Navigable system for surgical tools

Abstract

Systems and methods for navigating a surgical tool during surgical procedures. The method may include generating, acquiring, or receiving at least one image of a portion of an anatomy. The method may also include segmenting the at least one image to identify bounding structures in the portion of the anatomy, and interpolating and / or extrapolating an area of soft tissue based on the identified bounding structures. The method includes defining boundaries of the area of soft tissue. The method also includes determining a location of a tool tip of the surgical tool relative to the boundaries of the area of soft tissue; and visually displaying the location of the tool tip relative to the boundaries of the area of soft tissue. The method may include controlling operation parameters of the surgical tools based on the location of the tool tip.

Description

NAVIGABLE SYSTEM FOR SURGICAL TOOLSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 615,201 filed December 27, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.FIELD

[0002] The present technology generally relates to surgical tools, and more particularly relates to systems and methods for using instruments and systems to assist in navigating surgical procedures.BACKGROUND

[0003] Various surgical tools are often required to successfully complete surgical procedures. Certain types of tools may be required for different procedures. Mechanical surgical tools include drills, burrs, saws, shavers, scalpels, reamers, and taps. Electrosurgical tools utilize applied electrical current for cauterization, ablation, fulguration, and / or desiccation.SUMMARY

[0004] Devices of the present disclosure may be useful with a wide variety of electrosurgical procedures and may be particularly suitable for spinal disc surgery. Many of the procedures described may support improved surgical outcomes for patients. Devices according to the disclosure may thus be constructed to cut or remove tissue or to debulk a region of interest and optionally may afford hemostasis and tissue shrinkage from the target site.

[0005] Example aspects of the present disclosure include:

[0006] A method according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises generating, acquiring, or receiving at least one image of a portion of an anatomy; segmenting the at least one image to identify bounding structures in the portion of the anatomy; extrapolating and / or interpolating an area of soft tissue based on the identified bounding structures; defining boundaries of the area of soft tissue; determining a location of a tool tip of a surgical tool relative to the boundaries of the area of soft tissue; and visually displaying the location of the tool tip relative to the boundaries of the area of soft tissue.

[0007] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising controlling parameters of energy application of the surgical tool based on the location of the tool tip.

[0008] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising triggering an alert when the location of the tool tip is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of the area of soft tissue.

[0009] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising applying, with the tip tool, Radio Frequency (RF) to the areas of soft tissue.

[0010] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising visually displaying a zone of RF penetration.

[0011] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising turning off the RF when the location of the tool tip is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of the area of soft tissue.

[0012] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising delineating, in the boundaries of areas of soft tissue, a safe region of operation.

[0013] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising delineating, in a 3D model, a safe region of operation.

[0014] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising using sensors to detect vibrations, wherein the vibrations indicate a type of tissue near the tool tip; and controlling parameters of energy application of the surgical tool based on a type of tissue near the tool tip.

[0015] Any of the aspects herein, wherein defining the boundaries of the area of soft tissue comprises segmenting the area of soft tissue directly from the at least one image.

[0016] Any of the aspects herein, defining the boundaries of areas of soft tissue comprising segmenting endplates adjacent to a disc and interpolating between the adjacent endplates.

[0017] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising detecting movement of the tool tip; and using movement data to update the location of the tool tip.

[0018] A surgical system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a surgical tool that includes: a tool tip; and a driver operatively connected to the tool tip; a processor to determine a location of the tool tip relative to boundaries of areas of soft tissue; and a screen to visually display the location of the tool tip relative to the boundaries of the areas of soft tissue.

[0019] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising a radio frequency (RF) device selectively operable to apply RF to the areas of soft tissue.

[0020] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising the processor to trigger an alert when the location of the tool tip is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of the area of soft tissue.

[0021] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising visually displaying, on the screen, a zone of RF penetration.

[0022] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising the processor to turn off the RF device when the location of the tool tip is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of areas of soft tissue.

[0023] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising sensors to detect vibrations, wherein the vibrations indicate a type of tissue near the tool tip; and the processor to control the tool tip based on the location of the tool tip and the type of tissue near the tool tip.

[0024] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising the processor to construct a 3D model of a portion of an anatomy to be operated on using patient data.

[0025] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising the processor to define boundaries of an area of soft tissue of a portion of an anatomy using patient data.

[0026] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising the processor to define boundaries of an area of soft tissue by segmenting endplates adjacent to the disc and interpolating between adjacent endplates.

[0027] A navigation system for determining a position of a tip of a surgical tool relative to a portion of an anatomy including soft tissue, comprising a processor to generate, acquire, or receive at least one image of the portion of the anatomy; segment the at least one image to identify bounding structures in the portion of the anatomy; extrapolate and / or interpolate an area of soft tissue based on the identified bounding structures; define boundaries of the area of soft tissue; and determine a location of a tool tip relative to the boundaries of areas of soft tissue. The navigation system also includes a display operable to display the location of the tool bit relative to the boundaries of the areas of soft tissue.

[0028] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the surgical tool comprises a Radio Frequency (RF) disc prep tool that applies RF to the soft tissue, and wherein a zone of RF penetration is shown on the display.

[0029] Any aspect in combination with any one or more other aspects.

[0030] Any one or more of the features disclosed herein.

[0031] Any one or more of the features as substantially disclosed herein.

[0032] Any one or more of the features as substantially disclosed herein in combination with any one or more other features as substantially disclosed herein.

[0033] Any one of the aspects / features / embodiments in combination with any one or more other aspects / features / embodiments .

[0034] Use of any one or more of the aspects or features as disclosed herein.

[0035] It is to be appreciated that any feature described herein can be claimed in combination with any other feature(s) as described herein, regardless of whether the features come from the same described embodiment.

[0036] The details of one or more aspects of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the techniques described in this disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

[0037] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and various examples, while indicating various embodiments, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the description or the appended claims.

