Augmented Reality Surgical Guidance for Instrument Identification and Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Orthopedic surgical procedures face inefficiencies due to the reliance on physical instruments and instructions, which can obstruct the surgical field and require time-consuming assembly, and existing augmented reality solutions lack effective instrument identification and assembly guidance.
Innovation Solution
An augmented reality device that overlays virtual representations of surgical instruments and tools onto the surgical field, allowing real-time identification, assembly, and guidance through AR displays, using cameras and sensors to interact with physical objects and provide step-by-step instructions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If physical instruments and instructions are used during surgery, then surgical guidance is provided, but the surgical field is obstructed and assembly time is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses virtual representations (copies) of physical instruments displayed through augmented reality headsets. Instead of physical instruction booklets or guides that occupy space, the system creates digital replicas of instruments and procedural steps that overlay the surgical field, providing guidance without physical obstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces physical mechanical systems (physical instruments, printed instructions, laser pointers) with an optical-digital system. The augmented reality headset uses cameras to capture the surgical field and displays virtual overlays, substituting the need for physical guidance tools that obstruct the view.
2Ease of operation
If physical instruments and instructions are used during surgery, then surgical guidance is provided, but time-consuming assembly is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-assembling and pre-configuring all instrument information in the augmented reality system before surgery begins. The virtual representations and assembly instructions are prepared in advance and loaded into the headset, eliminating the need for time-consuming physical assembly during the surgical procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of instruments and their assembly states, allowing assistants to view and understand instrument configuration without physically assembling the actual instruments. The digital replicas provide complete assembly guidance instantaneously.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If laser pointers are used to identify instruments, then instrument identification is provided, but sterility is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system - the augmented reality headset with its integrated camera and display - that mediates between the surgical field and the instrument identification need. The camera captures images of instruments, and the headset processes and displays identification information, eliminating the need for non-sterile laser pointers to be introduced into the sterile field.
4Manufacturing precision
If preoperative planning and physical guides are used, then surgical precision is improved, but manufacturing costs and configuration time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of preoperative planning data and physical guides, displaying them through augmented reality. Instead of manufacturing physical guides and models, the system digitizes and overlays virtual representations of the preoperative plan, maintaining surgical precision while eliminating manufacturing and configuration complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for using augmented reality device for use during a surgical procedure are described. A system may include an augmented reality device to present a virtual indication, such as a virtual indication of a surgical instrument, a force vector, a direction, or the like. The augmented reality device may present a virtual aspect of a procedure, such as a virtual animation of a step of a procedure. The augmented reality device may present a virtual object, indication, aspect, etc., within a surgical field while permitting the surgical field or aspects of the surgical field to be viewed through the augmented reality display (e.g., presenting virtual objects mixed with real objects).