Medical Instrument Controller With Real-Time Feedback Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive endovascular procedures, such as transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI/TAVR), face challenges in achieving precise and consistent positional/orientational placement of medical instruments due to human sensory limitations and the complexity of interpreting multiple data sources, leading to potential malpositioning and increased surgical risks.
Innovation Solution
A medical device controller with a control unit that processes imaging data and robotic feedback to adjust medical instruments autonomously or semi-autonomously, using closed-loop feedback systems to achieve target mechanical characteristics, including position, orientation, and deployment status, with integrated sensors and machine learning algorithms for real-time adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If human operators manually position and manipulate medical instruments based on imaging data and motor feedback, then the system maintains simplicity in control architecture, but positioning precision and real-time optimization are compromised due to sensory limitations and perception-cognition delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements closed-loop feedback systems where motor feedback data from the medical instrument is continuously received by the controller, processed against the treatment plan, and used to generate real-time control commands. This feedback loop enables automatic adjustment of instrument position and orientation, achieving sub-millimeter positioning precision without requiring complex human sensory processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical human operator's sensory and cognitive processing with an electronic control system that receives imaging data and motor feedback, processes this information through a treatment plan, and automatically generates control commands. This substitution eliminates human sensory limitations while maintaining manageable system complexity through structured control architecture.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple data sources (imaging data, motor feedback data, position data) are integrated for real-time instrument optimization, then positioning accuracy improves, but the complexity of data processing and manipulation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing of multiple data sources during the treatment plan creation phase. Imaging data is acquired and processed beforehand to establish the treatment plan, which pre-defines the relationship between instrument parameters and desired outcomes. During execution, only real-time motor feedback data needs to be processed against this pre-established plan, significantly reducing online computational complexity while maintaining high placement accuracy.
3Reliability
If clinicians rely on abstract data from multiple sources to manipulate medical instruments, then comprehensive information is available for decision-making, but the perception-cognition-action loop limits procedural efficiency and increases learning curve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the control system to automatically interpret multiple data sources and generate control commands without requiring clinician intervention in the data processing loop. The controller receives imaging data, motor feedback, and treatment plan information, then autonomously processes this comprehensive information and executes instrument manipulation. This self-service capability maintains reliable decision-making based on comprehensive data while dramatically improving procedural efficiency by eliminating the perception-cognition-action loop.
4Reliability
If precise real-time optimization of medical instrument positioning is attempted, then surgical safety improves, but the time required for data reception and interpretation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous real-time optimization where the controller continuously receives motor feedback data, processes it against the treatment plan, and adjusts instrument positioning without interruption. This continuous action ensures surgical safety through constant monitoring and adjustment while minimizing time loss by eliminating discrete decision-making cycles. The system maintains an ongoing feedback loop that continuously optimizes positioning rather than performing periodic adjustments.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2~3B
AI summary
The invention relates to a medical device controller (101) for positioning at least one medical instrument (11, 12, 13) in proximity of an anatomic structure, in particular a valve. The medical device controller (101) comprises a control unit (2) which has an input interface (32) connected or connectable to an imaging source (3) for receiving imaging data (31), a robotic interface (41) connected or connectable to a robotic controller (4) for transmitting control commands (81) to the robotic controller (4), a processing unit (8) adapted for receiving imaging data (31) via the input interface (32) and adapted for transmitting at least one control command (81) via the robotic interface (41) to the robotic controller (4) for adjusting at least one medical instrument (11, 12, 13) to achieve a target mechanical characteristic (6), and drive control feedback means (7) configured for generating feedback data (72) indicative of a current mechanical characteristic (5) of the at least one medical instrument (11, 12, 13) with respect to the target mechanical characteristic (6) and transmitting the feedback data (72) to the processing unit (8). The control unit (2) has a feedback loop (71) established between the drive control feedback means (7) and the processing unit (8) which is configured to continuously update the at least one control command (81) in real-time based on the feedback data (72) to achieve the target mechanical characteristic (6).