WO2024236568A1

WO2024236568A1 - Systems and methods for identifying one or more tracking devices

Info

Publication number: WO2024236568A1
Application number: PCT/IL2024/050470
Authority: WO
Inventors: Itay JERBY; Dvir KADSHAI; Nimrod Dori; Nicholas J. Rawluk; Adi ESS; Nir OFER; Gal BARAZANI; Yair GARFUNKEL MISGAV; Ofir Dahan; Adi Sandelson; Ziv SEEMANN; Ofir RUF; Yvan R. PAITEL; Ron VISBROT
Original assignee: Mazor Robotics Ltd
Current assignee: Mazor Robotics Ltd
Priority date: 2023-05-16
Filing date: 2024-05-15
Publication date: 2024-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 2025-11-16
Also published as: CN121127200A

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying one or more tracking devices is provided. A tracking device may emit a signal having a frequency and the signal may be received and processed to obtain frequency information of the tracking device corresponding to the frequency. The tracking device may be identified based on the frequency information.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING ONE OR MORE TRACKING DEVICES

BACKGROUND

[0001] The present disclosure is generally directed to tracking devices, and relates more particularly to identifying one or more tracking devices.

[0002] Surgical robots may assist a surgeon or other medical provider in carrying out a surgical procedure, or may complete one or more surgical procedures autonomously. Providing controllable linked articulating members capable of, for example, orienting and/or operating one or more tools allows a surgical robot to reach areas of a patient anatomy during various medical procedures.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0003] Example aspects of the present disclosure include:

[0004] A system for identifying a tracking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a processor; and a memory storing data for processing by the processor, the data, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a tracking device to emit a signal having a frequency; process the signal to obtain frequency information of the tracking device corresponding to the frequency; and identify the tracking device based on the frequency information.

[0005] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: receive at least one identification file, each identification file having information about a surgical tool and a corresponding tracking device; and identify the surgical tool based on the identified tracking device and the at least one identification file.

[0006] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the at least one identification file includes information about a surface and a corresponding tracking device, and wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: identify a surface based on the identified tracking device and the at least one identification file.

[0007] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the surface is at least one of a robot face or a surgical tool face.

[0008] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the signal comprises at least one of an electrical signal, a light signal, or an electromagnetic signal. [0009] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the signal comprises the light signal and the tracking device comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

[0010] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the tracking device comprises a first tracking device, the signal comprises a first signal, and the frequency comprises a first frequency, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a second tracking device to emit a second signal having a second frequency; process the second signal to obtain second frequency information of the second tracking device corresponding to the second frequency; and identify the second tracking device based on the second frequency information.

[0011] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are unharmonized.

[0012] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are the same frequency, wherein the first tracking device is disposed on a first surface and the second tracking device is disposed on a second surface, and wherein the first surface has a geometry different than the second tracking device.

[0013] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a light source to emit light, identify a reaction of a photodiode to the light, the photodiode disposed near the tracking device; identify the tracking device based on the reaction of the photodiode; and cause the identified tracking device to emit the signal.

[0014] A system for identifying one or more tracking devices according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a processor; and a memory storing data for processing by the processor, the data, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a first tracking device to emit a first signal having a first frequency and a second tracking device to emit a second signal having a second frequency; process the first signal to obtain first frequency information of the first tracking device corresponding to the first frequency and the second signal to obtain second frequency information of the second tracking device corresponding to the second frequency; and identify the first tracking device based on the first frequency information and the second tracking device based on the second frequency information.

[0015] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are unharmonized. [0016] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are the same frequency, wherein the first tracking device is disposed on a first surface and the second tracking device is disposed on a second surface, and wherein the first surface has a geometry different than the second tracking device.

[0017] Any of the aspects herein, wherein each of the first signal and the second signal comprises at least one of an electrical signal, a light signal, or an electromagnetic signal.

[0018] Any of the aspects herein, wherein each of the first signal and the second signal comprises the light signal and the tracking device comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

[0019] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: receive at least one identification file, each identification file having information about a surgical tool and a corresponding tracking device; and identify a first surgical tool based on the identified first tracking device and the at least one identification file and a second surgical tool based on the identified second tracking device and the at least one identification file.

[0020] A system for identifying a tracking device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a first tracking device configured to emit a first signal having a first frequency; a second tracking device configured to emit a second signal having a second frequency; a processor; and a memory storing data for processing by the processor, the data, when processed, causes the processor to: cause the first tracking device to emit the first signal; cause the second tracking device to emit the second frequency; process the first signal to obtain first frequency information of the first tracking device corresponding to the first frequency and the second signal to obtain second frequency information of the second tracking device corresponding to the second frequency; and identify a first tracking device based on the first frequency information and a second tracking device based on the second frequency information.

[0021] Any of the aspects herein, wherein each of the first tracking device and the second tracking device are wireless.

[0022] Any of the aspects herein, further comprising: a first photodiode disposed near the first tracking device; and a second photodiode disposed near the second tracking device.

[0023] Any of the aspects herein, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a light source to emit light, identify a reaction of at least one of the first photodiode or the second photodiode to the light; identify at least one of the first tracking device or the second tracking device based on the reaction of the at least one of the first photodiode or the second photodiode; and cause the identified at least one first tracking device or the second tracking device to emit a corresponding first signal or second signal. [0024] Any aspect in combination with any one or more other aspects.

[0025] Any one or more of the features disclosed herein.

[0026] Any one or more of the features as substantially disclosed herein.

[0027] Any one or more of the features as substantially disclosed herein in combination with any one or more other features as substantially disclosed herein.

[0028] Any one of the aspects/features/embodiments in combination with any one or more other aspects/features/embodiments .

[0029] Use of any one or more of the aspects or features as disclosed herein.

[0030] It is to be appreciated that any feature described herein can be claimed in combination with any other feature(s) as described herein, regardless of whether the features come from the same described embodiment.