[0038] The phrases “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and / or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and / or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together. When each one of A, B, and C in the above expressions refers to an element, such as X, Y, and Z, or class of elements, such as Xi-Xn, Yi-Ym, and Zi-Zo, the phrase is intended to refer to a single element selected from X, Y, and Z, a combination of elements selected from the same class (e.g., Xi and X2) as well as a combination of elements selected from two or more classes (e.g., Yi and Zo).

[0039] The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be used interchangeably.

[0040] The preceding is a simplified summary of the disclosure to provide an understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the disclosure and its various aspects, embodiments, and configurations. It is intended neither toidentify key or critical elements of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of the disclosure but to present selected concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be appreciated, other aspects, embodiments, and configurations of the disclosure are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.

[0041] Numerous additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the embodiment descriptions provided hereinbelow.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and form a part of the specification to illustrate several examples of the present disclosure. These drawings, together with the description, explain the principles of the disclosure. The drawings simply illustrate preferred and alternative examples of how the disclosure can be made and used and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure to only the illustrated and described examples. Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following, more detailed, description of the various aspects, embodiments, and configurations of the disclosure, as illustrated by the drawings referenced below.

[0043] The present disclosure is described in conjunction with the appended figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale:

[0044] Fig. 1 illustrates several examples of a surgical tool according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0046] Figs. 3A-3B illustrate a method of navigating surgical procedures according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] It should be understood that various aspects disclosed herein may be combined in different combinations than the combinations specifically presented in the description and accompanying drawings. It should also be understood that, depending on the example or embodiment, certain acts or events of any of the processes or methods described herein may be performed in a different sequence, and / or may be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., alldescribed acts or events may not be necessary to carry out the disclosed techniques according to different embodiments of the present disclosure). In addition, while certain aspects of this disclosure are described as being performed by a single module or unit for purposes of clarity, it should be understood that the techniques of this disclosure may be performed by a combination of units or modules associated with, for example, a computing device and / or a medical device.

[0048] In one or more examples, the described methods, processes, and techniques may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium and executed by a hardware-based processing unit. Computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable media, which corresponds to a tangible medium such as data storage media (e.g., RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer).

[0049] Instructions may be executed by one or more processors, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), general purpose microprocessors (e.g., Intel Core i3, i5, i7, or i9 processors; Intel Celeron processors; Intel Xeon processors; Intel Pentium processors; AMD Ryzen processors; AMD Athlon processors; AMD Phenom processors; Apple A10 or 10X Fusion processors; Apple Al l, A12, A12X, A12Z, or A13 Bionic processors; or any other general purpose microprocessors), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable logic arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuitry. Accordingly, the term “processor” as used herein may refer to any of the foregoing structure or any other physical structure suitable for implementation of the described techniques. Also, the techniques could be fully implemented in one or more circuits or logic elements.

[0050] Before any embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Further, the present disclosure may use examplesto illustrate one or more aspects thereof. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the use or listing of one or more examples (which may be denoted by “for example,” “by way of example,” “e.g.,” “such as,” or similar language) is not intended to and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] Image guided medical and surgical procedures may utilize patient images obtained prior to or during a medical procedure to guide a physician performing the procedure. Imaging technology is able to produce highly-detailed, two, three, and four dimensional images, such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluoroscopic imaging (such as with a C-arm device), positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasound imaging (US). Various instruments may be used during an operative procedure that are desired to be tracked. However, imaging modalities may not offer images with good enough resolution of soft tissue, such as for spinal procedures.

[0052] Discectomies for spinal fusions require removing sturdy materials via delicate means. For example, surgeons must remove part of the strong annulus fibrosus, part or all of the flexible nucleus pulposus and tough cartilaginous endplates, and expose bleeding bone; and they must work with limited access and near critical anatomy. Many current discectomy tools enable delicate but inefficient work. Some recent discectomy tools try to improve efficiency but worsen effectiveness. Previously disclosed electromagnetically energized tools enable delicate and efficient work. However these energized tools may coagulate too broadly or cut too efficiently and for that reason make them a difficult choice for robotic interventions.

[0053] In spinal fusion procedures, inter-vertebral discs are prepared prior to vertebral fusion by removing the fibrous / gelatinous nucleus as well as the inner annulus material contained therein. During disc preparation, quick removal of the material may be preferred, while the number of passes over the spinal cord and the nerve ganglia should be minimized. Additionally, disc preparation must sufficiently prepare the cartilage endplates and expose the bleeding bone without damaging the endplates or exposing the trabecular bone.

[0054] The present technology generally relates to systems and methods for using instruments and systems to assist in navigating surgical procedures. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to controlling navigation of surgical tools and controlling parameters of energy application of the surgical tools based on the navigation.

[0055] Fig. 1 illustrates a surgical tool 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The surgical tool 100 may implement powered spine shaver technology with radio frequency (RF) capabilities. The surgical tool 100 may administer an RF pre-treatment step before applying the spine shaver during the disc preparation. Additionally or alternatively, the surgical tool 100 may contain or comprise a bipolar spine shaver device that allows deployment of RF independently of the spine shaver, allowing the surgical tool to operate as a cold scraper. The surgical tool 100 may comprise a curette, which may act as one of the RF electrodes, while the cutting blades of the spine shaver may act as the other electrode to perform bipolar electrosurgery. The surgical tool 100 may additionally contain a fluid reservoir capable of flushing saline out of the spine shaver. The flushed saline may facilitate the movement and operation of the surgical tool 100, as well as facilitate material removal.

