Method for conducting a guided intracranial surgical procedure
A reference device with maxillofacial markers and robotic arm communication ensures precise hole formation and entry into intracranial regions by providing tactile feedback during robotic surgeries, addressing the lack of precision in existing procedures.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- HK · HK
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NEOCIS INC
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-10
AI Technical Summary
Existing surgical procedures for forming holes through the skull into intracranial regions lack precise control and feedback mechanisms, particularly during robotic-assisted surgeries, leading to potential deviations from planned trajectories.
A reference device engages with maxillofacial anatomy markers, communicating with a robotic arm to execute a virtual surgical plan, providing tactile feedback when deviations occur.
Ensures precise and controlled hole formation and entry into intracranial anatomy by adjusting the surgical execution device's movement relative to the virtual plan, minimizing deviations and enhancing surgical precision.
Smart Images
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Description
An intracranial surgical procedure includes engaging a reference device with reference markers to the patient's maxillofacial anatomy. The reference device is arranged to communicate with a tracking arm, which is arranged to communicate with a robotic arm having a surgical execution device engaged at its distal end. A virtual surgical plan is prepared, registered with and relative to the reference markers, for forming a hole through the skull into an intracranial region, and for entering the relevant intracranial anatomy through the hole. Movement of the surgical execution device is physically adjusted relative to the reference markers via the robotic arm, according to the virtual surgical plan and in proportion to the physical manipulation of the surgical execution device during hole formation and entry into the relevant intracranial anatomy. Tactile feedback is provided via the surgical execution device if the physical manipulation of the surgical execution device deviates from the virtual surgical plan.
Claims
THAT WHICH IS CLAIMED:
1. A method of conducting an intracranial procedure, comprising: engaging a fiducial device with maxillofacial anatomy of a patient, the fiducial device having a fiducial marker engaged therewith and being arranged in communication with a tracking arm, and the tracking arm being arranged in communication with a robot arm having a procedure-conducting device engaged with a distal end thereof; forming a virtual procedure plan for forming a bore through a skull and into an intracranial region of the patient, and for accessing intracranial anatomy at issue through the bore to conduct the intracranial procedure, in registration with and relative to the fiducial marker; physically regulating movement of the procedure-conducting device via the robot arm, and relative to the fiducial marker, in accordance with the virtual procedure plan and commensurately with physical manipulation of the procedure-conducting device during forming the bore and during accessing the intracranial anatomy at issue; and providing tactile feedback, via the procedure-conducting device, if the physical manipulation of the procedure-conducting device deviates from the virtual procedure plan.
2. The method of Claim 1, comprising imaging the intracranial anatomy at issue, the maxillofacial anatomy, and the fiducial marker engaged with the fiducial device to facilitate registration of the virtual procedure plan with the fiducial marker.
3. The method of Claim 1, wherein engaging the fiducial device with the maxillofacial anatomy of the patient, comprises engaging the fiducial device with an upper jaw or with one or more teeth of the upper jaw of the patient.
4. The method of Claim 1, wherein engaging the fiducial device with the maxillofacial anatomy of the patient, comprises engaging a splint device with an upper jaw or with one or more teeth of the upper jaw of the patient.
5. The method of Claim 1, wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises allowing movement of the procedure-conducting device in accordance with the virtual procedure plan, and physically preventing movement of the procedure-conducting device deviating from the virtual procedure plan.
6. The method of Claim 1, wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises allowing movement of the procedure-conducting device along a route to the intracranial anatomy at issue defined by the virtual procedure plan, and physically preventing movement of the procedure-conducting device deviating from the route defined by the virtual procedure plan.
7. The method of Claim 1, wherein forming a virtual procedure plan comprises defining virtual boundaries about anatomical stmctures to be avoided by the procedure-conducting device during forming the bore and during accessing the intracranial anatomy at issue, and wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises providing tactile feedback via the procedure-conducting device if the procedureconducting device contacts any of the virtual boundaries during forming the bore or during accessing the intracranial anatomy at issue.
8. The method of Claim 1, wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises vibrating the procedure-conducting device if movement of the procedure-conducting device deviates from the virtual procedure plan.
