Cochlear Implant Drilling Path Planning via Anatomical Landmarks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques for implanting cochlea implants are invasive and lack sufficient accuracy to avoid damaging the facial nerve during access path creation to the cochlea.
Innovation Solution
A device that identifies entry and control points on the cochlea and sinus tympani using a feeler and robot arm, determining a straight-line path for a drilling tool to access the cochlea while avoiding the facial nerve, allowing for minimally invasive surgery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mastoidectomy and posterior tympanotomy techniques are used to access the cochlea, then access to the cochlea is achieved, but the surgery is very invasive and carries high risk of facial nerve injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining the safe drilling path using anatomical landmarks (entry point on cochlea surface and control point in sinus tympani) before the actual drilling operation. The straight-line path is calculated in advance based on coordinates of these points, allowing the surgeon to follow a predetermined safe trajectory that avoids the facial nerve while minimizing invasiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a robotic drilling system that precisely follows the calculated straight-line path between the entry point and control point. This robotic intermediary ensures accurate execution of the predetermined path, maintaining safety while reducing surgical invasiveness compared to conventional manual techniques
2Object-affected harmful factors
If surgical navigation with robot-guided drilling is used to reduce invasiveness, then surgical invasiveness is reduced, but the accuracy is insufficient to guarantee avoidance of the facial nerve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical navigation system with a robotic system that executes precise movements along the calculated straight-line path. The robotic system substitutes manual drilling with automated, computer-controlled drilling that can accurately follow the predetermined trajectory, thereby improving measurement precision and guaranteeing facial nerve avoidance while maintaining reduced invasiveness
3Reliability
If a straight-line path is defined between entry point and control point, then facial nerve avoidance is achieved, but precise identification of these points is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by using the robot arm's own position sensors to automatically detect and record the coordinates of the entry point and control point. The feeler mounted on the robot arm allows direct digital reading of position data from the sensors, eliminating the need for separate measurement tools and reducing identification errors while ensuring reliable facial nerve protection through accurate path definition
Data Source
AI summary
A device for providing assistance in otologic surgery of a patient who is to be implanted with a cochlea implant. The device includes a mechanism for identifying the positions of an entry point (21) on the surface of the cochlea and of a control point (20) in the sinus tympani, and operable via the external auditory canal; a processor (100) to respond to the coordinates of the points to determine a straight-line path (T) passing through the two points and defining a docking point (22) on the outside surface of the mastoid bone; and a drilling mechanism (25, 27) for drilling a passage up to the cochlea through the mastoid bone along the straight-line path, so as to create a passage up to the cochlea.