Automated Stereotactic Trajectory Safety Evaluation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manual methods for evaluating the safety of prospective surgical trajectories in brain surgeries are time-consuming, prone to human error, and limited by the expertise of neurosurgeons, making it challenging to accurately assess the number of times a surgical instrument will pierce the cortical surface and avoid hazardous brain regions, particularly in complex interventions.
Innovation Solution
The use of patient-specific 3D brain representations generated from imaging data to automatically evaluate the safety of surgical trajectories, providing real-time feedback by determining intersections with the cortical surface and hazard brain regions, and incorporating safety margins to assess the proximity of the trajectory to critical areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual methods are used to evaluate surgical trajectory safety, then neurosurgeons can assess trajectories, but the process is time-consuming and prone to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual assessment and manual counting of cortical surface intersections with an automated computer-based system that uses imaging data and algorithms to automatically evaluate trajectory safety, determine intersection counts, and provide real-time feedback to neurosurgeons
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital 3D model (copy) of the patient's brain based on imaging data, allowing automated analysis of surgical trajectories without requiring direct manual examination of the physical brain structure, thereby enabling rapid and accurate safety evaluation
2Measurement precision
If manual evaluation methods are used, then neurosurgeons can assess trajectories, but the process is limited by the expertise of neurosurgeons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual counting and assessment with an automated computational system that processes imaging data and trajectory parameters to precisely determine the number of cortical surface intersections, eliminating human error and expertise limitations
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a computer-based intermediary that acts as an automated assistant to neurosurgeons, providing objective and precise safety evaluations based on calculated intersection counts rather than subjective manual assessment
3Productivity
If automated evaluation is implemented, then surgical intervention time is reduced, but the system requires complex automated analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary automated analysis of the patient's brain imaging data to generate a 3D model and pre-calculate safety parameters before the surgical procedure begins, enabling rapid real-time evaluation during surgery without requiring complex analysis during the procedure itself
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods provide a neurosurgeon with real-time feedback on safety of prospective surgical trajectories, which can simultaneously reduce surgical intervention times and improve patient safety. Examples can determine a level of safety for a prospective surgical trajectory by determining a number of times that a prospective surgical trajectory representation (e.g., a 1D line representing a prospective surgical trajectory) intersects (a) a patient-specific 3D cortical surface representation (i.e., a 3D representation representing an exterior surface of the patient's brain cortex); and (b) one or more patient-specific 3D hazard brain region representations (e.g., 3D representations representing hazard brain regions of the patient to be avoided during surgery).