[0031] The details of one or more aspects of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the techniques described in this disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

[0032] The phrases “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together. When each one of A, B, and C in the above expressions refers to an element, such as X, Y, and Z, or class of elements, such as XI -Xn, Yl-Ym, and Zl- Zo, the phrase is intended to refer to a single element selected from X, Y, and Z, a combination of elements selected from the same class (e.g., XI and X2) as well as a combination of elements selected from two or more classes (e.g., Y 1 and Zo).

[0033] The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be used interchangeably. [0034] The preceding is a simplified summary of the disclosure to provide an understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the disclosure and its various aspects, embodiments, and configurations. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of the disclosure but to present selected concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be appreciated, other aspects, embodiments, and configurations of the disclosure are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.

[0035] Numerous additional features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the embodiment descriptions provided hereinbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and form a part of the specification to illustrate several examples of the present disclosure. These drawings, together with the description, explain the principles of the disclosure. The drawings simply illustrate preferred and alternative examples of how the disclosure can be made and used and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure to only the illustrated and described examples. Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following, more detailed, description of the various aspects, embodiments, and configurations of the disclosure, as illustrated by the drawings referenced below. [0037] Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram of an object in a first position;

[0039] Fig. 2B is a schematic diagram of an object in a second position;

[0040] Fig. 3 is a flowchart according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Fig. 4 is a flowchart according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0042] Fig. 5 is a flowchart according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] It should be understood that various aspects disclosed herein may be combined in different combinations than the combinations specifically presented in the description and accompanying drawings. It should also be understood that, depending on the example or embodiment, certain acts or events of any of the processes or methods described herein may be performed in a different sequence, and/or may be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., all described acts or events may not be necessary to carry out the disclosed techniques according to different embodiments of the present disclosure). In addition, while certain aspects of this disclosure are described as being performed by a single module or unit for purposes of clarity, it should be understood that the techniques of this disclosure may be performed by a combination of units or modules associated with, for example, a computing device and/or a medical device.

[0044] In one or more examples, the described methods, processes, and techniques may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium and executed by a hardware-based processing unit. Alternatively or additionally, functions may be implemented using machine learning models, neural networks, artificial neural networks, or combinations thereof (alone or in combination with instructions). Computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable media, which corresponds to a tangible medium such as data storage media (e.g., RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer).

[0045] Instructions may be executed by one or more processors, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), general purpose microprocessors (e.g., Intel Core i3, i5, i7, or i9 processors; Intel Celeron processors; Intel Xeon processors; Intel Pentium processors; AMD Ryzen processors; AMD Athlon processors; AMD Phenom processors; Apple A10 or 10X Fusion processors; Apple Al l, A12, A12X, A12Z, or A13 Bionic processors; or any other general purpose microprocessors), graphics processing units (e.g., Nvidia GeForce RTX 2000-series processors, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000-series processors, AMD Radeon RX 5000-series processors, AMD Radeon RX 6000-series processors, or any other graphics processing units), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable logic arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuitry. Accordingly, the term “processor” as used herein may refer to any of the foregoing structure or any other physical structure suitable for implementation of the described techniques. Also, the techniques could be fully implemented in one or more circuits or logic elements. [0046] Before any embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Further, the present disclosure may use examples to illustrate one or more aspects thereof. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the use or listing of one or more examples (which may be denoted by “for example,” “by way of example,” “e.g.,” “such as,” or similar language) is not intended to and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0047] The terms proximal and distal are used in this disclosure with their conventional medical meanings, proximal being closer to the operator or user of the system, and further from the region of surgical interest in or on the patient, and distal being closer to the region of surgical interest in or on the patient, and further from the operator or user of the system.

[0048] During a surgical procedure, one or more surgical tools may be tracked and navigated using a navigation system such as, for example, an optical measurement system. The navigation system may use, for example, an NDI camera and near infrared (IR) light to calculate three- dimensional positions of markers positioned on or integrated with each surgical tool. Conventional markers or tracking devices may be passive (using reflective material that covers the marker and reflects the IR light back to IR sensors mounted on the camera - where the IR light was transmitted from) or active (uses an independent source of IR light in a suitable wavelength (a LED for example) that can be identified by the navigation system).

[0049] Conventional methods of distinguishing between different surgical tools and/or faces of, for example, a robot or robotic arm include using markers having a unique geometry. Such markers are designed to meet several geometrical constraints such that each tool will have a unique arrangement of markers which is different enough from one tool to another tool so the navigation system and the navigation algorithm can identify each different tool. Another conventional method includes using a tool that is wired to the NDI camera in a control loop. The navigation system can cause each marker to light up separately in a specific order via the wire. Such sequencing of lights can be used to determine where each marker is located and which can be used to determine each tool and the tool’s orientation. In any method, the navigation system has a file containing all the markers coordinates and the corresponding tools.

[0050] However, as the number of navigated tools increases, it becomes difficult to design a new tool and add it to the toolset. For example, there are several geometrical constraints defined by NDI so that the navigation system will be able to distinguish between different tools. Further, there are several navigated tools in every surgery, and thus it may be difficult to design a tool and achieve a unique geometry with respect to other tools. In other words, the more tools there are - the more complex it is to design a new tool. Further, wired solution that can bypass the need for unique geometries is limited and sometimes is unwanted since it requires a physical electrical connection between the tool(s) and the navigation system.

[0051] Thus, systems and methods according to the present disclosure are provided to enable identification of one or more tracking devices based on unique frequencies of each tracking device. In such systems and methods, the tracking devices may be wireless and may comprise, for example, LEDs. During identification, all LEDs may be activated at the same time. Each LED may have a different frequency of blinking and the frequency information can be used with the tool file(s) (which includes frequency information) to identify the tool associated with one or more LEDs. Thus, the systems and methods enable identification of the tracking devices similar to a wired tool without using wires. Further, the tracking devices do not need to have a unique geometry.

[0052] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide technical solutions to one or more of the problems of (1) wirelessly identifying one or more tracking devices, (2) identifying one or more surgical tools wirelessly and without the use of markers with unique geometries, and (3) reducing components used in a surgical procedure.

