Surgical Drill Measuring Unit for Bone Screw Length
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical power drills for determining bone screw lengths are inaccurate, complex, and cumbersome, leading to prolonged surgery times, tissue irritation, osteosynthesis failures, and increased hardware costs due to the need for screw exchanges.
Innovation Solution
A surgical power drill with a measuring unit using a laser device or ultrasound position sensor for contactless displacement assessment via triangulation, allowing for a simple configuration without mechanical arms, enabling reliable bone screw length estimation based on drilling characteristics and accommodating a variety of drill bits with different lengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current mechanical depths gauges are used for bone screw length determination, then the measuring process can be performed, but the accuracy and reliability of measurement are poor and the device is difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical depth gauges and telescoping rods with optical measurement systems including lasers, cameras, and image processing algorithms. The system uses optical triangulation and visual markers to measure drill bit penetration depth, eliminating the need for mechanical contact devices that are inaccurate and difficult to handle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy or representation of the drilling process through camera imaging and digital visualization. By capturing images of the surgical site and processing them computationally, the system provides accurate depth measurement without requiring direct mechanical measurement devices at the surgical site.
2Measurement precision
If complex electrical and mechanical measuring systems are used to detect drilling depth, then measurement capability is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical measuring systems with optical and computational methods. Instead of using mechanical depth gauges, telescoping rods, and multiple sensors, the system uses lasers, cameras, and image processing to determine drilling depth, significantly reducing mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces visual markers and optical fields as intermediaries between the drill bit and the measurement system. These markers serve as mediators that translate physical drill bit position into measurable optical signals, simplifying the overall measurement architecture.
3Loss of information
If mechanical depth measuring devices are used during surgery, then depth information can be obtained, but the field of view of the surgeon is obstructed and handling becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital visual copy of the drilling depth information that can be displayed on screens or overlays without physically blocking the surgeon's view. The measurement information is captured optically and presented through visual interfaces that do not interfere with the surgical field.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions the measurement information from the physical surgical space to a digital display dimension. By presenting depth information on monitors or through augmented reality overlays, the data becomes accessible without occupying physical space in the surgical field that would block the surgeon's view.
4Productivity
If inaccurate depth measurement is used, then surgery can proceed quickly, but surgical errors occur leading to prolonged surgery time and increased hardware costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces inaccurate mechanical depth gauges with optical measurement systems that provide real-time, accurate depth feedback. This enables surgeons to confidently proceed with surgery at optimal speeds while maintaining high measurement accuracy, preventing errors that would require screw exchanges.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback on drill bit penetration depth through optical measurement and digital display. This continuous feedback loop allows surgeons to monitor drilling progress accurately and stop at the precise desired depth, preventing both under-drilling and over-drilling errors.
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 solution provides a more accurate, efficient, and user-friendly method for bone screw length determination, reducing contamination risks, improving surgeon visibility, and enabling real-time data processing for precise screw length calculations, thus minimizing errors and hardware costs.
Implementation Method 1
using a laser device or ultrasound position sensor for contactless displacement assessment via triangulation
Data Source
AI summary
A device (25) for drilling holes in bone and configured to determine bone screw length, the device (25) including a surgical power drill (2) comprising: a) a housing (12) and; b) a measuring device (1) releasably attached or fixed to the housing (12), wherein the measuring device (1) is configured to measure the distance (x) covered by the housing (12) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (7) and relative to a surface of an implant (26) or a bone during a drilling process, wherein the measuring device (1) comprises a processing unit (14) to record the distance (x) covered with respect to time; the processing unit (14) comprises one or more differentiators to determine at least the first and second derivatives of the distance (x) covered with respect to time; and the processing unit (14) further comprises a peak detector to analyze one or more peaks occurring in the graph of the highest derivative with respect to time, and wherein the measuring device (1) comprises a laser device or an ultrasound position sensor for displacement assessment.