Patents Assigned to X-Nav Technologies, LLC
  • Patent number: 12597153
    Abstract: A visual guidance system for use in a surgical procedure include a calibration operation of a tip of a surgical drill. In particular, the system includes capturing images of a drill tip and generating a reconstruction volume shape of the drill tip to enable tracking of the drill tip. The system captures images of the drill tip in tilting motion to determine cutting edge contour data of the drill tip. The system further captures images of the drill tip in rotation and identifies point cloud data of the drill tip. The system further includes generating a three-dimensional surface data of the drill tip, a cutting plane, and a cutting edge contour of the drill tip. Given the three dimensional surface data and plane data, the system further generates guidance data for providing a navigation on surgical procedure using three-dimensional graphical representation of the surgical drill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott A. Merritt, Justin Blaber, Sarah O'Brien
  • Patent number: 12396804
    Abstract: A landmark registration registers landmark points of navigation guidance information for performing a navigational guidance of a surgery procedure. The registration operation comprises a landmark point identification procedure and a landmark matching procedure. In particular, the present case is directed to automatically identifying three or more landmark points in an anatomy image by using a model according to shapes of a bone ridge depicted in the anatomy image. A graphical user interface enables interactively confirming locations of the three or more landmark points in the anatomy image. Given the identified three or more landmark points, the present case further describes interactively matching respective locations of the respective landmark points in the anatomy image with physical locations of a probe tip in anatomy according to deviation information of the probe tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2025
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2025
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Gibbs, Scott A. Merritt, Robert W. Emery, III, Pascal Kunz, Edward J. Marandola, Christopher W. Scharff
  • Publication number: 20250228623
    Abstract: A landmark registration registers landmark points of navigation guidance information for performing a navigational guidance of a surgery procedure. The registration operation comprises a landmark point identification procedure and a landmark matching procedure. In particular, the present case is directed to automatically identifying three or more landmark points in an anatomy image by using a model according to shapes of a bone ridge depicted in the anatomy image. A graphical user interface enables interactively confirming locations of the three or more landmark points in the anatomy image. Given the identified three or more landmark points, the present case further describes interactively matching respective locations of the respective landmark points in the anatomy image with physical locations of a probe tip in anatomy according to deviation information of the probe tip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2025
    Publication date: July 17, 2025
    Applicant: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Gibbs, Scott A. Merritt, Robert W. Emery, III, Pascal Kunz, Edward J. Marandola, Christopher W. Scharff
  • Publication number: 20230355367
    Abstract: An approach is disclosed that involves creating an implant-supported prosthesis that is dynamically guided into position using an image-guided navigation system into position in a patient’s mouth without the use of a surgical guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Applicant: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert W. Emery, III, Scott A. Merritt, Lars Hansson
  • Patent number: 11771537
    Abstract: An approach is disclosed that involves creating an implant-supported prosthesis that is dynamically guided into position using an image-guided navigation system into position in a patient's mouth without the use of a surgical guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert W. Emery, III, Scott A. Merritt, Lars Hansson
  • Patent number: 11510638
    Abstract: A method for referencing a tracking system's coordinate frame to a rigid body's coordinate frame is disclosed. The method involves obtaining a 3D model depicting some of the surfaces of the rigid body. A probe is provided with an affixed tracking reference component. A second tracking reference component is attached to the rigid body. The method involves tracking locations of the probe as it moves along surfaces of the rigid body and then determining a transform that relates the probe locations to the 3D model of the rigid body. In one embodiment the rigid body is a dental mandible or maxilla of a patient and the 3D model is a surface extracted from a computed tomography image of the patient's jaw and teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Scott A. Merritt
  • Patent number: 10639204
    Abstract: A navigation and monitoring system to track positions of surgical components during surgery of a patient. Some embodiments include a power source to emit a tracking signal during surgery of the patient, a first sensor mounted to a region of the patient to respond to the emitted tracking signal, and a control unit to track a position of the region relative to a fixed region of the patient as the region moves with respect to the fixed region, based on the response of the first sensor. The system can calibrate and register a movable reference point of the patient relative to a fixed reference point, and can maintain that reference point when the movable reference point moves in space during a surgical process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Cheung, Joshua Campbell
  • Patent number: 10350008