[0053] Turning first to Fig. 1, a block diagram of a system 100 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The system 100 may be used to identify one or more tracking devices such as tracking device 136 and/or carry out one or more other aspects of one or more of the methods disclosed herein. The system 100 comprises a computing device 102, one or more imaging devices 112, a robot 114, a navigation system 118, a database 130, one or more of the tracking devices 136, a light source 126, and/or a cloud or other network 134. Systems according to other embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise more or fewer components than the system 100. For example, the system 100 may not include the imaging device 112, the robot 114, the navigation system 118, the light source 124, one or more components of the computing device 102, the database 130, and/or the cloud 134.

[0054] The computing device 102 comprises a processor 104, a memory 106, a communication interface 108, and a user interface 110. Computing devices according to other embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise more or fewer components than the computing device 102.

[0055] The processor 104 of the computing device 102 may be any processor described herein or any similar processor. The processor 104 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 106, which instructions may cause the processor 104 to carry out one or more computing steps utilizing or based on data received from the imaging device 112, the robot 114, the navigation system 118, the tracking device 136, the database 130, and/or the cloud 134.

[0056] The memory 106 may be or comprise RAM, DRAM, SDRAM, other solid-state memory, any memory described herein, or any other tangible, non-transitory memory for storing computer- readable data and/or instructions. The memory 106 may store information or data useful for completing, for example, any step of the methods 300, 400, and/or 500 described herein, or of any other methods. The memory 106 may store, for example, instructions and/or machine learning models that support one or more functions of the robot 114. For instance, the memory 106 may store content (e.g., instructions and/or machine learning models) that, when executed by the processor 104, enable signal processing 120 and/or identification 122.

[0057] The signal processing 120 enables the processor 104 (or a process of the navigation system 118) to process signal data (received from, for example, the tracking device 136) for the purpose of, for example, identifying at least a frequency of the signal data. Other information may be identified from the signal data such as, for example, amplitude, type of signal, signal length, etc. The signal data may be, for example, light signal data, electrical signal data, infrared signal data, and/or electromagnetic signal data. The signal data may be obtained over a period of time from, for example, the tracking device 136.

[0058] The identification 122 enables the processor 104 to identify the tracking device 136 based on the frequency as output by, for example, the signal processing 120. The processor 104 may also receive at least one identification file 124 which may include information about one or more tracking devices 136 and a corresponding frequency for each tracking device 136. In some embodiments each tracking device 136 may have a different frequency from each other. In other embodiments, two or more tracking devices 136 may have the same frequency. For example, in embodiments where a first tracking device is disposed on a first unique surface and a second tracking device is disposed on a second unique surface, the surfaces may be simply identified by their respective unique surfaces.

[0059] The identification 122 may also enable the processor 104 to identify a surgical tool, a face or surface of the surgical tool, a face or surface of the robot 114 and/or a robotic arm 116. More specifically, the identified tracking devices 136 and the identification file 124 can be further used to identify a surface upon which the tracking device 136 is disposed on and/or a surgical tool (or a face of the surgical tool) upon which the tracking device 136 is disposed on, as will be described in detail below. The tracking devices 136 can also be used to determine an orientation and/or position of a surgical tool, the robot 114, and/or the robotic arm 116.

[0060] Such content, if provided as in instruction, may, in some embodiments, be organized into one or more applications, modules, packages, layers, or engines. Alternatively or additionally, the memory 106 may store other types of content or data (e.g., machine learning models, artificial neural networks, deep neural networks, etc.) that can be processed by the processor 104 to carry out the various method and features described herein. Thus, although various contents of memory 106 may be described as instructions, it should be appreciated that functionality described herein can be achieved through use of instructions, algorithms, and/or machine learning models. The data, algorithms, and/or instructions may cause the processor 104 to manipulate data stored in the memory 106 and/or received from or via the imaging device 112, the robot 114, the database 130, and/or the cloud 134.

[0061] The memory 106 may also store the one or more identification file(s) 124. As described above, the one or more identification files 124 may include information about each tracking device of a plurality of tracking devices 136 and a corresponding frequency of each tracking device. The identification file(s) 124 may further include information about the tracking device 136 (or a frequency of the tracking device) and a corresponding surgical tool, a corresponding face of the surgical tool, a corresponding face of the robot 114, a corresponding face of the robotic arm 116, and/or a corresponding photodiode 128. Thus, the one or more identification file(s) 124 may be used to identify a corresponding surgical tool or face (whether of the robot 114, the robotic arm 116, or the surgical tool) based on the tracking device 136 and more specifically, based on the corresponding frequency of the tracking device 136. [0062] The computing device 102 may also comprise a communication interface 108. The communication interface 108 may be used for receiving image data or other information from an external source (such as the imaging device 112, the robot 114, the tracking device 136, the navigation system 118, the database 130, the cloud 134, and/or any other system or component not part of the system 100), and/or for transmitting instructions, images, or other information to an external system or device (e.g., another computing device 102, the imaging device 112, the tracking device 136, the robot 114, the navigation system 118, the database 130, the cloud 134, and/or any other system or component not part of the system 100). The communication interface 108 may comprise one or more wired interfaces (e.g., a USB port, an Ethernet port, a Firewire port) and/or one or more wireless transceivers or interfaces (configured, for example, to transmit and/or receive information via one or more wireless communication protocols such as 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, NFC, ZigBee, and so forth). In some embodiments, the communication interface 108 may be useful for enabling the device 102 to communicate with one or more other processors 104 or computing devices 102, whether to reduce the time needed to accomplish a computing-intensive task or for any other reason.

[0063] The computing device 102 may also comprise one or more user interfaces 110. The user interface 110 may be or comprise a keyboard, mouse, trackball, monitor, television, screen, touchscreen, and/or any other device for receiving information from a user and/or for providing information to a user. The user interface 110 may be used, for example, to receive a user selection or other user input regarding any step of any method described herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any required input for any step of any method described herein may be generated automatically by the system 100 (e.g., by the processor 104 or another component of the system 100) or received by the system 100 from a source external to the system 100. In some embodiments, the user interface 110 may be useful to allow a surgeon or other user to modify instructions to be executed by the processor 104 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, and/or to modify or adjust a setting of other information displayed on the user interface 110 or corresponding thereto.

