Systems and methods are disclosed for use in electronic guidance systems for surgical navigation. A sensor is provided with an optical sensor, to provide optical information, and a measuring sensor, to provide measurements for determining a direction of gravity. The sensor communicates optical information and measurements to an inter-operative computing unit. In an embodiment, the inter-operative computing unit receives first optical information for a registration device and a patient anatomy and a measurement to determine a direction of gravity to perform a registration step. The inter-operative computing unit receives second optical information for the patient anatomy and an object and determines and presents measurements relative to the anatomy. The measurements relative to the anatomy are determined from the second optical information, and in relation to the registration of the anatomy of the patient.

An example physical targeting tool includes a main body defining a channel configured to receive a tool, the channel having a longitudinal axis; a first physical targeting feature attached to the main body; and a second physical targeting feature attached to the main body, wherein the first physical targeting feature and the second physical targeting feature are displaced along the longitudinal axis of the channel.

A surgical sheath system having a sheath with a hollow shaft; and a head coupled to and in fluid communication with the hollow shaft, the head having a first mounting feature for coupling a first surgical device; and a second mounting feature for coupling a second surgical device, the second surgical device being a different type of surgical device than the first surgical device.

A number of improvements are provided relating to computer aided surgery. The improvement relates to both the methods used during computer aided surgery and the devices used during such procedures. Some of the improvement relate to controlling the selection of which data to display during a procedure and/or how the data is displayed to aid the surgeon. Other improvements relate to the structure of the tools used during a procedure and how the tools can be controlled automatically to improve the efficiency of the procedure. Still other improvements relate to methods of providing feedback during a procedure to improve either the efficiency or quality, or both, for a procedure.

A system for aiding surgery on a patient is described including a display device and a storage device that stores an image of at least a portion of the anatomy of the patient, including one or more surgical navigation markers positioned on the patient, for display on the display device. An analyser is adapted to receive positional data of a probe based on positioning of the probe relative to the one or more markers on the patient. Based on the positional data, the analyser outputs correctional data to adjust an alignment of the image on the display device to match locations of said one or more markers.

Cutting tools, systems and methods for navigated procedures are provided. A cutting tool (e.g. oscillating blade, etc.) for a power tool has an optically trackable feature in a defined positional relationship relative to a cutting feature of the cutting tool. The trackable feature may include reflective material applied to a surface (e.g. a recessed blade surface). The trackable feature is be imaged by a camera integral with or attached to the power tool and provided to a computing unit of a navigation system to determine a relative pose of the cutting feature and camera. The camera may also track a patient's bone such that the computing unit may determine a relative position of the bone and camera. The unit then computes a relative pose of the cutting feature with respect to the patient's bone and provides same for determining display information and/or to a robotic controller for procedural control.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

An example physical tracking tool includes a main body defining a channel configured to receive a tool, the channel having a longitudinal axis; and one or more physical tracking features attached to the main body, each physical tracking feature comprising a plurality of planar faces, each planar face of the plurality of planar faces including different a graphical pattern of a plurality of graphical patterns.

Apparatus, systems, and methods for detecting the presence of a metallic surgical instrument. A metal detector for detecting insertion of a metallic surgical device into a hollow tube may include a switch, resonant circuit and a controller. The resonant circuit has a capacitor and a coil mounted to the hollow tube. The controller turn on the switch for a preselected time to temporarily provide a current to the resonant circuit and analyzes a resulting decaying voltage waveform originating from the resonant circuit when the switch is turned off in order to determine the presence and longitudinal depth of the metallic surgical device in the hollow tube.

A surgical instrument assembly may include a processor, a surgical instrument configured to operate on an anatomical structure, and a display coupled to the processor and attached to the surgical instrument. The processor can be configured to determine a position of the medical imaging device, from which the medical imaging device can generate an X-ray image that includes holes of an intramedullary nail shown as circles, for instance perfect circles. In an example, the processor identifies the intramedullary nail, so as to determine an intramedullary nail identity, and determines the position of the medical imaging device based on a portion of at least two locking holes of the intramedullary nail and based on the intramedullary nail identity.