Dynamic Soft Tissue Manipulator for Thyroplasty
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thyroplasty surgeries face challenges due to manual implant positioning, which lacks precision and consistency, leading to variable patient outcomes and a high revision rate due to tissue swelling and implant atrophy.
Innovation Solution
A robotically controlled implantable positioning unit (IPU) allows for precise and dynamic control of implant positioning and shape modification, enabling non-invasive revision of existing implants without disrupting the skin or adjacent tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual implant positioning is used in thyroplasty surgery, then the surgical procedure is simple and quick to perform, but the positioning precision and consistency are poor leading to variable patient outcomes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical positioning with a robotic system that uses sensors, controllers, and automated actuators to position the implant. The robotic system incorporates force sensors, position encoders, and control algorithms to achieve precise implant placement without manual intervention, directly resolving the contradiction between positioning precision and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system creates a digital model or map of the patient's anatomy before surgery, allowing the system to plan and execute implant positioning based on pre-acquired spatial data. This copying approach enables precise reproduction of the planned implant position while reducing variability in patient outcomes.
2Reliability
If manual implant positioning is used, then the surgical procedure is straightforward, but the consistency of outcomes is poor due to tissue swelling and implant atrophy
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system incorporates sensors that provide real-time feedback on implant position, tissue response, and surgical parameters. This feedback loop allows the system to adjust positioning dynamically during surgery and make post-operative adjustments to compensate for tissue swelling and implant atrophy, ensuring consistent patient outcomes despite physiological changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static manual positioning to dynamic robotic control that can adapt to changing tissue conditions. The robotic system can adjust implant position in real-time based on tissue response, and perform non-invasive revisions after surgery to maintain optimal positioning as tissues heal and settle.
3Measurement precision
If manual maneuvering of the implant is performed, then the surgeon has direct control, but the insertion rate, distance, and forces applied are difficult to control precisely
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system replaces manual manipulation with automated mechanical control that precisely regulates insertion rate, distance, and applied forces. Sensors and controllers monitor and adjust these parameters in real-time, ensuring precise control while the system handles the complexity of force regulation, leaving the surgeon to focus on overall surgical decision-making.
4Productivity
If conventional thyroplasty surgery is performed with manual implantation, then no complex equipment is needed, but revision surgeries are frequent due to poor initial positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system performs preliminary planning and positioning before the actual implantation. Virtual surgery and pre-operative modeling allow the system to optimize implant position beforehand, and the robotic execution ensures this plan is implemented with high precision, reducing the need for revision surgeries and improving overall surgical efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for robotically assisted positioning of an implant in a patient to alter position and shape of a soft tissue. A soft-tissue manipulator system includes an implantable positioning unit (IPU) to engage a soft-tissue implant, and an external control console to dynamically control the IPU to position the implant to interface with the target soft tissue. A user may use the external control console to remotely and transcutaneously control the position and motion of the implant, and to adjust shape and contour of the implant via a micro-actuator array on the implant. The system may be used in a thyroplasty surgery to position and manipulate a thyroplasty implant to modify a vocal cord, such as to medialize or lateralize the vocal cord to restore or improve voice quality.