Image-Guided Surgery Registration Without Patient Tracking Pads

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional instrument tracking and referencing systems for image-guided surgery require patient pads, causing clinical disturbances and disrupting the workflow.

Innovation Solution

A teleoperational medical system with a sensor system, visualization system, and control system that uses electromagnetic and fiber optic sensors to track and register medical instruments with pre-operative or intra-operative images, minimizing clinical disturbances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional instrument tracking systems use patient pads for pre-operative and operative imaging, then instrument tracking and referencing can be achieved, but clinical disturbances occur and workflow is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstrument tracking reliabilityVSAvoidclinical disturbances
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the patient pads from the surgical environment, replacing them with a tracking system that uses sensors and electromagnetic fields. This eliminates the harmful clinical disturbances caused by pads while maintaining instrument tracking capability through alternative means (sensors on instruments, electromagnetic tracking fields, and image processing algorithms).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical patient pad system with an electromagnetic and computational system. Instead of using physical pads for tracking, the system uses electromagnetic sensors, image processing, and registration algorithms to achieve instrument tracking and referencing, thereby eliminating the mechanical disturbances associated with pads.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If patient pads are used for imaging, then instrument tracking is enabled, but workflow is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstrument tracking capabilityVSAvoidworkflow efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the patient pad requirement from the workflow, allowing surgeons to perform procedures without setting up and managing pads. The tracking system operates autonomously using sensors and image processing, eliminating the steps involved in pad placement and adjustment, thereby improving workflow efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The tracking system is designed to be self-service, automatically acquiring images, processing them through registration algorithms, and updating instrument positions without requiring manual pad adjustment or intervention. This autonomous operation streamlines the surgical workflow and improves efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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

Enables precise, minimally invasive procedures with reduced patient recovery time and discomfort by providing real-time, undisturbed instrument tracking and navigation.

Implementation Method 1

uses electromagnetic and fiber optic sensors to track and register medical instruments

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic sensing: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

uses electromagnetic and fiber optic sensors to track and register medical instruments

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFiber optic sensing: Optical Fibre

Data Source

PatentEP3795061B1Systems and methods of registration for image-guided surgery
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS INC
  • EP3795061B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3795061B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3795061B1 patent drawingFigure 2B~3

AI summary

A method of registering sets of anatomical data for use during a surgical procedure is provided herein. The method may include segmenting a set of first modality image data representing a model of one or more passageways within a patient and generating a first set of points based on the segmented set of first modality image data representing the model of the one or more passageways. The method may further include determining a set of matches between a second set of points and the first set of points, wherein the second set of points is obtained by a second modality and discarding a subset of the set of matches based on a first heuristic to generate a modified set of matches. The second set of points may then be moved relative to the first set of points based on the modified set of matches and displayed on a display.