A computer-assisted surgery system may have a robotic arm including a surgical tool and a processor communicatively connected to the robotic arm. The processor may be configured to receive, from a neural monitor, a signal indicative of a distance between the surgical tool and a portion of a patient's anatomy including nervous tissue. The processor may be further configured to generate a command for altering a degree to which the robotic arm resists movement based on the signal received from the neural monitor; and send the command to the robotic arm.

A device and method is provided for a trackable suction tool for surgical use. The suction tool provides multiple configurations for the tip and reference tree, while allowing tracking by a navigation system. The tip and reference tree are attached to the suction tool handle by a snap fit, a threaded ring with key and slot connections or semi-Allen key connections, providing specific rotational configurations of the tip, handle and reference tree with each other. The handle may include a rotatable outer sleeve with a tear-shaped orifice for suction regulation and an inner sleeve with a corresponding opening, allowing variable placement of the tear-shaped orifice relative to the longitudinal axis of the suction tool. The features of the device allow a suction tool with multiple configurations to be trackable with a navigation system.

Navigation systems and methods for tracking physical objects near a target site during a surgical procedure. The navigation system comprises a robotic device and an instrument attached to the robotic device. A vision device is attached to the robotic device or the instrument and generates vision data sets. The vision data sets are captured from multiple perspectives of the physical object. A computing system associates a virtual object with the physical object based on one or more features of the physical object identifiable in the vision data sets. The virtual object at least partially defines a virtual boundary for the instrument.

Surgical systems and methods are disclosed for creating a 3D model of a patient's affected area using an imaging device, using the model to determine an implant orientation and position, creating patient-matched instrumentation, placing the patient-matched instrumentation on the patient's anatomy, registering a computer-assisted surgical tool, and acquiring registration information. The methods and systems also include associating the surgical tool with a computer to perform a computer assisted surgery. Also disclosed are embodiments of patient-matched instrumentation to acquire registration information.

A surgical implant planning computer is connectable to a fluoroscopy imager, a marker tracking camera, and a robot having a robot base coupled to a robot arm that is movable by motors relative to the robot base. Operations include performing a registration setup mode that determines occurrence of a first condition indicating the marker tracking camera can observe to track reflective markers that are on a fluoroscopy registration fixture of the fluoroscopy imager, and determines occurrence of a second condition indicating the marker tracking camera can observe to track dynamic reference base markers attached to the robot arm and/or an end-effector connected to the robot arm. While both of the first and second conditions occur, operations are allowed to be performed to obtain a first intra-operative fluoroscopic image of a patient along a first plane and to obtain a second intra-operative fluoroscopic image of the patient along a second plane that is orthogonal to the first plane.

A surgical system includes a base, a robotic arm extending from the base and comprising a plurality of segments, a first tracker secured to the base, a second tracker secured to a segment of the plurality of segments of the robotic arm, and a detection device configured to determine an arrangement of the first tracker and the second tracker.

Devices and methods are provide for facilitating registration and calibration of surface imaging systems. Tracking marker support structures are described that include one or more fiducial reference markers, where the tracking marker support structures are configured to be removably and securely attached to a skeletal region of a patient. Methods are provided in which a tracking marker support structure is attached to a skeletal region in a pre-selected orientation, thereby establishing an intraoperative reference direction associated with the intraoperative position of the patient, which is employed for guiding the initial registration between intraoperatively acquired surface data and volumetric image data. In other example embodiments, the tracking marker support structure may be employed for assessing the validity of a calibration transformation between a tracking system and a surface imaging system. Example methods are also provided to detect whether or not a tracking marker support structure has moved from its initial position during a procedure.

A surgical system includes a surgical tool, a tracking system configured to obtain tracking data indicative of positions of the surgical tool relative to an anatomical feature, an acoustic device, and a computer system programmed to control the acoustic device to provide acoustic feedback to a user based on the tracking data.

A surgical system includes a robotic arm, an end effector coupled to the robotic arm, a divot at the end effector, a probe configured to be inserted into the divot, a tracking system configured to obtain data indicative of a position of the probe while the probe is in the divot, and circuitry configured to verify a proper physical configuration of the surgical system based on the data indicative of the position of the probe while the probe is in the divot.

A fiducial marker and method for use in the navigation of a surgical procedure is described. The fiducial marker includes a means to readily guide a navigation probe and includes an upper surface with a sloped guide surface for guiding the probe, the upper surface further including a substantially centrally positioned well to receive at least part of the probe. The guide surface may alternatively be configured to align with a complementary portion of part of the navigation probe.