Bone Anchor Reference Marker for Surgical Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer-assisted surgical systems face challenges in ensuring the safety and ease-of-use, particularly in maintaining accurate tracking of anatomical regions during image-guided surgery.
Innovation Solution
The development of an apparatus for attaching a reference marker to a patient, which includes an elongated member with a sharp tip to penetrate the cortical surface of a bone, an anchoring device to secure the apparatus within the bone, and a reference marker device with optical markers for tracking using a motion tracking system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a reference marker is attached to a patient for tracking during image-guided surgery, then tracking precision is improved, but the risk of relative movement between the marker and bone increases
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is divided into distinct functional components: an elongated member for insertion, an anchoring device for securing, and a reference marker device for tracking. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together as an integrated system to achieve both precise tracking and stable attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The sharp tip on the elongated member enables preliminary penetration of the cortical bone surface before the anchoring device is deployed. This preliminary action creates the necessary access and positioning for subsequent anchoring, ensuring the marker is securely attached before tracking begins.
2Ease of operation
If the elongated member is designed to penetrate cortical bone with a sharp tip, then insertion ease is improved, but the risk of bone damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sharp tip is localized to the distal end of the elongated member, concentrating the penetrating function at a specific location. This local quality allows the tip to efficiently penetrate cortical bone with minimal force while the rest of the elongated member maintains a smoother profile that reduces overall tissue trauma during insertion.
3Reliability
If the anchoring device is made extendable from the elongated member, then anchoring reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring device is nested within or integrated with the elongated member in a compact configuration prior to deployment. This nesting allows the anchoring device to be stored in a space-efficient manner within the insertion apparatus, reducing overall device complexity while enabling reliable anchoring when the device is extended or deployed at the target site.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for attaching a reference marker to a patient in a computer-assisted image-guided surgery system. An apparatus for attaching a reference marker to a patient includes an elongated member extending between a first end and a second end, a sharp tip located proximate to the first end of the elongated member that is configured to break through a cortical surface of a bone of the patient to enable the elongated member to be advanced into the bone, an anchoring device that is extendable from the elongated member in order to anchor the apparatus within the bone and inhibit relative movement of the apparatus and the bone, and a reference marker device comprising at least one optical marker configured to enable the apparatus to be tracked using a motion tracking system.