Medtronic, Inc.

Storage Technology Corporation

Ohmeda Inc.

Jeffrey M Waynik

Matthew S Solar

Andrew N Csavoy

Mark Stephen Freas

Thomas I Miller

Keith Sootsman

Frans L H Gielen

Peter Appenrodt

Otto Richard Buhler

Joseph Philip Falace

Ralph David Wieland

Donald Wayne Selg

John Sam Todor

Forest Dillinger

Larry Robert Hedding

Paul B Batchelder

A system can be used to navigate or guide an instrument or device into an anatomy of a patient. The navigation can occur with the use of image data acquired of the patient. The image data can be registered to the patient space for navigation. One or more tracking devices can be the associated with the patient and with guiding instruments for tracking guiding devices relative to the patient.

Method and apparatus for performing a navigated procedure

A system can be used to navigate or guide an instrument or device into an anatomy of a patient. The navigation can occur with the use of image data acquired of the patient. The image data can be registered to the patient space for navigation. Also, one or more coils can be used for tracking or localization.

A system can be used to navigate or guide an instrument or device into an anatomy of a patient. The navigation can occur with the use of image data acquired of the patient. The image data can be registered to the patient space for navigation. Registration can occur more than once to increase efficiency and speed of the procedure.

Method for performing multiple registrations in a navigated procedure

A system for positioning a guide relative to an anatomy is provided. The system can include a base adapted to be coupled to the anatomy, and a guide that can move relative to the base. The system can include at least one tracking device that can be coupled to the base and the guide, and a tracking system that tracks a position of the tracking device. The system can include a navigation system that determines a position of the base and the guide relative to the anatomy, and whether the position of the base and the guide are in a desired position. The system can include a display, which can display at least one icon superimposed on the image of the anatomy that graphically indicates a manipulation of the guide required to move the guide into the desired position.

Method and apparatus for positioning a guide relative to a base

A system can be used to determine a position of a structure in physical space. The system can include a flexible member, such as a drape, cloth, sheet, etc. that can include one or more trackable devices associated therewith. The trackable devices can be incorporated into the weave of a woven cloth or the matrix of a polymer member. The trackable devices can be used within a tracking system to determine the location of the trackable devices.

Flexible array for use in navigated surgery

A system to allow registration of a patient to image space is disclosed. The registration can be performed without touching a plurality of fiducial points on the patient or in the image data. The registration process can eliminate manual steps of image to patient registration and image to image registration.

Intraoperative image registration

Data signal dropout may cause loss of synchronization between the data signal and a data clock. A dropout resistant system for generating the data clock synchronized to the data signal includes a phase-locked loop. The phase-locked loop outputs the data clock having frequency and phase based on phase difference between the data signal and the data clock. The phase-locked loop holds constant the data clock frequency and minimizes phase shift during periods when an indication of the data signal quality drops beneath a threshold level.

Dropout resistant phase-locked loop

The recent trend towards incorporating a higher density of data tracks on magnetic tape has necessitated more accurate mechanisms for positioning tape heads. A system for seeking tracks on a magnetic tape via a fine position adjustment system includes a carriage frame that holds a magnetic tape head. The magnetic tape head reads and writes magnetic tape as the tape passes in close proximity to the tape head. Flexures attach the carriage frame to the tape head permitting movement in a transverse direction normal to the direction of tape travel across the head while restricting movement of the tape head in a direction parallel to tape travel or in a direction normal to the tape surface. A drive mechanism moves the tape head in the transverse direction in response to a control signal. A linear tachometer provides a velocity signal based on the movement of the tape head in the transverse direction. Control logic receives a command to move the tape head in the transverse direction, generates a control signal to change the head position, and modifies the control signal to dampen tape head oscillations relative to the carriage frame based on the velocity signal.

Damped tape head

The pulsed optical rotary encoder digitally samples the operation of the optical rotary encoder to obtain the same information that is obtained by the use of the continuously active light-emitting devices but in a much more energy-efficient manner. In particular, the light-emitting devices are pulsed into operation for a short duration and at a frequent rate. The signals produced by the light detectors associated with the light-emitting devices are sampled at a predetermined time after firing the light-emitting devices to obtain the data necessary to determine the rotation of the coding disk.

Pulsed operation of optical rotary encoder for low-power applications

The twice scaled waveform display apparatus combines a twice scaled factor indication with the autoscaled waveform display so that an input data quality indication is produced based on factors such as signal strength, wherein the twice scaled factor is used to modulate the size of the display that is presented to the user. Thus, the generated waveform occupies a predetermined portion of the display when the signal strength and/or other input data qualities are at an acceptable level. The size of the waveform presented to the user on the display is reduced in magnitude when there is a degradation in the input signal magnitude or other quality factors.

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Nederland, CO, United States of America

Jeffrey M Waynik