Support assembly for a tracking assembly and mounted transrectal ultrasound probe

Abstract

Provided herein are devices and methods for supporting and positioning a tracking assembly for mounting variously configured medical devices for prostate imaging, biopsy, and other therapeutic applications. In one aspect, a support assembly provides multiple degrees of freedom for positioning a tracking assembly and mounted probe relative to a patient on a patient support structure such as an examination table or a gurney bed and / or maintaining a tracking assembly and mounted probe in a desired location throughout the rendering of imaging, biopsy, or other therapeutic procedures.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 077,017, entitled “Linear Positioning Apparatus,” and having a filing date of Jun. 30, 2008 and also claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 078,164, entitled “Tracking Device to Assist 3-D and 4-D Image Guidance,” and having a filing date of Jul. 3, 2008, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF INVENTION [0002]The present invention is directed to systems and methods for positioning and locating a medical instrument relative to a patient. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus adapted to securely position a tracker assembly, which tracks 3-D locations of a supported medical device, relative to a patient.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003]According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 234,000 new cases of prostate cancer will b...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]In yet another arrangement, movement of the support assembly may be locked into place at desired positions in relation to any degree of freedom of the support assembly. This may allow an operator to securely pre-position the attached tracking assembly prior to performing a medical procedure. For instance, the support assembly may include locking mechanisms to secure the support assembly (and thus the supported tracking assembly) at a desired longitudinal position along the length of the gurney bed, at a desired

Problems solved by technology

Such tracking assemblies are often not adapted for significant positional adjustment relative to the patient's body, as located on an examination table or a gurney bed.

In some instances, such limited tracker movement has impeded the accommodation of patients of varying heights and weights,

While extending the range of motion of the tracker assembly would apparently alleviate such pre-positioning difficulties, such expanded range of movement raises other difficulties.

Considering the limited space often available in medical examination rooms, the armatures on any given tracking assembly would be prohibitively long to accommodate the movement often necessary to pre-position the tracking assembly relative to a patient.

Beyond limited space constraints, increasing armature length to achieve necessary movement may introduce an unacceptable level of distortion into the spatial tracking of the tracking assembly.

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