Guarded Surgical Navigation Trackers Against Fluid Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical navigation or tracking systems are compromised by foreign matter or liquids, such as bodily fluids, which interfere with the detection of reflective elements, leading to degraded performance in identifying and positioning surgical instruments or patient anatomy.
Innovation Solution
Surgical navigation trackers are equipped with guards that shield tracking elements from foreign matter and liquids, integrated into the tracker design to protect them from contamination, with various forms of guards providing comprehensive protection from multiple directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If reflective tracking elements are positioned near the surgical site for optimal tracking, then tracking accuracy is improved, but the elements become vulnerable to contamination from bodily fluids and foreign matter
Solution Approach 1:
A transparent guard structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the tracking markers and the surgical field. This guard allows optical sensors to detect the reflective markers while blocking bodily fluids and foreign matter from contacting them, thus maintaining tracking accuracy without vulnerability to contamination
Solution Approach 2:
The guard is constructed as a thin, transparent protective shell that encloses the tracking markers. This shell is sufficient to prevent contamination while being optically transparent to allow sensor detection, effectively isolating the markers from harmful environmental factors
2Reliability
If guards are added to protect tracking elements from contamination, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guard structure is integrated with the tracker housing or mounting mechanism, combining the protective function with the existing structural elements. This merging approach provides contamination protection while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The guard serves multiple functions simultaneously: it protects tracking elements from contamination, maintains optical transparency for sensor detection, and can be integrated with the mounting structure. This multi-functionality improves reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple guards are used to provide comprehensive protection from all directions, then protection effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective structure is divided into strategic segments or zones rather than requiring complete enclosure from all directions. Guards are positioned to protect critical tracking elements from the most likely contamination sources, providing effective protection while simplifying manufacturing and assembly
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The guards effectively prevent the accumulation of foreign matter on tracking elements, maintaining system performance and reducing the need for tracker replacement during surgeries, thereby enhancing tracking accuracy and reducing operating time.
Implementation Method 1
stereoscopic sensors to detect infra-red (IR) light reflected or emitted from one or more optical markers
Data Source
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AI summary
Surgical navigation trackers with guards are described that can aid in protecting tracking elements from accumulating liquids thereon, which can negatively impact surgical navigation performance. The surgical navigation trackers described herein can be utilized with a variety of systems and procedures. For example, in one embodiment a system is described that includes a surgical device having an end effector configured for manipulating tissue and a surgical navigation tracker configured to be coupled to any of a surgical instrument and an anatomical structure. The surgical navigation tracker can include a tracking element and a guard configured to be positioned between the tracking element and the cutting tool, as well as a tracking unit configured to determine a position of the surgical navigation tracker.