Abstract: A system and method of operating a surgical navigation system to determine the location of a point of interest (POI) in a 3D coordinate frame of a surgical tool (tool frame) using a calibrated imaging device to capture an image of a portion of the surgical tool's surface the calibrated imaging device having calibration data that enables a processor of the surgical navigation system to map from a 2D location in the image to a projection line in a 3D coordinate frame of the imaging device (image frame). The system is operated to determine a mapping between an image frame and a tool frame. The processor is operated to determine the location of the POI in the tool frame based on the image and the mapping between the image frame and the tool frame.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing at least one fixture for use in an image guidance system for determining a registration coordinate mapping between a human jaw and a volumetric image of that jaw. The system includes one or more channeled trays and a moldable thermoplastic material for inserting into a channeled tray. The moldable thermoplastic material is hardenable into an impression part such that when mated to the at least a portion of the human jaw and held within the channel of the channeled tray, the impression part resists displacement relative to the human jaw. At least one channeled tray in the system includes a fiducial region detectable in the volumetric CT image in a fixed spatial relation relative to the coupling surface region and at least one channeled tray is pose-trackable by the image guidance system.

Abstract: Systems and methods of tracking a head of a patient are provided. The system includes a motion tracking system and a head tracker. The head tracker includes a frame, at least one trackable target coupled to the frame, at least one nose pad coupled to the frame, and a pair of adjustable ear coupling members coupled to the frame and shaped for engaging with at least a portion of a back surface of an ear of the patient. The head tracker is configured to apply a clamping force to hold the trackable target in a stable spatial relationship with a location of interest in the head. The motion tracking system includes a sensor for tracking the trackable target and a processor configured for determining a position of the location of interest from the position and orientation of the trackable target and the stable spatial relationship.

Abstract: A system and method of operating a surgical navigation system to determine the location of a point of interest (POI) in a 3D coordinate frame of a surgical tool (tool frame) using a calibrated imaging device to capture an image of a portion of the surgical tool's surface the calibrated imaging device having calibration data that enables a processor of the surgical navigation system to map from a 2D location in the image to a projection line in a 3D coordinate frame of the imaging device (image frame). The system is operated to determine a mapping between an image frame and a tool frame. The processor is operated to determine the location of the POI in the tool frame based on the image and the mapping between the image frame and the tool frame.

Abstract: Surgical systems and methods of controlling a surgical instrument are provided. The system includes a surgical instrument having a cutting portion and a body, the body having a handle, a drive motor for driving the cutting portion in a rotating, a reciprocating or a vibrating motion, a plurality of adjustment motors for adjusting a cutting pose of the cutting portion relative to the handle; and, a controller configured to measure the deviations between the cutting pose and a desired pose of the cutting portion and to activate the adjustment motors to reduce those deviations. The method involves coupling a cutting portion of a surgical instrument to a plurality of adjustment motors; holding the handle of the surgical instrument; operating a controller to measure deviations between a cutting pose and a desired pose; and operating the adjustment motors to adjust the cutting pose relative to the handle to reduce the deviations.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for measuring changes in a pose of a human jaw within a coordinate system of a pose tracking system. The method involves providing a configurable arm; configuring the configurable arm such that at least one rigid target portion of the configurable arm is compliant with operational conditions of the pose tracking system when a selected anchor region of a surface of an anchor portion of the configurable arm is in close proximity to a selected attachment region of the human jaw; positioning the configurable arm such that the anchor region is in close proximity to the attachment region; applying and curing a paste to rigidly couple the anchor region to the attachment region, and operating the pose tracking system to measure changes to the pose of the at least one rigid target portion when the configurable arm is rigidly coupled to the human jaw.

