Mixed Reality Surgical Tool Tracking for Precise Drill Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical procedures face challenges in accurately positioning surgical tools, such as drills or impactors, due to incorrect angle drilling which can lead to complications.
Innovation Solution
A mixed reality (MR)-based surgical guidance system using physical tracking tools with planar faces and graphical patterns, combined with a visualization device, provides real-time 3D orientation and guidance for surgical tools by overlaying virtual guides onto the patient's anatomy through holographic lenses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional surgical positioning methods are used, then the surgical procedure can be performed, but the positioning precision and orientation accuracy of surgical tools deteriorate leading to incorrect angle drilling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the patient's bone anatomy and surgical tools in the mixed reality environment. The virtual bone model and virtual surgical tools are registered to match the physical anatomy, allowing the surgeon to visualize and adjust the intended drilling path before actual insertion. This virtual copying enables precise measurement and verification of tool positioning and orientation without physical trial-and-error.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixed reality visualization device acts as an intermediary between the physical surgical tools and the surgeon's decision-making. It overlays virtual guidance indicators (such as desired drilling angles and paths) onto the real-world view, mediating the positioning process by providing continuous visual feedback on whether the tool is correctly aligned with the planned trajectory.
2Measurement precision
If physical tracking tools with graphical patterns are used, then real-time 3D orientation guidance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The physical tracking tool serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical guidance for tool insertion, displays visual tracking patterns for the mixed reality system, and defines the coordinate system for orientation measurement. The graphical patterns on the tracking tool faces are recognized by the visualization device to determine the tool's position and orientation in 3D space, combining mechanical and optical functions in a single device.
3Manufacturing precision
If mixed reality visualization is implemented, then surgical guidance accuracy is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the need to wear and configure visualization devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical alignment methods (such as physical alignment tools and manual angle measurement) with an optical-mixed reality system. The visualization device captures images of the physical tracking tool and bone, processes the graphical patterns to calculate 3D orientation, and displays virtual guidance overlays, substituting mechanical alignment procedures with computational imaging and visual feedback.
Data Source
AI summary
An example physical tracking tool includes a main body defining a channel configured to receive a tool, the channel having a longitudinal axis; and one or more physical tracking features attached to the main body, each physical tracking feature comprising a plurality of planar faces, each planar face of the plurality of planar faces including different a graphical pattern of a plurality of graphical patterns.