Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for guiding a surgical instrument within and around the human body. During surgery on the body it is often necessary to approach a specific anatomical location precisely and directly in order to minimize unwanted surgical trauma and to place a soft tissue incision or a bone drill hole in an accurate location. The invention employs a light emitter an array of light sensors and a display to accurately locate an anatomical feature into which the light emitter has been placed. The light emitted from the emitter is detected after passing through a thickness of bone and/or soft tissue by the sensor array. The signal from the sensor array is processed and information indicating the relative direction of the emitter from the sensor is displayed. The surgeon then can proceed in the direction indicated. The system can be used for surgical aiming, locating and guidance to direct cutting, vascular surgeries or various types of visceral surgeries or brain surgery where the emitter catheter is guided into an area where surgery is performed. Other applications would not necessitate advancing through tissue but would be used for locating the position on the surface of a body overlying the emitter. An example of this would be to aim a radiation beam for cancer treatment. The sensor may be placed around a drill guide and the directional indicators used in orthopaedic surgery to locate an emitter placed within an intramedullary rod.

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First Claim