Surgical guidance system and method

Abstract

A method for controlling a surgical tool includes associating a joint of a patient with a representation of the joint, collecting data indicating at least one of a position and an orientation of a first bone and a second bone of the joint as the joint is moved through a range of motion, and creating a surgical plan based at least in part on the data collected. The method further includes establishing a virtual cutting boundary on the representation of the joint based on the surgical plan, superimposing a representation of the surgical tool on the representation of the joint, wherein the surgical tool is to be operated by a user to execute the surgical plan during a surgical procedure, and controlling the surgical tool to prevent the surgical tool from cutting a portion of the joint outside a boundary that corresponds to the virtual cutting boundary.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling a surgical tool, comprising:
 associating a joint of a patient with a representation of the joint;   collecting data indicating at least one of a position and an orientation of a first bone and a second bone of the joint as the joint is moved through a range of motion;   creating a surgical plan based at least in part on the data collected;   establishing a virtual cutting boundary on the representation of the joint based on the surgical plan;   superimposing a representation of the surgical tool on the representation of the joint, wherein the surgical tool is to be operated by a user to execute the surgical plan during a surgical procedure; and   controlling the surgical tool to prevent the surgical tool from cutting a portion of the joint outside a boundary that corresponds to the virtual cutting boundary.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein creating a surgical plan comprises planning bone preparation for implanting a first implant on the first bone of the joint. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein planning bone preparation for implanting the first implant includes associating a representation of the first implant with a representation of the first bone. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising preparing the first bone of the joint according to the surgical plan, wherein preparing the first bone comprises the steps of:
 superimposing a representation of a portion of material to be removed from the first bone on a representation of the first bone; and   updating the representation of the portion of material to be removed from the first bone with a representation of a portion of material actually removed by the surgical tool.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the portion of material to be removed corresponds to the virtual cutting boundary associated with the representation of the joint. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein creating a surgical plan further comprises planning bone preparation for implanting a second implant on the second bone of the joint. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein planning bone preparation for implanting the second implant includes associating a representation of the second implant on a representation of the second bone. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising preparing the second bone of the joint according to the surgical plan, wherein preparing the second bone includes:
 superimposing a representation of a portion of material to be removed from the second bone on a representation of the second bone; and   updating the representation of the portion of material to be removed from the second bone with a representation of a portion of material actually removed by the surgical tool.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the portion of material to be removed corresponds to the virtual cutting boundary associated with the representation of the second bone. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring movement of the first bone, the second bone, and the surgical tool, and updating the representation of the joint and the virtual cutting boundary in response to movement of the first bone and/or the second bone. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling the surgical tool to prevent the surgical tool from cutting a portion of the joint outside the boundary that corresponds to the virtual cutting boundary comprises controlling the surgical tool so that a tip of the surgical tool is prevented against penetrating the boundary while cutting. 
     
     
         12 . A surgical system, comprising:
 a surgical tool configured to be manipulated by a user to execute a surgical plan during a surgical procedure;   a computer system configured to:
 associate a joint of a patient with a representation of the joint; 
 collect data indicating at least one of a position and an orientation of a first bone and a second bone of the joint as the joint is moved through a range of motion; 
 create a surgical plan based at least in part on the data collected; 
 establish a virtual cutting boundary on the representation of the joint based on the surgical plan; 
 superimpose a representation of the surgical tool on the representation of the joint; and 
 control the surgical tool to prevent the surgical tool from cutting a portion of the joint outside a boundary that corresponds to the virtual cutting boundary. 
   
     
     
         13 . The surgical system of  claim 12 , further comprising a display for displaying at least one of the representation of the joint and the virtual cutting boundary. 
     
     
         14 . The surgical system of  claim 12 , further comprising a tracking system for monitoring movement of the first bone, the second bone, and the surgical tool, and wherein the computer system is further configured to update the representation of the joint and the virtual cutting boundary in response to movement of the first bone and/or the second bone. 
     
     
         15 . The surgical system of  claim 12 , wherein creating a surgical plan comprises planning bone preparation for implanting a first implant on the first bone of the joint. 
     
     
         16 . The surgical system of  claim 15 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
 superimpose a representation of a portion of material to be removed from the first bone on a representation of the first bone; and   update the representation of the portion of material to be removed from the first bone with a representation of a portion of material actually removed by the surgical tool.   
     
     
         17 . The surgical system of  claim 16 , wherein the portion of material to be removed corresponds to the virtual cutting boundary associated with the representation of the joint. 
     
     
         18 . The surgical system of  claim 15 , wherein creating a surgical plan further comprises planning bone preparation for implanting a second implant on the second bone of the joint. 
     
     
         19 . The surgical system of  claim 18 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
 superimpose a representation of a portion of material to be removed from the second bone on a representation of the second bone; and   update the representation of the portion of material to be removed from the second bone with a representation of a portion of material actually removed by the surgical tool.   
     
     
         20 . The surgical system of  claim 12 , wherein controlling the surgical tool to prevent the surgical tool from cutting a portion of the joint outside the boundary that corresponds to the virtual cutting boundary comprises controlling the surgical tool so that a tip of the surgical tool is prevented against penetrating the boundary while cutting.