Surgical Drill Breakthrough Detection for Accurate Bore-Hole Depth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining bore-hole depth in orthopedic surgery require additional devices that compromise sterility and increase surgical time, as they involve separate depth gauges that introduce additional instruments into the patient's body.
Innovation Solution
A handheld surgical instrument with integrated depth measurement and displacement sensing capabilities, using algorithms to analyze displacement and acceleration signals to determine breakthrough time and bore-hole depth without the need for additional devices, thereby maintaining sterility and reducing procedure time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a separate depth gauge device is introduced to measure bore-hole depth, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and loss of time increase due to introducing additional surgical instruments into the patient's body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the depth measurement function with the existing surgical drill by integrating a displacement sensor and controller into the drill assembly. This merging eliminates the need for a separate depth gauge device, reducing the number of surgical instruments introduced into the patient's body while maintaining accurate bore-hole depth measurement capabilities through the integrated sensor system that tracks drill bit displacement in real-time
2Measurement precision
If a separate depth gauge device is introduced to measure bore-hole depth, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to additional surgical steps and instrument introduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by integrating the displacement sensor and measurement system into the surgical drill before the procedure begins. The system is pre-configured to automatically track and record drill bit displacement throughout the drilling process, eliminating the need for separate measurement steps during surgery. The controller continuously monitors the displacement signal and calculates bore-hole depth in real-time, ensuring measurement precision is achieved without adding surgical time
3Measurement precision
If additional surgical instruments are introduced into the patient's body, then measurement capability is improved, but sterility is compromised due to increased exposure to ambient environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the measurement functionality into the existing sterile surgical drill assembly, eliminating the need to introduce additional non-sterile or separately sterilized instruments into the patient's body. The displacement sensor and controller are integrated components that operate within the sterile field already established by the surgical drill, thereby maintaining sterility while achieving accurate bore-hole depth measurement
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Accurately determines bore-hole depth and screw length during surgical drilling, eliminating the need for separate depth gauges and minimizing exposure to ambient environment, thus enhancing surgical efficiency and sterility.
Implementation Method 1
a displacement sensor that is operably connected to the depth measurement extension such that the displacement sensor is configured to provide a displacement signal
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument includes a sensor that provides a displacement signal over a first time interval corresponding to a cutting process. The surgical instrument includes a controller to receive the displacement signal and a memory device. The controller determines a preceding velocity-related signal from the displacement signal over a second time interval being a portion of the first time interval. The controller also determines a first acceleration-related signal over a third time interval based on the displacement signal. The third time interval occurs after the second time interval. The controller further determines a preceding velocity factored acceleration-related signal for the third time interval based on the first acceleration-related signal and the preceding velocity-related signal. The controller also determines a breakthrough time of a cutting tool through a cortical wall of a bone based on the preceding velocity factored acceleration-related signal.