Surgical Saw Blade Displacement and Force Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopedic sawing procedures often result in incorrect saw lengths or damage to patients due to reliance on surgeon judgment for determining cut completion and depth, leading to surgical complications and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A surgical saw system equipped with a displacement sensor and a saw blade assembly that includes a bushing and an engagement member, allowing for automatic cessation of cutting upon completing a cut through a bone or reaching a predetermined depth, without the need to remove the saw blade.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the surgeon relies on manual estimation and sensory judgment to determine cut completion and depth, then the surgical procedure can be performed with simple equipment, but the accuracy of cut depth and completion detection deteriorates leading to incorrect saw lengths and potential patient damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/sensory judgment system with a sensor-based detection system. Force sensors and displacement sensors automatically detect cut completion and depth by measuring physical parameters (force changes when exiting bone, displacement distance), eliminating reliance on surgeon tactile sensation and visual estimation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary sensing components (force sensors, displacement sensors, processing unit) that mediate between the cutting action and the surgeon's decision-making. These intermediaries objectively measure cut parameters and provide automated feedback, bridging the gap between the physical cutting process and surgical control.
2Productivity
If the surgeon performs multiple measurement attempts to ensure complete bone cutting, then the equipment remains simple, but the surgical time increases leading to higher costs and patient morbidity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements real-time feedback through sensors that continuously monitor cutting progress. The force sensor detects when the saw exits the bone by sensing the abrupt change in resistance, and the displacement sensor tracks the exact cut depth. This immediate feedback allows the surgeon to stop cutting precisely when complete, eliminating the need for multiple measurement attempts and extending tissue exposure time.
3Reliability
If the surgeon uses conservative cutting to avoid incomplete sawing, then patient safety is improved, but the likelihood of incomplete cuts increases requiring multiple attempts and increasing surgical time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conservative manual cutting with sensor-guided precise cutting. The force sensor objectively detects cut completion by measuring the specific force change when exiting bone, and the displacement sensor precisely tracks depth, eliminating the need for conservative over-cutting and subsequent verification attempts.
4Measurement precision
If the surgeon removes the saw blade to measure cut length, then measurement can be performed with simple tools, but the surgical procedure time increases and tissue exposure to infection risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual measurement tools and procedures with an integrated displacement sensor system that continuously measures and records cut depth in real-time. The sensor remains attached to the saw blade throughout the procedure, measuring displacement from the starting point, and provides automated depth information without requiring blade removal or separate measurement steps.
Data Source
AI summary
Sensing technology methods related thereto for determining cut through of bone and a depth of penetration of a working portion of a surgical instrument (e.g., an oscillating saw blade in a cut). A first sensor outputs a first signal representative of a displacement of the cutting edge of the saw blade in the cut. A second sensor outputs a second signal representative of a force applied to the cutting edge of the saw blade. As such, monitoring the first and/or second sensor may allow for the saw to be stopped upon completion of a cut (e.g., when the saw passes completely through a medium to be cut or upon reaching a predetermined depth for the cut).