Image-Guided Powered Screw Driver for Spinal Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spinal surgery procedures are lengthy, risky, and costly due to the need for meticulous manual steps and repeated verification, which increases the risk of clinician error, device contamination, and prolonged surgical time, leading to increased patient recovery time and medical costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of powered driving devices integrated with image-guidance systems for minimal-step screw placement into bones, which provides real-time monitoring and automatic shutdown features to ensure accurate and safe screw placement, reducing redundant verification steps and minimizing errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple manual verification steps are performed during screw insertion, then placement precision is improved, but surgical time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical verification steps with an automated image-guided system that uses imaging technology and computer processing to verify screw placement. The system automatically captures images, processes them through software algorithms, and provides real-time feedback on screw position, eliminating the need for multiple manual verification steps while maintaining or improving placement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the image-guided system continuously monitors screw insertion and provides real-time information about screw position and orientation. This automated feedback loop allows the surgical team to make immediate adjustments without performing multiple manual verification steps, thereby reducing surgical time while ensuring accurate placement.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple manual verification steps are performed during screw insertion, then placement accuracy is improved, but risk of clinician error increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual verification processes with an automated image-guided system that objectively assesses screw placement. This automation eliminates human factors such as fatigue, distraction, and variability in judgment that can lead to clinician error, while maintaining high placement accuracy through consistent application of verification criteria.
Solution Approach 2:
The image-guided system performs self-verification by automatically capturing images, processing them through algorithms, and determining screw placement accuracy without requiring multiple manual interventions. This self-service capability reduces the opportunity for clinician error while maintaining placement accuracy.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple manual verification steps are performed during screw insertion, then placement precision is improved, but device contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces repeated manual handling and verification of surgical devices with a non-contact or minimal-contact image-guided verification system. The system uses imaging technology to assess screw placement without requiring multiple manual manipulations of the screw or surrounding instruments, thereby reducing the risk of device contamination while maintaining placement precision.
4Adaptability or versatility
If manual rotation method is used for screw placement, then flexibility is maintained, but accuracy in patients with diseased bone or uncharacteristic anatomy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The image-guided system provides real-time feedback on screw position and orientation, allowing the surgical team to make precise adjustments during insertion. This feedback mechanism maintains the flexibility of manual rotation methods while significantly improving accuracy in challenging anatomical situations by providing objective, real-time guidance on screw placement.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes a device and methods for safely and accurately placing screws into bones with a powered driving device. By employing multiple layers of fail-safe features and image-guidance systems, the powered driving device provides safe, accurate, and efficient screw placement. That is, the powered driving device may continuously monitor a screw advancement and placement and may automatically shutdown when improper placement is detected. Monitoring placement may be conducted by a microcurrent-monitoring system, by an image-guidance system, or by any other appropriate sensory system. Additionally, upon detecting that screw insertion is complete, the powered driving device may be automatically shutdown. As screw placement is continuously simulated by image-guidance in real time, multiple redundant verification steps are eliminated, providing highly accurate screw placement while decreasing clinician error, device contamination, and surgical time, the decreased surgical time associated with decreased patient-recovery time and associated medical costs.