Surgical Drill Bit with Optical Tissue Boundary Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical systems lack effective means to anticipate and prevent excessive tissue penetration during orthopedic procedures, leading to potential damage and complications due to reliance on anatomical knowledge and tactile feedback, which may be insufficient or delayed.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system equipped with a rotary instrument, an emission source, and a detector assembly that uses diffuse reflectance to detect tissue boundaries by emitting light at different wavelengths and analyzing the reflected light to control the rotation of the drill bit, thereby preventing unintended penetration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional surgical systems rely on tactile and audible feedback from rotary instruments, then surgeons can monitor tissue penetration, but feedback occurs too late or too rapidly to prevent tissue boundary traversal
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of tissue boundaries by emitting light ahead of the drill bit and analyzing reflected light to identify upcoming tissue boundaries before the drill bit reaches them. This advance detection allows the surgeon to anticipate and prepare for tissue boundaries, preventing unintended penetration through cortical bone or other critical structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous optical feedback by monitoring changes in reflected light intensity as the drill bit approaches tissue boundaries. This real-time feedback provides the surgeon with visual information about upcoming tissue boundaries, enabling timely reaction and prevention of excessive penetration, unlike conventional tactile feedback which is delayed or too rapid to react to.
2Manufacturing precision
If surgeons rely on detailed anatomical knowledge and professional experience to avoid tissue boundaries, then procedural accuracy can be maintained, but the risk of traversing tissue boundaries remains due to human limitation
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary optical detection mechanism that acts as a mediator between the surgeon and the tissue. The light emission and detection system serves as an intermediary that objectively identifies tissue boundaries, supplementing and enhancing the surgeon's anatomical knowledge and experience with automated optical information about upcoming boundaries.
3Device complexity
If no additional detection systems are added to conventional surgical systems, then device complexity remains low, but the ability to detect and prevent tissue boundary traversal is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces or supplements mechanical tactile detection with optical detection methods. Instead of relying solely on mechanical feedback from the drill bit interaction with tissue, the system uses light emission and detection to identify tissue boundaries, providing a non-contact or minimal-contact detection method that is more reliable for preventing boundary traversal.
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 significantly reduces the risk of 'plunging' through tissue boundaries by enabling real-time detection and control, improving safety and reliability during tissue penetration procedures.
Implementation Method 1
an emission source operatively coupled to the rotary instrument to emit light
Implementation Method 2
a detector assembly operatively coupled to the rotary instrument to detect light reflected by the tissue
Implementation Method 3
an emission lightguide supported within the tool body and disposed in optical communication with the emission source to transmit light emitted by the emission source toward the tissue
Implementation Method 4
a detection lightguide supported within the tool body, spaced from the emission lightguide, and disposed in optical communication with the detector assembly to transmit light reflected by the tissue to the detector assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical system for penetrating and determining a characteristic of tissue. An instrument generates rotational torque, and a drill bit tool body extends along an axis between a distal end to engage tissue and a proximal end to couple to the instrument. An emitter operatively coupled to the instrument emits light. A detector operatively coupled to the instrument detects light. An emission lightguide within the tool body transmits light emitted by the emitter toward the tissue as the instrument rotates the tool body. A detection lightguide within the tool body is spaced from the emission lightguide and transmit light reflected by the tissue toward the detector as the instrument rotates the tool body. The emitter emits light into the emission lightguide along the axis, and the detector detects light reflected from the tissue exiting the detection lightguide transverse to the axis when the tool body is coupled to the instrument.