Spine Navigation Registration Using Transfer Fiducial Markers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical planning and navigation systems rely heavily on two-dimensional and three-dimensional medical images, requiring surgeons to mentally reconstruct a 3D model, which can lead to inaccuracies and visual interference in augmented reality environments.
Innovation Solution
A Custom Reference Engine that detects fiducial markers on physical anatomy, determines their coordinates, and updates their display position to avoid visual interference, allowing for accurate tracking and alignment of augmented reality renderings with the patient's anatomy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the custom reference is displayed at its current position in the AR environment, then it provides accurate tracking of the anatomy position and orientation, but it causes visual interference with the AR visual field that includes the view of the portion of anatomy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces transfer fiducial markers as intermediary elements between the custom reference and the anatomy. The custom reference is transformed from its original display position to a new position based on the coordinates of these transfer markers, allowing it to track anatomy accurately while avoiding visual interference with the surgical field of view
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the spatial conflict by repositioning the custom reference in the AR environment to a different spatial location that does not overlap with the anatomy view. This dimensional relocation allows both the custom reference and the anatomy to be visible simultaneously without interference
2Loss of information
If surgeons rely on two-dimensional and three-dimensional medical images for surgical planning, then they have access to detailed anatomical information, but they must mentally reconstruct a 3D model which can lead to inaccuracies and visual interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the anatomy and surgical instruments in the AR environment that overlays the physical surgical field. This virtual representation provides accurate 3D anatomical information directly in the surgeon's field of view, eliminating the need for mental reconstruction from 2D images while maintaining complete anatomical information
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the 2D medical image information with the 3D AR environment by registering and overlaying them. This combination allows surgeons to view both the detailed anatomical information from medical images and the actual surgical field simultaneously in an integrated 3D visualization, eliminating the separation between image review and surgical view
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of an apparatus, methods, systems and computer program products described herein are directed to a Custom Reference Engine. In some embodiments, the Custom Reference Engine captures intra-operative imagery data of a portion of physical anatomy that includes portrayal of one or more embedded fiducial markers (“embedded markers”). The Custom Reference Engine acquires a custom reference position of the portion of physical anatomy based on respective coordinates, in a unified three-dimensional (3D) coordinate space, of the one or more embedded markers. The Custom Reference Engine terminates visual interference of a view of portion of physical anatomy transforming the custom reference position over to one or more transfer fiducial markers that surround the portion of physical anatomy.