[0056] Such a surgical tool 100 may provide low dose RF power through a spine shaver handset modified to treat the spine shaver as a return electrode. The curette may function as the primary RF electrode, which can either be used for RF delivery or for material removal as desired by the operator of the surgical tool. By applying RF pre-treatment, the collagen contained within the disc may be transformed into a form that can be more easily cut and removed by the surgical tool 100 (e.g., a spine shaver device). The energized tip(s) of the surgical tool 100 may also apply focused RF current that separates material without the use of a shaver. Various tip shapes are possible and shapes may be customized for the different tissue types within the disc. Material separated by the energized tip(s) may then be removed through a central suction channel.

[0057] Turning now to Fig. 2, a block diagram of a system 200 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The system 200 may be used, for example, to carry out a procedure utilizing a multifunction surgical tool as described herein, or to gather information relevant to such a procedure; to improve patient outcomes in connection with a surgical procedure or task; or for any other useful purpose.

[0058] The system 200 comprises a computing device 202, a surgical tool 100, a display 240, a database 244, and a cloud 248. Notwithstanding the foregoing, systems according to other embodiments of the present disclosure may omit any one or more of the database 244, the cloud 248, and / or other elements shown. Additionally, systems according to other embodiments of the present disclosure may arrange one or more components of the system 200 differently (e.g., the surgical tool 100 may comprise one or more of the components of the computing device 202,and / or vice versa). Additionally, systems according to other embodiments of the present disclosure may include other elements not shown, such as a robot that is capable of carrying out a procedure autonomously or semi-autonomously.

[0059] The computing device 202 comprises at least one processor 204, at least one communication interface 208, at least one user interface 212, and at least one memory 216. A computing device according to other embodiments of the present disclosure may omit one or both of the communication interface(s) 208 and / or the user interface(s) 212.

[0060] The at least one processor 204 of the computing device 202 may be any processor identified or described herein or any similar processor. The at least one processor 204 may be configured to execute instructions 224 stored in the at least one memory 216, which instructions 224 may cause the at least one processor 204 to carry out one or more computing steps utilizing or based on data received, for example, from the surgical tool 100, the database 244, and / or the cloud 248. The instructions 224 may also cause the at least one processor 204 to utilize one or more algorithms 228 stored in the memory 216. In some embodiments, the at least one processor 204 may be used to control the surgical tool 100.

[0061] The computing device 202 may also comprise at least one communication interface 208. The at least one communication interface 208 may be used for receiving sensor data (e.g., from the surgical tool 100), a surgical plan or other planning data, or other information from an external source (such as the database 244, the cloud 248, and / or a portable storage medium (e.g., a USB drive, a DVD, a CD), and / or for transmitting instructions, images, or other information from the at least one processor 204 and / or the computing device 202 more generally to an external system or device (e.g., another computing device 202, the surgical tool 100, the database 244, the cloud 248, and / or a portable storage medium (e.g., a USB drive, a DVD, a CD).

[0062] The at least one communication interface 208 may comprise one or more wired interfaces (e.g., a USB port, an ethernet port, a Firewire port) and / or one or more wireless interfaces (configured, for example, to transmit information via one or more wireless communication protocols such as 802.1 la / b / g / n, Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, NFC, ZigBee, and so forth). In some embodiments, the at least one communication interface 208 may be useful for enabling the device 202 to communicate with one or more other processors 204 or computing devices 202, whether to reduce the time needed to accomplish a computing-intensive task or for any other reason.

[0063] The at least one user interface 212 may be or comprise a keyboard, mouse, trackball, monitor, television, touchscreen, button, joystick, switch, lever, and / or any other device for receiving information from a user and / or for providing information to a user of the computing device 202. The at least one user interface 212 may be used, for example, to receive a user selection or other user input; to receive a user selection or other user input regarding one or more configurable settings of the computing device 202, the surgical tool 100, and / or of another component of the system 200; to receive a user selection or other user input regarding how and / or where to store and / or transfer data received, modified, and / or generated by the computing device 20, The display 240 may display information (e.g., text, images) and / or play a sound to a user based on data received, modified, and / or generated by the computing device 202.

[0064] Although the at least one user interface 212 is shown as part of the computing device 202, in some embodiments, the computing device 202 may utilize a user interface 212 that is housed separately from one or more remaining components of the computing device 202. In some embodiments, the user interface 212 may be located proximate one or more other components of the computing device 202, while in other embodiments, the user interface 212 may be located remotely from one or more other components of the computer device 202.

[0065] The at least one memory 216 may be or comprise RAM, DRAM, SDRAM, other solid- state memory, any memory described herein, or any other tangible non-transitory memory for storing computer-readable data and / or instructions. The at least one memory 216 may store, for example, instructions 224 and / or algorithms 228. In some embodiments, the memory 216 may also store one or more preoperative and / or other surgical plans; one or more images of one or more patients, including in particular of an anatomical feature of the one or more patients on which one or more surgical procedures is / are to be performed; data received from the surgical tool 100 (including any component thereof) or elsewhere; and / or other information useful in connection with the present disclosure.

[0066] The instructions 224, as described above, may be or comprise any instructions for execution by the at least one processor 204 that cause the at least one processor to carry out one or more steps of any of the methods described herein. The instructions 224 may be or comprise instructions for carrying out a procedure. The instructions 224 may additionally or alternatively enable the at least one processor 204, and / or the computing device 202 more generally, to increasethe likelihood of a positive procedural outcome during any surgical procedure in which information obtained from a surgical tool as described herein may be relevant.

[0067] The algorithms 228 may be or comprise any algorithms useful for converting sensor data received from the surgical tool 100 into meaningful information (e.g., location, proximity to a boundary, a calculated force value, pressure value, distance measurement, etc.). The algorithms 228 may further be or comprise any algorithms useful for generating one or more recommendations to a surgeon or other user of the system 200 based on information received from a surgical tool 100, and / or for modifying a preoperative or other surgical plan based on such information and / or an evaluation of such information. The algorithms 228 may further be or comprise algorithms useful for controlling the surgical tool 100 (e.g., controlling energy output of the surgical tool 100). The algorithms 228 may be or comprise imaging algorithms for image processing, image segmentation, computational geometry, etc. In some embodiments, the algorithms 228 may be or include machine learning algorithms.

