Medical navigation system with wirelessly connected, touch-sensitive screen

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical system comprising an instrument, a data processing and image generating apparatus and an image display and control unit. Of these, the position acquisition apparatus is embodied to acquire a position and orientation of the instrument in relation to a reference coordinate system. The data processing and image generating apparatus is embodied to generate an image of a body part from currently recorded or stored data representing a body part, which image reproduces a view of the body part together with a representation of the position, and preferably also the orientation, of the instrument in such a way that an observer can gather the position and orientation of the instrument in the body part from the image of the body part. Here, according to the invention, the image display and control unit is wirelessly connected to the data processing and image generating apparatus, and comprises a display and input unit with a closed surface. On the closed surface of the display and input unit, control elements and a respective view of the body part are displayed during operation of the image display and control unit, together with a representation of the position, and preferably also the orientation, of the instrument. The image display and control unit is embodied to accept user inputs via displayed control elements and to transmit control signals to the data processing and image generating apparatus as a function of the respectively accepted user inputs.

1 . A medical system comprising an instrument ( 16 ), a position acquisition apparatus ( 12 ,  14 ) for the instrument, a data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) and an image display and control unit ( 30 ),
 of which the position acquisition apparatus ( 12 ,  14 ) is embodied to acquire a position of the instrument ( 16 ) in relation to a reference coordinate system and   of which the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) is embodied to generate an image of a body part from currently recorded or stored data representing a body part, which image reproduces a view ( 36 ) of the body part together with a representation of the position of the instrument ( 16 ) in such a way that an observer can gather the position of the instrument ( 16 ) in the body part from the image of the body part,   wherein the image display and control unit ( 30 ) is wirelessly connected to the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ), and comprises a display and input unit ( 32 ) with a closed surface, on which control elements ( 34 ) and a respective view ( 36 ) of the body part are displayed during operation, together with a representation of the position of the instrument ( 16 ), wherein the image display and control unit ( 30 ) is furthermore embodied to accept user inputs via displayed control elements ( 34 ) and to transmit control signals to those of the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) as a function of the respectively accepted user inputs.   
     
     
         2 . The medical system of  claim 1 , characterized in that, in addition to a respective position of the instrument, the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) is furthermore embodied to display in a respective view ( 36 ) of a body part a marking of a further position and/or of a target region or target volume in the body part. 
     
     
         3 . The medical system of  claim 1 , characterized in that the display and input unit ( 32 ) is embodied to display a respective view ( 36 ) of the body part with a 1:1 scale such that distances in a depicted slice plane of a body part are at least approximately identical to a distance along the slice plane in the body part itself. 
     
     
         4 . The medical system of  claim 1 , characterized in that the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) is embodied to access different data representing a respective body part, wherein the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) is accordingly embodied to generate an image, as desired, which image is based on respectively selected data representing a respective body part, and the image display and control unit is embodied to ( 30 ) display one or more control elements ( 34 ), which permit a selection to be made between various data representing a respective body part and, hence, the corresponding image display, wherein the image display and control unit ( 30 ) generates a control signal when an appropriate control element ( 34 ) is actuated, which control signal causes the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) to generate an image on the basis of the correspondingly selected data representing a body part of the patient. 
     
     
         5 . The medical system of  claim 1 , characterized in that the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) is embodied to store a displayed image in such a way that it can be recalled at a later time, and in that the image display and control unit ( 30 ) comprises a corresponding control element ( 34 ), wherein the image display and control unit ( 30 ) generates a control signal when said control element is actuated, which control signal causes the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) to store a respectively currently displayed image when the control element ( 34 ) is actuated. 
     
     
         6 . The medical system of  claim 1 , characterized in that the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) is embodied to store an image sequence in the style of a film and in that the image display and control unit ( 30 ) comprises a corresponding control element ( 34 ), wherein the image display and control unit ( 30 ) generates a control signal when said control element is actuated, which control signal causes the data processing and image generating apparatus to record an image sequence within the meaning of a film. 
     
     
         7 . The medical system of  claim 6 , characterized in that the image display and control unit ( 30 ) is embodied to modify a display of the control element ( 34 ) for triggering the recording of an image sequence in the case of an actuation which starts the recording of an image sequence. 
     
     
         8 . The medical system of  claim 6 , characterized in that the image display and control unit ( 30 ) is embodied in such a way that it generates a control signal in the case of a second actuation of the control element ( 34 ) for recording image sequences, which control signal causes the data processing and image generating apparatus ( 20 ) to stop the recording of a respective image sequence. 
     
     
         9 . The medical system of  claim 7 , characterized in that the image display and control unit ( 30 ) is embodied in such a way that, in the case of the respective second actuation of the control element ( 34 ), it once again brings to display the original display of this control element ( 34 ) prior to triggering the recording of an image sequence.