Method and system for calibrating a surgical tool and adapter therefor

Abstract

A method for easily calibrating both the position of the tip of a surgical tool and the orientation of that tool includes attaching a tracking device capable of communication with the surgical navigation system to the surgical tool using an adapter, where the adapter has a known relation between the tracking device and the axis of the surgical tool. The method then performs a calibration process to calculate the position of the tip of the surgical tool and the position of the tracking device and orientation data for the surgical tool from the known relation between the tracking device and the axis of the surgical tool and from the tool tip position. Lastly, the method stores the position of the tool tip for the surgical tool and the orientation data within memory of the surgical navigation system so the position and the orientation of the surgical tool can be tracked by the surgical navigation system. The adapter has a body with an interior surface that defines an opening through which a surgical tool can be inserted, the opening having an axis. The adapter also has a docking structure for a tracking device such that there is a known relation between the tracking device and the axis of the opening and the axis of a tool that is inserted in the opening.

1 .- 20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . A system for calibrating a surgical tool for use with a surgical navigation system comprising: 
 a memory unit;    an adapter that can be attached to a surgical tool having a tool tip and a tool axis;    a tracking device attached to the adapter, the tracking device capable of being tracked by the surgical navigation system, wherein the adapter has a known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis;    a calibration device capable of determining a position of the tool tip relative to the position of the tracking device and capable of communicating with the surgical navigation system;    a first circuit operative to calculate the position of the tool tip; and an orientation of the surgical tool from the known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip, and    a second circuit operative to store the position of the tool tip and the orientation of the surgical tool in the memory unit.    
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the tracking device is attached to the adapter by a docking structure.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein the docking structure locks the tracking device into a specified position with respect to the adapter.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the adapter is a body having an interior surface and an exterior surface.  
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the interior surface defines an opening that has an axis and wherein the interior surface has a shape to engage the surgical tool, wherein the tool axis of the surgical tool inserted within the opening and the axis of the opening are identical.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the tracking device is an optical tracking device.  
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the optical tracking device includes infrared LED's.  
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the system further includes a database of known relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and the first circuit calculates the orientation of the surgical tool from the database of known relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip.  
   
   
       29 - 38 . (canceled)  
   
   
       39 . A system for calibrating a position and an orientation of a surgical tool for use with a surgical navigation system comprising: 
 means for attaching a tracking device capable of communication with the surgical navigation system to the surgical tool using an adapter, the surgical tool having a tool axis and a tool tip, and the adapter having a known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis;    means for calculating a position of the tool tip by touching the tool tip to a calibration device capable of communication with the surgical navigation system and capable of determining the position of the tool tip relative to a position of the tracking device;    means for calculating orientation data for the surgical tool from the known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip; and    means for storing the position of the tool tip for the surgical tool and the orientation data for the surgical tool within memory of the surgical navigation system so that when the surgical tool is used with the surgical navigation system, the position and the orientation of the surgical tool can be tracked by the surgical navigation system.    
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 39  wherein the tracking device is attached to the adapter by a means for docking.  
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the means for docking locks the tracking device into a specified position with respect to the adapter.  
   
   
       42 . The system of  claim 39  wherein the adapter is a body having an interior surface and an exterior surface.  
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the interior surface defines an opening that has an axis and wherein the interior surface has a shape to engage the surgical tool, wherein the tool axis of the surgical tool inserted within the opening and the axis of the opening are identical.  
   
   
       44 . The system of  claim 39  wherein the tracking device is an optical tracking device.  
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 44  wherein the optical tracking device includes infrared LED's.  
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 39  wherein the system further includes a database of known relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and the first circuit calculates the orientation of the surgical tool from the database of known relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip.  
   
   
       47 . A system for calibrating a surgical tool for use with a surgical navigation system comprising: 
 a memory unit;    means for attaching an adapter to a surgical tool having a tool tip and a tool axis;    means for tracking the surgical tool attached to the adapter, the tracking means capable of being tracked by the surgical navigation system, wherein the adapter has a known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis;    means for calibrating capable of determining a position of the tool tip relative to the position of the tracking means and capable of communicating with the surgical navigation system;    means for calculating the position of the tool tip; and an orientation of the surgical tool from the known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip, and    means for storing the position of the tool tip and the orientation of the surgical tool in the memory unit.    
   
   
       48 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the tracking means is attached to the adapter by a means for docking.  
   
   
       49 . The system of  claim 48  wherein the docking means locks the tracking device into a specified position with respect to the adapter.  
   
   
       50 . The system of  claim 49  wherein the adapter is a body having an interior surface and an exterior surface.  
   
   
       51 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the interior surface defines an opening that has an axis and wherein the interior surface has a shape to engage the surgical tool, wherein the tool axis of the surgical tool inserted within the opening and the axis of the opening are identical.  
   
   
       52 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the tracking means is an optical tracking device.  
   
   
       53 . The system of  claim 52  wherein the optical tracking device includes infrared LED's.  
   
   
       54 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the system further includes a database of known relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and the first circuit calculates the orientation of the surgical tool from the database of known relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip.  
   
   
       55 . A system for calibrating a position and an orientation of a surgical tool for use with a surgical navigation system comprising: 
 means for attaching a tracking device capable of communication with the surgical navigation system to the surgical tool using an adapter, the surgical tool having a tool axis and a tool tip, and the adapter having a known relation between the tracking device and the tool axis;    means for calculating a position of the tool tip by touching the tool tip to a calibration device capable of communicating with the surgical navigation system and capable of determining the position of the tool tip relative to a position of the tracking device;    means for storing the position of tool tip within memory of the surgical navigation system; and    means for determining orientation data for the surgical tool from the position of the tool tip and from a database of stored relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip, such that the position of the tool tip intersects an axis of the surgical tool from the database, so that when the surgical tool is used with the surgical navigation system the position and the orientation of the surgical tool can be tracked by the surgical navigation system.    
   
   
       56 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the tracking device is attached to the adapter by a means for docking.  
   
   
       57 . The system of  claim 56  wherein the means for docking locks the tracking device into a specified position with respect to the adapter.  
   
   
       58 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the adapter is a body having an interior surface and an exterior surface.  
   
   
       59 . The system of  claim 58  wherein the interior surface defines an opening that has an axis and wherein the interior surface has a shape to engage the surgical tool, wherein the tool axis of the surgical tool inserted within the opening and the axis of the opening are identical.  
   
   
       60 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the tracking device is an optical tracking device.  
   
   
       61 . The system of  claim 60  wherein the optical tracking device includes infrared LED's.  
   
   
       62 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the system further includes a database of known relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and the first circuit calculates the orientation of the surgical tool from the database of known relations of the tracking device to the tool axis and from the position of the tool tip.