[0068] The surgical tool 100 is adapted to, among other things, perform a surgical operation during a surgical procedure, and can communicate with the computing device 202, the database 244, and / or the cloud 248. In some embodiments, the surgical tool 100 comprises additional mechanical devices and / or electrosurgical tools (not shown), such that the surgical tool 100 is capable of performing various surgical tasks. In embodiments, the surgical tool 100 may be monopolar electrosurgical with suction, monopolar together with mechanical shavers and suction, bipolar together with shavers and suction, etc. For example, in some embodiments, the surgical tool 100 may comprise at least one mechanical device (e.g., a drill and a burr). In this instance, the surgical tool 100 may be capable of using the drill and the burr. Also in some embodiments, the mechanical device may comprise a motor and a shaft to which one of a plurality of tools may be operatively and removably secured, such as a drill bit, a burr, a screwdriver, or any other rotating tool bit. The surgical tool 100 may be operated manually or automatically. The surgical tool 100 may be utilized by a surgeon or may be controlled by the computing device 202 while a surgical procedure is carried out by a robot. In some embodiments, the system 200 may comprise more than one surgical tool 100.

[0069] Electrosurgery may be implemented by the surgical tool 100, for example, to supplement or replace the conventional approach of cutting though anatomical tissue using mechanical tools. During surgery, the surgeon may make use of electrosurgery for various purposes, such as to divideor desiccate anatomical tissue, as well as to coagulate bleeding (e.g., through fulguration of the bleeding anatomical tissue). Electrosurgery may be implemented through two different electrode configurations: monopolar and bipolar.

[0070] In monopolar electrosurgery, an active electrode is placed at a surgical site. The return pad / electrode is placed somewhere else on the body of a patient. Once the circuit is powered, current flows through the active electrode to the return electrode, with the current passing through the body of the patient. The current passing through the body of the patient creates the desired electrical effect at the surgical site, based on the current amount, density and the waveform of the current. Alternatively, bipolar electrosurgery may be performed. In bipolar electrosurgery, the return electrode is a component of the surgical tool, rather than a separate component positioned elsewhere on the body of the patient. Since the surgical tool contains both electrodes, no return electrode located on the body of the patient is required; instead, the current passes through any tissue located between and in proximity of the active electrode and the return electrode of the surgical tool.

[0071] By modulating the waveform generated by the power source, the target site experiences different effects. For instance, by using a waveform such as a continuous sine waveform, the surgeon is able to vaporize or cut tissue at the target site. By using an intermittent waveform, the electrosurgery produces more heat momentarily, allowing for coagulation of the target site. By increasing the intermittence of the waveform, the surgeon is able to create a heat spectrum between the electrodes, which may be used to perform various levels of coagulation and / or tissue vaporization.

[0072] The communication interface 236 may be the same as or similar to the communication interface 208. For example, the communication interface 236 may be utilized for receiving operating instructions and / or control signals from an external source (such as the computing device 202), and / or for transmitting data (e.g., corresponding to one or more measurements made by the surgical tool 100) or other information to an external system or device (e.g., the computing device 202, the database 244, the cloud 248, and / or a portable storage medium (e.g., a USB drive, a DVD, a CD)). The communication interface 236 may comprise one or more wired interfaces (e.g., a USB port, an ethernet port, a Firewire port) and / or one or more wireless interfaces (configured, for example, to transmit information via one or more wireless communication protocols such as 802.11a / b / g / n, Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, NFC, ZigBee, and so forth). In someembodiments, the communication interface 236 may be useful for enabling the device 202 to communicate with one or more other processors 204 or computing devices 202, whether to reduce the time needed to accomplish a computing-intensive task or for any other reason.

[0073] The database 244 may store any information as being stored in the memory 216, including instructions such as the instructions 224 and / or algorithms such as the algorithms 228. In some embodiments, the database 244 stores one or more preoperative or other surgical plans (e.g., the generated 3D model). The database 244 may additionally or alternatively store, for example, information about or corresponding to one or more characteristics of the surgical tool 100 and / or other information regarding available tools and / or equipment for use in connection with a surgical procedure. The database 244 may be configured to provide any such information to the computing device 202, the surgical tool 100 or to any other device of the system 200 or external to the system 200, whether directly or via the cloud 248. In some embodiments, the database 244 may be or comprise part of a hospital image storage system, such as a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), a health information system (HIS), and / or another system for collecting, storing, managing, and / or transmitting electronic medical records including image data. Also in some embodiments, the memory 216 may store any of the information described above.

[0074] The cloud 248 may be or represent the Internet or any other wide area network. The computing device 202 may be connected to the cloud 248 via the communication interface 208, using a wired connection, a wireless connection, or both. In some embodiments, the computing device 202 may communicate with the database 244 and / or an external device (e.g., a computing device) via the cloud 248.

[0075] In embodiments, the present disclosure may use optical or electromagnetic navigation or other input to control parameters of energy application of electromagnetically energized tools. A 3D model of a disc may be constructed using images of the region of interest. For example, a 3D model may be constructed using images of vertebral bodies superior and inferior to the disc being prepped from x-ray imaging modalities. Using archived patient data on annular and cartilage endplate dimensions, which enable identification of bounding structures and associated boundaries, the system can identify the endplates. Once the endplates are identified, the system can fill in the space between the endplates to generate the 3D model of the disc.

[0076] As illustrated in Figs. 3A-3B, and in accordance with a computing system 200 as illustrated in Fig. 2, and as described herein, a method 300 may be performed to navigate a part ofthe anatomy during a surgical procedure and to control various parameters of a surgical tool (e.g., the surgical tool 100) based on the navigation. While the description of the method 300 provided herein describes steps of the method 300 as being performed by a processor 204 of the computing system 202, the steps of the method 300 may be performed by one or more processors 204, hardware, one or more controllers, one or more circuits in the computing system 202, or some combination thereof. As should be appreciated, the method 300 may be implemented through hardware or software.

