STYLUS FOR SURGICAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM

摘要

A stylus (10) for a tracking device of a surgical navigation system includes a handle (14), a removable tip (12), a rivet (28) adapted to hold a sensor within a fluid-tight compartment, and two opposing pushbuttons (16, 18), one or both of which can activate the sensor. The dual pushbuttons (16) enable a surgeon to simultaneously apply equal but oppositely directed radial forces to both sides of the handle (14) during registration of a fiducial marker, thereby to eliminate and/or reduce undesired movement of the tip during pushbutton depression, and also to provide redundancy in activating the sensor. The tip (12) removably mounts to the handle (14) in a keyed manner, via a guide boss (32) and slot (22), to assure proper connection of the desired tip (12) at a known fixed distance between a distal end of the tip (12) and the handle (14). The stylus (10) enables the handle (14) and rivet to interchangeably connect to one of a number of differently sized or shaped tips, to allow the surgeon to select the tip which best suits a particular need.