Surgical Imaging Documentation Automation Across Procedure Phases

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Solution Overview

Problem

The documentation of surgical procedures using modern surgical imaging devices is largely manual, leading to spurious documentation and high cognitive load on surgeons due to numerous imaging options and settings, often resulting in suboptimal or omitted documentation.

Innovation Solution

A surgical imaging system that automatically executes a predefined set of documentation actions, including multiple imaging modes, angles, and focal planes, reducing the need for surgeon intervention and enhancing comprehensive documentation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple imaging modes and settings are provided to enable comprehensive documentation, then documentation completeness is improved, but device complexity and cognitive load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedocumentation completenessVSAvoidimaging options complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the documentation process into distinct phases (preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative) with predefined imaging protocols for each phase. This segmentation allows comprehensive documentation without requiring the surgeon to manage all imaging options simultaneously, reducing cognitive load while maintaining completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically changes imaging parameters (imaging mode, magnification, field of view) based on the surgical phase and detected surgical events. This eliminates the need for surgeons to manually adjust multiple settings, reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining comprehensive documentation capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual documentation process is used to allow surgeon control, then flexibility is improved, but cognitive load and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedocumentation flexibilityVSAvoiddocumentation effort
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically selecting and executing appropriate imaging protocols based on the surgical phase and detected events. The surgeon simply needs to trigger documentation at phase transitions, and the system handles all subsequent imaging decisions, maintaining flexibility while dramatically reducing effort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system prepares predefined imaging protocols in advance for each surgical phase. When a surgeon indicates a phase transition, the corresponding protocol is automatically executed without requiring the surgeon to configure settings during the procedure, reducing cognitive load while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If comprehensive imaging documentation is captured to ensure thorough recording, then information completeness is improved, but data management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurgical information completenessVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments surgical documentation into distinct phases with phase-specific imaging requirements. This segmentation allows the system to manage large volumes of imaging data by organizing them chronologically and functionally, reducing data management complexity while ensuring all critical information is captured.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a universal data structure and storage format that can accommodate multiple imaging modes and phases. This multi-functional approach simplifies data management by providing a consistent framework for handling diverse imaging data, reducing complexity while maintaining information completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4579675A1Surgical imaging system and corresponding system, method and computer program for a surgical imaging system
Publication Date: 2025.07.02 LEICA INSTRUMENTS (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD
  • EP4579675A1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP4579675A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4579675A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Examples relate to a system for a surgical imaging system, to a method for a surgical imaging system, a corresponding computer program, and to a surgical imaging system. A system (110) for a surgical imaging system (100) is configured to obtain a trigger for executing a set of documentation actions for documenting a surgical site (10) of a surgical procedure being performed with the help of the surgical imaging system, execute the set of documentation actions in response to the trigger, the set of documentation actions comprising a plurality of actions to be performed for documenting the surgical procedure, and store a result of the execution of the set of documentation actions.