Customized Brachytherapy Needle Template with Coordinate Grid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional brachytherapy templates are generic and lack precision, leading to potential misplacement of radioactive source needles and fiducial needles, which can result in incorrect radiation dosages during treatment.
Innovation Solution
A customized template with a coordinate grid system is developed, featuring lockable fiducial needle locations and holes aligned according to a specific treatment plan, accompanied by light and color indicators and sensors for precise needle insertion, and potentially augmented reality guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a generic template is used for brachytherapy, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the manufacturing precision and reliability of needle placement deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The template is pre-customized with specific hole locations, coordinates, and identifiers matched to the patient's treatment plan before the procedure. This preliminary customization ensures that when the template is used, the holes are already positioned with high precision for the specific anatomical landmarks and target volumes, eliminating the need for complex real-time adjustments during the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
Each hole in the template is assigned specific local qualities including unique identifiers, coordinate information, and spatial relationships to anatomical landmarks. This local quality differentiation allows the operator to quickly identify and insert needles into the correct locations without confusion, thereby improving manufacturing precision while maintaining reasonable device complexity.
2Reliability
If a customized template with precise hole locations is used, then the reliability of radiation delivery is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The template incorporates visual feedback mechanisms such as color-coded identifiers, coordinate grids, and unique markers on each hole that provide immediate feedback to the operator about the correct needle insertion locations. This feedback system ensures high reliability by preventing misplacement without requiring complex electronic or mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The template serves as a physical copy or representation of the treatment plan, with holes positioned according to pre-calculated coordinates and anatomical relationships. This copying approach transfers the precision of the treatment planning system into the physical template, ensuring reliable needle placement while keeping the template itself a relatively simple device.
3Measurement precision
If manual needle insertion matching is used, then the ease of operation is reduced, but the device complexity is minimized, but the measurement precision of needle placement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The template is segmented into multiple holes, each with unique identifiers, coordinate information, and spatial relationships clearly marked. This segmentation allows the operator to systematically work through each insertion point with high precision, reducing the cognitive load and improving ease of operation compared to unmarked templates.
Solution Approach 2:
The template uses color-coded identifiers and visual markers on each hole to provide intuitive visual guidance for needle insertion. Different colors or patterns indicate different zones, depths, or types of insertions required, improving measurement precision while significantly enhancing ease of operation through visual differentiation.
Data Source
AI summary
A customized template and method create a template that is customized for a particular patient based on a treatment plan of the patient to perform a brachytherapy treatment.