System and Method for Controlling a Surgical Manipulator Based on Energy Applicator Parameters

Abstract

System and method for controlling a surgical manipulator to apply an energy applicator to a patient. The surgical manipulator cooperates with a navigation system to position the energy applicator with respect to a boundary so that the energy applicator is constrained from moving outside the boundary. The boundary is generated based on energy applicator parameters measured after manufacture of the energy applicator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A robotic system comprising:
 a surgical manipulator configured to apply an energy applicator to a patient;   a navigation system configured to cooperate with said surgical manipulator to position the energy applicator with respect to a boundary between tissue of the patient to which the energy applicator should be applied and tissue of the patient to which the energy applicator should not be applied, said navigation system including a navigation processor and a boundary generator module operable on said navigation processor,   wherein said boundary generator module is configured to generate an initial definition of the boundary based on initial energy applicator data; and   wherein said boundary generator module is further configured to generate a final definition of the boundary, different than the initial definition of the boundary, based on post-manufacture data of the energy applicator determined after manufacture.   
     
     
         2 . The robotic system of  claim 1 , wherein said boundary generator module is configured to generate the initial definition of the boundary based on a preoperative image of the tissue of the patient to which the energy applicator should be applied. 
     
     
         3 . The robotic system of  claim 1 , wherein said initial energy applicator data comprises a size of the energy applicator and said post-manufacture data of the energy applicator includes one or more dimensions of the energy applicator measured after manufacture. 
     
     
         4 . The robotic system of  claim 1 , wherein said boundary generator module is configured to generate the initial definition of the boundary based on user settings. 
     
     
         5 . The robotic system of  claim 1 , further comprising a storage device storing the post-manufacture data of the energy applicator. 
     
     
         6 . The robotic system of  claim 5 , wherein said storage device comprises one of a memory stick and an RFID tag. 
     
     
         7 . The robotic system of  claim 1 , wherein said navigation system comprises a tool path generator module operable on said navigation processor to generate a tool path for the energy applicator. 
     
     
         8 . The robotic system of  claim 7 , wherein said tool path generator module is configured to generate said tool path based on the post-manufacture data of the energy applicator. 
     
     
         9 . A method of controlling a surgical manipulator, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing the surgical manipulator to apply an energy applicator to a patient;   providing a navigation system to cooperate with the surgical manipulator to position the energy applicator with respect to a boundary between tissue of the patient to which the energy applicator should be applied and tissue of the patient to which the energy applicator should not be applied;   generating an initial definition of the boundary based on initial energy applicator data; and   generating a final definition of the boundary, different than the initial definition of the boundary, based on post-manufacture data of the energy applicator determined after manufacture.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein generating the initial definition of the boundary comprises generating the initial definition of the boundary based on a preoperative image of the tissue of the patient to which the energy applicator should be applied. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein generating the initial definition of the boundary based on the initial energy applicator data comprises generating the initial definition of the boundary based on a size of the energy applicator and wherein generating the final definition of the boundary based on the post-manufacture data comprises generating the final definition of the boundary based on one or more dimensions of the energy applicator measured after manufacture. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein generating the initial definition of the boundary comprises generating the initial definition of the boundary based on user settings. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising storing the post-manufacture data of the energy applicator on a storage device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising generating a tool path for the energy applicator. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein generating the tool path for the energy applicator comprises generating the tool path based on the post-manufacture data of the energy applicator.