Surgical Instrument Linear Translation for Precise 3D Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments lack an efficient mechanism for precise control and tracking of surgical instruments during procedures, particularly in neurosurgery and orthopedic surgeries, which can lead to inaccuracies and potential damage to surrounding tissues.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument with a pivoting portion that includes a telescoping nose mechanism, driven by a motor and intermediate unit with leadscrews, allowing for linear translation and rotation, enabling precise control and tracking of the instrument's position and orientation within three-dimensional space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a free-hand surgical instrument is used without constraining mechanisms, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision and control accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical tracking devices with optical markers (LEDs) that are detected by a camera-based tracking system. This substitution allows the surgical instrument to maintain freedom of movement while enabling precise position and orientation tracking through optical detection, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate tracking system consisting of optical markers and cameras that mediate between the surgical instrument and the control system. This intermediary layer enables accurate position tracking without requiring mechanical constraints on the instrument, allowing free-hand operation while maintaining measurement precision through the optical tracking mediation.
2Manufacturing precision
If a telescoping nose mechanism with motor and leadscrews is added, then manufacturing precision and control accuracy are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the surgical instrument into distinct functional modules: a hand-held portion for manipulation, a pivoting portion with telescoping nose mechanism for position adjustment, and a cutting portion for surgical action. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently, with the telescoping mechanism providing precise control while keeping the overall device manageable in complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates dynamic elements including a telescoping nose mechanism with motor-driven leadscrews for linear translation, and pivoting joints for rotational movement. These dynamic components enable precise positioning and orientation control of the cutting tool, allowing the instrument to adapt to complex surgical trajectories while maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled motion.
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
This solution enhances the precision and safety of surgical procedures by allowing the surgical instrument to accurately follow predefined boundaries, preventing tissue damage and ensuring that the surgical action is confined to the target area, thereby improving surgical outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
The intermediate unit includes a plurality of leadscrews each being threaded and having a driven gear at one end. The intermediate unit includes a carriage being threaded for interfacing with the leadscrews. The drive gear is configured to interface with each of the driven gears to enable rotation of each of the leadscrews such that the carriage linearly translates along the leadscrews
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument comprises a hand-held portion configured to be manipulated by a user and a pivoting portion operatively coupled to the hand-held portion. The pivoting portion is configured to pivot with respect to the hand-held portion according to first and second degrees of freedom. The pivoting portion includes an accessory drive motor, an accessory drive member configured to be driven by the accessory drive motor, a plurality of lead screws, a carriage including a central aperture axially extending through the carriage and configured to interface with and linearly translate along the plurality of lead screws, and a linear drive motor configured to rotate the plurality of lead screws to linearly translate the carriage relative to the hand-held portion with respect to a third degree of freedom. The accessory drive member extends through and is configured to move within the central aperture of the carriage.