External Fixator Planning With Real-Time Osteotomy Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current software tools for orthopedic deformity analysis and external fixator planning are laborious and require specialized knowledge, making it difficult for surgeons to accurately plan and execute osteotomies and adjust hardware for optimal bone alignment.
Innovation Solution
A comprehensive fixator software solution that includes graphical methods for preoperative and postoperative deformity analysis, allowing users to identify osteotomy locations, adjust osteotomy positions and rotation points, and generate treatment plans for external fixators, with real-time feedback on correction effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If comprehensive software tools are used for deformity analysis and osteotomy planning, then measurement precision and manufacturing precision improve, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen due to specialized knowledge requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated software system that acts as an intermediary between the surgeon and the complex deformity analysis process. The software automatically imports medical images, performs 3D reconstruction, calculates deformity parameters, and generates osteotomy plans, eliminating the need for surgeons to manually perform complex measurements and calculations while maintaining high precision
Solution Approach 2:
The software system performs self-service by automatically executing the entire deformity analysis workflow without requiring specialized manual intervention. It automatically segments bone images, identifies anatomical landmarks, calculates six deformity parameters, and generates treatment plans, allowing surgeons to obtain precise results through simple operations
2Productivity
If manual deformity analysis methods are used, then device complexity remains low, but analysis speed and measurement precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement methods with an automated computer-based system. The software automatically processes medical images, performs 3D reconstruction, and calculates deformity parameters through algorithmic operations, substituting the surgeon's manual measurement process with automated computational methods that are both faster and more precise
Solution Approach 2:
The software performs preliminary actions by automatically completing the entire deformity analysis process before the surgeon needs to make treatment decisions. It pre-calculates all six deformity parameters, generates osteotomy plans, and provides treatment recommendations in advance, allowing surgeons to review and approve plans without performing time-consuming manual analysis
3Measurement precision
If multiple medical images are captured for deformity analysis, then measurement precision improves, but loss of time increases due to laborious processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple medical images (AP and lateral views) into a unified 3D reconstruction process. The software simultaneously processes multiple images, integrates information from different viewing angles, and generates comprehensive 3D models of the bone deformity, allowing precise measurement of all six deformity parameters from a single integrated analysis workflow
Solution Approach 2:
The software maintains continuity of useful action by automatically processing images in a continuous workflow without interruption. It continuously imports images, performs 3D reconstruction, calculates parameters, and generates reports in an automated sequence, eliminating the time-consuming manual transitions between different analysis steps and maintaining constant productive action throughout the entire process
Data Source
AI summary
Logic may provide a deformity analysis to create a treatment plan for external fixators. Logic may further perform additional refinements to the treatment plan to improve the patient experience. Logic may further include pre-operative osteotomy to select an osteotomy and to provide real-time updates to a post-operative image based on changes to an osteotomy line, orientation, and/or rotation point. Logic may facilitate movement of one or two portions of a medical image to determine an alignment of bone segments in the portions of the medical image. Logic may generate deformity parameters based on a combination of translations and/or rotations of the movement to align the portions. Logic may create a treatment plan including a prescription for an external fixator based on deformity parameters.