Surgery Assistance Apparatus for Dynamic Excision Planning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for determining excision regions during surgery, such as those for abnormal regions in organs like the liver or lungs, often fail to consider the position of the abnormal region and its positional relationship with surrounding organs, leading to difficulties in surgery, particularly when the abnormal region is located on the back side of the patient.

Innovation Solution

A surgery assistance apparatus and method that obtains three-dimensional medical images, extracts target tissue and abnormal regions, and determines multiple excision methods based on various conditions like volume and surface area, allowing for the presentation of appropriate excision methods that take into account the position and relationship of the abnormal region, including the use of partial excision regions and dominated regions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If an excision method is determined to minimize the surface area of the cut surface, then the burden on the patient and surgery time are reduced, but excision becomes difficult when the abnormal region is located on the back side of the patient or in positions with unfavorable spatial relationships

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurgery timeVSAvoidexcision difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically generates multiple excision methods based on different determination conditions (volume minimization, surface area minimization, etc.) and allows switching between them depending on the surgical situation. This enables adaptation to different abnormal region positions and surgical constraints, resolving the contradiction between minimizing surgery time and maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the determination parameters for excision regions by offering multiple criteria (volume, surface area, shape constraints) and generating corresponding excision methods. This allows selecting appropriate parameters based on the specific surgical context, such as choosing volume-based methods for deep lesions or surface-area-based methods for accessible lesions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of substance

If an excision method is determined to minimize the volume of the excision region, then the normal part of the organ is preserved as much as possible, but excision becomes difficult depending on the position of the abnormal region and its relationship with surrounding organs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveloss of normal organ tissueVSAvoidexcision difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides dynamic selection between volume-based excision methods and other approaches (surface area-based, shape-constrained) depending on the surgical situation. For abnormal regions in difficult positions, the system can switch to methods that prioritize surgical accessibility while still controlling tissue loss through multi-condition optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the excision planning into multiple independent methods, each optimized for different priorities (volume minimization, surface area minimization, shape constraints). This allows the surgeon to select or combine segments appropriate for the specific anatomical location and surgical constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Device complexity

If a single excision method is used, then the determination process is simple, but it cannot appropriately handle various positions of abnormal regions and their relationships with surrounding organs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetermination process complexityVSAvoidadaptability to different abnormal region positions
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a universal excision determination framework that can handle multiple types of abnormal regions in various positions and orientations. By integrating multiple determination conditions (volume, surface area, shape constraints) and generating corresponding excision methods, it provides a multi-functional solution that adapts to different surgical scenarios without requiring separate specialized systems.

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

Data Source

PatentEP2810598B1Surgical support device, surgical support method and surgical support program
Publication Date: 2018.11.28 FUJIFILM CORP
  • EP2810598B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2810598B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP2810598B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

[Aim] To present a more appropriate excision method that also takes the position of an abnormal region in an organ and a positional relationship between a target organ and an organ around the target organ into consideration in a surgery assistance apparatus for presenting an excision region including the abnormal region in the organ. [Solution Means] A medical image obtainment means (11) that obtains a three-dimensional medical image of a subject to be examined, a target tissue region extraction means (12) that extracts a region of target tissue from the three-dimensional medical image obtained by the medical image obtainment means (11), an abnormal region extraction means (13) that extracts an abnormal region from the region of target tissue extracted by the target tissue region extraction means (12), an excision method obtainment means (16) that obtains, based on plural excision region determination conditions, plural excision methods in which excision regions satisfying the respective excision region determination conditions are set for the abnormal region, and an excision method presentation means (17) that presents the plural excision methods obtained by the excision method obtainment means are provided.