Sensored surgical tool and surgical intraoperative tracking and imaging system incorporating same

Abstract

A sensored surgical tool, surgical intraoperative tracking and imaging system incorporating same, and methods, involving a rigid elongate tool body having a substantially rigid tool tip to be displaced and tracked within the surgical cavity so to reproducibly locate the tool tip within the cavity. The tool has one or more tool tip cameras and/or pressure sensors operatively disposed along the body at or proximal to the tool tip.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A surgical tool, operable with an external data processing unit, for use within an open surgical cavity, the surgical tool comprising:
 a rigid elongate tool body comprising a substantially rigid tool tip configured to be displaced and tracked within the open surgical cavity for reproducibly locating the substantially rigid tool tip within the open surgical cavity, the rigid elongate tool body configured to operate with at least one pressure sensor, at least one camera, and the external data processing unit; and   a suction tool comprising a suction tool tip portion, the suction tool configured to operate with at least one other pressure sensor, at least one other camera, and the external data processing unit,   wherein imaging, locating, and mapping inner cavity characteristics are considered by the external data processing unit in real-time during a surgical procedure, the external data processing unit operable to:   associate at least one pressure reading, corresponding to at least one sensor signal from the at least one pressure sensor, with at least one location of each at least one pressure sensor within the open surgical cavity;   associate at least one pressure reading, corresponding to at least one sensor signal from the at least one other pressure sensor, with at least one location of each at least one other pressure sensor within the open surgical cavity; and   associate at least one respective inner-cavity image with at least one location of the substantially rigid tool tip and at least one location of the suction tool tip portion.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical tool of  claim 1 , further comprising the at least one camera, the at least one camera disposed, and laterally-oriented, along the rigid elongate tool body in one of at the substantially rigid tool tip and proximate the substantially rigid tool tip to capture at least one lateral image from within the open surgical cavity, the at least one lateral image externally communicable to associate at least one respective inner-cavity image with the at least one location of the substantially rigid tool tip, and the at least one camera operable in a near-infrared wavelength range. 
     
     
         3 . The surgical tool of  claim 1 , further comprising the at least one pressure sensor, the at least one pressure sensor operatively disposed along the rigid elongate tool body at a position in one of at the substantially rigid tool tip and proximate the substantially rigid tool tip, the pressure sensor responsive to pressure variations applied thereto from within the open surgical cavity to output a sensor signal representative thereof as the substantially rigid tool tip is displaced within the open surgical cavity, the sensor signal externally communicable to associate respective inner-cavity pressure readings with locations of the substantially rigid tool tip. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a set of fiducial markers externally coupled in a fixed configuration to an externally extending portion of the rigid elongate tool body, the markers trackable by an external tracking system to automatically determine the at least one location of the substantially rigid tool tip, with reference to the open surgical cavity, based on a respective tracked position of the set of fiducial markers. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a radio frequency transmitter to wirelessly communicate the sensor signal. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical tool of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of:
 the pressure sensor is laterally oriented relative to the substantially rigid tool tip,   the pressure sensor comprises at least one of: a Fabry-Perot pressure sensor, a piezoresistive pressure sensor, nanotube pressure sensor, and an optical microelectromechanical (MEMS) pressure sensor,   the pressure sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensors disposed at a position in one of: at the substantially rigid tool tip and proximate the substantially rigid tool tip, and   the pressure sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensors collocated at a position in one of: at the substantially rigid tool tip and toward the substantially rigid tool tip.   
     
     
         7 . The surgical tool of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 the suction tool tip portion comprises a disposable tip portion, and   the suction tool is disposed at a position, in one of: at the substantially rigid tool tip and proximate the substantially rigid tool tip, to concurrently provide suction within the surgical cavity around the substantially rigid tool tip.   
     
     
         8 . The surgical tool of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 at least one external camera is configured to align with, and view, the open surgical cavity, and   the substantially rigid tool tip is operable as a trackable pointer within the open surgical cavity.   
     
     
         9 . The surgical tool of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one complementary camera disposed along the rigid elongate tool body at a position, in one of at the substantially rigid tool tip-and proximate the substantially rigid tool tip, to capture complementary images of the open surgical cavity along a complementary imaging axis angled toward a cavity bottom relative to at least one camera to construct one of a 3D inner-cavity mapping and an enlarged field of view image of the open surgical cavity from the at least one lateral image and the complementary images. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical tool of  claim 8 ,
 wherein at least one of the at least one external camera and a scope is configured to align with, and view, the open surgical cavity, and   wherein the at least one inner-cavity image is complementary to at least one external image captured by at least one of the at least one external camera and the scope in enhancing inner-cavity visualization.   
     
