Virtual Mesh Sizing Using Depth Maps for Anatomical Contour Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Determining the appropriate size and placement of a physical medical element, such as a mesh patch, during a hernia repair procedure is time-intensive and tedious due to the need to account for three-dimensional contours of the anatomical surface that may not be visually apparent in two-dimensional images.
Innovation Solution
A system that renders a virtual medical element over a target region within an image of a patient's internal space, allowing user input to set its pose and size, and determines physical dimensions based on depth data from a depth map to optimize the size and placement of the physical element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a surgeon manually determines the size and placement of a mesh patch using traditional methods, then the procedure can be completed with simple tools, but the process becomes time-intensive and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the mesh patch that can be overlaid on the patient's anatomy in the surgical plan. This virtual representation allows the surgeon to visualize and adjust the patch size and placement before the actual surgery, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual measurements and trial-and-fit procedures during the operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs sizing and placement determination in advance during the surgical planning phase. By using 3D imaging data and virtual reality visualization to pre-determine the optimal mesh patch dimensions and position, the system eliminates the need for lengthy intraoperative adjustments, thereby reducing procedural time without requiring complex equipment in the operating room.
2Measurement precision
If a surgeon uses two-dimensional images to determine mesh patch size, then the process is simpler, but depth variations in the anatomical surface are not accounted for
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from two-dimensional imaging to three-dimensional visualization by incorporating depth data from CT or MRI scans. This 3D reconstruction allows the surgeon to account for anatomical surface variations, folds, and contours that are invisible in flat images, enabling precise measurement of the actual surface area that the mesh patch must cover.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a virtual reality environment as an intermediary between the 2D imaging data and the physical mesh patch. This virtual space allows the surgeon to manipulate and measure the mesh on a 3D representation of the patient's anatomy, bridging the gap between simplified 2D planning and the complex 3D reality of the surgical site.
3Manufacturing precision
If the surgeon adjusts the mesh patch size during surgery to account for anatomical contours, then the fit improves, but the procedure becomes more time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the time-consuming adjustment process in advance during surgical planning. By using 3D imaging and virtual reality to pre-calculate the optimal mesh patch size that accounts for anatomical contours, the surgeon receives a precise specification before entering the operating room, eliminating the need for lengthy intraoperative adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback in the virtual reality environment showing how the mesh patch will conform to the 3D anatomical surface. This allows the surgeon to iteratively adjust the patch size and shape in the virtual space, receiving immediate visual feedback on the fit, and finalize the dimensions before surgery without time loss in the operating room.
Data Source
AI summary
An illustrative system is configured to instruct a display device to render a virtual medical element representative of a physical medical element over a target region within an image of an internal space of a patient, the target region depicting an anatomical surface to be covered by the physical medical element; receive, while the virtual medical element is rendered over the target region, user input that sets at least one of a pose of the virtual medical element within the image or a size of the virtual medical element; and determine, based on the user input and on depth data representative of a depth map for the internal space, physical dimensions for the physical medical element.