Patents Assigned to BrainLAB AG
  • Patent number: 8126535
    Abstract: A marker navigation system for detecting and displaying locations of at least two reference devices, each reference device attachable to a corresponding object includes a detection device for detecting signals emitted from the at least two reference devices, a display device for displaying the locations of the at least two reference devices and/or the objects attached to the at least two reference devices based in accordance with display signals; and a data processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Christian Maier, Jörg Uhde, Manfred Weiser
  • Patent number: 8118029
    Abstract: A patient lateral positioning device for pelvic treatments suitable to support a patient in a defined lateral position includes a vacuum mattress. The vacuum mattress includes an upper body support attachable to an upper body portion of the patient, and a lower body support attachable to a lower body portion of the patient. A region between said upper and lower body support is formed such that when the vacuum mattress is attached to the patient, both a front pelvic side and an upper pelvic side of the patient are exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Sabine Gneiting, Benjamin Wagner, Florian Schindler
  • Patent number: 8104957
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calibrating a C-arm x-ray apparatus, comprising the following steps: a) the C-arm x-ray apparatus is moved to an initial position, in particular to an anterior-posterior position; b) a calibration image is produced; c) the position of the centre of projection in the radiation source of the C-arm x-ray apparatus is determined from the information of the calibration image and stored together with associated values for the orbital angle and the polar angle of the arm of the C-arm x-ray apparatus; d) the arm is moved to a number of calibration positions in a range of orbital angles and polar angles, and the relative position of the radiation source and the image intensifier of the C-arm x-ray apparatus is directly measured for each calibration position; e) the change in the position of the radiation source relative to the image intensifier of the C-arm x-ray apparatus is measured for each calibration position; f) the position of the centre of projection which applies to each
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Christian Maier, Jörg Uhde
  • Patent number: 8105307
    Abstract: A device and method for determining at least one infusion and/or injection region for infusing and/or injecting a medical drug into a heterogeneous body structure in order to achieve a distribution of the medical drug in a desired target region of the heterogeneous body structure is provided. The device and method provide at least one property of the heterogeneous body structure that influences the spatial distribution of the medical drug in the heterogeneous body structure; and determine the at least one infusion and/or injection region from which the medical drug is to be transported through the heterogeneous body structure to the at least one target region as a function of the at least one property of the heterogeneous body structure and a position of the desired target region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventor: Maria Inmaculada Rodriguez Ponce
  • Patent number: 8104958
    Abstract: The present application relates to an x-ray marker device comprising an arrangement of x-ray markers, wherein the arrangement defines straight lines which are referred to as device straight lines, wherein at least some of the device straight lines, which are referred to as pyramid straight lines, comprise portions which define edges of at least one pyramid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Manfred Weiser, Rupert Heigl
  • Patent number: 8104477
    Abstract: The fastening device in accordance with the invention is directed to a pin for securing the position of a part of a body, (for example, a head) for medical procedures. The fastening device can have an improved geometry, can be made from materials including unsubstituted, monosubstituted or multisubstituted polyphenylene, and/or silicon nitride ceramic, and can be made of one or more pieces. The fastening device in accordance with the invention produces improved performance with respect to the criteria of biocompatibility, ability to be sterilized, resistance to mechanical stress, and reduced artifact creation in medical imaging methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Martin Edlauer, Christian Radina
  • Patent number: 8096163
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for verifying the calibration status of an optical tracking system (1), wherein: a calibration apparatus (20, 40), which comprises a tracking marker configuration (27, 28; 41, 42), is moved to within the detection range of the tracking system (1); the tracking markers (27, 28; 41, 42) of the calibration apparatus (20, 40) are detected by the tracking system; the arrangement of the tracking markers (27, 28; 41, 42) is changed and/or moved into a state such that the tracking system (1) experiences a detection problem; the arrangement of the tracking markers (27, 28; 41, 42) which causes the detection problem is gauged and/or a range of arrangements for the tracking markers (27, 28; 41, 42) which causes the detection problem is gauged; and the tracking system (1) is determined to have a calibration error when the gauged arrangement and/or range of arrangements does not have a predetermined value or is not within a predetermined range of values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventor: Gunter Goldbach
