Removable Surgical Marker Assembly for Accurate Robot Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical robots face challenges with large registration markers that obstruct surgical access and vision, requiring time-consuming and error-prone marker exchanges during procedures, leading to misalignments and reduced tracking accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An integrated surgical marker system with a removable registration marker and a co-located navigation marker, allowing for a single implantation step that maintains accuracy by calculating the navigation marker's position based on a known offset, minimizing interference and displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a large registration marker is used for accurate imaging and registration, then registration accuracy is improved, but surgeon's access to the surgical field and vision are blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The marker system is segmented into two distinct components: a large registration marker for accurate imaging and a small navigation marker for unobtrusive tracking. The large registration marker (at least 7 cm in minimum dimension) provides sufficient radiographic visibility for precise registration, while the small navigation marker (5 cm or less in maximum dimension) maintains tracking capability without blocking surgical access or vision.
Solution Approach 2:
The registration marker is extracted as a separate, removable component from the navigation marker. After the registration phase is complete, the large registration marker can be removed while the small navigation marker remains in place for continued tracking during the surgical procedure, eliminating the need to retain the large marker that obstructs the surgical field.
2Ease of operation
If registration and navigation markers are exchanged during procedure, then marker size requirements are satisfied, but procedure duration increases and human error increases
Solution Approach 1:
The registration and navigation functions are merged into a single integrated assembly that is implanted together as one unit. The registration marker and navigation marker are pre-assembled with a known spatial relationship between them, eliminating the need for separate implantation steps and reducing the risk of misalignment errors during exchange procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The registration and navigation markers are pre-assembled into an integrated unit before implantation, with their spatial relationship predetermined and documented. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need for time-consuming intraoperative exchange and alignment procedures, as the system is ready for immediate use upon implantation.
3Ease of operation
If registration and navigation markers are exchanged during procedure, then appropriate marker sizes are achieved, but misalignments and displacement occur reducing tracking accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The registration and navigation markers are merged into a single rigid integrated assembly that is implanted as one unit. This ensures that the spatial relationship between the registration marker and navigation marker is fixed and known, eliminating misalignment errors that would occur during separate exchange procedures. The rigid connection prevents relative displacement between the two marker types.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated marker assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: the registration marker portion enables accurate radiographic registration, while the navigation marker portion provides continuous tracking during surgery. Both functions are achieved through a single implantation, ensuring consistent spatial relationships and maintaining tracking accuracy throughout the procedure.
4Productivity
If a single integrated marker is used for both registration and navigation, then procedure time is reduced and accuracy is maintained, but the marker must serve dual functions with different size requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated marker is segmented into functionally distinct components: a large registration marker (at least 7 cm) optimized for radiographic visibility and a small navigation marker (5 cm or less) optimized for optical tracking and minimal interference. Each segment is designed to fulfill its specific function while being part of a unified implanted assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated marker assembly achieves multi-functionality by combining registration and navigation capabilities in a single implantable unit. The system universally serves both radiographic registration and optical tracking purposes, adapting to different surgical phases without requiring separate markers or implantation procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated marker system used for registration of a pre-operative images with a surgical robot and subsequent robotic navigation during a robotic surgical procedure in includes a registration marker removably pre-attached to a navigation marker in a predetermined relative orientation. The integrated marker system may be placed on a patient's bony anatomy and used in an initial registration step. After completing registration, the registration marker may be removed leaving navigation marker available for robotic navigation and patient tracking.