Surgical Navigation Localizer Motion Detection Using Dual Trackers

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Surgical navigation systems face issues with localizer movement that is undetectable, leading to inaccuracies in tracking and potential complications during surgeries.

Innovation Solution

A surgical navigation system that includes multiple trackers and a localizer to generate tracking data, with controllers calculating relative motions and comparing them to detect localizer movement, using filtering algorithms and kinematic data to determine and alert for localizer motion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the localizer moves during surgery, then the tracking accuracy deteriorates, but the system cannot detect the movement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking accuracyVSAvoidlocalizer movement detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors the positions of multiple trackers over time and compares their relative movements. When the localizer moves, the system detects this through feedback from the changing spatial relationships between trackers, allowing real-time awareness of localizer displacement and subsequent correction or alerting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary detection mechanism that indirectly measures localizer movement by observing the relative positions and movements of multiple trackers. Instead of directly sensing localizer motion, the system uses tracker positions as intermediaries to infer localizer displacement, enabling detection without direct contact or sensing of the localizer itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If multiple trackers are used to detect localizer motion, then the detection capability improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocalizer motion detection capabilityVSAvoidnumber of trackers and processing requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The multiple trackers serve dual functions: they simultaneously perform the primary task of tracking surgical instruments and the secondary task of detecting localizer movement. By making the trackers multi-functional, the system avoids adding dedicated detection hardware while still achieving reliable localizer motion detection through the existing tracker network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20260000463A1Surgical Navigation Systems And Methods For Detecting Localizer Motion

Publication Date: 2026.01.01 MAKO SURGICAL CORP

AI summary

Systems and methods for detecting localizer motion are provided. One such system is a surgical navigation system which includes a first tracker, a second tracker, a localizer, and one or more controllers. The localizer is configured to track the first tracker to generate first tracking data, and to track the second tracker to generate second tracking data. The one or more controllers are configured to receive the first tracking data and the second tracking data, calculate a relative motion of the first tracker based on the first tracking data, calculate a relative motion of the second tracker based on the second tracking data, compare the relative motions of the first and second trackers to one another, and detect a movement of the localizer based on the comparison.