9. The method of Claim 1, wherein physically regulating movement of the procedureconducting device comprises physically regulating movement of the procedure-conducting device via the robot arm physically engaged with the procedure-conducting device and the fiducial device via the tracking arm, the robot arm being responsive to a controller to physically regulate the physical manipulation of the procedure-conducting device according to the virtual procedure plan.
10. The method of Claim 1, wherein the robot arm comprises a plurality of arm segments serially engaged via respective joints, and wherein physically regulating movement of the procedureconducting device comprises physically regulating movement of the procedure-conducting device by regulating one or more degrees of freedom of at least one of the joints of the robot arm.
11. The method of Claim 1, comprising mounting the tracking arm and the robot arm to a common base such that the tracking arm is in physical communication with the robot arm.
12. The method of Claim 1, comprising engaging the tracking arm with the fiducial device, such that the tracking arm is in physical communication with the fiducial marker via the fiducial device.
13. The method of Claim 1, comprising engaging the tracking arm with the fiducial device, such that the tracking arm is in non-physical communication with the fiducial marker.
14. The method of Claim 13, wherein engaging the tracking arm with the fiducial device comprises engaging the tracking arm with the fiducial device via a wireless communication arrangement, a WiFi communication arrangement, an electrical communication arrangement, an electromechanical communication arrangement, an optical communication arrangement, a magnetic communicationarrangement, an electromagnetic communication arrangement, or an infrared communication arrangement, such that the tracking arm is in non-physical communication with the fiducial marker.
15. The method of Claim 1, wherein the procedure-conducting device includes and is arranged to interchangeably receive a first end effector configured to form the bore and a second end effector configured to access the intracranial anatomy at issue.
16. The method of Claim 1, wherein the intracranial procedure comprises a cochlear implant procedure, and the procedure-conducting device comprises a bore-forming and implantation device, and wherein forming a virtual procedure plan comprises forming a virtual cochlear implant plan for forming the bore through the skull and into a middle ear of the patient, and for implanting a cochlear implant in the middle ear through the bore, in registration with and relative to the fiducial marker.
17. The method of Claim 16, wherein physically regulating movement of the procedureconducting device comprises physically regulating movement of the bore-forming and implantation device via the robot arm, and relative to the fiducial marker, in accordance with the virtual cochlear implant plan and commensurately with physical manipulation of the bore-forming and implantation device during forming the bore and during implanting the cochlear implant.
18. The method of Claim 17, wherein providing tactile feedback comprises providing tactile feedback, via the bore-forming and implantation device, if the physical manipulation of the bore-forming and implantation device deviates from the virtual cochlear implant plan.
19. The method of Claim 18, comprising imaging the inner ear, the maxillofacial anatomy, and the fiducial marker engaged with the fiducial device to facilitate registration of the virtual cochlear implant plan with the fiducial marker.
20. The method of Claim 18, wherein engaging the fiducial device with the maxillofacial anatomy of the patient, comprises engaging the fiducial device with an upper jaw or with one or more teeth of the upper jaw of the patient.
21. The method of Claim 18, wherein engaging the fiducial device with the maxillofacial anatomy of the patient, comprises engaging a splint device with an upper jaw or with one or more teeth of the upper jaw of the patient.
22. The method of Claim 18, wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises allowing movement of the bore-forming and implantation device in accordance with the virtual cochlear implant plan,and physically preventing movement of the bore-forming and implantation device deviating from the virtual cochlear implant plan.
23. The method of Claim 18, wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises allowing movement of the bore-forming and implantation device along a route to the inner ear defined by the virtual cochlear implant plan, and physically preventing movement of the bore-forming and implantation device deviating from the route defined by the virtual cochlear implant plan.
24. The method of Claim 18, wherein forming a virtual cochlear implant plan comprises defining virtual boundaries about anatomical structures to be avoided by the bore-forming and implantation device during forming the bore and during implanting the cochlear implant, and wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises providing tactile feedback via the bore-forming and implantation device if the bore-forming and implantation device contacts any of the virtual boundaries during forming the bore or during implanting the cochlear implant.
25. The method of Claim 18, wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises vibrating the bore-forming and implantation device if movement of the bore-forming and implantation device deviates from the virtual cochlear implant plan.
