Artificial Bone Flap Selection via 3D Scanning Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Craniotomy procedures face challenges in preserving and closing bone flaps due to potential damage and contamination, and craniectomy procedures lack the preservation of bone flaps, necessitating methods for selecting, modifying, or fabricating artificial bone flaps to ensure proper healing and infection prevention.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using a portable 3D scanner to calculate and fabricate artificial bone flaps by obtaining intra-operative data, registering it with pre-operative images, and providing feedback for selecting or modifying the flaps to match the patient's skull dimensions, including recommendations for fasteners and modifications to ensure accurate fit and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a bone flap is removed during craniotomy, then access to the brain is achieved, but the bone flap may be damaged or contaminated making preservation problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary 3D scanning and digital modeling of the bone flap before removal, creating a precise digital replica that captures the exact geometry and dimensions. This preliminary documentation ensures that even if the physical bone flap is damaged during surgery, the digital model can be used to fabricate an accurate artificial replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a digital copy of the bone flap using 3D scanning technology. This digital replica serves as a precise template for fabricating artificial bone flaps, ensuring that the replacement matches the original anatomy exactly, thereby maintaining reliability even when the original bone flap cannot be preserved.
2Manufacturing precision
If an artificial bone flap is fabricated to match exact skull dimensions, then fit accuracy is improved, but measurement and calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex manual measurement systems with automated 3D scanning and digital calculation systems. The portable 3D scanner automatically captures geometric data, and software algorithms automatically calculate dimensions and generate fabrication files, eliminating the need for complex manual measurements and calculations while achieving high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system is designed to be self-calibrating and automatic. The 3D scanner automatically captures data, the software automatically processes the measurements, and the system automatically generates fabrication specifications, reducing the need for complex manual intervention while maintaining high manufacturing precision.
3Measurement precision
If a portable 3D scanner is used for intra-operative scanning, then measurement accuracy is improved, but procedure time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a portable 3D scanner that can be quickly positioned and operated at different locations around the patient's head during surgery. The dynamic, mobile nature of the scanner allows it to capture complete 3D data rapidly without requiring the patient to be repositioned or the surgery to be paused extensively, thus maintaining measurement precision while minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The 3D scanning is performed intra-operatively after the bone flap is removed but before the artificial flap is fabricated. This timing allows the scanning to be done on the actual patient anatomy in the surgical context, ensuring precision, while the digital models can then be processed and fabricated outside the operating room, preventing time loss during the critical surgical procedure.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If custom artificial bone flaps are fabricated for each patient, then infection risk is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the patient-specific 3D digital model to precisely determine the required dimensions, shape, and geometric parameters of the artificial bone flap. By changing and optimizing these parameters based on the exact patient anatomy, the system ensures a perfect fit that minimizes gaps and reduces infection risk, while the automated fabrication processes maintain ease of manufacture.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for providing feedback to guide selection of an artificial bone flap. A user interface for planning a neurosurgical procedure is provided, the neurosurgical procedure including closing of an opening in a portion of a patient's skull using an artificial bone flap. 3D dimensions of the opening are determined using at least pre-operative three-dimensional (3D) imaging data. One or more parameters for selecting an artificial bone flap are determined, where the one or more parameters are based on at least the 3D dimensions of the opening. Output indicating one or more recommended available artificial bone flaps suitable for closing the opening is provided, the recommendation being based on the determined one or more parameters.