Patient-Specific Surgical Tracker Marker Arrangement for Clear Line of Sight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical tracking systems with mass-produced trackers face issues such as line-of-sight loss and obstruction of the surgeon's view or access due to fixed marker arrangements, which are not patient-specific and can hinder surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A method for determining a patient-specific marker arrangement for a surgical tracking system, utilizing three-dimensional image data to optimize marker positions based on surgical planning data, ensuring unobstructed line-of-sight and access by customizing the tracker design to fit the patient's anatomy and surgical requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional mass-produced trackers with fixed marker arrangements are used, then manufacturing precision and ease of manufacture are improved, but adaptability to different patients and surgical procedures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by determining the optimal marker arrangement before the actual surgical procedure through pre-operative planning. The system uses pre-acquired three-dimensional image data to calculate and define customized marker positions that are specific to each patient's anatomy and surgical requirements, rather than using fixed mass-produced tracker designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by varying the marker positions and arrangements based on patient-specific parameters derived from three-dimensional image data. The system calculates optimized marker coordinates that adapt to different anatomical structures, surgical approaches, and procedural requirements, transforming the fixed parameters of conventional trackers into dynamic, customized parameters.
2Device complexity
If fixed marker arrangements are used, then device complexity is reduced, but line-of-sight loss and obstruction of surgeon's view increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing the marker arrangement specifically for the local surgical field and patient anatomy. The system determines marker positions that are locally adapted to the surgical site, ensuring that markers are placed in locations that maintain line-of-sight for the tracking camera while avoiding obstruction of the surgeon's view and access to the surgical site.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using pre-operative three-dimensional image data to inform and optimize the marker arrangement design. The system processes imaging data to provide feedback on the optimal marker positions, allowing for customized tracker designs that account for patient-specific anatomy and surgical planning information.
3Reliability
If multiple trackers are used to maintain continuous tracking, then reliability of tracking is improved, but obstruction of surgical access and surgeon's line-of-sight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by using a single customized tracker with an optimized marker arrangement rather than multiple trackers. The customized marker arrangement provides sufficient tracking reliability for the surgical procedure while avoiding the excessive action of deploying multiple trackers that would obstruct surgical access and the surgeon's line-of-sight.
Data Source
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AI summary
A technique for determining a patient-specific marker arrangement (310) for a tracker (300) of a surgical tracking system is presented. The marker arrangement (310) is defined by marker positions. A method implementation of the technique comprises receiving three-dimensional image data (102) of a patient; obtaining, based on the three-dimensional image data, planning data for a surgical intervention; and determining the marker arrangement (310) for the tracker (300) based at least on the obtained planning data.