Surgical Tool Tracking Guides for Precise MR Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical procedures face challenges in accurately positioning surgical tools, such as drills or impactors, due to incorrect angle drilling, which can lead to complications.
Innovation Solution
The use of mixed reality (MR)-based surgical guidance systems, including physical tracking tools and MR visualization devices, to provide real-time guidance by overlaying virtual guides and markers onto the patient's anatomy, allowing precise alignment and orientation of surgical tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional surgical methods are used without guidance systems, then the surgical procedure is simpler and faster to perform, but the positioning precision and accuracy of surgical tools deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces physical tracking tools with graphical patterns as intermediary objects that bridge the physical surgical environment and the virtual guidance system. These tracking tools are attached to surgical instruments and enable the MR system to detect and track tool positions and orientations through camera-based recognition of the graphical patterns, thereby achieving precise positioning without requiring complex embedded sensors in every surgical tool
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of surgical tools and anatomical structures in the MR environment. Virtual representations of surgical instruments are generated based on tracking data from physical tools, and virtual anatomical models are overlaid on the real patient anatomy. This allows surgeons to interact with accurate digital replicas that provide guidance while maintaining the simplicity of physical surgical tools
2Manufacturing precision
If MR visualization devices are used to provide real-time guidance, then surgical precision is improved, but the ease of operation and workflow simplicity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent overlays virtual guidance information in the third dimension onto the surgeon's natural field of view through MR headsets. Virtual guides, markers, and anatomical structures are projected at different depths and spatial positions, allowing surgeons to perceive multi-dimensional spatial relationships without moving their head or hands. This maintains natural surgical motions while providing comprehensive positioning information
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color-coded visual indicators in the MR display to convey different types of information and guidance states. Virtual guides and markers are rendered with distinct colors and visual properties that indicate their functional meaning, such as target positions, current tool orientation, and alignment status. This allows surgeons to quickly interpret complex guidance information through intuitive visual cues without increasing operational complexity
3Measurement precision
If physical tracking tools with graphical patterns are used, then tool tracking accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and preparation time worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs physical tracking tools with graphical patterns that serve multiple functions: they act as visual identifiers for tool type and orientation, provide geometric references for pose estimation, and enable recognition from multiple camera angles. The same graphical pattern structure is used across different surgical tools, allowing the system to track various instruments with a unified recognition algorithm, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite adding tracking capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent attaches physical tracking tools with pre-configured graphical patterns to surgical instruments before the procedure begins. The graphical patterns are pre-designed with known geometric properties and spatial relationships that enable immediate recognition and tracking by the MR system. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for real-time calibration or complex initialization procedures during surgery, reducing preparation time while maintaining high tracking accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
An example physical tracking tool includes a main body defining a channel configured to receive a tool, the channel having a longitudinal axis; and one or more physical tracking features attached to the main body, each physical tracking feature comprising a plurality of planar faces, each planar face of the plurality of planar faces including different a graphical pattern of a plurality of graphical patterns.