Surgical Trajectory Planning with Volumetric Scan Weighting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscopic surgical procedures face challenges in determining the optimal surgical trajectory, especially as the distance between the entry point and the target area increases, leading to potential tissue damage and complications due to variations among surgeons and time constraints, which can result in sub-optimal trajectory selection.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that assign weight values to regions in a volumetric scan of the patient to calculate the optimal surgical trajectory in real-time, using a central controller with data input and computational means, electromagnetic tracking, and displaying the trajectory on a monitor, allowing for real-time revision based on the surgical instrument's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the distance between the entry point and target area increases, then the complexity of the surgical procedure increases, but the potential for tissue damage and complications increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of the optimal surgical trajectory before the actual surgical procedure. By using pre-acquired volumetric scan data (CT, MRI, or ultrasound) to compute the best path beforehand, the system allows the surgeon to follow a pre-determined safe route, thereby reducing tissue damage and complications even when the distance between entry point and target area is large.
2Measurement precision
If real-time trajectory calculation is performed, then the precision of surgical navigation is improved, but the computational time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the optimal surgical trajectory in advance using pre-acquired volumetric scan data before the surgical procedure begins. This preliminary calculation eliminates the need for time-consuming real-time computations during surgery, while still providing high precision navigation guidance to the surgeon throughout the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the patient's anatomy through volumetric scanning (CT, MRI, or ultrasound) and performs trajectory calculations on this digital model. This copying approach allows complex computational work to be done on the digital representation rather than requiring real-time processing during the actual surgical procedure, reducing computational time while maintaining precision.
3Reliability
If multiple surgical trajectories are considered, then the quality of surgical path selection is improved, but the time required for decision making increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates multiple potential surgical trajectories and identifies the optimal path among them before the surgical procedure begins. By performing this comprehensive analysis in advance using volumetric scan data, the system provides the surgeon with a predetermined best path, eliminating time-consuming decision-making during surgery while ensuring high-quality path selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback by displaying the calculated optimal trajectory on a monitor during the surgical procedure. This real-time visual guidance allows the surgeon to quickly follow the recommended path without needing to mentally evaluate multiple options, reducing decision-making time while maintaining high quality path selection through the algorithm's optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and corresponding system for calculating an optimum surgical trajectory or path for displacing a surgical instrument through the interior of the body of a patient. Upon obtaining a volumetric scan of a patient, such as a CT scan, the surgeon can identify and assign weight values indicating a preference on whether an anatomical area be utilized in plotting an optimum instrument trajectory. Upon providing a starting and destination point for a surgical instrument, an optimum surgical trajectory can be determined in essentially real time and graphically presented to the surgeon by superimposing the proposed trajectory upon the patient's volumetric scan. Furthermore, the system and method is interactive, allowing the surgeon to deviate from the proposed optimum path if desired and choose another path. In response, the system will determine and present, in essentially real time, a new optimum trajectory based on the current location of the surgical instrument.