Abstract: A kit and method for tracking a human jaw are provided. The kit and method can involve a bone screw and an extension arm. The bone screw has a threaded portion, a head portion and a longitudinal axis. The threaded portion can have a thread diameter of less than or equal to about 2.5 mm and can be inserted into a bone of the human jaw within 45° of the occlusal plane. The head portion protrudes out of the bone of the human jaw when the threaded portion is inserted into the bone. The extension arm can be rigidly secured to the head portion of the bone screw to maintain a fixed spatial mapping between the head portion of the bone screw and an optically detectable marking provided on the extension arm. When secured to the head portion of the bone screw, the extension arm can be positioned such that the optically detectable marking is detectable by an optical tracking system positioned outside the mouth containing the jaw bone.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and kit are provided for registering a human jaw with a CT image of the human jaw. The apparatus includes a moldable retainer and an arm having a moldable link portion and a rigid fixation portion. The link portion is attachable to the retainer and hardenable to maintain a fixed mapping between the fixation portion and the retainer. The fixation portion includes a CT marker connection region for detachably attaching a CT marker that includes a fiducial. The fixation portion also includes a tag connection region for detachably attaching a tag that is trackable by a pose measurement system. The pose of the tag connection region relative to a pose of the CT marker connection region is fixed prior to attaching either the tag or the CT marker, providing a known and fixed tag to fiducial coordinate mapping.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system are provided for registering a human jaw with a volumetric computed tomography image of that jaw positioned in an image reference coordinate system and stored in a computer-readable memory. The method involves attaching a jaw marker to the jaw to establish a pose trackable jaw reference coordinate system; moving a surface sampling tool over at least one portion of the surface of the jaw while operating a pose tracking system and a computer processor to record samples in the jaw reference coordinate system indicative of locations within the at least one portion of the surface of the jaw; operating a computer processor to determine an approximate initial registration mapping; then beginning with the approximate initial registration mapping, incrementally adjust the registration mapping. Incrementally adjusting the registration mapping involves computing an edge proximity value at each sample location mapped to the image by the registration mapping.

Abstract: Systems and methods of tracking a head of a patient are provided. The system includes a motion tracking system and a head tracker. The head tracker includes a frame, at least one trackable target coupled to the frame, at least one nose pad coupled to the frame, and a pair of adjustable ear coupling members coupled to the frame and shaped for engaging with at least a portion of a back surface of an ear of the patient. The head tracker is configured to apply a clamping force to hold the trackable target in a stable spatial relationship with a location of interest in the head. The motion tracking system includes a sensor for tracking the trackable target and a processor configured for determining a position of the location of interest from the position and orientation of the trackable target and the stable spatial relationship.

Abstract: Surgical systems and methods of controlling a surgical instrument are provided. The system includes a surgical instrument having a cutting portion and a body, the body having a handle, a drive motor for driving the cutting portion in a rotating, a reciprocating or a vibrating motion, a plurality of adjustment motors for adjusting a cutting pose of the cutting portion relative to the handle; and, a controller configured to measure the deviations between the cutting pose and a desired pose of the cutting portion and to activate the adjustment motors to reduce those deviations. The method involves coupling a cutting portion of a surgical instrument to a plurality of adjustment motors; holding the handle of the surgical instrument; operating a controller to measure deviations between a cutting pose and a desired pose; and operating the adjustment motors to adjust the cutting pose relative to the handle to reduce the deviations.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for measuring changes in a pose of a human jaw within a coordinate system of a pose tracking system. The method involves providing a configurable arm; configuring the configurable arm such that at least one rigid target portion of the configurable arm is compliant with operational conditions of the pose tracking system when a selected anchor region of a surface of an anchor portion of the configurable arm is in close proximity to a selected attachment region of the human jaw; positioning the configurable arm such that the anchor region is in close proximity to the attachment region; applying and curing a paste to rigidly couple the anchor region to the attachment region, and operating the pose tracking system to measure changes to the pose of the at least one rigid target portion when the configurable arm is rigidly coupled to the human jaw.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system are provided for registering a human jaw with a volumetric computed tomography image of that jaw positioned in an image reference coordinate system and stored in a computer-readable memory. The method involves attaching a jaw marker to the jaw to establish a pose trackable jaw reference coordinate system; moving a surface sampling tool over at least one portion of the surface of the jaw while operating a pose tracking system and a computer processor to record samples in the jaw reference coordinate system indicative of locations within the at least one portion of the surface of the jaw; operating a computer processor to determine an approximate initial registration mapping; then beginning with the approximate initial registration mapping, incrementally adjust the registration mapping. Incrementally adjusting the registration mapping involves computing an edge proximity value at each sample location mapped to the image by the registration mapping.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and kit are provided for registering a human jaw with a CT image of the human jaw. The apparatus includes a moldable retainer and an arm having a moldable link portion and a rigid fixation portion. The link portion is attachable to the retainer and hardenable to maintain a fixed mapping between the fixation portion and the retainer. The fixation portion includes a CT marker connection region for detachably attaching a CT marker that includes a fiducial. The fixation portion also includes a tag connection region for detachably attaching a tag that is trackable by a pose measurement system. The pose of the tag connection region relative to a pose of the CT marker connection region is fixed prior to attaching either the tag or the CT marker, providing a known and fixed tag to fiducial coordinate mapping.

