Dynamic Virtual Boundary Adjustment for Robotic Bone Resection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic surgical systems struggle to seamlessly switch between semi-autonomous and manual modes of operation during a single procedure, making it difficult to perform tasks such as debulking and precise bone shaping, and to respond to unexpected obstacles at the surgical site.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system with a manipulator that can operate in both manual and semi-autonomous modes, using a navigation system to track a pointer tool and adjust a virtual boundary based on landmark positions, allowing for real-time manual intervention and adherence to predefined paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a robotic system operates in semi-autonomous mode with preprogrammed paths, then surgical precision is improved, but the ability to respond to unexpected obstacles and perform manual adjustments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system implements dynamic mode switching between semi-autonomous and manual operation, allowing the operational characteristics to change in real-time based on surgical needs. The system transitions from rigid preprogrammed path following to flexible manual control when obstacles are detected, optimizing both precision and adaptability throughout the procedure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a robotic system operates in manual mode allowing practitioner control, then adaptability to unexpected obstacles is improved, but surgical precision and consistency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Virtual boundaries act as an intermediary constraint system that guides manual operation. The haptic feedback mechanism serves as a mediator between the practitioner's manual control inputs and the actual instrument movement, providing force feedback when approaching boundary limits to maintain precision during manual adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs haptic feedback to provide real-time force resistance when the instrument approaches virtual boundaries during manual operation. This feedback loop allows the practitioner to maintain manual adaptability while receiving continuous guidance to preserve surgical precision through tactile cues.
3Reliability
If a robotic system uses fixed virtual boundaries, then surgical safety is improved by preventing instrument application to wrong tissue, but the ability to adjust to actual anatomical variations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Virtual boundaries are implemented as dynamic rather than static constraints. The system continuously updates boundary definitions based on real-time navigation system feedback and registered anatomical landmarks, allowing the safety zones to adapt to actual anatomical variations discovered during surgery while maintaining protective constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary registration of anatomical landmarks and preoperative imaging data to establish initial virtual boundaries before surgery begins. These boundaries are then refined and adjusted during the procedure based on actual anatomical observations, combining advance preparation with intraoperative adaptation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a robotic system requires switching between semi-autonomous and manual modes, then operational flexibility is improved, but system complexity and difficulty of operation are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides automatic mode recommendations and context-aware suggestions based on the current surgical situation, reducing the cognitive burden on the practitioner. The robotic system monitors surgical progress and can suggest optimal mode transitions, allowing the system to partially manage its own operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical navigation system and method of operating the same involve a pointer tool and a localizer configured to track the pointer tool. Controller(s) is/are coupled to the localizer and are configured to generate a virtual boundary relative to a bone at a surgical site. The virtual boundary has a shape that delineates a region of the bone to be removed from a region to be avoided. The controller(s) identify, with the localizer, a position of one or more landmarks at the surgical site in response to the pointer tool touching the one or more landmarks at the surgical site. The controller(s) revise the shape of the virtual boundary based on the position of the one or more landmarks.