set forth in claim 26 , wherein the reference element orientating mechanism is a selectively operable catch.

28. The instrument of claim 26 , further comprising a selectively operable mechanical retainer to provide retention of the reference element adapter to the adapter interface.

29. The instrument of claim 28 , wherein the selectively operable mechanical retainer comprises an angular rotational catch, said angular rotational catch providing a surmountable frictional or positive coupling between the reference element adapter and the adapter interface.

30. The instrument of claim 29 , wherein the angular rotational catch comprises a plurality of circumferentially distributed longitudinal notches in one of the adapter interface and the reference element adapter, and a ball-thrust piece in the other of the adapter interface and the reference element adapter, said ball-thrust piece engaging one of the longitudinal notches to inhibit rotation of the reference element adapter with respect to the shaft.

31. The instrument of claim 26 , further comprising the grip piece, said grip piece being selectively couplable to the grip piece interface.

32. The instrument of claim 31 , wherein the grip piece is coupled to the grip piece interface via a non-rotational quick-release lock, and said grip piece limits an axial movement of the reference element adaptor.

33. The instrument of claim 32 , wherein the grip piece interfaces with the grip piece interface via an opening in the grip piece, said grip piece interface and grip piece opening having a flattened portion that inhibits rotation of the grip piece with respect to the shaft.

34. The instrument of claim 32 , wherein the quick release lock comprises a notch on one of the grip piece interface and the grip piece, and a ball-thrust piece in the other of the grip piece interface and the grip piece, said ball-thrust piece interfacing with the notch.

35. The instrument of claim 26 , wherein the reference element adaptor and the shaft comprise an aligning mechanism that prevents the reference element adaptor from being improperly placed onto the shaft.

36. The instrument of claim 26 , wherein the shaft comprises at least one marking point arranged instrument-specifically, said marking point used to indicate to software the instrument type.

37. The instrument of claim 36 , wherein the at least one marking point is used to verify the accuracy of the instrument.

38. The instrument of claim 36 , wherein the at least one marking point is an indentation, said indentation capable of being traced by a pointer of a surgical navigation system.

39. The instrument of claim 26 wherein the instrument comprises a rotationally symmetrical shaft and/or a rotationally symmetrical instrument tip.

40. The instrument of claim 26 , wherein the instrument comprises a rotationally asymmetrical shaft and/or a rotationally asymmetrical instrument tip.

41. The instrument according to claim 26 , wherein said reference element adapter is telescopically removable from said adapter interface.

42. An instrument set comprising at least two instruments as set forth in claim 26 , wherein the least two instruments comprise uniform adapter interfaces, and the reference element adapter is capable of being arranged on each adapter interface.

43. The instrument set of claim 42 , wherein the least two instruments comprise uniform grip piece interfaces for accepting different grip pieces, each uniform grip piece interface being formed on each respective shaft, and each grip piece has a uniform interface for coupling to the uniform grip piece interface.

44. The instrument set of claim 42 , wherein each instrument comprises at least one marking point that is arranged instrument-specifically, said marking point used to indicate to a navigation system the instrument type.

45. The instrument set of claim 44 , wherein the at least one marking point is used to verify the accuracy of each instrument.

46. The instrument set of claims 44 , wherein the at least one marking point is an indentation, said indentation capable of being traced by a pointer of a surgical navigation system.

47. The instrument set of claim 42 , wherein the at least two instruments comprise a shaft selected from the group consisting of an awl, a chisel and a bodkin.