  • Patent number: 8092400
    Abstract: The present application relates to a method for determining the position or relative position of body parts, taking into account the anatomical symmetry, wherein at least one first-side body part is provided on the first side of an anatomical body, and at least one second-side body part is provided on the second side of the anatomical body, wherein the first side is separated from the second side by a body symmetry plane, said method comprising the steps of: providing first-side body part data which describes or implies the position of the at least one first-side body part; providing second-side body part data which describes the position of the at least one second-side body part; providing symmetry plane data which describes the position of the body symmetry plane; calculating the mirrored position or mirrored positions of the at least one second-side body part which results after the position of the at least one second-side body part has been mirrored on the body symmetry plane, on the basis of the second-s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: BrainLAB AG
    Inventors: Blaine Warkentine, Herr Hansjörg Huber
  • Patent number: 8060181
    Abstract: A method for planning the placement of a device in a body includes analyzing information of at least part of the internal structure of the body of a patient to determine if at least one specific or critical region or structure lies within a region of interest, said region of interest within a predetermined distance of the planned trajectory of the device in the body. Then, a level of risk is assessed to the at least one specific or critical region or structure that is within the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Maria Inmaculada Rodriguez Ponce, Christoph Pedain, Andreas Hartlep
  • Patent number: 8059878
    Abstract: A method for registering a non-patient-characteristic three-dimensional magnetic resonance data set (MR data set) to patient-characteristic data includes: producing or providing a non-patient-characteristic three-dimensional generic model of a body or body part containing body structure data; ascertaining or providing two-dimensional patient-characteristic detection data of a patient; using a transformation protocol for data-linking the body structure data of the three-dimensional generic model to the two-dimensional patient-characteristic detection data to change or adapt the generic model of the body or body part based on the ascertained two-dimensional patient-characteristic detection data, wherein the three-dimensional generic model is at least correlated with a three-dimensional MR reference data set; and changing or deforming at least a part of the three-dimensional MR reference data set by using the transformation protocol to generate a patient-characteristic three-dimensional MR data set that is regis
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Thomas Feilkas, Claus Schaffrath
  • Patent number: 8052623
    Abstract: A system and method for computer-assisted joint analysis, wherein the joint elements in a three-dimensional imaging data set are segmented and then projected onto a two-dimensional or three-dimensional reference area for interference analysis and surgical planning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Martin Haimerl, Gregor Tuma, Florian Schindler, Marc Fricke
  • Patent number: 8055046
    Abstract: A method for generating a three-dimensional model of a structure based on at least one two-dimensional image of the structure includes obtaining a general three-dimensional model of the structure; determining at least one image feature from the at least one two-dimensional image; determining an orientation of the general three-dimensional model of the structure relative to the at least one two-dimensional image of the structure so that at least one image feature of a two-dimensional projection of the three-dimensional model match or at least approximate the at least one two-dimensional image feature; and after determining the orientation of the general three-dimensional model, morphing a form or shape of the general three-dimensional model to fit the at least one two-dimensional image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignees: Brainlab AG, AO Technology AG
    Inventors: Thomas Feilkas, Guoyan Zheng
  • Patent number: 8043295
    Abstract: A vertebral spreading instrument for moving apart two vertebrae of a spine includes a plurality of spreading fingers and a spreading mechanism for adjusting a distance between the spreading fingers. The spreading mechanism includes a first and a second part, the first and second parts each including a respective marker trackable by a navigation system. Relative positions of the first and second parts change when the distance between the spreading fingers is adjusted, and different relative positions are unequivocally assigned to different distances of the spreading fingers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Pete Reed, Claus Schaffrath, Gerhard Kleinszig, Gunther Becht
  • Patent number: 8041089
    Abstract: A method for registering an anatomical structure using at least one marker attached to the structure includes: obtaining a three-dimensional model of the structure via an imaging method; obtaining at least two two-dimensional recordings of the structure from different angles; and ascertaining a spatial position and location of the three-dimensional model or a position and location of the three-dimensional model in a patient coordinate system based on a matching method that uses the position of the at least one marker in the at least two two-dimensional mappings such that the three-dimensional model of the structure matches the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Peter Drumm, Markus Hepke
