Localized Vertebral Tracking Sensors for Surgical Navigation Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical navigation systems fail to accurately track localized movement of patient anatomy at the surgical site, particularly when navigation markers are positioned remotely, leading to potential inaccuracies and increased risk of skiving.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system with a cannula equipped with a localized navigation sensor, such as tines or piezoelectric actuators, that detects and measures movement of anatomic structures like vertebral bodies, alerting users to inaccuracies in global navigation systems and allowing for corrective action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If navigation markers are positioned remotely from the surgical site, then the surgical space is less crowded and unintended jostling is prevented, but localized movement of patient anatomy at the surgical site goes undetected leading to inaccurate navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system is segmented into two components: a global navigation system with remotely positioned markers for overall spatial reference, and a localized sensor system at the surgical site for detecting localized anatomical movement. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function without interference, resolving the contradiction between preventing marker jostling and detecting localized movement.
Solution Approach 2:
A localized sensor system acts as an intermediary between the global navigation system and the patient anatomy at the surgical site. This intermediary detects localized movement that the remote markers cannot capture and communicates this information to the navigation system, thereby improving navigation accuracy without requiring markers to be positioned at the surgical site.
2Measurement precision
If markers are placed at the surgical site, then localized movement can be tracked, but the surgical space becomes crowded and markers may be jostled during surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation marker function is extracted from the surgical site and positioned remotely, eliminating the harmful effects of crowding and jostling. The localized movement detection capability is then achieved through a separate sensor system positioned at the surgical site, which does not interfere with the surgical space while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
A localized sensor serves as an intermediary that detects movement at the surgical site without requiring physical markers to be present there. This intermediary provides the necessary movement detection precision while avoiding the harmful effects of marker placement in the crowded surgical environment.
3Ease of operation
If a global navigation system is used with remote markers, then overall surgical navigation is provided, but localized movement of vertebral bodies or anatomic structures is not detected
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system is divided into global and localized components. The global navigation system provides ease of operation for overall surgical guidance, while the localized sensor segment captures the specific movement information that would otherwise be lost. This segmentation allows both functions to coexist without compromising either ease of operation or information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The localized sensor provides feedback about anatomical movement at the surgical site to the navigation system. This feedback mechanism ensures that localized movement information is not lost while maintaining the ease of operation provided by the global navigation system. The feedback loop allows the system to compensate for localized movements that occur during surgery.
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
Enhances surgical precision by detecting and correcting for localized movement that global navigation systems miss, reducing the risk of skiving and ensuring accurate instrument placement.
Implementation Method 1
a localized navigation sensor, such as tines or piezoelectric actuators, that detects and measures movement of anatomic structures
Data Source
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Figure 4A~4C
AI summary
Systems, methods, and instruments for tracking localized movement of an anatomic structure at a surgical site are provided that can, for example, detect and i dentify movement of the anatomic structure not otherwise tracked by a global navigation system. One embodiment can include a cannula with a localized navigation sensor coupled to a distal end thereof. The cannula can be coupled to a robot arm and the localized navigation sensor can detect movement of an anatomic structure relative to the cannula. The localized navigation sensor can include one or more tines that selectively extend from the cannula to contact the anatomic structure. A controller can receive data from the localized navigation sensor and a global navigation system, and determine if movement detected by the localized navigation sensor is tracked by the global navigation system. Systems, methods, and instruments of the present disclosure can be used independently of a global navigation system.