Method and apparatus for performing stereotactic surgery

Claim 1

A method for performing stereotactic surgery with a medical instrument upon a target within a skull, comprising the steps of: (a) establishing a first, predetermined geometric relationship between a positioning fixture attached to both the skull and to a support surface upon which the skull is disposed; (b) scanning the skull to produce an image of the target within the skull with respect to the positioning fixture; (c) transferring at least a portion of the positioning fixture to a phantom fixture and disposing the portion of the positioning fixture from the positioning fixture with respect to the phantom fixture to establish a second, predetermined geometric relationship therebetween, which is identical to the first, predetermined geometric relationship, whereby the slope of the skull where the positioning fixture is attached to the skull is duplicated within the phantom fixture; (d) disposing a phantom target within the phantom fixture at a location which corresponds to the location of the target within the skull; (e) determining the trajectory and distance of a medical instrument extending from the positioning fixture portion to the phantom target; (f) attaching the portion of the positioning fixture upon the skull in the same location it was originally attached to the skull; (g) attaching a carrier member, arc member, and instrument guide member to the positioning fixture; and (h) inserting the medical instrument through the instrument guide member, whereby the medical instrument will intersect the target in the skull.

Claim 2

A method for performing stereotactic surgery with a medical instrument upon a target within a skull, comprising the steps of: (a) establishing a first, predetermined geometric relationship between a positioning fixture attached to both the skull and to a support surface upon which the skull is disposed; (b) scanning the skull to produce an image of the target within the skull with respect to the positioning fixture; (c) transferring at least a portion of the positioning fixture to a phantom fixture and disposing the portion of the positioning fixture from the positioning fixture with respect to the phantom fixture to establish a second, predetermined geometric relationship therebetween, which is identical to the first, predetermined geometric relationship, whereby the slope of the skull where the positioning fixture is attached to the skull is duplicated within the phantom fixture; (d) disposing a phantom target within the phantom fixture at a location which corresponds to the location of the target within the skull; (e) determining the trajectory and distance of a medical instrument extending from the positioning fixture portion to the phantom target; (f) attaching the portion of the positioning fixture upon the skull in the same location it was originally attached to the skull; (g) attaching a carrier member, arc member, and instrument guide member to the positioning fixture; and (h) inserting the medical instrument through the instrument guide member, whereby the medical instrument will intersect the target in the skull.

Claim 17

A system for performing stereotactic surgery with a medical instrument upon a target within a skull, comprising: (a) a positioning fixture, having associated therewith, a means for attaching the positioning fixture to both the skull and to a support surface upon which the skull is disposed; the positioning fixture including means for establishing a first, predetermined geometric relationship between the positioning fixture and the support surface; (b) a phantom fixture, including: means for receiving at least a portion of the positioning fixture; means for establishing a second predetermined geometric relationship between the positioning fixture portion and the phantom fixture, wherein the second geometric relationship is identical to the first geometric relationship, whereby the slope of the skull where the positioning fixture is attached to the skull may be duplicated within the phantom fixture; (d) the means for attaching the positioning fixture including an attachment member having first and second end portions; in the first, predetermined geometric relationship, the attachment member is disposed coplanar with the support surface; and in the second, predetermined geometric relationship, the attachment member is disposed coplanar with the phantom fixture; and (d) a carrier member adapted for attachment to the positioning fixture, an arc member, adapted for attachment to the carrier member, and an instrument guide member, adapted to be attached to the arc member, whereby the medical instrument may be passed through the instrument guide member to intersect the target by entering the skull at a plurality of locations upon the skull.

Claim 18

A system for performing stereotactic surgery with a medical instrument upon a target within a skull, comprising: (a) a positioning fixture, having associated therewith, a means for attaching the positioning fixture to both the skull and to a support surface upon which the skull is disposed; the positioning fixture including means for establishing a first, predetermined geometric relationship between the positioning fixture and the support surface; (b) a phantom fixture, including: means for receiving at least a portion of the positioning fixture; means for establishing a second predetermined geometric relationship between the positioning fixture portion and the phantom fixture, wherein the second geometric relationship is identical to the first geometric relationship, whereby the slope of the skull where the positioning fixture is attached to the skull may be duplicated within the phantom fixture; (d) the means for attaching the positioning fixture including an attachment member having first and second end portions; in the first, predetermined geometric relationship, the attachment member is disposed coplanar with the support surface; and in the second, predetermined geometric relationship, the attachment member is disposed coplanar with the phantom fixture; and (d) a carrier member adapted for attachment to the positioning fixture, an arc member, adapted for attachment to the carrier member, and an instrument guide member, adapted to be attached to the arc member, whereby the medical instrument may be passed through the instrument guide member to intersect the target by entering the skull at a plurality of locations upon the skull.

Claim 26

An apparatus, useful for performing stereotactic surgery, comprising: (a) a skull plate member, adapted to be secured to a skull; (b) a secondary plate member, adapted to overlie the skull plate member; (c) a ball socket member rotatably received within the secondary plate member; (d) means for aligning the skull plate member and secondary plate member with respect to one another; (e) means for locking the ball socket member with respect to the secondary plate member; (f) an arc-trajectory ball disposed within the ball socket member; (g) a carrier member attached to the arc-trajectory ball; (h) an arc member mounted on the carrier member, the arc member being curved substantially along the entire length of the arc member and having a predetermined radius of curvature; and (i) means for guiding an instrument away from the arc-trajectory ball, the guiding means being mounted on the arc member, and moveable along the arc member.

Claim 27

An apparatus, useful for performing stereotactic surgery, comprising: (a) a skull plate member, adapted to be secured to a skull; (b) a secondary plate member, adapted to overlie the skull plate member; (c) a ball socket member rotatably received within the secondary plate member; (d) means for aligning the skull plate member and secondary plate member with respect to one another; (e) means for locking the ball socket member with respect to the secondary plate member; (f) an arc-trajectory ball disposed within the ball socket member; (g) a carrier member attached to the arc-trajectory ball; (h) an arc member mounted on the carrier member, the arc member being curved substantially along the entire length of the arc member and having a predetermined radius of curvature; and (i) means for guiding an instrument away from the arc-trajectory ball, the guiding means being mounted on the arc member, and moveable along the arc member.