Surgical Simulation Device Real-Time Instrument Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical simulation devices lack the ability to fully immerse trainees in the operating room environment, failing to replicate the conditions and sensations of a real surgical procedure by not combining virtual and physical components effectively, limiting the realism and effectiveness of training.
Innovation Solution
A surgical simulation device that integrates real surgical instruments with a virtual counterpart, using sensors and an electronic system to connect them to a computing unit, allowing real-time alignment of the operating states between the physical and virtual instruments, thereby enhancing realism and immersion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical simulation devices use only mechanical systems with sensors and displays, then the device structure is relatively simple, but the immersion and realism of operating room conditions are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines virtual reality technology with physical surgical instruments, merging the virtual and physical worlds into an integrated simulation system. The VR headset displays virtual surgical scenes while physical instruments provide tactile feedback, creating a unified immersive experience that enhances realism without requiring complete virtual replication of all surgical elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors and tracking devices as intermediaries to bridge the physical and virtual domains. These intermediaries detect the position and movement of physical instruments and translate them into corresponding virtual actions, enabling realistic interaction between the trainee and the virtual surgical environment while maintaining system manageability.
2Reliability
If the real surgical instrument is equipped with electronic systems and sensors, then the connection to virtual environment is improved, but the weight and complexity of the instrument increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic system is segmented into separate modular components including sensors, tracking devices, and processing units that can be independently positioned and optimized. This segmentation allows the distribution of weight across different elements rather than concentrating all electronic components in the surgical instrument itself, reducing the burden on the instrument's weight while maintaining functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
External tracking devices and sensors act as intermediaries between the physical instrument and the virtual environment, eliminating the need to embed heavy electronic systems directly into the surgical instrument. These intermediary components capture instrument movement and transmit data to the VR system, maintaining alignment accuracy while keeping the instrument lightweight.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors and electronic components are integrated into the real surgical instrument, then the data acquisition capability is enhanced, but the ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the surgical instrument and its movements in the VR environment. This copying approach allows the use of simple, familiar physical instruments that surgeons already know how to handle, while the complex positioning and measurement functions are handled by sensors and software that generate corresponding virtual representations, maintaining ease of operation while achieving high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical instrument is designed to maintain its original operational characteristics and ergonomics, allowing surgeons to operate it naturally without additional training. The electronic sensors and tracking systems automatically detect and record instrument movements without requiring the surgeon to interact with them, enabling the instrument to serve both surgical and measurement functions simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical simulation device having a real surgical instrument including a functional element, which can be activated according to at least two distinct operating states, and a computing unit. The device also includes an electronic system connecting the real surgical instrument to the computing unit, and a virtual surgical instrument connected to the computing unit. The virtual surgical instrument has a virtual functional element similar to that of the real surgical instrument. The real surgical instrument provided with the electronic system has substantially the same weight as a corresponding functional surgical instrument, the virtual functional element of the virtual surgical instrument is adapted to be activated according to the same operating states as those of the functional element of the real surgical instrument, and to be aligned, in real time, with the operating state of the real surgical instrument.