Patient-Specific Spine Simulation With 3D Point Clouds Across All Planes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spinal surgery models fail to accurately align the spine in all planes (sagittal, coronal, and axial) due to reliance on angular data and lack of consideration for the alignment of the head with the pelvis, leading to partial corrections and inaccurate post-surgical predictions, and require high computational resources for three-dimensional modeling.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for rapidly generating three-dimensional simulations of spinal morphology using X-ray or CT scan data, incorporating point cloud models of vertebral bodies, and morphing them to reflect patient-specific spinal deformities, allowing for pre-operative visualization and prediction of surgical outcomes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional angular data models are used for spinal surgery planning, then the modeling process is simple, but the alignment accuracy in coronal and axial planes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D angular measurements in the sagittal plane to comprehensive 3D spatial coordinates that capture alignment in all three planes (sagittal, coronal, and axial). This dimensional expansion enables accurate representation of spinal deformities and surgical outcomes across all anatomical planes simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual 3D copies of the patient's actual spine using point cloud models derived from medical imaging data. These virtual models replicate the unique anatomical geometry of the patient's spine, allowing surgeons to plan and visualize procedures without requiring complex physical models or prototypes.
2Manufacturing precision
If comprehensive three-dimensional modeling of the entire skeletal system is performed, then the accuracy of spinal and skeletal simulation improves, but the computational resources required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the complex skeletal system into modular segments including the spine, pelvis, and extremities. Each segment is represented by its own point cloud model with specific anatomical landmarks. This segmentation allows the system to model the entire skeletal system comprehensively while managing computational complexity through hierarchical organization and selective detail levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs adjustable parameters such as the head-over-pelvis axis orientation and spinal curvature measurements to control the level of detail and computational intensity. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves high-fidelity simulations of spinal pathology and surgical outcomes while maintaining efficient computational performance through adaptive modeling resolution.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems and methods for rapid generation of simulations of a patient's spinal morphology that enable pre-operative viewing of a patient's condition and to assist surgeons in determining the best corrective procedure and with any of the selection, augmentation or manufacture of spinal devices based on the patient specific simulated condition. The simulation is generated by morphing a generic spine model with a three-dimensional curve representation of the patient's particular spinal morphology derived from existing images of the patient's condition. Other anatomical structures in the patient's skeletal system are likewise simulated by morphing a generic normal skeletal model, as applicable, particularly those skeletal entities that are connected directly or indirectly to the spinal column.