Sensor-Equipped Phantom for Medical Instrument Placement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical procedures for inserting medical instruments, such as catheters, lack precision, leading to risks like hemorrhage and infection, especially when performed by less experienced surgeons, and training on live patients is risky.

Innovation Solution

A sensor-equipped phantom object is used to measure the accuracy of medical instrument placement by detecting the instrument and a target location within the phantom, providing real-time feedback and aiding in training and system validation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If surgeons rely on general knowledge of anatomy and crude measurements for locating internal anatomical targets, then the procedure can be performed with simple equipment, but the precision of catheter placement deteriorates leading to misplacement and complications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecatheter placement precisionVSAvoidequipment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the patient's anatomy through 3D imaging and registration, allowing precise measurement and navigation without complex physical measurement devices. The virtual model enables accurate catheter placement guidance while keeping the physical equipment relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces crude mechanical measurements with optical/image-based detection systems. Sensors detect anatomical landmarks and catheter positions, and processors calculate precise locations, substituting manual measurement with automated image processing and computation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If multiple attempts are made to hit the target, then the surgeon can increase the chance of successful placement, but the risk of hemorrhage and infection increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuccessful catheter placementVSAvoidhemorrhage and infection risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides real-time feedback by continuously tracking catheter position relative to the target and displaying it to the surgeon. This feedback loop allows single-attempt successful placement by enabling precise adjustments during the procedure without needing multiple passes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary planning by creating a 3D model, identifying the optimal catheter trajectory, and registering anatomical landmarks before the actual catheter insertion. This pre-planning ensures the first attempt can be made with high precision, avoiding the need for multiple attempts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If surgeons are trained on live patients, then real surgical experience is gained, but patient safety deteriorates due to the risks involved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgeon training effectivenessVSAvoidpatient safety

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the surgical environment using 3D imaging and registration, allowing surgeons to practice procedures on virtual patients that replicate real anatomical structures. This provides realistic training experience without exposing actual patients to training-related risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Measurement precision

If crude measurements are used for locating anatomical targets, then the procedure can be performed quickly, but the accuracy of target location deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetarget location accuracyVSAvoidprocedure time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary 3D imaging, landmark identification, and trajectory planning before the actual catheter insertion. This pre-processing, while taking some time initially, enables rapid and accurate catheter placement during the procedure itself, reducing overall procedure time compared to careful manual measurement attempts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces time-consuming manual measurement with automated image processing and computer-based calculation. The system rapidly processes 3D images to identify landmarks and calculate optimal trajectories, providing accurate target location information much faster than traditional measurement methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20240013679A1Smart sensor-equipped phantom for performance assessment of medical procedures

Publication Date: 2024.01.11 JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

AI summary

A system includes: a phantom object; one or more sensors within the phantom object; and a processor, a computer readable memory, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium associated with a computing device in communication with the phantom object, and program instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform operations including: detecting a medical instrument within the phantom object based on sensor data captured by the one or more sensors; measuring a distance between the medical instrument and a target point based on the sensor data; and storing or outputting information identifying the distance between the medical instrument and the target point.