Surgical Visualization System for Bone Density Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical joint repair procedures face challenges in accurately selecting and positioning prosthetics due to limited visualization of bone density, leading to potential surgical complications and improper implant placement.
Innovation Solution
The use of advanced imaging technologies and computational methods to generate bone density maps, allowing for precise identification of suitable implantation sites by segmenting image data, overlaying bone density information, and providing real-time guidance during surgical procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional imaging technologies are used for surgical planning, then the surgical procedure can be performed with standard equipment, but the visualization of bone density is limited leading to improper implant placement
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments medical images into different tissue types (bone, soft tissue, implant) and further segments bone regions by density levels. This segmentation allows precise visualization of bone density variations while using standard medical imaging equipment, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational processing layer that takes standard medical images as input and generates enhanced bone density maps as output. This intermediary system processes the images through algorithms that identify and highlight density variations, achieving high precision visualization without requiring complex specialized imaging hardware
2Manufacturing precision
If implant placement is performed without accurate bone density information, then the surgical procedure is simpler and faster, but surgical complications increase and implant placement accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of bone density and generates placement recommendations before the actual implantation procedure. By pre-identifying optimal placement zones and assessing bone quality, the system enables precise implant placement while streamlining the surgical workflow, reducing overall surgical time despite the added planning step
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback during surgical planning by displaying bone density maps and suggesting optimal implant positions. This feedback mechanism allows surgeons to immediately adjust their plans based on visualized bone quality, ensuring precise placement without requiring multiple planning iterations that would consume excessive time
3Loss of information
If the implant region is not virtually removed from image data, then the imaging process is simpler, but occluded bone areas cannot be visualized for surgical planning
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes the implant region from the medical images through image processing algorithms. By virtually removing the implant, the system reveals occluded bone areas that would otherwise be hidden, allowing complete visualization of the surgical site without requiring physically removing the implant during planning
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the implant and bone structure, then manipulates this copy to remove the implant while preserving the underlying bone geometry. This copying approach allows non-destructive analysis of occluded areas while maintaining the original image data integrity, balancing information access with processing simplicity
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical planning system for use in surgical procedures to repair an anatomy of interest includes a preplanning system to generate a virtual surgical plan and a mixed reality system that includes a visualization device wearable by a user to view the virtual surgical plan projected in a real environment. The virtual surgical plan includes a 3D virtual model of the anatomy of interest. When wearing the visualization device, the user can align the 3D virtual model with the real anatomy of interest, thereby achieving a registration between details of the virtual surgical plan and the real anatomy of interest. The registration enables a surgeon to implement the virtual surgical plan on the real anatomy of interest without the use of tracking markers.