[0064] Although the user interface 110 is shown as part of the computing device 102, in some embodiments, the computing device 102 may utilize a user interface 110 that is housed separately from one or more remaining components of the computing device 102. In some embodiments, the user interface 110 may be located proximate one or more other components of the computing device 102, while in other embodiments, the user interface 110 may be located remotely from one or more other components of the computer device 102.

[0065] The imaging device 112 may be operable to image anatomical feature(s) (e.g., a bone, veins, tissue, etc.) and/or other aspects of patient anatomy to yield image data (e.g., image data depicting or corresponding to a bone, veins, tissue, etc.). “Image data” as used herein refers to the data generated or captured by an imaging device 112, including in a machine-readable form, a graphical/visual form, and in any other form. In various examples, the image data may comprise data corresponding to an anatomical feature of a patient, or to a portion thereof. The image data may be or comprise a preoperative image, an intraoperative image, a postoperative image, or an image taken independently of any surgical procedure. In some embodiments, a first imaging device 112 may be used to obtain first image data (e.g., a first image) at a first time, and a second imaging device 112 may be used to obtain second image data (e.g., a second image) at a second time after the first time. The imaging device 112 may be capable of taking a 2D image or a 3D image to yield the image data. The imaging device 112 may be or comprise, for example, an ultrasound scanner (which may comprise, for example, a physically separate transducer and receiver, or a single ultrasound transceiver), an 0-arm, a C-arm, a G-arm, or any other device utilizing X-ray-based imaging (e.g., a fluoroscope, a CT scanner, or other X-ray machine), a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanner, an endoscope, a microscope, an optical camera, a thermographic camera (e.g., an infrared camera), a radar system (which may comprise, for example, a transmitter, a receiver, a processor, and one or more antennae), or any other imaging device 112 suitable for obtaining images of an anatomical feature of a patient. The imaging device 112 may be contained entirely within a single housing, or may comprise a transmitter/emitter and a receiver/detector that are in separate housings or are otherwise physically separated.

[0066] In some embodiments, the imaging device 112 may comprise more than one imaging device 112. For example, a first imaging device may provide first image data and/or a first image, and a second imaging device may provide second image data and/or a second image. In still other embodiments, the same imaging device may be used to provide both the first image data and the second image data, and/or any other image data described herein. The imaging device 112 may be operable to generate a stream of image data. For example, the imaging device 112 may be configured to operate with an open shutter, or with a shutter that continuously alternates between open and shut so as to capture successive images. For purposes of the present disclosure, unless specified otherwise, image data may be considered to be continuous and/or provided as an image data stream if the image data represents two or more frames per second.

[0067] The tracking device 136 is configured to emit or output a signal having at least a frequency. The tracking device 136 may include, for example, at least one light emitting diode (LED), an infrared (IR) emitter, and/or an electromagnetic (EM). It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the tracking device 136 may be any device capable of emitting a signal having at least a frequency. The signal may be an electrical signal, a light signal, an infrared signal, and/or an electromagnetic signal. The tracking device 136 may be positioned adjacent to or integrated with another component of the system 100 such as, for example, the robot 114, the robotic arm 118, and/or a surgical tool. The tracking device 136 may also be wireless.

[0068] In embodiments where there is a plurality of tracking devices 136, each tracking device 136 may have a different frequency from each other. In embodiments where the tracking device 136 comprises an LED, the frequency may be a frequency of the blinking of the LED. In embodiments where the plurality of tracking devices 136 each have a different frequency from each other, each tracking device 136 has a frequency that is unharmonized from each other. In other words, a frequency of one tracking device 136 is not a harmony of a frequency of another tracking device 136. The plurality of tracking devices 136 can be used to identify a surgical tool, a face of the surgical tool, and/or a face of the robot 114 and/or the robotic arm 116 based on each tracking device 136 having different frequencies. More specifically and in some embodiments, each the plurality of tracking devices 136 can be positioned on a surface or face so that each surface or face can be identified based on the corresponding tracking device 136. The identified surface(s) or face(s) can be used to determine, for example, an orientation of the surgical tool, the robot 114, and/or the robotic arm 116.

[0069] The light source 126 is configured to emit light and can be any light source 126 such as, for example, IR, incandescent, fluorescent, LED, and/or laser. The light emitted can cause one or more photodiodes 128 to react. The photodiode(s) 128 can be used to identify one or more tracking devices 136 such that a subset of tracking devices 136 can be activated instead of activating all tracking devices 136. By activating the subset of tracking devices 136 instead of all tracking devices 136, the amount of power needed or used during a surgical procedure can be decreased. [0070] The subset of tracking devices 136 may be identified by positioning the photodiode(s) 128 adjacent to or near a corresponding tracking device 136. The light source 126 can then emit light from or near the navigation system 118 and the photodiode(s) 128 that react to the light can be detected. The photodiode(s) 128 that are detected can be used to identify the subset of tracking devices 136 to activate (using, for example, the identification file(s) 124). Thus, the photodiode(s) 128 identify the tracking device(s) 136 that are detectable or identifiable by the navigation system 118.

[0071] The robot 114 may be any surgical robot or surgical robotic system. The robot 114 may be or comprise, for example, the Mazor X™ Stealth Edition robotic guidance system. The robot 114 may be configured to position the imaging device 112 at one or more precise position(s) and orientation(s), and/or to return the imaging device 112 to the same position(s) and orientation(s) at a later point in time. The robot 114 may additionally or alternatively be configured to manipulate a surgical tool (whether based on guidance from the navigation system 118 or not) to accomplish or to assist with a surgical task. In some embodiments, the robot 114 may be configured to hold and/or manipulate an anatomical element during or in connection with a surgical procedure. The robot 114 may comprise one or more robotic arms 116. In some embodiments, the robotic arm 116 may comprise a first robotic arm and a second robotic arm, though the robot 114 may comprise more than two robotic arms. In some embodiments, one or more of the robotic arms 116 may be used to hold and/or maneuver the imaging device 112. In embodiments where the imaging device 112 comprises two or more physically separate components (e.g., a transmitter and receiver), one robotic arm 116 may hold one such component, and another robotic arm 116 may hold another such component. Each robotic arm 116 may be positionable independently of the other robotic arm. The robotic arms 116 may be controlled in a single, shared coordinate space, or in separate coordinate spaces.

