Example radiographic dental jigs include a generally vertical post traversed by a generally horizontal beam to create a cross that can be used for marking a dental patient's midline (vertical line centered between the eyes), incisal edge plane, and forward lip position. The jig is radiographically scanned along with multiple fiducial markers on the patient's jaw to generate a first scan result. In some examples, physical models of the patient's jaws are also scanned to generate upper and lower jaw images. The upper and lower jaw images are shifted to coincide with the first scan result. Portions of the first scan result, including an image of the dental jig, are superimposed onto the properly shifted upper and lower jaw images to create a composite image. The composite image shows the dental jig in proper relation to the patient's upper and lower jaws, thereby rendering a conventional stick bite virtually obsolete.

The present disclosure involves object recognition as a method of registration, using a stereoscopic camera on Augmented Reality (AR) glasses or an endoscope as the image capture technology. Exemplary objects include surgical tools, anatomical components or features, such as bone or cartilage, etc. By detecting just a portion of the object in the image data of the surgical scene, the present disclosure may register and track a portion of the patient's anatomy, such as the pelvis, the knee, etc. The present disclosure also optionally displays information on the AR glasses themselves, such as the entire pelvis, the femur, the tibia, etc. The present disclosure may include combinations of the foregoing features, and may eliminate the need for electromagnetic, inertial, or infrared stereoscopic tracking as the tracking technology.

A splint device for robotically-guided surgery includes elongate co-extending first and second splint portions each defining spaced-apart relief holes between first and second ends. A first separability provision is disposed between and extends along the first and second splint portions. A tracking portion is engaged with and extends outwardly from the first or second splint portion and extending outwardly therefrom, and has a kinematic mount engaged therewith. A second separability provision extending between one of the relief holes of the first splint portion and one of the relief holes of the second splint portion, wherein the second separability provision is arranged to be severable so as to facilitate adjustability of a length of the first and second splint portions and the first separability provision. The splint device can include a tool calibration provision or a fiducial marker element disposed in a predetermined disposition relative to the kinematic mount.

Dental instrument assemblies (e.g., mouth pieces, bite blocks, vacuum dental mirrors, illuminated dental mirrors, illuminated dental wedges, trans-illumination dental instrument, illuminated dental bite blocks, etc.) are provided. The dental instrument assemblies may be adapted to be periodically sterilized. The dental instrument assemblies may include a magnetically energetic fiber optic coupler. The magnetically energetic fiber optic coupler may be configured to allow dental instrument adapter to rotate with respect to an associated fiber optic cable that is removably connected to the magnetically energetic fiber optic coupler. The dental instrument assemblies may include a fiber optic material that is encapsulated.

Optionally adjustable head coil system and methods for enhancing and/or optimizing magnetic resonance imaging, involving a housing, the housing having at least one portion, the at least one portion having a lower portion, an upper portion, and opposing side portions, each at least one portion optionally in movable relation to any other portion for facilitating adjustability, each at least one portion configured to accommodate at least one radio-frequency coil, and the upper and lower portions each optionally configured to overlap and engage the opposing side portions for facilitating decoupling the at least one radio-frequency coil, and a tongue portion optionally in movable relation to any other portion for facilitating adjustability, engageable with the lower portion, and fixably couple-able with a transporter.

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.

An endoscopic bite block comprises a base, an elongated guide, and an oxygen inflow tube. The base includes a body and a central passageway extending through the body. The central passageway is configured to receive an endoscope. The elongated guide includes a longitudinal curvature corresponding in shape to an oral-pharyngeal cavity of a patient. The elongated guide extends from the base and toward a retropharyngeal space of the patient. The elongated guide includes a lateral curvature for guiding the endoscope along the longitudinal curvature of the elongated guide. The oxygen inflow tube is configured to receive oxygen gas from an oxygen source. The oxygen inflow tube extends from the base along the elongated guide such that the oxygen inflow tube is configured to deliver the received oxygen gas to the retropharyngeal space of the patient.

The present invention relates to a tool system comprising a handheld implement having a passive vectorized tracking marker permanently integrated with the implement at a predetermined location on the implement in a predetermined orientation with respect to the implement; and a database comprising geometric information describing the at least one of a rotationally asymmetric shape of the tracking marker and a rotationally asymmetric pattern disposed on the tracking marker. The system may further comprise: a tracker configured for obtaining image information about the tracking marker when the tracking marker is in a field of view of the tracker; and a controller having a processor and memory, the controller in communication with the database and the tracker, the processor programmable for receiving and processing image information from the tracker; accessing the database to retrieve the geometric information; and comparing the image information with the geometric information. The handheld implement may be three-dimensionally tracked by the 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.

Example radiographic dental jigs include a generally vertical post traversed by a generally horizontal beam to create a cross that can be used for marking a dental patient's midline (vertical line centered between the eyes), incisal edge plane, and forward lip position. The jig is radiographically scanned along with multiple fiducial markers on the patient's jaw to generate a first scan result. In some examples, physical models of the patient's jaws are also scanned to generate upper and lower jaw images. The upper and lower jaw images are shifted to coincide with the first scan result. Portions of the first scan result, including an image of the dental jig, are superimposed onto the properly shifted upper and lower jaw images to create a composite image. The composite image shows the dental jig in proper relation to the patient's upper and lower jaws, thereby rendering a conventional stick bite virtually obsolete.