Bone-Mounted Robotic Surgery Guide Using Inertial Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic-assisted orthopedic surgery methods face challenges such as lengthy pre-operative planning, high costs, technological complexity, and potential surgical errors due to the need for complex robotic systems and extensive training, which can lead to inaccurate procedures and increased costs for healthcare providers and patients.
Innovation Solution
A miniature bone-mounted robotic-assisted surgery system that uses customized registration guides generated from 2D images of a patient's joint, allowing for precise alignment and orientation of surgical robots directly on the patient's anatomy, reducing the need for optical locators and minimizing errors through inertial sensors and mechanical instrumentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex robotic systems with optical locators are used for robotic-assisted surgery, then measurement precision and manufacturing precision are improved, but device complexity and loss of time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex optical locator system from the robotic surgery setup and replaces it with a simplified bone-mounted system that uses inertial sensors and mechanical instrumentation directly attached to the patient's bone. This extraction of the optical locator component directly reduces device complexity while maintaining alignment precision through alternative sensing methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a physical copy of the bone anatomy through a 3D-printed registration guide that replicates the patient's specific bone geometry. This physical copy serves as a template for precise alignment without requiring complex optical measurement systems, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If extensive pre-operative planning and customized registration guides are created, then manufacturing precision and reliability are improved, but loss of time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by creating customized registration guides and surgical templates before the procedure, which are then used during surgery to achieve precise alignment. This advance preparation ensures surgical accuracy while the guides are designed to be quickly implemented during the actual procedure, minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable, patient-specific registration guides that are custom-made but single-use. These guides provide high manufacturing precision for each patient while being inexpensive enough to justify their custom nature, and their disposable nature eliminates the need for cleaning and reuse, reducing overall time consumption.
3Reliability
If sophisticated robotic systems with multiple sensors are used, then reliability and measurement precision are improved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex multi-sensor robotic system from the procedure, replacing it with a simpler bone-mounted system using inertial sensors and mechanical instrumentation. This reduction in sensor system complexity directly lowers device complexity and cost while maintaining surgical reliability through the simplified measurement approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a self-service approach where the registration guide and surgical instrumentation are self-contained and do not require external complex sensor systems. The inertial sensors and mechanical components perform their functions autonomously when mounted on the bone, eliminating the need for sophisticated external sensing equipment and reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Described within are systems, methods and apparatus for a bone mounted robotic-assisted orthopedic surgery system for precise implant position, soft tissue balancing and guidance of tools during a surgical procedure, particularly partial or total knee replacement procedure. The system features a bone mounted robotic arm with end-effector for precise positioning of surgical tool, position in of implants and balancing of soft tissues. The reconfigurable robotic system requires minimal training by surgeons, is intuitive to use similar to conventional instrumented surgery and has a small footprint. The system works with existing, conventional instruments, patient specific instruments, sensor-assisted systems and computer-assisted systems and does not require increased surgical time and safely provides the enhanced precision achievable by robotic-assisted systems and computer-assisted technologies.