  • Patent number: 8031922
    Abstract: A method of determining in a three-dimensional operating space a measure of super-imposition M between at least a portion of an object and a spatial representation of the object or part thereof in an object representation pose, a pose comprising position and orientation in operating space includes: a) obtaining a similarity measure S between a first imaging data taken in first respective imaging poses of the object or part thereof and second imaging data comparable to the first imaging data taken in second respective imaging poses that are digitally reconstructed from the spatial representation of the object or part thereof in the object representation pose; b) locating in operating space at least one point on the surface of the object or part thereof; c) obtaining a distance measure D between the at least one point in operating space and a surface of the spatial representation of the object or part thereof in the object representation pose; and d) obtaining a measure of superimposition M by a combination
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Martin Haimerl, Florian Schindler
  • Patent number: 8023706
    Abstract: An automatic landmark determining device, includes a storage device for storing at least one anatomical sample image and at least one anatomical landmark, the at least one anatomical landmark corresponding to a characteristic location within the at least one anatomical sample image, The automatic landmark determining device also includes an input device for inputting an anatomical patient image, and a transformation device. The transformation device is configured to apply an image-adapting transformation to the at least one anatomical landmark, said image-adapting transformation corresponding to a transformation that converts the at least one anatomical sample image to the anatomical patient image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventor: Jens Witte
  • Patent number: 8018456
    Abstract: A method of determining a distance of a source point to a surface of an object in three-dimensional space, wherein the object is represented by a decision rule and a plurality of volume elements arranged in slices comprising rows and columns, wherein each volume element carries at least one value, and wherein the decision rule determines membership of each volume element to the object in accordance with the at least one value of the volume element, the method comprising: determining a contour of a representation of the object within each slice; locating on the contour of each slice a homing point closest to the source point; fitting a curve to the located homing points; determining a distance from the source point to the fitted curve; and equating the determined distance as the distance of the source point to the surface of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Andreas Blumhofer, Corinna Seltz
  • Patent number: 8014848
    Abstract: The visualization of procedural guidelines for a medical procedure, in which a medical instrument is shown in an image representation of a body portion including an area in which a medical procedure is to be carried out, wherein, in the vicinity of the functional portion of the instrument, regions or locations are indicated which are of special relevance to the procedure according to established guidelines for said procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Rainer Birkenbach, Christoph Pedain, Andreas Hartlep, Raghu Raghavan, Martin Brady
  • Patent number: 7995827
    Abstract: A system for registering a patient's body part in a medical workspace of a medical navigation system is provided, wherein the body part is supported by at least one support device. The system includes a medical navigation system including a processor and memory, a reference device coupled to the at least one support device, a tracking device communicatively coupled to the medical navigation system and operative to determine a position of the reference device; an x-ray or fluoroscopic apparatus for capturing x-ray or fluoroscopic images of the body part; and logic stored in memory and executable by the processor. The logic includes logic that eliminates an effect of image artefacts on registration of the body part, wherein the artefacts are caused by the at least one support device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: BrainLAB AG
    Inventors: Benjamin Wagner, Timo Neubauer
  • Patent number: 7993353
    Abstract: An improved marker system, components and method for use with a medical navigation system, wherein the marker system includes interchangeable tracking marker holders and fastener bases for attaching the marker holders to instruments or body parts that are to be tracked during a medical procedure. A reference star (the marker holder and tracking marker(s)) and fastener base are removably attached to one another. This enables different reference stars to be interchangeably attached to a given fastener base, or vice versa, thereby to provide the best combination of reference star and fastener base for a given application. This preferably is accomplished by a standard interface between the fastener base and the holder for the tracking markers, e.g., reflective markers. In addition, surgical instruments may have integrally formed therein the standard interface, thereby eliminating the need for a fastener base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Holger-Claus Roβner, Frank Reimold, Robert Schmidt, Rainer Birkenbach