Surgical Instrument Navigation Using Pre-Op Imaging and Real-Time Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical instruments pose a risk of inadvertent damage to patient anatomy due to inaccurate placement and positioning during operations, and current imaging technologies do not provide sufficient guidance during surgeries, potentially increasing radiation exposure and operational risks.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing sensors on surgical instruments to detect the position relative to the patient, correlating this data with pre-operative imaging data to provide real-time navigation assistance, allowing for precise instrument placement and trajectory adjustment without additional imaging during the operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If image guidance systems are used during surgical procedures, then navigation accuracy is improved, but surgical time is increased due to frequent pausing for image acquisition and registration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs image acquisition and registration procedures before the surgical intervention begins. The navigation system is established and registered to the patient's anatomy in advance, so that during the actual surgery, real-time tracking can proceed without pausing for image acquisition or registration steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous real-time tracking throughout the surgical procedure without interruption. By pre-establishing the navigation system and using continuous tracking markers, the surgery can proceed without the stop-start pattern of acquiring new images and re-registering, maintaining continuous useful surgical action.
2Reliability
If multiple imaging modalities and registration procedures are implemented, then navigation reliability is improved, but device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates the critical navigation functions into distinct components: pre-operative imaging, marker placement, and real-time tracking. By focusing on these essential elements rather than attempting to integrate multiple redundant imaging modalities, the system achieves reliable navigation with reduced complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses physical tracking markers that are placed on the patient's body, which serve as simplified copies or representations of the anatomical structures. These markers can be tracked optically without requiring complex integration of multiple imaging modalities, reducing system complexity while maintaining navigation reliability.
3Measurement precision
If real-time image acquisition is performed during surgery, then navigation accuracy is maintained, but radiation exposure to patients and staff is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs all necessary image acquisition before the surgical procedure begins. Pre-operative imaging captures the required anatomical information in advance, eliminating the need for repeated intraoperative imaging and thereby reducing radiation exposure to patients and staff while maintaining navigation accuracy through pre-planned surgical guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces radiation-based imaging systems with optical tracking systems that use non-ionizing light to track surgical instruments and anatomical markers in real-time. This substitution eliminates radiation exposure while maintaining the ability to provide accurate real-time navigation feedback.
Data Source
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AI summary
Navigation assistance systems and methods for use with a surgical instrument to assist in navigation of a surgical instrument during an operation. The system may include sensors that may observe the patient to generate positioning data regarding the relative position of the surgical instrument and the patient. The system may retrieve imaging data regarding the patient and correlate the imaging data to the positioning data. In turn, the position of the surgical instrument relative to the imaging data may be provided and used to generate navigation date (e.g., position, orientation, trajectory, or the like) regarding the surgical instrument.