[0077] At 301, the method 300 may begin with a processor 204 of a computing system 202 generating, acquiring, or receiving at least one image of an anatomy including an area to be operated on (e.g., an area of interest). For example, in a spinal fusion procedure, the area of interest may include one or more vertebrae and the adjacent soft tissue, including cartilaginous endplates and intervertebral discs. Patient images may be obtained preoperatively (as by CT or MR). Advantageously, the present disclosure may utilize images that are collected during the diagnostic stage. Instead, or in addition, peri- or intraoperative images may be used, such as those acquired by 0-arm, 3D fluoroscopy, intraoperative CT, or other modalities that are commonly used in the spinal fusion workflow. Advantageously, the present disclosure may utilize images that are collected for the purposes of navigation or robotic guidance. A combination of any such pre-, peri- , and / or intraoperative images may be used. In some embodiments, the method 300 begins with the processor 204 of the computing system 202 receiving a 3D model of the anatomy included the area to be operated on. In embodiments where a 3D model is received, the method 300 may start with step 304, With steps 301-303 omitted.

[0078] In many embodiments, the present disclosure may utilize such patient images to generate a 3D model. For example, a 3D model of a disc may be constructed in the clinical app using images of vertebral bodies superior and inferior to the disc being prepared. In this example, the endplates may be identified, and the space between the endplates is filled in to generate the 3D model of the disc.

[0079] At 302, the method 300 may comprise segmenting the images to identify structures that bound wholly or in part the desired region (e.g., the bounding structures). In some examples, the bounding structures comprise bone. For example, the user may manually flag voxels corresponding to the bounding structure. In other embodiments, the system may automatically or semiautomatically identify the bounding structure by thresholding grayscale values in the image,and / or using classical image processing and computational geometry, or machine learning. For example, geometric filtering as by Laplace transform, or template matching as by generalized Hough transform or deformable registration of an empirically defined template. A combination of any of the above or other approaches to identifying the bounding structures may be used.

[0080] At 303, the method 300 may include interpolating or extrapolating an area of soft tissue based on the identified bounding structures. For example, the bounding structures may be vertebral endplates bounding the disc. In this example, the endplates largely determine the axial extent of the superior and inferior ends of the disc, and the transverse extent of the disc may be determined by interpolating between the segmented endplates.

[0081] In other embodiments, the 3D model may be generated directly from the images without interpolating or extrapolating. For example, manual segmentation, classical image processing, machine learning, or a combination thereof may be used to segment the desired 3D model directly from the images. Such methods may include identifying boundaries as an intermediate step.

[0082] Optionally, at 305, having a 3D model defining the soft tissue of interest, the system may define a subregion of the 3D model or alter the 3D model in a way that delineates a safe region of operation (and a no fly zone) for the electrosurgical device. For example, the constructed 3D model may be shrunk (as by forming a mesh representation of the model and scaling its node coordinates about their centroid) by a particular amount. The amount may be determined by user interaction; by an in-built knowledge or estimation of the navigation system’s accuracy; by an in-built knowledge or estimation of the accuracies of the steps in the model building process (e.g., segmentation, interpolation, etc.); or by an in-built knowledge of anatomy (e.g., common, maximal, or high-quantile annulus fibrosis thickness based on literature review). The amount may vary between anatomic directions; for example, the system may apply a larger amount on the anterior portion of a disc. The altered 3D model or subregion may be visualized on the navigation system, or it may be used to alert the user when the tool tip is approaching an unsafe region.

[0083] At 306, the method 300 may include determining a location of a tool tip relative to the boundaries of the identified bounding structures and / or the area of soft tissue. Additionally, a type of tissue may be identified. For example, the tool tip may vibrate at different frequencies based on the type of tissue, using this information, the type of tissue may be identified.

[0084] At 307, the method 300 may include visually displaying the tool tip relative to the anatomy of the area of interest. In embodiments, the tool tip may be superimposed over thegenerated 3D model. As the tool tip is moved, using location information of the tool tip, the location of the tool tip may be displayed relative to the boundaries of the identified bounding structures and / or the area of soft tissue. The tip of the surgical tool (e.g., a radio frequency (RF) disc prep tool) may then be visualized in relation to the constructed 3D model in order to navigate the surgical tool. The zone of RF penetration whether radiating out from the cutting edge or normal to it (e.g., lateral thermal spread) that attenuates with distance may also be displayed as an optional visualization preference. Additionally, for tools equipped to deploy saline, the impact of hot saline and possible run off paths could also be shown as an optional visualization preference.

[0085] At 310, the method 300 may include controlling parameters (e.g., energy application) of a surgical tool based the location of the tool tip relative to the boundaries of the identified bounding structures and / or the area of soft tissue. For example, energy (e.g., RF) of the tool tip may be controlled (e.g., scaled back or stopped) depending on tool tip location (e.g., coordinates, tool tip is nearing a boundary) relative to the area of soft tissue. In another example, the RF may be controlled based on the type of tissue in the location of the tool tip. In other words, different types of tissue (e.g., the strong annulus fibrosus, the flexible nucleus pulposus, the tough cartilaginous endplates, etc.) may require different RF to remove. Additionally, an alert may be triggered when the location of the tool tip is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of the area of soft tissue.

[0086] At 308, movement of the tool tip is detected. For example, as the surgeon moves the surgical tool, movement of the tool tip is displayed on the generated 3D model. As the tool tip moves, movement data is used at 309 to update the location of the tool tip.

