System and methods of using image-guidance for providing an access to a cochlear of a living subject

1. A method for providing an access to a cochlea of a living subject, comprising the steps of:

(a) non-invasively placing a plurality of fiducial markers surrounding the cochlea of the living subject through mounting a locking dental acrylic resin splint (LADS) with an attached fiducial frame onto a maxilla of the living subject, wherein the fiducial frame is adapted for receiving the plurality of fiducial markers;

(b) pre-operatively acquiring an image volume of the cochlea of the living subject, the pre-operatively acquired image volume containing the image of the plurality of fiducial markers;

(c) identifying a centroid of each fiducial marker from the pre-operatively acquired image volume;

(d) pre-operatively measuring a location of each fiducial marker in an anatomic space of the cochlea of the living subject;

(e) registering the identified centroid of each fiducial marker in the pre-operatively acquired image volume to the pre-operatively measured location of the corresponding fiducial marker in the anatomic space so as to determine a registration transformation;

f) determining the location of anatomical structures of the living subject from the image volume, wherein the anatomical structures include the canal of the facial nerve, the horizontal semicircular canal, and the external auditory canal;

(g) determining a single linear path from the lateral edge of the skull to the cochlea of the living subject which avoids the anatomical structures;

(h) operating a surgical instrument along the linear path to open an access to the cochlea of the living subject, the surgical instrument having a distal end portion;

(i) tracking the distal end portion of the surgical instrument through a first optical emitter attached to the optical instrument and an optical tracker adapted for receiving optical signal from the first optical emitter;

(j) intra-operatively guiding the surgical instrument through visualizing a location of the distal end portion of the surgical instrument in the pre-operatively acquired image volume; and

(k) intra-operatively tracking at least a portion of the skull of the living subject through a second optical emitter attached to the LADS and the optical tracker adapted for receiving optical signal from the second optical emitter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-operatively acquiring step is performed with an imaging acquisition device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-operatively measuring step is performed with a localizing probe.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the localizing probe is coupled with the first optical emitter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating step is performed by a human being.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating step is performed at least in part by a man-made device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intra-operatively guiding step comprises the steps of:

(a) intra-operatively monitoring the location of the distal end portion of the surgical instrument in the anatomic space of the cochlea of the living subject; and

(b) mapping the intra-operatively monitored location of the distal end portion of the surgical instrument in the anatomic space onto a corresponding location in the pre-operatively acquired image volume by an inverse of the registration transformation.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the intra-operatively monitoring step is performed with the first optical emitter and the optical tracker.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of disabling the surgical instrument when the surgical instrument departs from the predetermined path.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of performing a therapeutic medical procedure or a diagnosis medical procedure through the access to the cochlea of the living subject.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the therapeutic medical procedure comprises a medical procedure for placement of one of a cochlear implant, a drug delivery system, a carrier device, a medical detecting system, a medical treatment system, and any combination of them.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the diagnosis medical procedure comprises a medical procedure for using a medical device to detect and collect information related to the living subject.

13. A method for providing an access to a cochlea of a living subject, comprising the steps of:

(a) non-invasively placing a plurality of fiducial markers surrounding the cochlea of the living subject;

(b) pre-operatively acquiring an image volume of the cochlea of the living subject, the pre-operatively acquired image volume containing the image of the plurality of fiducial markers;

(c) identifying a centroid of each fiducial marker from the pre-operatively acquired image volume;

(d) pre-operatively measuring a location of each fiducial marker in an anatomic space of the cochlea of the living subject;

(e) registering the identified centroid of each fiducial marker in the pre-operatively acquired image volume to the pre-operatively measured location of the corresponding fiducial marker in the anatomic space so as to determine a registration transformation;

(f) determining the location of anatomical structures of the living subject from the image volume, wherein the anatomical structures include the canal of the facial nerve, the horizontal semicircular canal, and the external auditory canal;

(g) determining a single linear path from the lateral edge of the skull to the cochlea of the living subject which avoids the anatomical structures;

(h) operating a surgical instrument along the linear path to open an access to the cochlea of the living subject, the surgical instrument having a distal end portion;

(i) tracking the distal end portion of the surgical instrument through a first optical emitter attached to the optical instrument and an optical tracker adapted for receiving optical signal from the first optical emitter; and

(j) intra-operatively identifying a real-time position of the distal end portion of the surgical instrument by crosshairs in panels showing respectively a transverse, coronal and sagittal view of the surgical site visualized in an image displaying device.

14. A method for providing an access to a cochlea of a living subject, comprising the steps of:

(a) non-invasively placing a plurality of fiducial markers surrounding the cochlea of the living subject;

(b) pre-operatively acquiring an image volume of the cochlea of the living subject, the pre-operatively acquired image volume containing the image of the plurality of fiducial markers;

(c) identifying a centroid of each fiducial marker from the pre-operatively acquired image volume;

(d) pre-operatively measuring a location of each fiducial marker in an anatomic space of the cochlea of the living subject;

(e) registering the identified centroid of each fiducial marker in the pre-operatively acquired image volume to the pre-operatively measured location of the corresponding fiducial marker in the anatomic space so as to determine a registration transformation;

(f) determining the location of anatomical structures of the living subject from the image volume, wherein the anatomical structures include the canal of the facial nerve, the horizontal semicircular canal, and the external auditory canal;

(g) determining a single linear path from the lateral edge of the skull to the cochlea of the living subject which avoids the anatomical structures;

(f) operating a surgical instrument along the linear path to open an access to the cochlea of the living subject, the surgical instrument having a distal end portion;

(i) tracking the distal end portion of the surgical instrument through a first optical emitter attached to the optical instrument and an optical tracker adapted for receiving optical signal from the first optical emitter;

(j) intra-operatively guiding the surgical instrument in real time through visualizing a location of the distal end portion of the surgical instrument in the pre-operatively acquired image volume as displayed on an image displaying device; and

(k) intra-operatively identifying a real-time position of the distal end portion of the surgical instrument by crosshairs in panels showing respectively a transverse, coronal and sagittal view of the surgical site visualized in the image displaying device.