Robotic Port Placement Guide for Minimally Invasive Surgery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally-invasive surgical systems face challenges in determining optimal port locations for robotic surgery, leading to issues such as reduced access to the surgical site, increased risk of collisions between robotic arms, and failure to accommodate patient-specific and procedure-specific needs.
Innovation Solution
A port placement guide system that includes a base, a member with a tracking element, and a flexible joint, allowing for precise tracking and marking of suitable port locations on a patient's surface, enabling accurate placement and reduction of surgical setup time while minimizing arm collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If port locations are determined manually without a guide system, then the surgical setup time is reduced, but the precision and accuracy of port placement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and identifying optimal port locations before surgery using computer modeling and simulation. The port placement guide is prepared in advance with pre-determined optimal positions, allowing surgeons to simply follow the guidance during surgery rather than determining positions intraoperatively, thus achieving high precision without increasing setup time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the patient's anatomy through 3D imaging and modeling, then uses this digital replica to simulate and determine optimal port locations. This virtual model allows for precise measurement and planning without requiring physical trial-and-error on the actual patient, thereby maintaining surgical efficiency while improving placement accuracy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple robotic arms are used to improve surgical capability, then the versatility of the surgical system is improved, but the risk of collisions between robotic arms increases
Solution Approach 1:
The port placement guide acts as an intermediary that coordinates the positions of multiple robotic arms. By establishing predetermined optimal port locations that account for the spatial relationships between multiple arms, the system mediates their interactions to prevent collisions while maintaining the versatility benefits of having multiple robotic arms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary simulation and analysis to identify optimal port locations that accommodate multiple robotic arms without collision. By pre-planning the spatial arrangement and port positions before surgery, the system eliminates the need for intraoperative adjustments and prevents collisions while maintaining full versatility of the multi-arm system.
3Ease of operation
If standard MIS systems are used to reduce surgical complexity, then the ease of operation is improved, but the ability to accommodate patient-specific and procedure-specific needs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by providing customized port placement guidance specific to each patient's anatomy and each procedure's requirements. Rather than using a one-size-fits-approach, the port placement guide is tailored to the specific surgical scenario, incorporating patient-specific anatomical variations and procedure-specific needs while maintaining the overall simplicity of the MIS system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by adapting port location recommendations based on patient-specific anatomical parameters and procedure-specific requirements. The computer modeling system adjusts the optimal port positions according to varying parameters such as patient anatomy, surgical approach, and instrument requirements, allowing the system to maintain ease of operation while accommodating diverse individual needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A port placement guide may include a base, a member, and at least one tracking element. The base can be configured to couple to a surface of a patient at a preliminary port location for a robotic arm. The member can be coupled to the base and can comprise a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The at least one tracking element can be coupled to the member and can be configured to allow tracking of the member relative to the preliminary port location.