[0072] The robot 114, together with the robotic arm 116, may have, for example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, or more degrees of freedom. Further, the robotic arm 116 may be positioned or positionable in any pose, plane, and/or focal point. The pose includes a position and an orientation. As a result, an imaging device 112, surgical tool, or other object held by the robot 114 (or, more specifically, by the robotic arm 116) may be precisely positionable in one or more needed and specific positions and orientations. [0073] The robotic arm(s) 116 may comprise one or more sensors that enable the processor 104 (or a processor of the robot 114) to determine a precise pose in space of the robotic arm (as well as any object or element held by or secured to the robotic arm).

[0074] In some embodiments, reference markers (e.g., navigation markers) may be placed on the robot 114 (including, e.g., on the robotic arm 116), the imaging device 112, or any other object in the surgical space. The reference markers may be tracked by the navigation system 118, and the results of the tracking may be used by the robot 114 and/or by an operator of the system 100 or any component thereof. In some embodiments, the navigation system 118 can be used to track other components of the system (e.g., imaging device 112) and the system can operate without the use of the robot 114 (e.g., with the surgeon manually manipulating the imaging device 112 and/or one or more surgical tools, based on information and/or instructions generated by the navigation system 118, for example). In some embodiments, one or more tracking devices 136 may be placed on the robot 114. More specifically, different tracking devices 136 may be placed on different surfaces or faces of the robot 114 so that each surface or face can be identified by the corresponding tracking device 136. In some embodiments, the tracking devices 136 may be the same as the reference markers.

[0075] The navigation system 118 may provide navigation for a surgeon and/or a surgical robot during an operation. The navigation system 118 may be any now-known or future-developed navigation system, including, for example, the Medtronic StealthStation™ S8 surgical navigation system or any successor thereof. The navigation system 118 may include one or more cameras or other sensor(s) for tracking one or more reference markers, navigated trackers, or other objects within the operating room or other room in which some or all of the system 100 is located. The one or more cameras may be optical cameras, infrared cameras, or other cameras. In some embodiments, the navigation system 118 may comprise one or more electromagnetic sensors. In various embodiments, the navigation system 118 may be used to track a position and orientation (e.g., a pose) of the imaging device 112, the robot 114 and/or robotic arm 116, the tracking device 136, and/or one or more surgical tools (or, more particularly, to track a pose of a navigated tracker attached, directly or indirectly, in fixed relation to the one or more of the foregoing). The navigation system 118 may include a display for displaying one or more images from an external source (e.g., the computing device 102, imaging device 112, or other source) or for displaying an image and/or video stream from the one or more cameras or other sensors of the navigation system 118. In some embodiments, the system 100 can operate without the use of the navigation system 118. The navigation system 118 may be configured to provide guidance to a surgeon or other user of the system 100 or a component thereof, to the robot 114, or to any other element of the system 100 regarding, for example, a pose of one or more anatomical elements, whether or not a tool is in the proper trajectory, and/or how to move a tool into the proper trajectory to carry out a surgical task according to a preoperative or other surgical plan.

[0076] The database 130 may store information that correlates one coordinate system to another (e.g., one or more robotic coordinate systems to a patient coordinate system and/or to a navigation coordinate system). The database 130 may additionally or alternatively store, for example, one or more surgical plans (including, for example, pose information about a target and/or image information about a patient’s anatomy at and/or proximate the surgical site, for use by the robot 114, the navigation system 118, and/or a user of the computing device 102 or of the system 100); one or more images useful in connection with a surgery to be completed by or with the assistance of one or more other components of the system 100; and/or any other useful information. The database 130 may be configured to provide any such information to the computing device 102 or to any other device of the system 100 or external to the system 100, whether directly or via the cloud 134. In some embodiments, the database 130 may be or comprise part of a hospital image storage system, such as a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), a health information system (HIS), and/or another system for collecting, storing, managing, and/or transmitting electronic medical records including image data. In some embodiments, the database 130 may also store the one or more identification files 124.

[0077] The cloud 134 may be or represent the Internet or any other wide area network. The computing device 102 may be connected to the cloud 134 via the communication interface 108, using a wired connection, a wireless connection, or both. In some embodiments, the computing device 102 may communicate with the database 130 and/or an external device (e.g., a computing device) via the cloud 134.

[0078] The system 100 or similar systems may be used, for example, to carry out one or more aspects of any of the methods 300, 400, and/or 500 described herein. The system 100 or similar systems may also be used for other purposes.

[0079] Figs. 2A and 2B illustrate a schematic example of an object 200 in a first position and a second position, respectively, and one or more tracking devices 136A-F disposed on the object 200. The object 200 may be, for example, a surgical tool, a surgical instrument, the robot 114, and/or the robotic arm 116. As shown, the tracking devices 136A-F can be used to determine a pose (e.g., a position and an orientation) of the object 200 after the object 200 has moved from the first position to the second position. More specifically, each of the one or more tracking devices 136A-F can be identified when the object 200 is in the first position as shown in Fig. 2A and relative locations of each of the tracking devices 136A-F can be identified. Each of the one or more tracking devices 136A-F can then be identified when the object 200 is in the second position as shown in Fig. 2B and a pose of the object 200 in the second position can be determined based on the relative locations of the tracking devices 136A-F.

[0080] Fig. 3 depicts a method 300 that may be used, for example, for identifying a tracking device such as the tracking device 136 to identify, for example, a face of a robot such as the robot 114, a face of a robotic arm such as the robotic arm 116, a surgical instrument or tool, and/or a face of the surgical instrument or tool.