[0087] In the foregoing description, for the purposes of illustration, methods were described in a particular order. It should be appreciated that in alternate embodiments, the methods may be performed in a different order than that described without departing from the scope of the embodiments. It should also be appreciated that the methods described above may be performed as algorithms executed by hardware components (e.g., circuitry) purpose-built to carry out one or more algorithms or portions thereof described herein. In another embodiment, the hardware component may comprise a general-purpose microprocessor (e.g., CPU, GPU) that is first converted to a special-purpose microprocessor. The special-purpose microprocessor then having had loaded therein encoded signals causing the, now special-purpose, microprocessor to maintain machine-readable instructions to enable the microprocessor to read and execute the machine- readable set of instructions derived from the algorithms and / or other instructions described herein.The machine-readable instructions utilized to execute the algorithm(s), or portions thereof, are not unlimited but utilize a finite set of instructions known to the microprocessor. The machine- readable instructions may be encoded in the microprocessor as signals or values in signalproducing components and included, in one or more embodiments, voltages in memory circuits, configuration of switching circuits, and / or by selective use of particular logic gate circuits. Additionally or alternative, the machine-readable instructions may be accessible to the microprocessor and encoded in a media or device as magnetic fields, voltage values, charge values, reflective / non- reflective portions, and / or physical indicia.

[0088] In another embodiment, the microprocessor further comprises one or more of a single microprocessor, a multi-core processor, a plurality of microprocessors, a distributed processing system (e.g., array (s), blade(s), server farm(s), "cloud", multi-purpose processor array (s), cluster(s), etc.) and / or may be co-located with a microprocessor performing other processing operations. Any one or more microprocessor may be integrated into a single processing appliance (e.g., computer, server, blade, etc.) or located entirely or in part in a discrete component connected via a communications link (e.g., bus, network, backplane, etc. or a plurality thereof).

[0089] Examples of general-purpose microprocessors may comprise, a central processing unit (CPU) with data values encoded in an instruction register (or other circuitry maintaining instructions) or data values comprising memory locations, which in turn comprise values utilized as instructions. The memory locations may further comprise a memory location that is external to the CPU. Such CPU-external components may be embodied as one or more of a field- programmable gate array (FPGA), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), random access memory (RAM), bus-accessible storage, network-accessible storage, etc.

[0090] These machine-executable instructions may be stored on one or more machine-readable mediums, such as CD-ROMs or other type of optical disks, floppy diskettes, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other types of machine- readable mediums suitable for storing electronic instructions. Alternatively, the methods may be performed by a combination of hardware and software.

[0091] In another embodiment, a microprocessor may be a system or collection of processing hardware components, such as a microprocessor on a client device and a microprocessor on a server, a collection of devices with their respective microprocessor, or a shared or remoteprocessing service (e.g., "cloud" based microprocessor). A system of microprocessors may comprise task-specific allocation of processing tasks and / or shared or distributed processing tasks. In yet another embodiment, a microprocessor may execute software to provide the services to emulate a different microprocessor or microprocessors. As a result, first microprocessor, comprised of a first set of hardware components, may virtually provide the services of a second microprocessor whereby the hardware associated with the first microprocessor may operate using an instruction set associated with the second microprocessor.

[0092] While machine-executable instructions may be stored and executed locally to a particular machine (e.g., personal computer, mobile computing device, laptop, etc.), it should be appreciated that the storage of data and / or instructions and / or the execution of at least a portion of the instructions may be provided via connectivity to a remote data storage and / or processing device or collection of devices, commonly known as "the cloud," but may include a public, private, dedicated, shared and / or other service bureau, computing service, and / or "server farm."

[0093] Examples of the microprocessors as described herein may include, but are not limited to, at least one of Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 800 and 801, Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 610 and 615 with 4G LTE Integration and 64-bit computing, Apple® A7 microprocessor with 64-bit architecture, Apple® M7 motion comicroprocessors, Samsung® Exynos® series, the Intel® Core™ family of microprocessors, the Intel® Xeon® family of microprocessors, the Intel® Atom™ family of microprocessors, the Intel Itanium® family of microprocessors, Intel® Core® i5-4670K and i7-4770K 22nm Haswell, Intel® Core® i5-3570K 22nm Ivy Bridge, the AMD® FX™ family of microprocessors, AMD® FX-4300, FX-6300, and FX-8350 32nm Vishera, AMD® Kaveri microprocessors, Texas Instruments® Jacinto C6000™ automotive infotainment microprocessors, Texas Instruments® OMAP™ automotive-grade mobile microprocessors, ARM® Cortex™-M microprocessors, ARM® Cortex-A and ARM926EJ-S™ microprocessors, other industry-equivalent microprocessors, and may perform computational functions using any known or future-developed standard, instruction set, libraries, and / or architecture.

[0094] Any of the steps, functions, and operations discussed herein can be performed continuously and automatically.

[0095] The exemplary systems and methods of this invention have been described in relation to communications systems and components and methods for monitoring, enhancing, and embellishing communications and messages. However, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thepresent invention, the preceding description omits a number of known structures and devices. This omission is not to be construed as a limitation of the scope of the claimed invention. Specific details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention. It should, however, be appreciated that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific detail set forth herein.

[0096] Furthermore, while the exemplary embodiments illustrated herein show the various components of the system collocated, certain components of the system can be located remotely, at distant portions of a distributed network, such as a LAN and / or the Internet, or within a dedicated system. Thus, it should be appreciated, that the components or portions thereof (e.g., microprocessors, memory / storage, interfaces, etc.) of the system can be combined into one or more devices, such as a server, servers, computer, computing device, terminal, "cloud" or other distributed processing, or collocated on a particular node of a distributed network, such as an analog and / or digital telecommunications network, a packet-switched network, or a circuit- switched network. In another embodiment, the components may be physical or logically distributed across a plurality of components (e.g., a microprocessor may comprise a first microprocessor on one component and a second microprocessor on another component, each performing a portion of a shared task and / or an allocated task). It will be appreciated from the preceding description, and for reasons of computational efficiency, that the components of the system can be arranged at any location within a distributed network of components without affecting the operation of the system. For example, the various components can be located in a switch such as a PBX and media server, gateway, in one or more communications devices, at one or more users’ premises, or some combination thereof. Similarly, one or more functional portions of the system could be distributed between a telecommunications device(s) and an associated computing device.

