MRI-Detectable Spirit Level for Medical Instrument Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical instruments used in magnetic resonance tomography systems face challenges in precise alignment during minimally invasive procedures, particularly in regions like the abdomen or pelvic area, due to reliance on manual estimation and lack of real-time visualization.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a spirit level into the medical instrument that utilizes gravity and magnetic resonance imaging to detect alignment, allowing for precise positioning without direct visual contact, using a liquid-filled vessel with a lower density fluid to indicate alignment relative to gravity, and employing a method that determines and corrects spatial angles based on magnetic resonance images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual estimation and finger placement are used to determine entry angles, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision of alignment is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment methods with a spirit level mechanism that uses gravitational force to automatically indicate alignment. The spirit level contains a liquid with a free surface that provides a visual reference for horizontal alignment, eliminating the need for manual estimation and finger placement while improving measurement precision without significantly increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spirit level as an intermediary device between the medical instrument and the operator. This intermediary provides objective visual feedback through the liquid's free surface, allowing the operator to achieve precise alignment without direct visual contact with the instrument, thus improving measurement precision while keeping the device relatively simple
2Measurement precision
If real-time magnetic resonance imaging is used to visualize needle advance, then the measurement precision of position is improved, but the loss of time for image acquisition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates the spirit level into the medical instrument before the procedure begins, so that alignment capability is pre-established. This preliminary preparation allows for rapid alignment adjustments during the procedure without requiring additional setup time, thus improving position visualization accuracy while minimizing time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The spirit level provides self-service alignment indication through the liquid's free surface, which automatically responds to gravitational force and instrument orientation. This self-indicating mechanism eliminates the need for separate alignment procedures or additional imaging steps, improving position accuracy without increasing image acquisition time
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
Enables precise alignment of medical instruments within magnetic resonance tomography systems by providing real-time alignment feedback, improving the success of interventions by ensuring accurate trajectory and angle alignment, even in complex anatomical regions.
Implementation Method 1
a vessel with a concave inner wall that is filled with a liquid and a further fluid of lower density may be provided, so that the fluid collects at the top of the inner wall of the vessel due to buoyancy in a location opposite to the force of gravity
Implementation Method 2
The liquid may, in this case, be detected by the magnetic resonance tomography system in a magnetic resonance image
Data Source
AI summary
A medical instrument for use in a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) system is provided. The medical instrument has a spirit level for determining a spatial position of the medical instrument. The spirit level contains a liquid that may be detected by the MRT system, so that the location may be detected with the MRT system. A method for alignment of the medical instrument includes determining a trajectory for the medical instrument for a scheduled intervention. An entry point for the medical instrument is identified, and the medical instrument is arranged there. Using a magnetic resonance image of the spirit level, an actual value for a spatial angle of the medical instrument is detected. A target value for the spatial angle is ascertained by the magnetic resonance tomography system, along with information on a deviation that is output to a surgeon. The surgeon corrects the alignment based on the information.