Surgical Drill Breakthrough Detection Using Motor Vibration Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical drilling methods require separate depth gauges, compromising sterility and increasing surgical time, and there is a need for efficient determination of bore-hole depth and screw length during orthopedic procedures.
Innovation Solution
A handheld surgical system with integrated depth measurement attachment and sensors to determine breakthrough events during drilling, using vibration and displacement signals to calculate bore-hole depth and screw length without additional instruments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a separate depth gauge device is introduced into the patient's body to measure bore-hole depth, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and loss of time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the depth measurement attachment with the handheld surgical instrument to create an integrated system. The depth measurement attachment includes sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer) and processing circuitry that are coupled to the instrument's controller, allowing depth measurement functionality to be merged with the existing surgical drill rather than requiring a completely separate device.
Solution Approach 2:
The handheld surgical instrument is designed to perform multiple functions: it can drill bone, measure depth using integrated sensors, and determine screw length. The controller processes various sensor inputs (vibration, displacement, motor status) to provide comprehensive surgical guidance, making the instrument universal rather than requiring specialized separate tools for each measurement task.
2Measurement precision
If a separate depth gauge device is introduced into the patient's body to measure bore-hole depth, then measurement precision is improved, but surgical time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs depth measurements continuously during the drilling process rather than requiring a separate post-drilling measurement step. The sensors monitor drilling parameters in real-time, and the controller calculates depth and detects breakthrough events as they occur, allowing the measurement function to be performed preliminarily alongside the main drilling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The depth measurement attachment operates continuously throughout the drilling process, with sensors constantly monitoring vibration, displacement, and motor status. This continuous measurement capability eliminates the need to stop drilling for separate measurements, maintaining the continuity of the surgical procedure and reducing overall surgical time.
3Productivity
If multiple sensors and processing components are integrated into the handheld instrument, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The depth measurement attachment is designed as a nested structure where sensor components (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer) are housed within the attachment assembly, which itself couples to the main instrument. The processing circuitry is integrated within the attachment or coupled to the instrument's controller, creating a nested architecture that organizes complexity hierarchically rather than dispersing components throughout the entire instrument.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that receives data from multiple sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, motor status sensors) and processes this information to determine depth and breakthrough events. This intermediary processing layer simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing the complex data fusion and analysis functions in a dedicated control unit rather than requiring distributed processing across all components.
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
The system provides accurate and efficient determination of bore-hole depth and screw length, maintaining sterility and reducing surgical time by integrating sensors to detect breakthrough events and calculate screw length in real-time.
Implementation Method 1
a first sensor that is configured to provide a vibration signal associated with a vibration of the motor during a drilling process
Implementation Method 2
a second sensor that is configured to provide a displacement signal associated with a displacement of a drill bit during the drilling process
Data Source
AI summary
A depth measurement attachment for determining a drill depth for a handheld surgical system. The handheld surgical system includes an instrument having a housing and a motor positioned in the housing. The depth measurement attachment includes a sensor to generate a displacement signal associated with a displacement of a drill bit during a drilling process. The attachment also includes a controller to receive the displacement signal, determine a frequency component of the displacement signal, determine whether the motor is generating rotational torque, based on the frequency component, and determine a breakthrough event based on the frequency component and the displacement signal.