Pelvic Screw Guidance System for Safe Insertion Angles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pelvic stabilization techniques for pelvic ring fractures lack clear criteria for screw insertion angles and lengths, leading to complications such as deep insertion and posterior cortex breaching, due to the absence of systems assisting surgeons in screw selection and placement.
Innovation Solution
A method involving transdermal scanning (e.g., CT, MRI, X-ray) to determine optimal screw insertion angles and lengths, using artificial intelligence to ensure intraosseous containment, and providing feedback to surgeons through visual, haptic, or auditory means, or using a 3D printed template to guide screw placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screw insertion is performed without a guidance system, then the surgical process is simple and quick, but the risk of complications such as deep insertion and posterior cortex breaching increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary scanning of the patient's anatomy using CT, MRI, or X-ray to determine optimal screw insertion parameters before surgery. This advance planning allows the surgical team to have precise guidance ready, reducing intraoperative decision-making complexity while ensuring safe screw placement trajectories and depths are predetermined based on individual patient anatomy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary guidance system that acts as a mediator between the surgeon and the screw insertion process. This system includes software that processes imaging data and provides real-time feedback through visual, haptic, or auditory means, allowing surgeons to maintain simple surgical techniques while benefiting from computer-assisted precision to avoid complications.
2Manufacturing precision
If arbitrary screw length and angle selection is used, then the surgical decision-making is flexible, but the precision of screw containment within bone is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback to surgeons during screw selection and insertion. The software calculates optimal screw lengths and angles based on the patient's anatomy and provides this information through visual displays, haptic feedback, or auditory signals. This feedback mechanism ensures precise screw containment within bone while maintaining ease of operation by guiding rather than restricting surgical decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts screw parameters (length, angle, trajectory) based on individual patient anatomy obtained from imaging scans. Rather than using fixed arbitrary values, the software calculates optimal parameters specific to each patient's bone structure, ensuring maximum containment precision while adapting to varying anatomical conditions across different patients.
3Productivity
If extensive surgeon experience is required to learn proper screw depth placement, then flexibility in handling complex cases is improved, but the learning curve and operating time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs all complex calculations and determinations of optimal screw parameters before surgery begins. By pre-processing the imaging data and determining precise insertion parameters in advance, the system eliminates the need for surgeons to extensively learn depth placement techniques during surgery, thereby reducing both the learning curve and actual operating time while maintaining the ability to handle complex anatomical variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidance system performs self-service by automatically analyzing patient anatomy and providing precise screw placement recommendations without requiring extensive surgeon intervention or expertise in determining optimal parameters. The system serves itself by processing imaging data and generating guidance information, allowing surgeons of varying experience levels to perform procedures efficiently with reduced training requirements.
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 reduces the risk of complications, shortens operating time, and simplifies the screw insertion process by providing precise guidelines for safe screw placement, ensuring full bone containment and avoiding breaching.
Implementation Method 1
scanning a patient with a transdermal scan... the transdermal scan is one of a CT scan, an MRI, and an X-ray
Implementation Method 2
scanning a patient with a transdermal scan... the transdermal scan is one of a CT scan, an MRI, and an X-ray
Data Source
AI summary
A method of treating one of fractures and disfunctions of a pelvic ring of a patient comprising scanning a patient with a transdermal scan, determining, via a machine, from the scan an optimal range of angles of entry and sizes of screw to insert into the patient, communicating the optimal range to a surgeon, and inserting the screw into the patient.