[0081] The method 300 (and/or one or more steps thereof) may be carried out or otherwise performed, for example, by at least one processor. The at least one processor may be the same as or similar to the processor(s) 104 of the computing device 102 described above. The at least one processor may be part of a robot (such as a robot 114) or part of a navigation system (such as a navigation system 118). A processor other than any processor described herein may also be used to execute the method 300. The at least one processor may perform the method 300 by executing elements stored in a memory such as the memory 106. The elements stored in memory and executed by the processor may cause the processor to execute one or more steps of a function as shown in method 300. One or more portions of a method 300 may be performed by the processor executing any of the contents of memory, such as a sensor processing such as the sensor processing 120 and/or a tracking device identification such as the identification 122.

[0082] The method 300 comprises causing a tracking device to emit a signal (step 304). The tracking device may be the same as or similar to the tracking device 136 and may be configured to emit a signal having at least a frequency. As previously described, the tracking device may include, for example, at least one LED, an IR emitter, and/or an EM emitter. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the tracking device may be any device capable of emitting a signal having at least a frequency. The signal may be an electrical signal, a light signal, and/or an electromagnetic signal. The tracking device may be positioned adjacent to or integrated with another component of the system such as, for example, the robot, the robotic arm, and/or a surgical tool. More specifically, the tracking device may be positioned on surgical tool, a surface or face of the surgical tool, or a surface or face of a robot such as the robot 114 or a robotic arm such as the robotic arm 116 so as to identify the surgical tool or surface or face. The tracking device can also be used to determine an orientation and/or a position of the surgical tool, the robot, or the robotic arm.

[0083] The method 300 also comprises processing the signal to obtain frequency information (step 308). The signal emitted by the tracking device can be detected or received by, for example, a navigation system such as the navigation system 118. In some embodiments, a processor such as the processor 104, a processor of the navigation system, or any other processor may execute a signal processing such as the signal processing 120 to process signal data from the signal to obtain the frequency information. It will be appreciated that other information in addition to the frequency information can be processed from the signal such as, for example, an amplitude, type of signal, signal length, etc.

[0084] The method 300 also comprises receiving at least one identification file (step 312). The identification file may be the same as or similar to the identification file 124. The identification file may include information about the one or more tracking devices and the corresponding frequency for each tracking device. The one or more identification files may alternatively or additionally include information about the tracking device (or a frequency of the tracking device) and a corresponding surgical tool, a corresponding face of the surgical tool, a corresponding face of the robot, and/or a corresponding face of the robotic arm. Thus, the one or more identification file(s) may be used to identify a corresponding surgical tool or face (whether of the robot, the robotic arm, or the surgical tool) based on the tracking device and more specifically, based on the corresponding frequency of the tracking device.

[0085] The method 300 also comprises identifying the tracking device based on the frequency information (step 316). The tracking device may be identified based on the frequency information and the at least one identification file. As previously described, each tracking device of a plurality of tracking devices may have a frequency different than another tracking device such that the tracking device can be identified based on the frequency information. In such embodiments, each tracking device has a frequency that is unharmonized from each other. In other words, a frequency of one tracking device is not a harmony of a frequency of another tracking device. [0086] The processor may execute an identification such as the identification 122 to identify the tracking device based on the frequency information and the identification file.

[0087] The method 300 also comprises identifying a surgical tool and/or a surface (step 320). The surgical tool and/or the surface or face upon which the tracking device is positioned on may be determined by the processor executing the identification to identify the surgical tool, a surface of the surgical tool, and/or a surface of the robot and/or the robotic arm. In some embodiments, the step 320 may further include determining an orientation and/or position of the surgical, the robot, and/or the robotic arm. Determining the orientation and/or the position may include determining a relative position of a plurality of tracking devices disposed on the surgical tool, the robot, and/or the robotic arm and using known relative positions of the tracking devices (which may be obtained from, for example, the identification file) to determine the orientation and/or the position.

[0088] The present disclosure encompasses embodiments of the method 300 that comprise more or fewer steps than those described above, and/or one or more steps that are different than the steps described above.

[0089] Fig. 4 depicts a method 400 that may be used, for example, for identifying a tracking device such as the tracking device 136 to identify, for example, a face of a robot such as the robot 114, a face of a robotic arm such as the robotic arm 116, a surgical instrument or tool, and/or a face of the surgical instrument or tool.

[0090] The method 400 (and/or one or more steps thereof) may be carried out or otherwise performed, for example, by at least one processor. The at least one processor may be the same as or similar to the processor(s) 104 of the computing device 102 described above. The at least one processor may be part of a robot (such as a robot 114) or part of a navigation system (such as a navigation system 118). A processor other than any processor described herein may also be used to execute the method 400. The at least one processor may perform the method 400 by executing elements stored in a memory such as the memory 106. The elements stored in memory and executed by the processor may cause the processor to execute one or more steps of a function as shown in method 400. One or more portions of a method 400 may be performed by the processor executing any of the contents of memory, such as a sensor processing such as the sensor processing 120 and/or a tracking device identification such as the identification 122.

[0091] The method 400 comprises causing a first tracking device to emit a first signal and a second tracking device to emit a second signal (step 404). The step 404 may be the same as or similar to the step 304 of the method 300 described above. The first tracking device and the second tracking device may be the same as or similar to the tracking device 136. The first signal may have a frequency different than a frequency of the second signal. Further, the frequency of the first signal may be an unharmonized frequency of the second signal. In other words, the frequency of the first signal may not be a harmonized frequency of the second signal.

[0092] The first tracking device and the second tracking device may be positioned on or integrated with a surgical tool, a robot such as the robot 114, and/or a robotic arm such as the robotic arm 116. Additionally, the second tracking device may be spaced from the first tracking device and a relative position of the first tracking device to the second tracking device can be used to determine an orientation and/or position of the surgical tool, the robot, and/or the robotic arm. In other embodiments, the first tracking device and the second tracking device may be positioned on a first tool and a second tool, respectively, such that the first tracking device and the second tracking device can be used to identify the first tool and the second tool.

[0093] The method 400 also comprises processing the first signal to obtain first frequency information and the second signal to obtain second frequency information (step 408). The step 408 may be the same as or similar to the step 308 of the method 300 above and further includes a processor such as the processor 104 using a signal processing such as the signal processing 120 to process the second signal to obtain the second frequency information.

