Navigated Instrument Marker Adjustment for POI Accuracy Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical instruments with deviations in actual geometry from the pre-defined geometry are typically discarded, leading to waste, instead of being reworked to meet acceptable tolerance standards.
Innovation Solution
A method to adjust the locations of markers on medical instruments to align with the point of interest, using mechanical or non-reflective adjustments, ensuring the calculated location matches the actual location within an acceptable tolerance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If instruments with geometry deviations are discarded, then navigation accuracy is maintained, but production efficiency decreases and waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the instrument by adjusting marker locations to compensate for geometry deviations. Instead of discarding instruments with deviations, the marker positions are modified to achieve accurate navigation performance, thus maintaining productivity while ensuring precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where actual geometry measurements are compared against pre-defined geometry, and correction values are calculated and applied to marker locations. This closed-loop approach ensures that even instruments with manufacturing deviations can achieve the required navigation accuracy.
2Reliability
If instruments with geometry deviations are discarded, then navigation reliability is ensured, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the marker location parameters to compensate for geometric deviations in the instrument body. This allows instruments that would otherwise be discarded due to manufacturing variations to be reused, reducing waste while maintaining navigation reliability through mathematical compensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of geometry deviations into a benefit by calculating correction values that, when applied to marker locations, actually improve or restore navigation accuracy. The deviation itself becomes the basis for the correction, turning a defect into a solution.
3Productivity
If marker locations are adjusted to compensate for geometry deviations, then instrument reuse is enabled, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary measurements of actual marker locations and calculation of correction values during the quality control process, before the instrument is either approved or rejected. This preliminary action enables quick determination of whether adjustment is needed and simplifies the overall decision-making process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms with a computational approach. Instead of physically repositioning markers through mechanical means, the system calculates correction values and applies them computationally, significantly simplifying the adjustment process while achieving the same effect.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with aspects of the implementations described herein, a medical instrument not passing quality control is not discarded, but rather reworked. In particular, the locations of centers of markers of the medical instrument are adjusted relative to the position of a point of interest (POI) of the medical instrument such that the difference between a calculated location of the POI and the actual location of the POI of a particular medical instrument is within an acceptable tolerance.