[0097] Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the various links connecting the elements can be wired or wireless links, or any combination thereof, or any other known or later developed element(s) that is capable of supplying and / or communicating data to and from the connected elements. These wired or wireless links can also be secure links and may be capable of communicating encrypted information. Transmission media used as links, for example, can be any suitable carrier for electrical signals, including coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics, andmay take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio- wave and infrared data communications.

[0098] Also, while the flowcharts have been discussed and illustrated in relation to a particular sequence of events, it should be appreciated that changes, additions, and omissions to this sequence can occur without materially affecting the operation of the invention.

[0099] A number of variations and modifications of the invention can be used. It would be possible to provide for some features of the invention without providing others.

[0100] In yet another embodiment, the systems and methods of this invention can be implemented in conjunction with a special purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit element(s), an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a digital signal microprocessor, a hard-wired electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit, a programmable logic device or gate array such as PLD, PLA, FPGA, PAL, special purpose computer, any comparable means, or the like. In general, any device(s) or means capable of implementing the methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the various aspects of this invention. Exemplary hardware that can be used for the present invention includes computers, handheld devices, telephones (e.g., cellular, Internet enabled, digital, analog, hybrids, and others), and other hardware known in the art. Some of these devices include microprocessors (e.g., a single or multiple microprocessors), memory, nonvolatile storage, input devices, and output devices. Furthermore, alternative software implementations including, but not limited to, distributed processing or component / object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein as provided by one or more processing components.

[0101] In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in conjunction with software using object or object-oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms. Alternatively, the disclosed system may be implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic circuits or VLSI design. Whether software or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance with this invention is dependent on the speed and / or efficiency requirements of the system, the particular function, and the particular software or hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being utilized.

[0102] In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be partially implemented in software that can be stored on a storage medium, executed on programmed general-purpose computer with the cooperation of a controller and memory, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, or the like. In these instances, the systems and methods of this invention can be implemented as a program embedded on a personal computer such as an applet, JAVA® or CGI script, as a resource residing on a server or computer workstation, as a routine embedded in a dedicated measurement system, system component, or the like. The system can also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and / or method into a software and / or hardware system.

[0103] Embodiments herein comprising software are executed, or stored for subsequent execution, by one or more microprocessors and are executed as executable code. The executable code being selected to execute instructions that comprise the particular embodiment. The instructions executed being a constrained set of instructions selected from the discrete set of native instructions understood by the microprocessor and, prior to execution, committed to microprocessor-accessible memory. In another embodiment, human-readable "source code" software, prior to execution by the one or more microprocessors, is first converted to system software to comprise a platform (e.g., computer, microprocessor, database, etc.) specific set of instructions selected from the platform's native instruction set.

[0104] Although the present invention describes components and functions implemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols, the invention is not limited to such standards and protocols. Other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are in existence and are considered to be included in the present invention. Moreover, the standards and protocols mentioned herein and other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are periodically superseded by faster or more effective equivalents having essentially the same functions. Such replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents included in the present invention.

[0105] The present invention, in various embodiments, configurations, and aspects, includes components, methods, processes, systems and / or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various embodiments, subcombinations, and subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the present invention after understanding the present disclosure. The present invention, in various embodiments, configurations, and aspects, includesproviding devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and / or described herein or in various embodiments, configurations, or aspects hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease, and\or reducing cost of implementation.

[0106] The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the invention to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the invention are grouped together in one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the embodiments, configurations, or aspects of the invention may be combined in alternate embodiments, configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment, configuration, or aspect. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0107] Moreover, though the description of the invention has included description of one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects and certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications are within the scope of the invention, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights, which include alternative embodiments, configurations, or aspects to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and / or equivalent structures, functions, ranges, or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and / or equivalent structures, functions, ranges, or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter.

[0108] The techniques of this disclosure may also be described in the following examples.

[0109] Example 1 : A method of surgical navigation of a surgical tool, the method comprising: generating, acquiring, or receiving at least one image of a portion of an anatomy; segmenting the at least one image to identify bounding structures in the portion of the anatomy; extrapolating and / or interpolating an area of soft tissue based on the identified bounding structures; defining boundaries of the area of soft tissue; determining a location of a tool tip of the surgical toolrelative to the boundaries of the area of soft tissue; and visually displaying the location of the tool tip relative to the boundaries of the area of soft tissue.

[0110] Example 2: The method of example 1, further comprising: controlling parameters of energy application of the surgical tool based on the location of the tool tip.

[0111] Example 3: The method of example 1, further comprising: triggering an alert when the location of the tool tip is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of the area of soft tissue.

[0112] Example 4: The method of example 1, further comprising: using the tool tip to apply Radio Frequency (RF) to the area of soft tissue; and visually displaying a zone of RF penetration.

[0113] Example 5: The method of example 1, further comprising: delineating, in the boundaries of the area of soft tissue, a safe region of operation.

[0114] Example 6: The method of example 4, further comprising: turning off the RF when the location of the tool tip is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of the area of soft tissue.

[0115] Example 7: The method of example 1, further comprising: using sensors to detect vibrations, wherein the vibrations indicate a type of tissue near the tool tip; and controlling parameters of energy application of the surgical tool based on a type of tissue near the tool tip.

[0116] Example 8: The method of example 1, wherein defining the boundaries of the area of soft tissue comprises segmenting the area of soft tissue directly from the image.