[0094] The method 400 also comprises receiving at least one identification file (step 412). The step 412 may be the same as or similar to the step 312 of the method 300 above.

[0095] The method 400 also comprises identifying the first tracking device and the second tracking device (step 416). The step 416 may be the same as or similar to the step 316 of the method 300 above and further includes the processor executing an identification such as the identification 122 to identify the second tracking device based on the second frequency information and the identification file.

[0096] The method 400 also comprises identifying a first surgical tool and/or a first surface and a second surgical tool and/or a second surface (step 420). The step 420 may be the same as or similar to the step 320 of the method 300 above. In embodiments where a first surgical tool and a second surgical tool are identified, the tracking devices provide a simple and unobstructive device to identify the different surgical tools as the tracking devices do not use a large amount of space on the tool and can be wireless. [0097] The present disclosure encompasses embodiments of the method 400 that comprise more or fewer steps than those described above, and/or one or more steps that are different than the steps described above.

[0098] Fig. 5 depicts a method 500 that may be used, for example, for identifying one or more tracking devices 136 to activate. It will be appreciated that the method 500 may be executed prior to the methods 300 and/or 400 to determine a subset of tracking devices to activate (as compared to activating all tracking devices at one time). By determining the subset of tracking devices to activate, power to activate the tracking devices may be conserved or reduced.

[0099] The method 500 (and/or one or more steps thereof) may be carried out or otherwise performed, for example, by at least one processor. The at least one processor may be the same as or similar to the processor(s) 104 of the computing device 102 described above. The at least one processor may be part of a robot (such as a robot 114) or part of a navigation system (such as a navigation system 118). A processor other than any processor described herein may also be used to execute the method 500. The at least one processor may perform the method 500 by executing elements stored in a memory such as the memory 106. The elements stored in memory and executed by the processor may cause the processor to execute one or more steps of a function as shown in method 500. One or more portions of a method 500 may be performed by the processor executing any of the contents of memory, such as a sensor processing such as the sensor processing 120 and/or a tracking device identification such as the identification 122.

[0100] The method 500 comprises causing a light source to emit light (step 504). The light source may be the same as or similar to the light source 126. The light source is configured to emit light and can be any light source such as, for example, IR, incandescent, fluorescent, LED, and/or laser. The light emitted can cause one or more photodiodes such as the photodiode(s) 128 to react. The photodiode(s) can be used to identify one or more tracking devices (which may be the same as or similar to the tracking device 136) such that a subset of tracking devices can be activated instead of activating all tracking devices. As previously described, by activating the subset of tracking devices instead of all tracking devices, the amount of power needed or used during a surgical procedure can be decreased.

[0101] The method 500 also comprises identifying a reaction of a photodiode to the light (step 508). The reaction of the photodiode may be identified by a navigation system such as the navigation system 118. More specifically, an imaging device of the navigation system (which may be the same as the imaging device 112) may be used detect or identify the reaction of the photodiode. When the photodiode or photodiodes are identified, the subset of tracking devices may also be identified. The subset of tracking devices may be identified by positioning the photodiode(s) adjacent to or near a corresponding tracking device. A different photodiode may be positioned next to each tracking device. The photodiode(s) that are detected can then be used to identify the subset of tracking devices to activate.

[0102] The method 500 also comprises identifying the tracking device (step 512). The tracking device may be identified by the photodiode positioned adjacent to or next to the tracking device. In some embodiments, an identification file such as the identification file 124 may include information about the photodiode and a corresponding tracking device. In such embodiments, the identification file can be used to identify the tracking device based on the photodiode identified in, for example, the step 508. More specifically, a processor such as the processor 104 can execute an identification such as the identification 122 to identify the tracking device based on the identified photodiode and the identification file.

[0103] The method 500 also comprises cause the identified tracking device to emit a signal (step 516). The step 516 may be the same as or similar to the step 304 of the method 300 described above.

[0104] As previously described, the method 500 may be executed prior to the methods 300 and/or 400 to determine a subset of tracking devices to activate (as compared to activating all tracking devices at one time) so as to reduce or conserve power used by the tracking devices.

[0105] The present disclosure encompasses embodiments of the method 500 that comprise more or fewer steps than those described above, and/or one or more steps that are different than the steps described above.

[0106] It will be appreciated that identifying the one or more tracking devices by their unique frequency information may be used in addition to other methodologies for identifying surgical tool(s), faces of the surgical tool(s), faces of the robot, faces of the robotic arm, and/or an orientation and/or position of the surgical tool(s), the robot, and/or the robotic arm. For example, the frequency information and a known pose of the robotic arm may be used to identify the orientation and/or position of the surgical tool.

[0107] As noted above, the present disclosure encompasses methods with fewer than all of the steps identified in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 (and the corresponding description of the methods 300, 400, and 500), as well as methods that include additional steps beyond those identified in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 (and the corresponding description of the methods 300, 400, and 500). The present disclosure also encompasses methods that comprise one or more steps from one method described herein, and one or more steps from another method described herein. Any correlation described herein may be or comprise a registration or any other correlation.

[0108] The foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description, for example, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations of the disclosure may be combined in alternate aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed aspect, embodiment, and/or configuration. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

[0109] Moreover, though the foregoing has included description of one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations and certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications are within the scope of the disclosure, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter.

[0110] Example 1. A system for identifying a tracking device comprising: a processor; and a memory storing data for processing by the processor, the data, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a tracking device to emit a signal having a frequency; process the signal to obtain frequency information of the tracking device corresponding to the frequency; and identify the tracking device based on the frequency information.

Example 2. The system of example 1, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: receive at least one identification file, each identification file having information about a surgical tool and a corresponding tracking device; and identify the surgical tool based on the identified tracking device and the at least one identification file.

Example 3. The system of example 2, wherein the at least one identification file includes information about a surface and a corresponding tracking device, and wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: identify a surface based on the identified tracking device and the at least one identification file.

[0111] Example 4. The system of example 3, wherein the surface is at least one of a robot face or a surgical tool face.

