Sensorized Surgical Guide for Real-Time Instrument Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical procedures pose health risks due to difficulties in accessing target areas within the body, requiring precise navigation around vital arteries and organs, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed for safer and more efficient surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A robot-assisted surgical system incorporating a radiological imaging device, a robotic arm, and a sensorized surgical guide that measures the translation and rotation of surgical instruments, providing real-time feedback and guidance to surgeons through a graphical user interface, enabling precise placement and minimizing risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional surgical navigation methods are used, then surgeons can perform basic surgical procedures, but precision and safety are insufficient when accessing target areas near vital arteries and organs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements real-time feedback through sensors that continuously monitor the position and orientation of surgical instruments, providing data to a control system that guides the surgeon's movements to achieve precise navigation while maintaining safety margins around vital structures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical surgical navigation systems with a sensorized robotic system that uses electronic sensors, motors, and control algorithms to achieve superior precision and safety in navigating to target areas near vital arteries and organs
2Manufacturing precision
If manual surgical instrument handling is used, then surgeons have direct control, but precision and efficiency are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical guide system performs self-measurement of instrument position and orientation using integrated sensors, eliminating the need for separate measurement devices and enabling continuous real-time monitoring that improves both precision and efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual instrument handling with a robotic system that uses sensors and automated control to achieve superior precision in instrument placement while reducing surgical time through automated positioning and real-time guidance
3Measurement precision
If complex robotic systems are implemented, then surgical precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions including sensing, measurement, control, and surgical guidance into a single integrated robotic system, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining high precision
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical robotic system is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both the robotic actuator and the measurement device through integrated sensors, eliminating the need for separate specialized equipment and reducing system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical guide includes a fixed portion and a movable portion. The movable portion includes a sensor, and the surgical guide measures translation of a surgical instrument along an axis of intervention and rotation about the axis. Another embodiment of the surgical guide includes a fixed portion having a motion sensor and a removable portion having at least three spheres. The removable portion fits inside of the fixed portion. The surgical instrument contacts the spheres, and the motion sensor senses the movement caused by the instrument of the corresponding sphere.