Abstract: A medical or dental cart for carrying medical or dental instruments. The cart comprises a base, a back pillar mounted on the base, a boom arm connected to the back pillar using hinged joints, and an instrument carrier connected to the boom arm using hinged joints. The instrument carrier is configured to carry medical or dental instruments. The hinged joints are configured such that the boom arm is rotatable toward the base and away from the base, and such that the instrument carrier is held at a substantially fixed orientation relative to the base throughout the range of motion of the boom arm. The hinged joints are also configured to impede sideways rotation, thereby impeding movement of the instrument carrier in a substantially sideways direction and thus impeding sideways tipping of the cart.

Abstract: A medical or dental cart for carrying medical or dental instruments. The cart comprises a base, a back pillar mounted on the base, a boom arm connected to the back pillar using hinged joints, and an instrument carrier connected to the boom arm using hinged joints. The instrument carrier is configured to carry medical or dental instruments. The hinged joints are configured such that the boom arm is rotatable toward the base and away from the base, and such that the instrument carrier is held at a substantially fixed orientation relative to the base throughout the range of motion of the boom arm. The hinged joints are also configured to impede sideways rotation, thereby impeding movement of the instrument carrier in a substantially sideways direction and thus impeding sideways tipping of the cart.

Abstract: An apparatus and system are provided for registering a human jaw with a scanned image of the human jaw. The apparatus is repeatably attachable to the jaw and comprises a fiducial body. The surface of the fiducial body includes a plurality of feature regions and defines a fiducial plane. The fiducial body has a curved profile shaped to follow the curve of the jaw when the appliance is attached to the jaw. When the jaw is scanned with the appliance attached thereto, a representation of at least a portion of the surface of the fiducial body is identifiable as a boundary in the scanned image. A unique coordinate mapping between the fiducial body and the scanned image is determinable from the fiducial plane and the plurality of geometrical characteristics at least one and fewer than three feature regions. The system comprises a scanner and a data processor.

Abstract: A surgical instrument tracking assembly includes a trackable target and an adapter that can be rigidly coupled to the trackable target such that the pose of the adapter can be determined from the pose of the trackable target. The tracking assembly also includes stretchable tape for stretchably winding around the adapter and a surgical instrument to provide a tensile clamping force holding the adapter to the surgical instrument in a fixed, stable, spatial relationship so that a pose of the surgical instrument is determinable from the pose of the adapter. The stretchable tape may be highly elastic to provide a long-lasting tensile clamping force, sufficiently strong to resist tearing when being stretched by a human hand, and self-engaging such that once the tape is wound on itself, the long-lasting tensile clamping force of the winding is maintained even when the pulling force is removed.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are described herein for registering an anatomical region with a scanned image of the anatomical region.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are described herein for registering an anatomical region with a scanned image of the anatomical region.