Ablation Needle Deployment With Virtual Boundaries and Real-Time Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical treatments for uterine fibroids face challenges in precisely deploying needles and predicting treatment volumes, particularly for less experienced physicians, and existing systems are not optimized for multiple needle/tine assemblies, lacking intuitive control and real-time feedback.
Innovation Solution
A system that projects treatment and safety boundaries onto a real-time image, allowing for virtual deployment of needle structures, which can be adjusted and tracked, with controls on the treatment probe handle to ensure precise positioning and minimize redeployment, and provides feedback to prevent damage to sensitive tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a needle is deployed into tissue based on real-time imaging alone without virtual boundary projection, then the physician can observe the needle position, but the accuracy of needle placement and treatment volume prediction deteriorates due to difficulty in precisely predicting the needle path and final treatment position
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by projecting treatment and safety boundaries onto the real-time image before actual needle deployment. This allows the physician to plan and visualize the expected needle path and treatment volume in advance, improving placement accuracy without increasing operational difficulty during the actual procedure
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback by displaying the projected boundaries and comparing them with the actual needle position in real-time. This feedback loop enables the physician to adjust the needle deployment to achieve precise placement within the treatment boundary while avoiding the safety boundary, thereby improving accuracy without complicating the operation
2Reliability
If multiple needles are deployed without an optimized system, then treatment coverage can be increased, but the device complexity and difficulty of managing multiple needle assemblies increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides multi-functionality by using a single integrated boundary projection system that can manage and coordinate multiple needle assemblies simultaneously. The projected treatment and safety boundaries serve as universal guides for all needles, reducing the complexity of managing each individual needle while maintaining reliable treatment coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The projected boundary visualization acts as an intermediary that simplifies the management of multiple complex needle assemblies. By providing a common reference framework, the boundaries mediate between the complexity of multiple needles and the physician's ability to control them, making the system more manageable without compromising treatment reliability
3Ease of operation
If the control interface requires data entry or commands on a system controller, then precise control can be achieved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the need to shift attention from the imaging display to the controller
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the control interface with the imaging display by providing controls directly on the probe handle that are integrated with the visual feedback system. This allows the physician to adjust boundaries and deploy needles without shifting attention to a separate controller, improving ease of operation and reducing time loss while maintaining precise control through the unified interface
4Object-affected harmful factors
If needle deployment is performed without real-time boundary feedback, then the procedure can be simpler, but the safety deteriorates due to inability to assess safety margins and prevent damage to sensitive tissue structures
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback by continuously displaying the projected treatment and safety boundaries alongside the actual needle position. This feedback enables the physician to assess safety margins and prevent damage to sensitive tissues without excessive complexity, as the boundary projection system uses straightforward geometric calculations based on the needle position and predetermined safety margins
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the accuracy of needle placement and treatment volume prediction, reducing the need for redeployment and minimizing tissue damage by providing intuitive control and real-time feedback during the ablation procedure.
Implementation Method 1
the treatment device includes an ultrasonic imaging array with an adjustable field of view
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3~3A
AI summary
A control handle of a treatment probe is manipulated to advance and/or deploy one or more treatment structures into tissue. The treatment probe is coupled to a display to show an image field including target tissue for treatment. Virtual treatment and safety boundaries are overlaid over the image field. The boundaries include virtual stop positions for the needle and tines. A joystick or directional pad on the probe handle, operable independently from the user interface to advance and/or deploy the one or more treatment structures, can be manipulated to adjust the size and/or position of these boundaries. Sensors within the probe detect the real-time position of the one or more treatment structures, and the sensed positions are displayed in real-time. The user can observe the display to deploy the one or more treatment structures to the displayed virtual stop positions.