Patient-Specific Surgical Guide With Support Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical support arms often lack sufficient stiffness and accuracy to maintain instruments, such as retractors or drill guides, in a stable position during extended procedures, leading to potential movement and reduced precision.
Innovation Solution
A patient-specific guide system is used in conjunction with an adjustable surgical support arm, featuring contoured anatomy-contacting surfaces and instrument engagement portions to securely position guides relative to anatomical features, enhancing stability and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a surgical support arm is used to hold an instrument alone, then the surgeon can use both hands for other tasks, but the stability and positioning accuracy of the instrument is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the surgical support arm with a patient-specific guide that directly contacts anatomical landmarks. The support arm holds the instrument while the patient-specific guide provides stable anatomical registration, merging the benefits of hands-free operation with precise positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patient-specific guide acts as an intermediary between the surgical support arm and the patient's anatomy. It translates the support arm's positioning into accurate anatomical reference, enabling both hand freedom and positioning stability.
2Measurement precision
If a patient-specific guide is used alone to position an instrument, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the surgeon cannot freely use both hands
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the patient-specific guide (providing positioning accuracy) with the surgical support arm (providing hands-free operation). The guide remains attached to the patient's anatomy while the support arm holds the instrument, allowing both precision and surgeon mobility.
3Reliability
If the surgical support arm is made stiffer to improve positioning stability, then instrument stability increases, but the ability to adjust and adapt to different surgical positions decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical support arm incorporates dynamic, adjustable joints that can be positioned and locked at various angles and orientations. This allows the arm to adapt to different surgical configurations while maintaining stability when locked in position, resolving the contradiction between stiffness and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are surgical guides, surgical supports, surgical systems, and methods of use thereof. The surgical guides, supports, and systems discloses herein can include an instrument and a patient-specific support. The instrument can be connectable to a surgical support arm and include a guide surface. The patient-specific support can comprise an instrument engagement portion and an anatomy contacting surface. The instrument engagement portion can be configured to receive a portion of the instrument and the anatomy contacting surface contoured to match a contour of an anatomical surface of a patient. When coupled to the patient-specific support, the surgical support arm and the patient-specific support can position the instrument and the guide surface in a predetermined location and orientation relative to the anatomical surface of the patient with increased stability.