Buffered Alert Zone Visualization in Surgical Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical procedures lack the ability to accurately and clearly present critical anatomical structures to be avoided during surgery, necessitating a system to define and display alert zones to prevent damage to vital structures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical navigation system that utilizes a display device to overlay alert zones on a volumetric representation of patient anatomy, defined by a buffer zone offset from an alert boundary, using a controller to generate and display these zones based on predefined buffer distances and distance fields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional surgical navigation systems are used, then basic anatomical visualization is provided, but critical anatomical structures to be avoided are not clearly identified or highlighted
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses color-coded visual indicators to represent different alert zones and buffer zones overlaid on the three-dimensional anatomical model. Critical structures are highlighted with distinct colors and transparency levels, enabling surgeons to quickly identify areas to avoid during the procedure without overwhelming system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary alert zone buffer that acts as a visual mediator between the surgeon and critical anatomical structures. This buffer zone, offset from the critical structure surface by a predefined distance, serves as a warning layer that guides surgical instrument placement without requiring direct contact with the critical structure.
2Measurement precision
If alert zones are defined with precise buffer distances, then accurate visualization of critical structures is achieved, but computational processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alert zones and buffer zones are pre-calculated and pre visualized on the three-dimensional anatomical model before the surgical procedure begins. The system performs the computationally intensive tasks of defining alert boundaries, calculating buffer distances, and generating visual overlays in advance, allowing for rapid display during surgery without real-time processing delays.
3Reliability
If multiple alert zones are defined on patient anatomy, then comprehensive coverage of critical structures is provided, but visualization clarity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different visual properties to different alert zones based on their local characteristics. Each alert zone can have customized transparency levels, colors, and visual intensities tailored to its specific anatomical context and criticality level, allowing multiple zones to be displayed simultaneously with maintained clarity and distinction.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical navigation system is provided. The surgical navigation system comprises a display device and a memory device containing a volumetric image, which includes a volumetric representation of the patient anatomy. The surgical navigation system also comprises a controller in communication with the display and the memory device, the controller configured to define a portion of volumetric representation as an alert boundary, define a buffer surface surrounding the alert boundary and offset from the alert boundary by a predefined buffer distance, define a buffer zone as a portion of the volumetric image enclosed by the buffer surface, define a portion of the buffer zone as a visualized portion of the buffer zone, and control the display device to display the visualized portion of the buffer zone overlaid on the volumetric representation of the patient anatomy.