Instrument Movement Tracking for Surgical View Recentring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Surgical navigation systems often fail to recenter the display on patient anatomy when surgical instruments move near the edge or outside the displayed area, leading to instrument visibility issues.

Innovation Solution

A surgical navigation system that includes a localizer, memory device, and controller to track instrument position, determine movement parameters, and automatically adjust the display view to maintain instrument visibility by switching to a new sub-volume of a volumetric image.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the display shows patient anatomy in a fixed manner, then the anatomy view remains stable, but the instrument may be shown near the edge or outside the display when positioned near anatomy at the display edge

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay view stabilityVSAvoidinstrument visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The display view dynamically adjusts its center based on instrument position. The system continuously monitors instrument location and automatically recenters the anatomical view to keep the instrument within the display boundaries, transitioning from a static fixed view to a dynamic adaptive view that maintains instrument visibility while preserving anatomical context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of information

If the display automatically recenters on instrument position, then instrument visibility is maintained, but the anatomy view changes dynamically which may cause disorientation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstrument visibilityVSAvoiduser orientation
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides visual feedback by overlaying the instrument icon on the anatomical structure in the display. This allows users to understand the relationship between the instrument position and anatomical landmarks even as the view recenters, maintaining spatial orientation through consistent visual references and contextual anatomical display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4620421A1Automatic recentering of surgical navigation view on instrument tip
Publication Date: 2025.09.24 STRYKER EUROPEAN OPERATIONS LIMITED
  • EP4620421A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4620421A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4620421A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A surgical navigation system including an instrument, a localizer, a memory device, a display, and a controller is provided. The memory device contains at least one slice image and a volumetric image defined relative to a known coordinate system. The controller is configured to show a view of the at least one slice image which corresponds to a first sub-volume of the volumetric image on the display, determine a position of the instrument relative to the known coordinate system, determine a movement parameter of the instrument, determine that the view of the first sub-volume should no longer be shown on the display, determine a second sub-volume of the volumetric image based on the position of the instrument relative to the known coordinate system, and show a view of the at least one slice image which corresponds to the second sub-volume of the volumetric image on the display.