Nerve Mapping via Electrical Stimulus and Virtual Workspace
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques lack effective methods for accurately locating and mapping nerves during minimally invasive procedures, which can lead to nerve injury due to the complexity and precision required in these advanced surgical methods.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of electrodes to provide electrical stimuli to intracorporeal tissue at multiple locations, monitoring muscle responses with sensors, and constructing a virtual model of nerve locations within a virtual workspace to guide surgical tools and display systems, ensuring safe navigation around nerves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If minimally invasive surgical techniques are used, then surgical trauma and recovery time are reduced, but the ability to accurately locate and avoid nerves deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an electrical stimulus delivery system as an intermediary tool that allows surgeons to indirectly detect nerve locations through muscle response monitoring, enabling accurate nerve mapping without direct visual exposure in minimally invasive procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical visual inspection and direct exposure methods with an electrical field-based stimulation and sensing system, using electrical stimuli and muscle response detection to locate nerves instead of relying on visual identification through large incisions
2Area of stationary object
If ever smaller surgical exposures are used, then invasiveness is reduced, but the complexity of detecting nerves increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional system where a single integrated device performs both surgical manipulation and nerve detection functions, allowing the same minimally invasive tool to deliver electrical stimuli, sense muscle responses, and provide navigation guidance throughout the procedure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual workspace and image merging system as intermediaries that simplify the complex detection data into intuitive visual representations, allowing surgeons to interpret nerve locations through merged anatomical images and real-time sensor feedback without directly processing complex raw sensor data
3Loss of information
If traditional surgical methods are used, then nerve visibility is improved, but surgical invasiveness and recovery time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary nerve mapping and virtual model construction before the actual surgical intervention, allowing surgeons to plan incision paths and tool trajectories that avoid nerves, thereby maintaining nerve visibility information without requiring large exposures during the procedure itself
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy or model of the anatomical space containing nerve locations based on pre-surgical imaging and real-time electrical stimulation data, allowing surgeons to navigate using this virtual representation instead of requiring direct visual exposure of actual nerves through large incisions
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
This approach enables precise localization and mapping of nerves, reducing the risk of injury during surgery by providing real-time directional references and constructing detailed 3D nerve models that can be integrated with robotic control systems for enhanced surgical precision.
Implementation Method 1
providing an electrical stimulus from the electrode to the intracorporeal tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A method of modeling a nerve disposed within an intracorporeal treatment area of a patient includes locating an electrode at a plurality of locations within a virtual workspace and providing an electrical stimulus from the electrode to the intracorporeal treatment area. The response of a muscle to the electrical stimulus is monitored and used to determine a distance to the nerve from each of the plurality of locations. A virtual model of the nerve is then constructed within the virtual workspace using the determined distance to the nerve from each of the different positions, and the plurality of locations within the virtual workspace.