Resection Margin Tracking Assembly for Deforming Tissue
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgical procedures face challenges in precisely locating and resecting lesions due to tissue deformation and physiological motion, leading to incomplete resection and potential recurrence, particularly in lung and breast surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using sensors to measure and calculate resection margins, providing auditory, visual, and haptic cues to ensure precise tissue resection, including a first sensor embedded in or near the lesion and a second sensor coupled to the surgical instrument, with a controller calculating distances and registering virtual models to guide the resection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If minimally invasive surgical techniques are used to reduce trauma and speed recovery, then patient benefit is improved, but precise localization of lesions and determination of resection margins becomes difficult due to tissue deformation and physiological motion
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by inserting fiducial sensors into the lesion and coupling sensors to surgical instruments before the resection process begins. This allows the navigation system to establish baseline positions and track tissue deformation in real-time, enabling precise margin determination despite subsequent tissue movement during minimally invasive procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback through real-time tracking of fiducial markers and surgical instruments using navigation systems. This feedback loop provides constant updates on tissue deformation and instrument position, allowing the surgeon to maintain precise control over resection margins while using minimally invasive techniques
2Measurement precision
If conventional open chest procedures are used to ensure precise lesion removal, then resection precision is improved, but patient trauma and recovery time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces intermediary elements in the form of fiducial sensors and navigation systems that mediate between the surgeon's intent and the actual resection outcome. These intermediaries provide real-time spatial information and deformation tracking, enabling precise resection through minimally invasive approaches without requiring open chest procedures
3Reliability
If resection margins are increased to ensure complete lesion removal, then completeness of resection is improved, but damage to healthy tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by providing spatially varying information about resection margins through the navigation system. Fiducial markers placed at different locations around the lesion enable precise determination of the optimal resection boundary at each local site, allowing complete lesion removal while minimizing healthy tissue damage through customized, location-specific margin determination
Data Source
AI summary
A system for tracking the location of an anatomical structure, the system comprising: a J-bar and electrical lead assembly comprising: a J-bar comprising a tracker, a distal electrical connector formed on the tracker, and at least one mount for mounting the tracker to tissue, wherein the tracker is configured to provide a signal representative of the position of the tracker when the tracker is supplied with electrical power; an expandable basket configured to assume (i) a radially-reduced profile when the expandable basket is radially constricted, and (ii) a radially-expanded profile when the expandable basket is not radially constricted, the expandable basket further comprising a distal electrical connector; and an electrical lead extending distally between the J-bar and the expandable basket, the electrical lead being electrically connected to (i) the distal electrical connector formed on the tracker, and (ii) the distal electrical connector of the expandable basket.