Navigable Orthopedic Instruments with Dynamic Reference Bases
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgeries have low patient satisfaction rates due to challenges in precision and accuracy during bone cutting and implantation, despite advancements in implant designs and navigation systems.
Innovation Solution
A surgical robotic system with dynamic reference bases and navigable instruments, including a universal stylus, surveillance markers, and a tensor, that enables precise tracking and navigation of surgical instruments in 3D space, maintaining navigational integrity and facilitating accurate bone cuts and implant placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional surgical instruments are used without advanced navigation systems, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision and surgical accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The stylus instrument serves multiple functions: it acts as both a navigation tool for 3D point acquisition and a surgical instrument for bone cutting guidance. The universal attachment mechanism allows the same stylus body to interface with different surgical tools, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices while maintaining high precision through integrated navigation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The stylus acts as an intermediary between the surgeon's manual operations and the navigation system's digital modeling. It translates physical bone contact points into digital coordinates, enabling precise bone cutting guidance without requiring direct robotic control, thus balancing precision with operational flexibility.
2Ease of operation
If multiple specialized instruments are used for different surgical tasks, then ease of operation for specific tasks is improved, but device complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stylus instrument serves multiple functions: it acts as both a navigation tool for 3D point acquisition and a surgical instrument for bone cutting guidance. The universal attachment mechanism allows the same stylus body to interface with different surgical tools, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices while maintaining high precision through integrated navigation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines navigation functionality with surgical instrument functionality into a single integrated system. The stylus merges 3D point acquisition capabilities with bone cutting guidance, and the universal attachment mechanism combines multiple instrument types into a single platform, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining operational ease.
3Measurement precision
If dynamic reference bases are attached to bones, then measurement precision and tracking accuracy are improved, but stability of the reference base during surgery may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The reference bases are designed to be dynamically adjustable and removable, allowing them to be positioned optimally on bone surfaces and maintained securely during surgery. The dynamic nature enables adaptation to different surgical stages and patient anatomies while maintaining stable attachment when fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation system provides real-time feedback on the position and status of reference bases, allowing surgeons to monitor tracking accuracy and adjust base placement if stability becomes compromised. This feedback mechanism ensures both precise measurement and stable attachment by enabling continuous optimization during the procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for computer-assisted navigation and/or robot-assisted surgery. Navigable instrumentation, which are capable of being navigated by a surgeon using the surgical robot system, allow for the navigated movement of instruments or other surgical devices. The instruments may be suitable for procedures involving navigated and/or robotic total knee arthroplasty, for example.