MRI-Visible Medical Device Positioning Support With Curing Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimally invasive medical procedures face challenges in precisely positioning medical devices due to their invisibility in magnetic resonance tomography imaging, leading to cumbersome and imprecise manual marking methods and constrained grid positioning, which are time-consuming and require additional personnel.
Innovation Solution
A positioning support system with channels filled with a water-containing medium, including polymerizable components, allows medical devices to be pierced and positioned at an acute angle, enabling visualization in magnetic resonance tomography images before insertion, and stabilizing the device's position and angle using a holding apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual marking with a finger is used to check position and angle, then the method is simple to implement, but the positioning precision is poor and the process is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a transparent positioning plate with channels as a physical copy/model of the intended insertion path. The plate replicates the target geometry and orientation, allowing precise visual alignment and verification before actual insertion, thereby achieving high positioning precision while maintaining ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent positioning plate serves as an intermediary tool between the operator and the patient's body. It provides a stable reference framework with pre-defined channels that guide the medical device, eliminating the need for manual finger marking while ensuring accurate position and angle verification.
2Loss of information
If laser projection is used to mark position and angle, then the positioning can be visualized, but the angle estimation is not accurate and insertion is still required to verify
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs visual contrast through the transparent positioning plate, where channels are visible against the transparent background. This allows clear differentiation of position and angle information without relying on laser projection, enabling accurate pre-insertion verification of both position and orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning plate with pre-defined channels allows the operator to verify both position and angle before insertion. The channels are designed with specific orientations that match the required insertion angles, enabling preliminary verification of angular accuracy without needing to insert the device first.
3Measurement precision
If a grid with multiple channels is used for positioning, then the position and angle are constrained to discrete options, but the positioning flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning plate is divided into multiple discrete channels, each representing a valid insertion path. This segmentation provides clear guidance options while maintaining flexibility, as the operator can select from multiple pre-defined channels based on the specific clinical requirements and target location.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning plate is designed to be universally applicable with multiple channels that can accommodate different insertion positions and angles. Each channel serves a specific function, but the overall plate provides multi-functional guidance for various surgical scenarios, balancing constraint with flexibility.
4Measurement precision
If grid positioning is used, then the position is fixed to discrete channels, but additional positioning steps and time are required
Solution Approach 1:
The channels in the positioning plate are pre-configured with optimal positions and angles determined before the procedure. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming measurements and adjustments during surgery, as the operator simply needs to align the plate and select the appropriate pre-defined channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning plate replicates the target geometry and optimal insertion paths in advance. By copying the required positioning information into the physical plate structure, the system eliminates repeated measurements and verification steps, significantly reducing positioning time while maintaining high accuracy.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If the medical device is not visible in MRT imaging, then the procedure can be performed minimally invasively, but the positioning cannot be verified before insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent positioning plate acts as an intermediary that provides visible reference information without interfering with the minimally invasive nature of the procedure. The plate's channels and markings are visible and provide complete positioning information before insertion, while the actual medical device remains minimal and inconspicuous.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning plate creates a visible copy of the intended insertion path and target location. This physical model allows complete verification of position and angle before the actual device insertion, compensating for the invisibility of the minimal medical device in MRT imaging while preserving the minimally invasive benefit.
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 flexible and precise pre-insertion positioning of medical devices, reducing the need for repeated insertions, improving patient comfort, and saving time by allowing accurate alignment without manual repositioning and multiple disinfections.
Implementation Method 1
acquire the medical image during the minimally invasive procedure with an MRT device
Implementation Method 2
if the medical device comprises a magnetizable metal, it generates local magnetic field distortion in the vicinity of the medical device
Implementation Method 3
the channel including a water-containing medium including at least one polymerizable component, the water-containing medium being configured to cure after being pierced with the medical device when the medical device is coated with a polymerization catalyst
Data Source
AI summary
One or more example embodiments relate to a positioning support system for positioning a medical device based on at least one medical image, the positioning support system comprising at least one channel for the medical device and configured to be pierced with the medical device, the channel configured to be at an acute first angle to a normal of a surface, the channel including a water-containing medium including at least one polymerizable component, the water-containing medium being configured to cure after being pierced with the medical device when the medical device is coated with a polymerization catalyst, wherein the positioning support system is configured to be placed on the surface, and the positioning support system permits the medical device in the water-containing medium to be depicted in the at least one medical image.