Smart drill, jig, and method of orthopedic surgery

Abstract

The present invention provides a MEMS sensor guidance system mounted on a surgical instrument and uses the MEMS sensor to determine Inertial Measurement Units to track rotation and acceleration in all three spatial directions. Further the invention provides a method of surgery in which a reference axis, a loci, and a depth are defined and the instrument including the sensor duster of the invention is placed in relation to the y-axis and x-axis and following the working end is aligned and the orientation and depth data display is observed to aid in maintaining the desired instrument.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surgical guidance system for use with a work piece in a surgical field and comprising a MEMS sensor and a microprocessor having memory loaded with software that enables the interpretation of real-time data gathered by the MEMS sensor wherein the MEMS sensor tracks the orientation and movement over time of the work piece in the surgical field using a locally defined coordinate system. 
     
     
         2 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in claim I further comprising a display or audio command mechanism. 
     
     
         3 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the display displays one or multiple graphical user interfaces. 
     
     
         4 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the graphical user interface recommends an orientation or vector of the work piece over time. 
     
     
         5 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 4  wherein the graphical user interface includes a two dimensional matrix and a marker responding to the location of the work piece over time, and the graphical user interface recommends the orientation through the display by tracking the marker on the two dimensional matrix and indicating a desirable location of the marker corresponding to a desirable location of the work piece. 
     
     
         6 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 5  wherein the two dimensional matrix is a circle, square, or rectangle and the marker is a spot. 
     
     
         7 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the graphical user interface can be used to guide a change in orientation of the work piece. 
     
     
         8 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 7  wherein the work piece is used for cutting and the change of orientation of the work piece dictates an angle of cuffing. 
     
     
         9 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 1  including a display where the display includes graphical user interface which indicates the depth of the work piece over time. 
     
     
         10 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the graphical user interface is a bar graph which acts as a surgical depth guide. 
     
     
         12 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the graphical user interface further includes a two dimensional matrix with a marker. 
     
     
         13 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the system includes a memory including data as to the desired location of multiple fasteners and the memory records a local coordinate system which is determined by a user during surgery. 
     
     
         14 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the memory includes information as to the anatomy of a specific patient. 
     
     
         15 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the memory includes information as to the anatomy of a specific surgical procedure. 
     
     
         16 . A surgical instrument comprising an instrument having a work piece and an integrated surgical guidance system which tracks the work piece in a surgical field and the surgical guidance system comprising a MEMS sensor which is carried on the instrument and a microprocessor having memory loaded with software that enables the interpretation of real-time data gathered by the MEMS sensor wherein the MEMS sensor tracks the orientation and movement over time of the work piece in the surgical field using a locally defined coordinate system. 
     
     
         17 . A surgical instrument as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the sensor is a six or nine degree of freedom sensor. 
     
     
         18 . A surgical instrument as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the work piece is one of a screw driver, a blade, a burr or an ablation piece. 
     
     
         19 . A surgical instrument as set forth in  claim 18  further including a display having a graphical user interface which recommends an orientation of the work piece over time. 
     
     
         20 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the display is mounted to one or more of a guide, a driver and a cutting tool. 
     
     
         21 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the display is mounted to a cutting tool and the cutting tool includes a template with a defined entry or exit site. 
     
     
         22 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the system includes one or more safety parameters. 
     
     
         23 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the system is optimized for a specific surgical procedure. 
     
     
         24 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 23  wherein the surgical procedure is a spinal surgery. 
     
     
         25 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the system includes a simulated visual representation of a simulated anatomy. 
     
     
         26 . A surgical guidance system as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising one or more linear potentiometer. 
     
     
         27 . A surgical instrument as set forth in  claim 16  further comprising one or more linear potentiometer.