26. The method of Claim 18, wherein physically regulating movement of the bore-forming and implantation device comprises physically regulating movement of the bore-forming and implantation device via the robot arm physically engaged with the bore-forming and implantation device and the fiducial device via the tracking arm, the robot arm being responsive to a controller to physically regulate the physical manipulation of the bore-forming and implantation device according to the virtual cochlear implant plan.
27. The method of Claim 18, wherein the robot arm comprises a plurality of arm segments serially engaged via respective joints, and wherein physically regulating movement of the bore-forming and implantation device comprises physically regulating movement of the bore-forming and implantation device by regulating one or more degrees of freedom of at least one of the joints of the robot arm.
28. The method of Claim 18, comprising mounting the tracking arm and the robot arm to a common base such that the tracking arm is in physical communication with the robot arm.
29. The method of Claim 18, comprising engaging the tracking arm with the fiducial device, such that the tracking arm is in physical communication with the fiducial marker via the fiducial device.
30. The method of Claim 18, comprising engaging the tracking arm with the fiducial device, such that the tracking arm is in non-physical communication with the fiducial marker.
31. The method of Claim 30, wherein engaging the tracking arm with the fiducial device comprises engaging the tracking arm with the fiducial device via a wireless communication arrangement, a WiFi communication arrangement, an electrical communication arrangement, an electromechanical communication arrangement, an optical communication arrangement, a magnetic communication arrangement, an electromagnetic communication arrangement, or an infrared communication arrangement, such that the tracking arm is in non-physical communication with the fiducial marker.
32. The method of Claim 18, wherein the bore-forming and implantation device includes and is arranged to interchangeably receive a first end effector configured to form the bore and a second end effector configured to implant the cochlear implant within the bore.
33. The method of Claim 1, wherein the intracranial procedure comprises an intracranial procedure in a region about a base of the skull, and wherein forming the virtual procedure plan comprises forming the virtual procedure plan for trans-nasally forming the bore through the skull and into the region about the base of the skull of the patient, and for accessing the intracranial anatomy at issue through the bore, in registration with and relative to the fiducial marker.
34. The method of Claim 33, wherein forming the virtual procedure plan comprises forming the virtual procedure plan including defining a virtual intra-nasal boundary about intra-nasal anatomical structures to be avoided by the procedure-conducting device during forming the bore.
35. The method of Claim 34, wherein physically regulating movement of the procedureconducting device comprises physically regulating movement of the procedure-conducting device via the robot arm, and relative to the fiducial marker, in accordance with the virtual procedure plan and commensurately with physical manipulation of the procedure-conducting device during forming the bore and during accessing the intracranial anatomy at issue such that movement of the procedure-conducting device is constrained within the virtual intra-nasal boundary.
36. The method of Claim 34, wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises providing tactile feedback via the procedure-conducting device if the procedure-conducting device contacts the virtual intra-nasal boundary during forming the bore or during accessing the intracranial anatomy at issue.
37. The method of Claim 33, wherein the procedure-conducting device includes and is arranged to receive at least a first end effector configured to form the bore, and wherein forming the virtual procedureplan comprises forming the virtual procedure plan including defining a virtual intra-nasal boundary configured as a conical frustrum having a major diameter end and an opposing minor diameter end, the conical frustrum being configured and arranged to avoid intra-nasal anatomical structures, with the minor diameter end being disposed about an intra-nasal site for forming the bore through the skull.
38. The method of Claim 37, wherein physically regulating movement of the procedureconducting device comprises physically regulating movement of the procedure-conducting device and the first end effector via the robot arm, and relative to the fiducial marker, in accordance with the virtual procedure plan and commensurately with physical manipulation of the procedure-conducting device and the first end effector during forming the bore and during accessing the intracranial anatomy at issue such that movement of the procedure-conducting device and the first end effector are constrained within the virtual intra-nasal boundary.
39. The method of Claim 37, wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises providing tactile feedback via the procedure-conducting device if the procedure-conducting device of the first end effector contacts the virtual intra-nasal boundary during forming the bore or during accessing the intracranial anatomy at issue.