Hemispherical Camera Registration Pointer for Orthopaedic Surgery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current computer-assisted surgery systems for orthopaedic procedures face challenges in accurately registering bones due to limited visibility during minimally invasive surgeries, necessitating improved methods for precise bone registration and image rendering.
Innovation Solution
A registration pointer with a hemispherical camera and a wide-angle camera, combined with a light source and control circuit, is used to capture and generate hemispherical images of bones, allowing for precise registration and rendering of bone contours and orientation, which can be displayed on a computer screen or heads-up display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If minimally invasive orthopaedic procedures are used, then patient trauma and recovery time are reduced, but surgeon visibility of the operative area is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical copying by capturing images of the bone surface through the translucent distal end and generating rendered images that replicate the actual bone geometry. This allows the surgeon to see detailed bone contours on a display screen without directly viewing the operative area, resolving the visibility restriction while maintaining minimally invasive benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary optical system consisting of the translucent distal end, camera, and rendering software. This intermediary captures and processes visual information from the bone surface, translating it into displayable images that the surgeon can view without direct line-of-sight to the operative site
2Measurement precision
If traditional registration methods touching multiple locations on bone surface are used, then bone contour and orientation can be determined, but surgical time and number of registration points required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from point-by-point registration in one dimension to comprehensive surface imaging in three dimensions. By capturing the entire bone surface geometry through optical imaging rather than sequential point contact, the system achieves accurate bone contour determination while significantly reducing the number of registration operations and surgical time
3Area of stationary object
If multiple cameras with different fields of view are integrated, then comprehensive bone surface coverage is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple camera systems (panoramic camera with 360-degree horizontal field of view and wide-angle camera with 60-degree vertical field of view) into a single integrated registration pointer. This combination allows comprehensive bone surface coverage to be achieved while the cameras work together as a unified system rather than separate complex assemblies
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
This solution enhances the accuracy and effectiveness of bone registration and image rendering in orthopaedic surgeries, providing surgeons with clear, real-time visual feedback and navigational data to improve surgical precision and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a camera located in the elongated shaft. The camera may be, for example, a hemispherical camera
Implementation Method 2
The registration pointer may also include a light source. The light source may be embodied as a light emitting diode located in the elongated shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A registration pointer includes a camera located in an elongated shaft having a distal end configured to be contacted to a bone of a patient to register the bone to a computer assisted orthopaedic surgery system. The camera may be a hemispherical camera and may include a panoramic camera and a wide-angle camera equipped with a fish-eye lens. The registration pointer is configured to transmit images received by the cameras to the computer assisted orthopaedic surgery system for display thereon. The computer assisted orthopaedic surgery system may be configured to generate an image, such as a hemispherical image, based on the images received from the registration pointer.