Flexible Skin-Based Patient Tracker for Surgical Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient tracking systems for surgical navigation are invasive, limit registration to specific discrete locations, and can be obscured during surgery, leading to accuracy issues and increased invasiveness.
Innovation Solution
A flexible skin-based patient tracking apparatus comprising an adhesive layer, a base layer, and a plurality of surgical tracking elements covered by an outer layer, which is secured to the patient's skin to provide accurate and non-invasive tracking during surgical procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If fiducial markers are invasively fixed directly to the patient, then tracking accuracy is improved, but patient invasiveness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a flexible skin-based tracker that conforms to the patient's body surface, using thin film structures to provide tracking functionality without invasive fixation. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining tracking accuracy through close skin contact while eliminating the need for invasive markers.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracker is divided into multiple segments including adhesive layer, base layer, tracking elements layer, and outer layer. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function optimally - the adhesive layer provides non-invasive attachment while the tracking elements maintain precision, resolving the contradiction between invasiveness and accuracy.
2Device complexity
If fiducial markers are fixed at specific discrete locations, then registration is simplified, but tracking versatility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The skin-based tracker can be placed at various locations on the patient's body and serves multiple functions including registration, tracking, and monitoring. The distributed tracking elements across the entire tracker surface allow it to function as multiple discrete fiducial markers simultaneously, providing both simplicity and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from discrete point-based fiducial markers to a continuous two-dimensional surface distribution of tracking elements. This dimensional expansion allows the system to maintain registration simplicity while gaining the versatility to track at any location within the tracker's surface area.
3Measurement precision
If traditional fiducial markers are used, then registration to image data is achieved, but accuracy is reduced when markers are obscured during surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The tracker is applied to the patient's skin before surgery begins, establishing the registration between the tracker and image data in advance. This preliminary registration allows the system to maintain accuracy even when individual tracking elements become obscured during surgery, as the overall pattern recognition can still function with partial visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible skin-mounted tracker can conform to body contours and maintain contact despite patient movement or surgical positioning changes. This flexibility ensures that the tracking elements remain in their registered positions relative to the patient's anatomy, maintaining registration accuracy even when temporarily obscured by surgical drapes or instruments.
Data Source
AI summary
A skin-based patient tracking apparatus for surgical navigation. The apparatus includes an adhesive layer, a plurality of surgical tracking elements, a base layer between the adhesive layer and the plurality of surgical tracking elements, and an outer layer covering the plurality of surgical tracking elements.