Sensorized Surgical Guide for Real-Time Instrument Tracking

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

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

VSEngineering 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

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurgical navigation precisionVSAvoidsurgical safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

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

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If manual surgical instrument handling is used, then surgeons have direct control, but precision and efficiency are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstrument placement precisionVSAvoidsurgical efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

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

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If complex robotic systems are implemented, then surgical precision improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurgical guidance precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

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

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20210275263A1Robot-assisted surgical guide system for performing surgery
Publication Date: 2021.09.09 EPICA INTERNATIONAL INC
  • US20210275263A1 patent drawing
  • US20210275263A1 patent drawing
  • US20210275263A1 patent drawing

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.