Robotic Surgical Tool Tracking With 2D-3D Safety Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical robotic systems face safety issues during autonomous manipulation due to tracker movement, calibration errors, software glitches, and geometric inaccuracies, leading to potential harm to patients from deviations in surgical tool trajectories.
Innovation Solution
A control unit that uses an X-ray imaging system to acquire 2D images, synchronize localization of surgical tools and patient trackers, register these images with 3D models, and determine a safety criterion by comparing real and projected positions to ensure the tool follows the planned trajectory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If real-time monitoring and adjustment of safety criteria are implemented during autonomous manipulation, then patient safety is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining multiple safety criteria and thresholds before autonomous manipulation begins. These safety parameters are established in advance based on anatomical structure characteristics and surgical tool properties, allowing the system to rapidly evaluate situations without complex real-time calculations
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback mechanisms during autonomous manipulation, where sensor data from the robotic system is constantly monitored against pre-defined safety criteria. This feedback loop enables real-time detection of potential safety violations and automatic adjustment of manipulation parameters to maintain patient safety
2Reliability
If multiple safety criteria are monitored simultaneously, then safety coverage is improved, but computational load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety monitoring system is segmented into multiple independent evaluation modules, each responsible for specific safety criteria such as force thresholds, positional boundaries, or anatomical structure integrity. This segmentation allows the system to monitor multiple safety aspects simultaneously while distributing computational load across separate processing units
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial monitoring by focusing computational resources on the most critical safety criteria at any given moment. Based on the current surgical context and anatomical structure being manipulated, the system dynamically prioritizes which safety parameters require intensive monitoring, reducing overall computational burden while maintaining comprehensive safety coverage
3Reliability
If strict safety constraints are enforced, then patient protection is improved, but surgical productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety constraints are implemented dynamically rather than statically. The system continuously adapts safety parameters based on real-time surgical conditions, anatomical structure responses, and tool-manipulation context. This dynamic approach allows strict safety enforcement when risks are detected while permitting more flexible, productive manipulation when conditions are safe
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes safety parameters adaptively during surgery based on accumulated data and observed patterns. Safety thresholds and constraints are adjusted according to the specific anatomical structure being treated, the surgical tool being used, and the phase of the surgical procedure, allowing optimized balance between patient protection and surgical efficiency
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for determining a safety criterion during an autonomous manipulation of a surgical tool (13) by a robotic system (1) to treat an anatomical structure (B) according to a planned trajectory (T3D) in a 3D image (I3D), said 3D image being registered with a patient tracker (30), and the robotic system (1) being servo-controlled on the movements of the patient tracker (30), the method comprising: a. acquiring at least one 2D X-ray image (I2D) containing the anatomical structure and the surgical tool by an X-ray imaging system (2), and for each at least one 2D X-ray acquisition: i. synchronously localizing the surgical tool and the patient tracker to determine the position of the surgical tool relative to said 3D image, ii. registering the 2D X-ray image (I2D) with the 3D image (I3D) in a region of interest around the anatomical structure, iii. generating a projection onto the 2D X-ray image (I2D) of a model of the surgical tool in its position relative to the 3D image computed in step (i) ('projected localized position'), iv. determining a real position of the surgical tool on the 2D X-ray image (I2D) ('real position'), b. determining a safety criterion from a similarity information between each real position and each projected localized position of the surgical tool on the at least one 2D X-ray image.