Alcon, Inc.

Digital Surgery Systems, Inc.

Alan Fridman

Maximiliano Ramirez Luna

Gillian Myers

Ashok Burton Tripathi

Thomas Paul Riederer

George Charles Polchin

Stephen C Minne

George C Polchin

Michael Larkin

Systems and methods are disclosed for an automated touchless registration of patient anatomy for surgical navigation systems. An example method includes: acquiring a plurality of images of the patient; determining relevant objects from a plurality of poses; and processing the received images through a photogrammetry module. The photogrammetry module may provide camera calibration and facilitate camera registration. As such, manual movement or robotic movement capabilities of the camera head, and digital visualization capabilities of a digital surgical microscope disclosed herein can be extended to allow near-automated or fully automated touchless registration for traditional surgical navigation.

Automated touchless registration for surgical navigation

A method for enhancing digital images during an eye surgery includes producing warm white light via a lighting source by blocking blue and green wavelengths of light using an excitation filter. The method includes illuminating a pupil and iris of the eye with the warm white light during the eye surgery and collecting digital images of target anatomy using a digital camera. Within the images, a processor digitally isolates a pupil pixel region from an iris pixel region and adjusts a characteristic of constituent pixels of one of the regions. The method may be performed by executing instructions from a computer-readable storage medium to enhance a red reflex at predetermined stages of an eye surgery.

Warm white light illumination and digital image processing of digital images during microsurgery

A method for enhancing digital images during a microsurgery, e.g., an eye surgery, includes collecting digital images of target anatomy using a digital camera as the target anatomy is illuminated by warm white light. The method includes identifying, via a processor in communication with the digital camera, a predetermined stage of the microsurgery. Within the images, the processor digitally isolates a first pixel region, e.g., a pupil pixel region, from a second pixel region, e.g., an iris pixel region, and adjusts a characteristic of constituent pixels thereof. The method, possibly recorded as instructions in a computer-readable medium, may be used to enhance a red reflex at predetermined stages of an eye surgery. A system includes a lighting source for emitting warm white light having a color temperature of less than about 4000° K, the camera, and the processor.

A method for enhancing digital images during a microsurgery, e.g., an eye surgery, includes collecting digital images of target anatomy using a digital camera as the target anatomy is illuminated by warm white light. The method includes identifying, via a processor in communication with the digital camera, a predetermined stage of the microsurgery. Within the images, the processor digitally isolates a first pixel region, e.g., a pupil pixel region, from a second pixel region, e.g., an iris pixel region, and adjusts a characteristic of constituent pixels thereof. The method, possibly recorded as instructions in a computer-readable medium, may be used to enhance a red reflex at predetermined stages of an eye surgery. A system includes a lighting source for emitting warm white light having a color temperature of less than about 4000&#xb0; K, the camera, and the processor.

A stereoscopic camera with fluorescence visualization is disclosed. An example stereoscopic camera includes a visible light source, a near-infrared light source, and a near-ultraviolet light source. The stereoscopic camera also includes a light filter assembly having left and right filter magazines positioned respectively along left and right optical paths and configured to selectively enable certain wavelengths of light to pass through. Each of the left and right filter magazines includes an infrared cut filter, a near-ultraviolent cut filter, and a near-infrared bandpass filter. A controller of the camera is configured to provide for a visible light mode, an indocyanine green ('ICG') fluorescence mode, and a 5-aminolevulinic acid ('ALA') fluorescence mode by synchronizing the activation of the light sources with the selection of the filters. A processor of the camera combines image data from the different modes to enable fluorescence emission light to be superimposed on visible light stereoscopic images.

Stereoscopic camera with fluorescence visualization

A stereoscopic camera with fluorescence visualization is disclosed. An example stereoscopic camera includes a visible light source, a near-ultraviolet light source, and a near-ultraviolet light source. The stereoscopic camera also includes a light filter assembly having left and right filter magazines positioned respectively along left and right optical paths and configured to selectively enable certain wavelengths of light to pass through. Each of the left and right filter magazines includes an infrared cut filter, a near-ultraviolent cut filter, and a near-infrared bandpass filter. A controller of the camera is configured to provide for a visible light mode, an indocyanine green ('ICG') fluorescence mode, and a 5-aminolevulinic acid ('ALA') fluorescence mode by synchronizing the activation of the light sources with the selection of the filters. A processor of the camera combines image data from the different modes to enable fluorescence emission light to be superimposed on visible light stereoscopic images.

Growing community of inventors

Goleta, CA, United States of America

Alan Fridman