    Abstract: A visual guidance system for use in a surgical procedure. The system includes an image processing unit programmed to receive a three-dimensional image of a surgical area, information on an instrument being used in the procedure, and a surgical plan including a planned trajectory that the instrument should follow. The image processing unit generates a derived representation of the surgical procedure depicting the movement of the instrument on the three-dimensional image. A graphical guidance indicator is disposed on the three-dimensional image with a center point of the graphical guidance indicator centered on the planned trajectory, the graphical guidance indicator being displayed orthogonal to the planned trajectory. The derived image and the graphical guidance indicator depict at least five degrees of freedom of motion of the instrument. The graphical guidance indicator is changed based on the movement of the instrument in accordance with the surgical plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Gibbs, Scott A. Merritt, Edward J. Marandola, Christopher W. Scharff, Glenn A. Straub, Robert W. Emery, III
  • Patent number: 9943374
    Abstract: An image guidance system for tracking a surgical instrument during a surgical procedure. The image guidance system includes a plurality of cameras adapted to be located external to a surgical area for capturing images of optically visible patterns. A processing system receives and processes the images to recognize the patterns and triangulate the locations and orientations of each pattern relative to a camera. The processing system uses a reference dataset to recognize the patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott A. Merritt, Robert W. Emery, III, Edward J. Marandola, Christopher W. Scharff
  • Patent number: 9844324
    Abstract: An image guidance system for tracking a surgical instrument within the oral cavity. The image guidance system includes a plurality of cameras adapted to be located within the oral cavity to provide intraoral images of optically visible patterns within oral cavity. A processing system receives and processes the intraoral images to recognize patterns and triangulate the locations and orientations of each camera. The processing system uses a reference dataset which defines a reference coordinate system based on alignment to a portion of the oral anatomy. The processing system determines the location and orientation of the tracked instrument based on the reference dataset. In an embodiment, the system includes an oral fixture that is removably attachable to teeth in a patient and is configured to hold one of the cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott A. Merritt, Robert W. Emery, III, Edward J. Marandola, Christopher W. Scharff
  • Publication number: 20170290554
    Abstract: A method for referencing a tracking system's coordinate frame to a rigid body's coordinate frame is disclosed. The method involves obtaining a 3D model depicting some of the surfaces of the rigid body. A probe is provided with an affixed tracking reference component. A second tracking reference component is attached to the rigid body. The method involves tracking locations of the probe as it moves along surfaces of the rigid body and then determining a transform that relates the probe locations to the 3D model of the rigid body. In one embodiment the rigid body is a dental mandible or maxilla of a patient and the 3D model is a surface extracted from a computed tomography image of the patient's jaw and teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Applicant: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Scott A. Merritt
  • Patent number: 9402691
    Abstract: An image guidance system for tracking a surgical instrument during a surgical procedure. The image guidance system includes a plurality of cameras adapted to be located external to a surgical area for capturing images of optically visible patterns. A processing system receives and processes the images to recognize the patterns and triangulate the locations and orientations of each pattern relative to a camera. The processing system uses a reference dataset which defines a reference coordinate system based on alignment to a portion of the oral anatomy. The processing system determines the location and orientation of the tracked instrument based on the reference dataset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott A. Merritt, Robert W. Emery, III, Edward J. Marandola, Christopher W. Scharff
  • Publication number: 20140272773
    Abstract: An image guidance system for tracking a surgical instrument within the oral cavity. The image guidance system includes a plurality of cameras adapted to be located within the oral cavity to provide intraoral images of optically visible patterns within oral cavity. A processing system receives and processes the intraoral images to recognize patterns and triangulate the locations and orientations of each camera. The processing system uses a reference dataset which defines a reference coordinate system based on alignment to a portion of the oral anatomy. The processing system determines the location and orientation of the tracked instrument based on the reference dataset. In an embodiment, the system includes an oral fixture that is removably attachable to teeth in a patient and is configured to hold one of the cameras.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott A. Merritt, Robert W. Emery, Edward J. Marandola, Christopher W. Scharff
  • Patent number: D776813
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Pete Evans
  • Patent number: D1090842
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2025
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Merritt
  • Patent number: D1091821
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2025
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Merritt
  • Patent number: D1099316
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2025
    Assignee: X-Nav Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Merritt