Cranial Drill Guide Fixture for Stable Electrode Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for image-guided needle or electrode insertion into the brain face challenges such as patient movement relative to the guide tube, leading to potential brain tissue damage due to insufficient feedback response times and impaired optical tracking paths.
Innovation Solution
A surgical robot system with a detachable electrode holder, guide tube, and tracking array, coupled with a tripod mechanism for fine angle adjustment, allows for precise alignment and insertion of electrodes into the brain, accommodating patient movement through dynamic reference base registration and real-time tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a robot-guided system with optical tracking is used for electrode insertion, then positioning precision is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to sudden patient movements that cause relative movement between the needle and brain tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mechanical arc mechanism as an intermediary between the robot and the guide tube. This mechanism allows the guide tube to move independently from the robot arm through a controlled arc path, decoupling the rigid robot positioning from the flexible guide tube positioning. The mechanical arc acts as a mediator that absorbs sudden movements while maintaining positioning precision through its calibrated geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static rigid robot arm to a dynamic mechanical arc mechanism that can adapt its position. The guide tube is mounted on a mechanical arc that allows it to move dynamically in response to patient movements, while the robot provides the initial positioning. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to maintain reliability during sudden movements while preserving positioning precision.
2Reliability
If the robot actively and continuously adjusts its position through optical or force feedback, then the guide tube can remain stationary relative to the brain during patient movement, but the feedback response time is insufficient to track rapid movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electronic feedback control system with a mechanical solution. Instead of using optical or force feedback with insufficient response times, the system uses a pre-calibrated mechanical arc mechanism that passively accommodates patient movements. The mechanical geometry itself provides the correction, eliminating the need for high-speed electronic feedback loops while maintaining guide tube stability relative to the brain.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigidly mounted robot system is used, then the guide tube remains stationary relative to the patient, but sudden patient movements cause the needle to slice brain tissue laterally
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the rigid, static robot arm with a dynamic mechanical arc mechanism. The guide tube is mounted on the mechanical arc, which allows it to move dynamically in response to patient movements. This dynamic capability enables the guide tube to maintain its position relative to the brain tissue even when the patient moves suddenly, preventing lateral slicing while preserving overall stability.
4Reliability
If a mechanical arc mechanism is used to couple the guide tube to the skull, then patient movement is reduced during insertion, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the positioning function into two independent parts: the robot arm provides coarse positioning, while the mechanical arc mechanism provides fine adjustment and movement accommodation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, reducing the overall complexity compared to a single complex robot system that must handle both positioning and movement compensation.
Data Source
AI summary
A drill guide fixture may be configured to prepare a skull for attachment of a cranial insertion fixture. The drill guide fixture may include a central drill guide and a bone anchor guide at a base of the drill guide fixture. The central drill guide may define a central drill guide hole therethrough, wherein the central drill guide hole has a first opening at a base of the drill guide fixture and a second opening spaced apart from the base of the drill guide fixture. The bone anchor drill guide may define a bone anchor drill guide hole therethrough, and the bone anchor drill guide hole may be offset from the central drill guide hole in a direction that is perpendicular with respect to a direction of the central drill guide hole. Related cranial insertion fixtures, robotic systems, and methods are also discussed.