Robotic Orthopedic Tool Path Generation for Soft Tissue Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic orthopedic surgical systems face challenges in minimizing soft tissue trauma during bone cutting, as pre-programmed tool paths may not be customized enough for each patient, leading to potential damage to surrounding tissues, and conventional protectors are not suitable for robotic surgery due to space constraints and risk of debris.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for generating a patient-specific tool path that minimizes soft tissue trauma by calculating the intersection of a pre-determined cutting pattern and the bone, optimizing the tool path to reduce overcutting and surgical opening size, and leaving a thin perimeter of bone to protect soft tissues, using pre-operative surgical planning software and virtual models.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a pre-programmed tool path is used for robotic bone cutting, then cutting accuracy is improved, but soft tissue damage occurs due to overcutting beyond the bone boundary
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by generating a patient-specific tool path before surgery that precisely defines the cutting boundary based on the individual patient's bone geometry. This pre-planned path includes all necessary cutting movements to achieve the desired bone shape without extending into soft tissue areas, thereby preventing soft tissue damage before the surgery begins while maintaining high cutting accuracy through robotic execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by customizing the tool path specifically for each patient's unique bone anatomy rather than using a generic pre-programmed path. The cutting path is locally adapted to match the exact contours and boundaries of the patient's bone structure, ensuring that cuts are precise at each location and stop exactly at the bone boundary without damaging surrounding soft tissues.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional protectors (curved metal protector or plunging cutter with stop mechanism) are used to prevent soft tissue damage, then soft tissue protection is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical protector system (curved metal protectors or stop mechanisms on cutters) with a computational control system. Instead of using physical barriers to prevent overcutting, the system uses a pre-calculated patient-specific tool path that is programmed into the robotic controller. The robot executes this digital path with high precision, eliminating the need for complex mechanical protection devices while maintaining soft tissue safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy or digital model of the patient's bone anatomy and uses this digital representation to generate the cutting path. This virtual model serves as a blueprint that guides the robotic cutter, replacing the need for physical protectors. The digital copy allows precise planning of the cutting boundary before surgery, ensuring the robot will cut only within safe boundaries without requiring additional mechanical protection devices.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a generic pre-programmed tool path is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to individual patient anatomy is reduced leading to overcutting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the tool path based on individual patient anatomy by using patient-specific bone measurements and geometry data. Instead of using fixed, generic cutting parameters, the system adjusts the tool path parameters (cutting depth, angle, position, and trajectory) to match each patient's unique bone structure. This customization is achieved through computational processing of patient imaging data, which generates optimized cutting parameters specific to that patient's anatomy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary customization of the tool path for each patient before surgery by processing patient-specific imaging data and generating a customized cutting path. This pre-planning phase allows the system to adapt to individual patient anatomy without adding complexity during the actual surgery. The customized path is calculated in advance, ensuring high adaptability to patient-specific variations while keeping the surgical procedure efficient.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for generating an improved tool path for cutting a bone so as to minimize soft tissue trauma, wherein the method comprises:accessing an image of the bone which is to be cut;accessing an image of a pre-determined cutting pattern;superimposing the image of the pre-determined cutting pattern against the image of the bone;calculating the intersection of the pre-determined cutting pattern and the bone using the superimposed images of the pre-determined cutting pattern and the bone; andgenerating a tool path based upon the intersection of the pre-determined cutting pattern and the bone so as to minimize soft tissue trauma by leaving a thin perimeter of bone at the boundary of the bone cut when the boundary of the bone cut is adjacent to a bone surface.