Surgical Theater Coordination via Virtual Reality Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In surgical theaters, there is a challenge in coordinating time-sensitive actions due to asymmetric distribution of information among team members, leading to difficulties in communicating the surgical state effectively, which can result in undesirable outcomes such as improper port placement, prolonged surgeries, and increased risk of complications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of systems and methods that utilize augmented reality and virtual reality to create a collaborative visual exploration and design space, allowing surgeons and staff to analyze and plan surgical actions before and during procedures, and provide real-time recommendations for port placement and instrument positioning, taking into account the dynamic nature of the surgical environment and patient anatomy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If team members rely on verbal communication to share surgical state information, then communication can occur in real-time, but information asymmetry persists and communication effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the surgical theater environment that replicates all spatial relationships, equipment positions, and patient anatomy. This virtual model serves as a shared information repository that all team members can access simultaneously, eliminating information asymmetry while maintaining real-time updates through automated tracking of actual theater conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional verbal communication to a three-dimensional virtual reality representation of the surgical theater. This dimensional transformation allows team members to visually perceive spatial relationships, equipment orientations, and anatomical structures that cannot be effectively conveyed through verbal description alone, thereby reducing information loss while maintaining communication speed.
2Loss of time
If team members make decisions based on subjective understanding, then decisions can be made quickly, but accuracy of port placement and instrument positioning deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously provides feedback by comparing the virtual model with the actual surgical theater conditions through automated sensors and tracking systems. This real-time feedback loop ensures that port placement recommendations and instrument positioning suggestions are based on accurate, objective data rather than subjective estimates, improving precision without significantly increasing decision-making time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis and generates port placement recommendations and instrument positioning suggestions before the surgical team makes final decisions. By pre-calculating optimal configurations based on patient anatomy and surgical procedure requirements, the system provides accurate guidance that reduces both decision-making time and placement errors.
3Ease of operation
If traditional port placement methods are used, then the procedure is simple to execute, but the likelihood of adverse events increases
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual reality model acts as an intermediary between the surgical team's intentions and the actual port placement execution. It provides a visual simulation and validation step that checks proposed port placements against anatomical constraints, equipment reach limitations, and surgical workflow requirements, thereby improving reliability without significantly complicating the overall procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary validation of port placement decisions by identifying potential adverse events before they occur. It checks for conflicts such as instrument collision, inadequate reach, or poor anatomical access and provides corrective recommendations, preventing adverse events while maintaining operational simplicity through intuitive visual feedback.
4Reliability
If comprehensive surgical planning is performed, then surgical outcomes improve, but the complexity of coordination and communication increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple planning functions including port placement optimization, instrument selection, robot positioning, and workflow sequencing into a single integrated virtual reality environment. This unified approach improves surgical outcomes by considering all constraints simultaneously while reducing coordination complexity by providing a common visual interface that all team members can understand and reference.
Data Source
AI summary
Various of the disclosed embodiments provide systems and methods for coordinating actions among team members within a surgical theater, including robotic surgical theaters. For example, embodiments may create a three-dimensional model of the patient's interior, or a portion of the patient's interior, using data from an imaging device coupled to a surgical instrument. This model may then be used to facilitate more coordinated decisions among team members in the theater, such as the placement of additional laparoscopic ports. Augmented reality and virtual reality planning systems and methods availing themselves of the three-dimensional model, including “virtual dollhouse” roleplaying methods, may also facilitate team member coordination in some embodiments. Models of the surgical environment may also provide predictive analyses so as to extend the surgical team's “planning horizon.” Such predictive analytics may itself benefit from historical surgical data, including past records of patient interior model creation and planning.