     
         11 . The surgical tool of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially rigid tool tip is movable within the open surgical cavity to track at last one pressure variation resulting from inner-cavity bleeding in locating a bleeding site within the open surgical cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The surgical tool of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the rigid elongate tool body comprises a reusable tool shaft portion and a disposable tool tip portion removably operatively connectable to the shaft portion, and   wherein the disposable tool tip portion comprises the substantially rigid tool tip and the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         13 . A method of providing a surgical tool, operable with an external data processing unit, for use within an open surgical cavity, the method comprising:
 providing a rigid elongate tool body comprising a substantially rigid tool tip configured to be displaced and tracked within the open surgical cavity for reproducibly locating the substantially rigid tool tip within the open surgical cavity, the rigid elongate tool body configured to operate with at least one pressure sensor, at least one camera, and the external data processing unit; and   providing a suction tool comprising a suction tool tip portion, the suction tool configured to operate with at least one other pressure sensor, at least one other camera, and the external data processing unit,   wherein imaging, locating, and mapping inner cavity characteristics are considered by the external data processing unit in real-time during a surgical procedure, the external data processing unit operable to:   associate at least one pressure reading, corresponding to at least one sensor signal from the at least one pressure sensor, with at least one location of each at least one pressure sensor within the open surgical cavity;   associate at least one pressure reading, corresponding to at least one sensor signal from the at least one other pressure sensor, with at least one location of each at least one other pressure sensor within the open surgical cavity; and   associate at least one respective inner-cavity image with at least one location of the substantially rigid tool tip and at least one location of the suction tool tip portion.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising providing the at least one camera, providing the at least one camera comprising disposing, and laterally-orienting, the at least one camera along the rigid elongate tool body in one of at the substantially rigid tool tip and proximate the substantially rigid tool tip to capture at least one lateral image from within the open surgical cavity, the at least one lateral image externally communicable to associate at least one respective inner-cavity image with the at least one location of the substantially rigid tool tip, and the at least one camera operable in a near-infrared wavelength range. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising providing the at least one pressure sensor, providing the at least one pressure sensor comprising operatively disposing the at least one pressure sensor along the rigid elongate tool body at a position in one of at the substantially rigid tool tip and proximate the substantially rigid tool tip, the pressure sensor responsive to pressure variations applied thereto from within the open surgical cavity to output a sensor signal representative thereof as the substantially rigid tool tip is displaced within the open surgical cavity, the sensor signal externally communicable to associate respective inner-cavity pressure readings with locations of the substantially rigid tool tip. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising a set of fiducial markers externally coupled in a fixed configuration to an externally extending portion of the rigid elongate tool body, the markers trackable by an external tracking system to automatically determine the at least one location of the substantially rigid tool tip, with reference to the open surgical cavity, based on a respective tracked position of the set of fiducial markers. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising a radio frequency transmitter to wirelessly communicate the sensor signal. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the pressure sensor is laterally oriented relative to the substantially rigid tool tip,   the pressure sensor comprises at least one of: a Fabry-Perot pressure sensor, a piezoresistive pressure sensor, nanotube pressure sensor, and an optical microelectromechanical (MEMS) pressure sensor,   the pressure sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensors disposed at a position in one of: at the substantially rigid tool tip and proximate the substantially rigid tool tip,   the pressure sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensors collocated at a position in one of: at the substantially rigid tool tip and toward the substantially rigid tool tip,   the suction tool tip portion comprises a disposable tip portion,   the suction tool is disposed at a position, in one of: at the substantially rigid tool tip and proximate the substantially rigid tool tip, to concurrently provide suction within the surgical cavity around the substantially rigid tool tip,   at least one external camera is configured to align with, and view, the open surgical cavity, and   the substantially rigid tool tip is operable as a trackable pointer within the open surgical cavity   the at least one external camera and a scope is configured to align with, and view, the open surgical cavity,   the at least one inner-cavity image is complementary to at least one external image captured by at least one of the at least one external camera and the scope in enhancing inner-cavity visualization,   the substantially rigid tool tip is movable within the open surgical cavity to track at last one pressure variation resulting from inner-cavity bleeding in locating a bleeding site within the open surgical cavity,   the rigid elongate tool body comprises a reusable tool shaft portion and a disposable tool tip portion removably operatively connectable to the shaft portion, and   the disposable tool tip portion comprises the substantially rigid tool tip and the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising providing at least one complementary camera, providing the at least one complementary camera comprising disposing the at least one complementary camera along the rigid elongate tool body at a position, in one of at the substantially rigid tool tip and proximate the substantially rigid tool tip, to capture complementary images of the open surgical cavity along a complementary imaging axis angled toward a cavity bottom relative to at least one camera to construct one of a 3D inner-cavity mapping and an enlarged field of view image of the open surgical cavity from the at least one lateral image and the complementary images. 
     
     
         20 . A method of imaging, locating, and mapping inner cavity characteristics within an open surgical cavity by way of a surgical tool operable with an external data processing unit, the method comprising:
 providing the surgical tool, providing the surgical tool comprising:
 providing a rigid elongate tool body comprising a substantially rigid tool tip configured to be displaced and tracked within the open surgical cavity for reproducibly locating the substantially rigid tool tip within the open surgical cavity, the rigid elongate tool body configured to operate with at least one pressure sensor, at least one camera, and the external data processing unit; and 
 providing a suction tool comprising a suction tool tip portion, the suction tool configured to operate with at least one other pressure sensor, at least one other camera, and the external data processing unit; and 
   considering imaging, locating, and mapping inner cavity characteristics in real-time during a surgical procedure by the external data processing unit, considering comprising:   associating at least one pressure reading, corresponding to at least one sensor signal from the at least one pressure sensor, with at least one location of each at least one pressure sensor within the open surgical cavity;   associating at least one pressure reading, corresponding to at least one sensor signal from the at least one other pressure sensor, with at least one location of each at least one other pressure sensor within the open surgical cavity; and   associating at least one respective inner-cavity image with at least one location of the substantially rigid tool tip and at least one location of the suction tool tip portion.