Surgical Spatial Registration Verification via Probe Tip Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current computer-aided surgical systems face challenges in maintaining accurate spatial registration of anatomical regions during surgical procedures, leading to potential errors due to untracked changes in the pose of the anatomical structure.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that track the spatial pose of a probe tip relative to anatomical checkpoints, map this information onto a visual representation, quantify deviations, and generate a graphical index to indicate the accuracy of spatial registration, allowing for real-time verification and adjustment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If computer-aided surgical systems are used to provide graphical models for surgical guidance, then surgical planning capability is improved, but spatial registration accuracy deteriorates due to untracked pose changes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgical planning capabilityVSAvoidspatial registration accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous feedback by tracking the spatial pose of anatomical landmarks throughout the surgical procedure and comparing it against the pre-operative graphical model. This feedback loop enables real-time detection of pose changes and allows for dynamic updates to maintain registration accuracy, directly resolving the contradiction between having a flexible graphical model and maintaining precise spatial alignment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary spatial registration of anatomical landmarks to the graphical model before the surgical procedure begins. This preliminary action establishes an accurate initial mapping that serves as the foundation for subsequent real-time tracking and verification, ensuring both surgical planning capability and spatial registration accuracy are achieved from the outset.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If registration is performed to synchronize anatomical structure with graphical model, then model accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional tracking and verification requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemodel accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs self-service by utilizing the surgical tools and instruments already present in the operating room as tracking devices. These existing tools are equipped with tracking markers that allow the system to automatically monitor spatial pose without requiring separate dedicated tracking equipment, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high model accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The tracking system is designed with multi-functionality, where the same tracking infrastructure serves both the pre-operative registration process and the intra-operative verification. This universal approach eliminates the need for separate tracking systems for different surgical phases, reducing device complexity while ensuring consistent model accuracy throughout the procedure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If real-time tracking of spatial pose is implemented, then spatial registration verification is improved, but computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespatial registration verificationVSAvoidcomputational requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and tracks only the essential spatial pose parameters of key anatomical landmarks rather than processing complete volumetric data in real-time. By focusing computation on the critical degree-of-freedom parameters needed for registration verification, the system achieves reliable real-time tracking while minimizing computational energy requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs partial tracking by monitoring a selected subset of anatomical landmarks that are sufficient for verification purposes, rather than tracking every possible point in the anatomical structure. This partial approach provides adequate spatial registration verification with reduced computational load, balancing reliability with energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS10470838B2Surgical system for spatial registration verification of anatomical region

Publication Date: 2019.11.12 MAKO SURGICAL CORP

AI summary

A method for verifying a spatial registration of an anatomical region is provided. The method may track a spatial pose of at least one checkpoint defined within the anatomical region, track a spatial pose of a probe tip in proximity to the anatomical region at the checkpoint, map a spatial proximity between the probe tip and the anatomical region onto a visual representation of the anatomical region based on the tracked spatial poses, quantify a deviation between the mapped spatial proximity and an actual spatial proximity in response to a verification request where the verification request is initiated by a user and indicative of the actual spatial proximity between the probe tip and the anatomical region, and generate a graphical index indicative of a degree of accuracy of the spatial registration of the anatomical region based on the quantified deviation.