[0112] Example 5. The system of example 1, wherein the signal comprises at least one of an electrical signal, a light signal, or an electromagnetic signal.

[0113] Example 6. The system of example 5, wherein the signal comprises the light signal and the tracking device comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

[0114] Example 7. The system of example 1, wherein the tracking device comprises a first tracking device, the signal comprises a first signal, and the frequency comprises a first frequency, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a second tracking device to emit a second signal having a second frequency; process the second signal to obtain second frequency information of the second tracking device corresponding to the second frequency; and identify the second tracking device based on the second frequency information.

[0115] Example 8. The system of example 7, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are unharmonized.

[0116] Example 9. The system of example 7, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are the same frequency, wherein the first tracking device is disposed on a first surface and the second tracking device is disposed on a second surface, and wherein the first surface has a geometry different than the second tracking device.

[0117] Example 10. The system of example 1, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a light source to emit light, identify a reaction of a photodiode to the light, the photodiode disposed near the tracking device; identify the tracking device based on the reaction of the photodiode; and cause the identified tracking device to emit the signal.

[0118] Example 11. A system for identifying one or more tracking devices comprising: a processor; and a memory storing data for processing by the processor, the data, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a first tracking device to emit a first signal having a first frequency and a second tracking device to emit a second signal having a second frequency; process the first signal to obtain first frequency information of the first tracking device corresponding to the first frequency and the second signal to obtain second frequency information of the second tracking device corresponding to the second frequency; and identify the first tracking device based on the first frequency information and the second tracking device based on the second frequency information.

[0119] Example 12. The system of example 11, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are unharmonized.

[0120] Example 13. The system of example 11, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are the same frequency, wherein the first tracking device is disposed on a first surface and the second tracking device is disposed on a second surface, and wherein the first surface has a geometry different than the second tracking device.

[0121] Example 14. The system of example 11, wherein each of the first signal and the second signal comprises at least one of an electrical signal, a light signal, or an electromagnetic signal.

[0122] Example 15. The system of example 14, wherein each of the first signal and the second signal comprises the light signal and the tracking device comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

[0123] Example 16. The system of example 11, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: receive at least one identification file, each identification file having information about a surgical tool and a corresponding tracking device; and identify a first surgical tool based on the identified first tracking device and the at least one identification file and a second surgical tool based on the identified second tracking device and the at least one identification file.

[0124] Example 17. A system for identifying a tracking device comprising: a first tracking device configured to emit a first signal having a first frequency; a second tracking device configured to emit a second signal having a second frequency; a processor; and a memory storing data for processing by the processor, the data, when processed, causes the processor to: cause the first tracking device to emit the first signal; cause the second tracking device to emit the second frequency; process the first signal to obtain first frequency information of the first tracking device corresponding to the first frequency and the second signal to obtain second frequency information of the second tracking device corresponding to the second frequency; and identify a first tracking device based on the first frequency information and a second tracking device based on the second frequency information.

[0125] Example 18. The system of example 17, wherein each of the first tracking device and the second tracking device are wireless.

[0126] Example 19. The system of example 17, further comprising: a first photodiode disposed near the first tracking device; and a second photodiode disposed near the second tracking device.

[0127] Example 20. The system of example 19, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a light source to emit light, identify a reaction of at least one of the first photodiode or the second photodiode to the light; identify at least one of the first tracking device or the second tracking device based on the reaction of the at least one of the first photodiode or the second photodiode; and cause the identified at least one first tracking device or the second tracking device to emit a corresponding first signal or second signal. 1

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A system for identifying a tracking device comprising: a processor (104); and a memory (106) storing data for processing by the processor, the data, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a tracking device (126) to emit a signal having a frequency; process the signal to obtain frequency information of the tracking device corresponding to the frequency; and identify the tracking device based on the frequency information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: receive at least one identification file, each identification file having information about a surgical tool and a corresponding tracking device; and identify the surgical tool based on the identified tracking device and the at least one identification file.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one identification file includes information about a surface and a corresponding tracking device, and wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: identify a surface based on the identified tracking device and the at least one identification file.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the surface is at least one of a robot face or a surgical tool face.

5. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the signal comprises at least one of an electrical signal, a light signal, or an electromagnetic signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the signal comprises the light signal and the tracking device comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

7. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the tracking device comprises a first tracking device, the signal comprises a first signal, and the frequency comprises a first frequency, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a second tracking device to emit a second signal having a second frequency; process the second signal to obtain second frequency information of the second tracking device corresponding to the second frequency; and identify the second tracking device based on the second frequency information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are unharmonized.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are the same frequency, wherein the first tracking device is disposed on a first surface and the second tracking device is disposed on a second surface, and wherein the first surface has a geometry different than the second tracking device.

10. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a light source to emit light, identify a reaction of a photodiode to the light, the photodiode disposed near the tracking device; identify the tracking device based on the reaction of the photodiode; and cause the identified tracking device to emit the signal.

11. A system for identifying one or more tracking devices comprising: a processor (104); and a memory (106)storing data for processing by the processor, the data, when processed, causes the processor to: cause a first tracking device (136) to emit a first signal having a first frequency and a second tracking device (136) to emit a second signal having a second frequency; process the first signal to obtain first frequency information of the first tracking device corresponding to the first frequency and the second signal to obtain second frequency information of the second tracking device corresponding to the second frequency; and identify the first tracking device based on the first frequency information and the second tracking device based on the second frequency information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are unharmonized.

13. The system of claims 11 or 12, wherein the second frequency and the first frequency are the same frequency, wherein the first tracking device is disposed on a first surface and the second tracking device is disposed on a second surface, and wherein the first surface has a geometry different than the second tracking device.

14. The system of any preceding claim, wherein each of the first signal and the second signal comprises at least one of an electrical signal, a light signal, or an electromagnetic signal.

15. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the memory stores further data for processing by the processor that, when processed, causes the processor to: receive at least one identification file, each identification file having information about a surgical tool and a corresponding tracking device; and identify a first surgical tool based on the identified first tracking device and the at least one identification file and a second surgical tool based on the identified second tracking device and the at least one identification file.