Movable Shaft Tracker for Minimally Invasive Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional instrument tracking methods in minimally invasive surgeries face challenges such as sub-optimal accuracy due to sensor placement away from the distal tip, increased insertion diameter, high costs, and compatibility issues, as well as the need for calibration and potential interference with surgical operations.
Innovation Solution
A shaft tracker integrated onto the instrument's shaft, with a primary and auxiliary tracking system that encircles the shaft between the distal tip and proximal hub, allowing for precise tracking without the need for calibration and maintaining accuracy while avoiding increased insertion size and interference with surgical operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a hub tracker is attached to the proximal hub of the shaft, then the tracker is compatible with many different instruments and does not increase insertion size, but the position sensor is located away from the distal tip resulting in sub-optimal tracking accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft tracker is designed to be movable along the shaft to different tracking positions, allowing dynamic adjustment between proximity to the distal tip for accuracy and proximity to the proximal hub for compatibility. This resolves the contradiction by making the tracker position adaptable rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking system is segmented into a separate movable shaft tracker component that can be positioned independently from the instrument shaft. This allows the tracker to be decoupled from the hub attachment requirement, enabling it to move to optimal tracking positions along the shaft while maintaining instrument compatibility through the separate component design.
2Measurement precision
If a position sensor is attached to the distal tip of the shaft, then tracking accuracy is optimized, but the tracker interferes with surgical operations and increases insertion size
Solution Approach 1:
The position sensor is extracted from the distal tip and placed in a separate movable shaft tracker component that encircles the shaft. This extracts the sensing function from the surgical tip, eliminating interference with surgical operations while maintaining tracking accuracy through the separate tracking component.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable shaft tracker acts as an intermediary between the distal tip and the tracking system. It provides accurate position sensing without being part of the distal tip itself, thus avoiding interference with surgical operations while maintaining measurement precision.
3Ease of operation
If a co-axial introducer system with stylet is used, then the instrument can be guided to target location, but the tip of cannula can no longer be tracked once stylet is pulled out and the system is disposable increasing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The movable shaft tracker with sensor is designed to work with multiple different instruments and shafts, not just a specific co-axial introducer system. This universal design eliminates the need for a disposable introducer system while maintaining ease of operation for instrument guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a disposable introducer system that must be discarded after one use, the movable shaft tracker is designed as a reusable component that can be used across multiple instruments and procedures, reducing cost while maintaining tracking reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
An intervention instrument (60) employs a shaft (61) and a shaft tracker (62) partially or completely encircling the shaft (61) and movable to a primary tracking position along the shaft (61) between a distal tip and a proximal hub of the shaft (61). The primary tracking position is derived from a distance from an entry point of the distal tip into an anatomical region to a target location of the distal tip within the anatomical region. The shaft tracker (62) includes a primary position sensor (63) operable for tracking the shaft tracker (62) relative to the anatomical region at or offset from the primary tracking position.