US 12,433,683 B2
Tracking soft tissue changes intraoperatively
Yizhaq Shmayahu, Ramat HaSharon (IL); and Jeetendra S. Bharadwaj, Erie, CO (US)
Assigned to Mazor Robotics Ltd., Caesarea (IL)
Filed by Mazor Robotics Ltd., Caesarea (IL)
Filed on Mar. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/689,617.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/172,198, filed on Apr. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0323158 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 34/20 (2016.01); A61B 34/30 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 34/20 (2016.02) [A61B 34/30 (2016.02); A61B 2034/2055 (2016.02)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
attaching a flexible material, which comprises one or more tracking markers, to soft tissue internal to a patient, wherein the flexible material and the one or more tracking markers conform to a shape of the soft tissue and deform consistent with movement of the soft tissue;
obtaining a preoperative image of the soft tissue, wherein the preoperative image comprises the one or more tracking markers in an initial position;
obtaining a first intraoperative ultrasound image of the soft tissue, wherein the first intraoperative ultrasound image comprises the one or more tracking markers in a first position;
obtaining a second intraoperative ultrasound image of the soft tissue, wherein the second intraoperative ultrasound image comprises the one or more tracking markers in a second position;
determining a motion of the soft tissue based on a comparison of the one or more tracking markers in the first position in the first intraoperative ultrasound image with the one or more tracking markers in the second position in the second intraoperative ultrasound image;
determining that the motion of the soft tissue causes the soft tissue to move more than a threshold distance;
in response to determining that the soft tissue moves more than the threshold distance, issuing an alert;
registering the one or more tracking markers in the preoperative image with the one or more tracking markers in at least one of the first intraoperative ultrasound image and the second intraoperative ultrasound image;
updating the preoperative image based on the registration to reflect the motion in the preoperative image; and
adjusting a navigation plan for a surgical robot based on the updated preoperative image to avoid damaging the soft tissue.