[0117] Example 9: The method of example 1, wherein defining the boundaries of the area of soft tissue comprises segmenting endplates adjacent to a disc and interpolating between the adjacent endplates.

[0118] Example 10: The method of example 1, further comprising: detecting movement of the tool tip; and using movement data to update the location of the tool tip.

[0119] Example 11 : A surgical system for selectively cutting or removing anatomical tissue, the surgical system comprising: a surgical tool that includes: a tool tip; and a driver operatively connected to the tool tip; a processor to determine a location of the tool tip relative to boundaries of areas of soft tissue; and a screen to visually display the location of the tool tip relative to the boundaries of the areas of soft tissue.

[0120] Example 12: The surgical system of example 11, further comprising: a radio frequency (RF) device selectively operable to apply RF to the areas of soft tissue.

[0121] Example 13: The surgical system of example 11, further comprising: the processor to trigger an alert when the location of the tool tip is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of areas of soft tissue.

[0122] Example 14: The surgical system of example 11, further comprising: visually displaying, on the screen, a zone of RF penetration.

[0123] Example 15: The surgical system of example 12, further comprising: the processor to turn off the RF device when the location of the tool tip is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of areas of soft tissue.

[0124] Example 16: The surgical system of example 11, further comprising: sensors to detect vibrations, wherein the vibrations indicate a type of tissue near the tool tip; and the processor to control the tool tip based on the type of tissue near the tool tip.

[0125] Example 17: The surgical system of example 11, further comprising: the processor to define the boundaries of an area of soft tissue of a portion of an anatomy using patient data.

[0126] Example 18: The surgical system of example 17, wherein the boundaries of the area of soft tissue are defined by segmenting endplates adjacent to a disc and interpolating between the adjacent endplates.

[0127] Example 19: A navigation system for determining a position of a tip of a surgical tool relative to a portion of an anatomy including soft tissue, comprising: a processor to: generate, acquire, or receive at least one image of the portion of the anatomy; segment the at least one image to identify bounding structures of the portion of the anatomy; extrapolate and / or interpolate an area of soft tissue based on the identified bounding structures; define boundaries of the area of soft tissue; and determine a location of a tool tip relative to the boundaries of areas of soft tissue; and a user interface to display the location of the tool tip relative to the boundaries of areas of soft tissue.

[0128] Example 20: The navigation system of example 19, wherein the surgical tool comprises a Radio Frequency (RF) disc prep tool that applies RF to the soft tissue, and wherein a zone of RF penetration is shown on the user interface.

[0129] Various examples of the disclosure have been described. These and other examples are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method of surgical navigation of a surgical tool (100), the method comprising: generating, acquiring, or receiving at least one image (110) of a portion of an anatomy (i n); segmenting the at least one image (110) to identify bounding structures (112) in the portion of the anatomy (111); extrapolating and / or interpolating an area of soft tissue (113a) based on the identified bounding structures (112); defining boundaries of the area of soft tissue (113b); determining a location of a tool tip (101) of the surgical tool relative to the boundaries of the area of soft tissue (113b); and visually displaying the location of the tool tip (101) relative to the boundaries of the area of soft tissue (113b).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: controlling parameters of energy application (234) of the surgical tool (100) based on the location of the tool tip (101).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: triggering an alert when the location of the tool tip (101) is within a threshold distance of the boundaries (113b) of the area of soft tissue (113a).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: using the tool tip (101) to apply Radio Frequency (RF) to the area of soft tissue; and visually displaying a zone of RF penetration.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: delineating, in the boundaries (113b) of the area of soft tissue (113a), a safe region of operation.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising: turning off the RF when the location of the tool tip (101) is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of the area of soft tissue.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: using sensors (232) to detect vibrations, wherein the vibrations indicate a type of tissue near the tool tip (101); and controlling parameters of energy application (234) of the surgical tool (100) based on a type of tissue near the tool tip (101).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the boundaries (113b) of the area of soft tissue (113a) comprises segmenting the area of soft tissue (113a) directly from the image (110).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the boundaries (113b) of the area of soft tissue (113a) comprises segmenting endplates adjacent (112) to a disc and interpolating between the adjacent endplates (112).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting movement of the tool tip (101); and using movement data to update the location of the tool tip (101).

11. A surgical system (200) for selectively cutting or removing anatomical tissue, the surgical system comprising: a surgical tool (100) that includes: a tool tip (101); and a driver (230) operatively connected to the tool tip (101); a processor (204) to determine a location of the tool tip (101) relative to boundaries (113b) of areas of soft tissue (113a); and a screen (240) to visually display the location of the tool tip (101) relative to the boundaries (113b) of the areas of soft tissue (113a).

12. The surgical system (200) of claim 11, further comprising: a radio frequency (RF) device selectively operable to apply RF to the areas of soft tissue, wherein the RF device is turned off or an alert is triggered when the location of the tool tip is within a threshold distance of the boundaries of areas of soft tissue.

13. The surgical system (200) of claim 11, further comprising: visually displaying, on the screen (240), a zone of RF penetration.

14. The surgical system (200) of claim 11, further comprising: sensors to detect vibrations, wherein the vibrations indicate a type of tissue near the tool tip; and the processor to control the tool tip (101) based on the type of tissue near the tool tip(lOl).15 A navigation system (200) for determining a position of a tip (101) of a surgical tool (100) relative to a portion of an anatomy including soft tissue, comprising: a processor (204) to: generate, acquire, or receive at least one image of the portion of the anatomy; segment the at least one image to identify bounding structures of the portion of the anatomy; extrapolate and / or interpolate an area of soft tissue based on the identified bounding structures; define boundaries of the area of soft tissue; and determine a location of a tool tip (101) relative to the boundaries of areas of soft tissue; and a user interface (212) to display the location of the tool tip (101) relative to the boundaries of areas of soft tissue.

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