Surgical Robot Trajectory Adjustment via Tracking Markers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical navigation methods for inserting implants into bones, especially in complex bone structures like vertebrae, are tedious and time-consuming, relying on manual dexterity and requiring precise localization of drill holes, which can be challenging due to non-planar curved surfaces and the need to change trajectories during spinal surgery.
Innovation Solution
A surgical robot system with a robot base, arm, and end-effector equipped with tracking markers visible to a camera, allowing the robot arm to move from an initial skin penetration trajectory to a final bone insertion trajectory, enabling precise and automated tracking and adjustment of the surgical instrument's position within the bone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual surgical navigation is used with conventional methods, then the surgeon can perform the procedure with basic equipment, but the process becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument is equipped with its own tracking markers that automatically enable the system to track its position and orientation in real-time without requiring manual intervention for positioning or monitoring, allowing the robot to autonomously navigate and adjust the instrument trajectory
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical navigation process is replaced with an automated optical tracking system using infrared cameras and reflective markers, where the robot system automatically calculates and adjusts instrument position based on tracked marker coordinates rather than manual surgeon positioning
2Ease of operation
If the surgeon manually positions the drill guide tube using a guidance system, then basic equipment can be used, but the manual process is tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument autonomously maintains its position and trajectory through integrated tracking markers that continuously provide position feedback to the robot control system, eliminating the need for manual repositioning and monitoring by the surgeon
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking markers on the surgical instrument provide continuous real-time feedback to the robot control system about the instrument's position and orientation, allowing automatic adjustment and correction of trajectory without manual intervention
3Manufacturing precision
If the surgeon relies on dexterity to achieve precise hole locations in complex bone structures, then manual control can be used, but the success depends heavily on surgeon skill
Solution Approach 1:
Manual surgeon dexterity and skill are replaced with an automated robot control system that uses tracked marker positions to calculate and execute precise instrument positioning, achieving consistent accuracy independent of individual surgeon ability
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital representation of the bone anatomy and surgical plan, then uses tracked marker feedback to accurately replicate the planned trajectory and hole locations through automated robot control, ensuring precision matching the pre-operative plan
4Adaptability or versatility
If the surgeon needs to change trajectory during spinal surgery to reach the target bone, then flexibility can be maintained, but navigation becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The robot control system dynamically adjusts the surgical instrument trajectory in real-time based on tracked marker positions and pre-planned surgical pathways, allowing smooth transitions between different trajectories without manual repositioning or system reconfiguration
Solution Approach 2:
Continuous tracking of the instrument's position via markers provides real-time feedback to the control system, enabling automatic trajectory adjustment and correction as the instrument moves through tissue toward the target bone location
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
The system enhances surgical precision and efficiency by allowing the robot arm to automatically adjust the surgical instrument's trajectory, compensating for tissue movement and resistance, thereby improving the accuracy and speed of implant insertion in complex bone structures.
Implementation Method 1
In passive sensors or markers, objects to be tracked may include passive sensors, such as reflective spherical balls, which are positioned at strategic locations on the object to be tracked. Infrared transmitters transmit a signal, and the reflective spherical balls reflect the signal to aid in determining the position of the object in 3D.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Devices, Systems, and Methods for changing the trajectory of a surgical implant from an initial trajectory when first penetrating the skin of a patient to a final trajectory when the surgical implant is to be inserted into a bone of the patient. A surgical robotic system may be used to determine the initial and final trajectories and to move the surgical instrument from the initial trajectory to the final trajectory.