Skeleton Model Patient Posture Correction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient positioning methods in medicine treat patients as rigid objects, ignoring anatomical relationships and movement constraints, which limits their ability to accurately correct patient posture for procedures like radiotherapy, especially in systems like VERO and ExacTrac.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that acquires surface data to create skeleton models of a patient's anatomical structures, determines movement instructions based on anatomical constraints to minimize positional differences, and displays these instructions using augmented reality to guide users in correcting the patient's posture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the patient is treated as a rigid object for positioning, then the positioning process is simplified, but the accuracy of posture correction deteriorates because anatomical relationships and movement constraints are ignored
Solution Approach 1:
The patient's body is segmented into multiple rigid anatomic structures (e.g., skull, spine, pelvis, limbs) that can be independently positioned. Each structure is represented as a separate body segment in the skeleton model, allowing individual posture correction while maintaining anatomical relationships between segments through joint constraints.
2Measurement precision
If anatomical relationships and movement constraints are considered in positioning, then the accuracy of posture correction improves, but the complexity of the positioning system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system transitions from a static rigid object model to a dynamic skeleton model where body segments can move relative to each other within anatomically correct ranges of motion. The joint constraints dynamically limit movement to physiologically possible ranges, enabling accurate posture correction while maintaining system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter representation from treating the patient as a single rigid body to using multiple body segments with rotational degrees of freedom at joints. This parameter transformation allows the system to account for anatomical relationships and movement constraints while providing structured control over positioning complexity.
3Ease of operation
If movement instructions are provided for individual body parts without considering anatomical constraints, then the ease of operation improves, but the reliability of posture correction deteriorates because anatomical movement limitations are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback to the operator about the current posture and suggested corrections while automatically enforcing joint constraints. The skeleton model calculates the differences between current and desired postures, then generates movement instructions that respect anatomical limitations, ensuring reliable and safe posture correction.
Data Source
AI summary
First and second skeleton model data is determined based on first and second surface data of a patient. Each of the skeleton model data describes geometries of rigid anatomic structures of a patient at a different point in time. Skeleton difference data is determined describing differences between the geometries of the rigid anatomic structures. In a next step, movement instruction data is determined which describes movement to be performed by the rigid anatomic structures to minimize the differences, i.e. to correct the posture of the patient. The movement instruction data is for example determined based on anatomy constraint data which describes anatomical movement constraints for the rigid anatomic structures (e.g. range of motion of a joint). An instruction is displayed (e.g. using augmented reality), guiding the user how to move the rigid anatomic structures so as to correct the patients posture.