48. An instrument for use in computer guided surgery, comprising:

a shaft including an instrument tip, an intermediate section formed unitary with said instrument tip, and an adapter interface formed unitary with said intermediate section;

a grip piece interface for receiving a grip piece, said grip piece interface formed unitary with said shaft and different from said adapter interface;

a reference element adapter including a rotatable support comprising a fixed inner diameter, the rotatable support rotatably mounted at the fixed inner diameter for relative coaxial rotation on said adapter interface; and

a selectively operable mechanical retainer to provide retention of the reference element adapter to the adapter interface, wherein the selectively operable mechanical retainer comprises an angular rotational catch, said angular rotational catch providing a surmountable frictional or positive coupling between the reference element adapter and the adapter interface, wherein the angular rotational catch comprises a plurality of circumferentially distributed longitudinal notches in one of the adapter interface and the reference element adapter, and a ball-thrust piece in the other of the adapter interface and the reference element adapter, said ball-thrust piece engaging one of the longitudinal notches to inhibit rotation of the reference element adapter with respect to the shaft.

49. The instrument of claim 48 , wherein the adapter interface comprises a reference axial stopper area, said reference axial stopper area limiting an axial movement of the reference element adapter.

50. The instrument of claim 49 , further comprising a reference element orientating mechanism arranged at an interface between the adapter interface and the reference element adaptor, said reference element orientating mechanism capable of fixing at least one angular position of the reference element adapter with respect to the shaft.

51. The instrument as set forth in claim 50 , wherein the reference element orientating mechanism is a selectively operable catch.

52. The instrument of claim 51 , wherein the selectively operable catch includes an orientating pin on one of the reference axial stopper area or the reference element adapter, and at least one orientating slit on the other of the reference axial stopper area and the reference element adapter.

53. The instrument of claim 48 , further comprising the grip piece, said grip piece being selectively couplable to the grip piece interface.

54. The instrument of claim 53 , wherein the grip piece is coupled to the grip piece interface via a non-rotational quick-release lock, and said grip piece limits an axial movement of the reference element adaptor.

55. The instrument of claim 54 , wherein the grip piece interfaces with the grip piece interface via an opening in the grip piece, said grip piece interface and grip piece opening having a flattened portion that inhibits rotation of the grip piece with respect to the shaft.

56. The instrument of claim 54 , wherein the quick release lock comprises a notch on one of the grip piece interface and the grip piece, and a ball-thrust piece in the other of the grip piece interface and the grip piece, said ball-thrust piece interfacing with the notch.

57. The instrument of claim 48 , wherein the reference element adaptor and the shaft comprise an aligning mechanism that prevents the reference element adaptor from being improperly placed onto the shaft.

58. The instrument of claim 48 , wherein the shaft comprises at least one marking point arranged instrument-specifically, said marking point used to indicate to software the instrument type.

59. The instrument of claim 58 , wherein the at least one marking point is used to verify the accuracy of the instrument.

60. The instrument of claim 58 , wherein the at least one marking point is an indentation, said indentation capable of being traced by a pointer of a surgical navigation system.

61. The instrument of claim 48 , wherein the instrument comprises a rotationally symmetrical shaft and/or a rotationally symmetrical instrument tip.

62. The instrument of claim 48 , wherein the instrument comprises a rotationally asymmetrical shaft and/or a rotationally asymmetrical instrument tip.

63. The instrument according to claim 48 , wherein said reference element adapter is telescopically removable from said adapter interface.

64. An instrument set comprising at least two instruments as set forth in claim 48 , wherein the least two instruments comprise uniform adapter interfaces, and the reference element adapter is capable of being arranged on each adapter interface.

65. The instrument set of claim 64 , wherein the least two instruments comprise uniform grip piece interfaces for accepting different grip pieces, each uniform grip piece interface being formed on each respective shaft, and each grip piece has a uniform interface for coupling to the uniform grip piece interface.

66. The instrument set of claim 64 , wherein each instrument comprises at least one marking point that is arranged instrument-specifically, said marking point used to indicate to a navigation system the instrument type.

67. The instrument set of claim 66 , wherein the at least one marking point is used to verify the accuracy of each instrument.

68. The instrument set of claims 66 , wherein the at least one marking point is an indentation, said indentation capable of being traced by a pointer of a surgical navigation system.

69. The instrument set of claim 64 , wherein the at least two instruments comprise a shaft selected from the group consisting of an awl, a chisel and a bodkin.