Trackable Medical Instrument Proximal Tracking Array Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer-assisted image guided surgery systems face challenges with tracking errors due to the attachment of tracking arrays on instruments, particularly with rotational instruments, which can obscure the operative site and lead to unintentional array rotation, affecting accuracy and visibility.
Innovation Solution
A trackable medical instrument design with a tracking array positioned proximal to the drive handle, allowing for improved visibility and ergonomic use, featuring a non-rotatable proximal shaft and a rotatable drive handle with a ratchet mechanism and modular attachment for instrument tips, enabling precise tracking and minimization of array rotation errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the tracking array is attached to the distal end of the instrument, then the instrument can be tracked in three-dimensional space, but the array obscures the operative site and reduces visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking array is repositioned from the distal end to the proximal end of the instrument, changing its spatial dimension relative to the operative site. This dimensional relocation allows the array to remain in the field of view of tracking sensors while being positioned away from the surgical site, thus maintaining tracking accuracy without obscuring the operative field
2Measurement precision
If the tracking array is attached to the instrument shaft, then the instrument can be tracked, but the array may rotate unintentionally during rotation of the instrument, affecting tracking accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is segmented into distinct functional components: a non-rotatable proximal shaft that holds the tracking array, and a rotatable distal section that performs the surgical function. This segmentation isolates the tracking array from rotational movements, maintaining its orientation stability while allowing the instrument to rotate as needed for surgery
Solution Approach 2:
A non-rotatable proximal shaft acts as an intermediary between the rotatable instrument shaft and the tracking array. This intermediary component provides a stable mounting platform for the array, decoupling it from rotational movements and preventing unintentional rotation that would compromise tracking accuracy
3Measurement precision
If the tracking array is positioned distally on the instrument, then it can track the instrument tip position, but it reduces ergonomics and accessibility for the surgeon
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking array is relocated to the proximal end of the instrument, changing its position from the distal operative end to the proximal handle end. This dimensional relocation improves ergonomics by positioning the array where it does not interfere with the surgeon's grip or manipulation of the instrument, while still enabling accurate tracking of the instrument tip through the instrument's mechanical structure
Data Source
AI summary
A trackable medical instrument for use in a computer assisted image guided surgery system having a digitizer for tracking the position of the instrument in three dimensional space and a display providing an indication of the position of the instrument with respect to images of a body part taken preoperatively, wherein the instrument comprises a tracking array located distally of a rotatable, axially fixed drive handle.