Tissue Margin Sensing for Precise Lesion Resection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Minimally invasive surgical procedures face challenges in precisely locating and resecting lesions due to tissue deformation and physiological motion, leading to incomplete resection and potential recurrence, particularly in lung and breast surgeries.

Innovation Solution

A system and method using sensors to measure and calculate resection margins, providing auditory, visual, and haptic cues to ensure precise tissue resection, including a surgical instrument with embedded sensors and a controller for real-time distance calculation and sensor tracking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If minimally invasive surgical procedures are used to remove lesions, then patient trauma is reduced and recovery is accelerated, but precise localization of lesions and determination of resection margins becomes difficult due to tissue deformation and physiological motion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient traumaVSAvoidlesion localization precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces sensors as intermediary devices that are positioned within or adjacent to the tissue mass to measure its position and orientation. These sensors act as mediators between the surgical instrument and the tissue, providing real-time feedback about tissue deformation and motion, enabling precise localization despite the minimally invasive approach

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors tissue position and orientation using sensors and provides real-time feedback to the surgical instrument control system. This feedback loop allows dynamic adjustment of the surgical instrument to compensate for tissue deformation and physiological motion, maintaining measurement precision throughout the procedure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the lung is collapsed during VATS procedures to improve visibility, then surgical access is improved, but precise location of lesions and determination of resection margins becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgical accessVSAvoidlesion location precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Sensors positioned within or adjacent to the tissue mass serve as intermediaries that continuously track tissue position and orientation during lung collapse. This allows the surgical system to maintain awareness of lesion location even when the lung is deflated, bridging the gap between improved surgical access and maintained precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If palpation of lung tissue is performed during minimally invasive surgery, then lesion identification is improved, but it is not always possible particularly for smaller or early stage cancers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelesion identification precisionVSAvoidtissue accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual palpation with sensor-based detection systems. The sensors electronically detect tissue position, orientation, and deformation, providing a non-contact alternative to manual palpation that works effectively even for smaller or early stage cancers where physical manipulation is difficult or impossible

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If surgical resection margin is increased to ensure complete removal of lesion cells, then long-term survival is improved, but removal of healthy tissue increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomplete resection assuranceVSAvoidhealthy tissue removal

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Real-time sensor feedback allows the surgical system to precisely track the resection margin relative to the lesion. This continuous monitoring enables the surgeon to maintain the appropriate margin width while minimizing excision of healthy tissue, as the system provides immediate feedback on the relationship between the cutting instrument and the lesion boundaries

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the resection margin based on real-time tissue deformation and motion data. Rather than using a fixed margin approach, the system adapts the margin width and position continuously during the procedure to account for changing tissue conditions, optimizing the balance between complete resection and tissue preservation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12527599B2System for a tissue resection margin measurement device

Publication Date: 2026.01.20 NAVIGATION SCIENCES INC

AI summary

Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for resecting a tissue mass. The system for resecting a tissue mass includes a first sensor for measuring a signal corresponding to the position and orientation of the tissue mass. The first sensor is dimensioned to fit inside of or next to the tissue mass. The system also includes a second sensor attached to a surgical instrument configured to measure the position and orientation of the surgical instrument. A controller is in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor, and the controller executes a stored program to calculate a distance between the first sensor and the second sensor. Accordingly, visual, auditory, haptic or other feedback is provided to the clinician to guide the surgical instrument to the surgical margin.