Method and instrument for surgical navigation

Abstract

An operating microscope including an optical unit for forming an image of an object plane in oculars of the microscope, an optoelectronic image receiver coupled to the microscope and optics to form images, of objects placed in a region between a front objective of the microscope and an object plane of the microscope, on the optoelectronic image receiver. The microscope has a magnification factor of the optics to form images, and a system to detect optical markings forming a markings pattern placed on a surgical instrument or an object placed in the region between the front objective of the microscope and the object plane of the microscope. The system calculates a geometrical position and orientation of the markings pattern in relation to the optoelectronic image receiver, relative to the microscope.

1 . An operating microscope, comprising:
 detecting means for detecting a topography of a situs relative to the microscope; and   transmitting means for transmitting the topography of the situs to a navigational system, the navigational system referencing and displaying the topography within location-correlated preoperative diagnostic datasets of the situs.   
     
     
         2 . The microscope according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a photonic mixer device (PMD), as the detecting means, to detect the topography of the situs relative to the microscope; and   a modulated illumination device associated with the PMD to provide modulated illumination light.   
     
     
         3 . The microscope according to  claim 2 , wherein the PMD is arranged such that a sensor axis of the PMD is coaxial or substantially coaxial to the optics. 
     
     
         4 . The microscope according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 optical filters positioned to protect the PMD from intensive illumination by unmodulated light.   
     
     
         5 . The microscope according to  claim 2 , wherein the PMD detects optical markings forming a markings pattern placed on a surgical instrument or an object placed in a region between a front objective of the microscope and the object plane of the microscope. 
     
     
         6 . The microscope according to  claim 2 , wherein a front objective and the PMD are positioned at a common distance from the situs. 
     
     
         7 . The microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein the detecting means includes a stereo camera pair with a computing system to perform stereoscopic analysis. 
     
     
         8 . The microscope according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 means for projecting a light pattern onto the situs, the light pattern captured by the stereo camera pair for improved correspondence analysis of the stereoscopic images.   
     
     
         9 . The microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein the detecting means is a single camera with a computing system to perform stereoscopic analysis by operating the single camera as an inverse camera, the operating microscope further comprising:
 means for projecting a light pattern onto the situs.   
     
     
         10 . The microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein the topography is transmitted to the navigational system, the navigational system correlating the topography as a starting point for correction of a brain shift. 
     
     
         11 . The microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein a focus of the operating microscope is adjusted based on the topography. 
     
     
         12 . The microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a position of a surgical instrument or a pointer is extracted from the topography relative the detecting means, respective the microscope, and   the position of the surgical instrument or the pointer is transmitted to the navigational system for referencing or displaying the position of the surgical instrument or the pointer in the topography within the location-correlated preoperative diagnostic datasets of the situs.   
     
     
         13 . An operating microscope, comprising:
 optical means for forming an image of an object plane in oculars of the microscope;   an optoelectronic image receiver coupled to the microscope;   optics to form images, of objects placed in a region between a front objective of the microscope and an object plane of the microscope, on the optoelectronic image receiver;   a magnification factor of the optics to form images; and   a system to detect optical markings forming a markings pattern placed on a surgical instrument or an object placed in the region between the front objective of the microscope and the object plane of the microscope, the system calculating a geometrical position and orientation of the markings pattern in relation to the optoelectronic image receiver, relative to the microscope.   
     
     
         14 . The microscope according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a photonic mixer device (PMD) to detect a topography of a situs relative to the microscope; and   a modulated illumination device associated with the PMD to provide modulated illumination light.   
     
     
         15 . The microscope according to  claim 14 , wherein the PMD is arranged such that a sensor axis of the PMD is coaxial or substantially coaxial to the optics. 
     
     
         16 . The microscope according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 optical filters positioned to protect the PMD from intensive illumination by unmodulated light.   
     
     
         17 . The microscope according to  claim 14 , wherein the PMD detects the optical markings forming the markings pattern. 
     
     
         18 . The microscope according to  claim 14 , wherein the front objective and the PMD are positioned at a common distance from the situs. 
     
     
         19 . The microscope according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a storage unit to store correlations between a plurality of markings patterns and surgical instruments of known and fixed geometrical structures, wherein   the system identifies one of the surgical instruments from an image captured by the optoelectronic image receiver, and   the system determines an orientation and geometrical position of the identified surgical instrument relative the microscope.   
     
     
         20 . The microscope according to  claim 13 , wherein the markings include at least one of infrared reflectors or light emitting diodes. 
     
     
         21 . The microscope according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a markings illumination unit arranged coaxially or substantially coaxially to the optics, the markings illumination unit illuminating the markings pattern.   
     
     
         22 . The microscope according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 means for referencing a position of the microscope relative to a navigational system; and   means for referencing a position of the surgical instrument of the object via the navigational system to pre-operative three-dimensional data sets of anatomical structure or reference markings detected by the navigational system.