Navigation, tracking and guiding system for the positioning of operatory instruments within the body of a patient

Abstract

A navigation, tracking and guiding system for the positioning of operatory instruments inside the body of a patient. The system includes a control unit, a viewer and detecting means for determining the spatial position of the viewer. The system further includes a sensor associated to an operatory instrument and insertable inside the internal portion of the body of the patient. The control unit is configured to project on the viewer an image of the state of the internal portion.

1 .- 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A navigation, tracking and guiding system for positioning of operatory instruments within the body of a patient, the system comprising:
 a control unit configured to receive multiple information data related to an internal state of the body of the patient;   a viewer configured for an operator to see at least one internal portion of the body of the patient through said viewer; and   special position detecting means for determination of a spatial position of said viewer,   said control unit being configured to project on said viewer an image of the internal state of said at least one internal portion of the body of the patient, said image being obtained by processing said multiple information data on the basis of said spatial position of said viewer,   the system further comprising a probe associated to an operatory instrument and insertable within the internal portion of the body of the patient, said probe comprising i) at least one optical guide having dispersion zones of a luminous flux generated inside said optical guide and ii) dispersion detecting means of dispersion of said luminous flux in order to identify a spatial arrangement of the probe when inserted within the body of the patient, said control unit being further configured to project on said viewer the image of said probe based on the identified spatial arrangement.   
     
     
         31 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein said dispersion zones are defined by first dispersion zones arranged in sequence along at least one portion of said optical guide. 
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein said dispersion zones are further defined by second dispersion zones arranged in sequence along at least a portion of said optical guide and arranged radially in a staggered configuration with respect to a central axis of said at least one optical guide. 
     
     
         33 . The system according to  claim 32 , wherein said second dispersion zones are disposed at an angle of 90° with respect to said first dispersion zones, said angle being measured with respect to a central axis of said at least one optical guide. 
     
     
         34 . The system according to  claim 32 , wherein said probe comprises two parallel optical guides, said first dispersion zones and said second dispersion zones being defined respectively on one of said two optical guides. 
     
     
         35 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein said at least one optical guide is connected to a light source, and has a reflecting wall arranged at one free terminal end, wherein a directional coupler connected to an oscilloscope is arranged between said laser source and said reflective wall. 
     
     
         36 . The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising a video conversion assembly connected to the control unit. 
     
     
         37 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein said multiple information data related to the internal state of the body of the patient are obtained by at least one scan. 
     
     
         38 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein said viewer is arranged along an operator body portion of a patient body visual axis. 
     
     
         39 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein said viewer is a facial viewer wearable by the operator. 
     
     
         40 . The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising outer surface detecting means of the outer surface of the body of the patient connected with the control unit. 
     
     
         41 . The system according to  claim 40 , wherein said outer surface detecting means of the outer surface of the body of the patient comprises at least three detectable first physical markers suitable to be arranged on the outer surface of the internal portion of the body of the patient, said control unit being configured to align a first internal state of virtual markers of the image projected on the viewer with said first physical markers. 
     
     
         42 . The system according to  claim 40 , wherein said outer surface detecting means of the outer surface of the body of the patient comprises at least one of: an ultrasound transducer, an inertial measurement unit and a measuring encoder, in order to determine vital parameters of the patient in real time. 
     
     
         43 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein said viewer comprises a gyroscope, a compass, and an inertial measurement unit. 
     
     
         44 . The system according to  claim 43 , wherein said viewer further comprises a depth sensor configured to record a reconstructed volume of the patient. 
     
     
         45 . The system according to  claim 40 , further comprising a second physical marker disposed on the probe and suitable to be disposed, in use, outside the body of the patient, wherein the outer surface detecting means of the outer surface of the body of the patient is configured to further detect the physical position of the second marker. 
     
     
         46 . The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising an anthropomorphic robot arm with five degrees of freedom, configured to provide Cartesian coordinates X, Y, Z of the probe with respect to a reference system predetermined by the system. 
     
     
         47 . The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising a compactness sensor of the internal tissues of the patient. 
     
     
         48 . A navigation, tracking and guiding method for positioning of operatory instruments within the body of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a viewer configured for an operator to see at least an internal portion of the body of the patient through said viewer,   providing spatial position detecting means for determination of spatial position of said viewer;   providing a control unit to perform the steps of:   receiving multiple information data related to the internal state of the body of the patient,   processing said multiple information data based on the spatial position of the viewer; and   projecting on said viewer an image of the internal state of said at least an internal portion of the body of the patient as a function of the performed intervention,   the method further comprising the steps of:   providing a probe associated to an operatory instrument and insertable within the internal portion of the body of the patient, said probe comprising i) at least one optical guide having dispersion zones of a luminous flux generated inside said optical guide and ii) dispersion detecting means of dispersion of said luminous flux in order to identify a spatial arrangement of said probe when inserted within the body of the patient, and   projecting on said viewer the image of said probe based on the identified spatial arrangement, by the control unit.   
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 48 , further comprising the step of obtaining said multiple information data relating to the internal state of the body of a patient by at least one scan. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 48 , further comprising the step of arranging outer surface detecting means of the outer surface of the body of the patient connected with the control unit. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said step of providing outer surface detecting means comprises:
 providing at least three detectable first physical markers suitable to be arranged on the outer surface of the body portion of the patient;   detecting the dynamic positioning of the first physical markers to send multiple information data to the control unit; and   aligning the first virtual markers of the image of the internal state projected on the viewer with the first physical markers arranged on the body of the patient through the control unit.   
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein said step of providing outer surface detecting means comprises
 arranging a second physical marker disposed on the probe and suitable to be disposed, in use, outside the body of the patient, and   further detecting the physical position of the second marker using the outer surface detecting means of the outer surface of the body of the patient.   
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 48 , wherein:
 said step of processing said multiple information data on the basis of said spatial position of said viewer comprises processing through segmentation of organs and pathologies;   a 3D representation is performed with pathology segmented and separated from the rest of the volume as a function of the performed segmentation; and   said step of projecting on said viewer an image of the internal state of the at least one internal portion of the body of the patient as a function of the performed processing is performed by projecting a joint visualization of said organs and pathologies.   
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 48 , wherein:
 said step of processing said multiple information data on the basis of said spatial position of said viewer comprises processing through segmentation of organs and post-treatment necrosis;   a 3D representation is performed with a pathology segmented and separated from the rest of the volume as a function of the performed segmentation;   said step of projecting on said viewer an image of the internal state of the at least one internal portion of the body of the patient as a function of the performed processing is performed by projecting a joint visualization of the pathology and the necrosis.   
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 48 , further comprising the step of recording a reconstructed volume of the patient by a depth sensor, thereby allowing the operator to explore organs and pathologies within the body of the patient while looking at the same patient. 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 48 , wherein the method is a computer-operated method. 
     
     
         57 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium performing at least the steps of the method of  claim 56  when run on a computer.