Virtual Patient Fitting for Automated Medical Device Fit Evaluation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for designing and validating medical devices require extensive and costly clinical testing, which is time-consuming and prone to errors, especially when evaluating the fit of medical devices in patients with elastic tissues, and lack standardized automated virtual testing systems.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for virtually evaluating the fit of medical devices using automated alignment and collision detection of virtual patient models based on patient data, allowing for population-based fit evaluation and optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual steps are used for virtual patient model reconstruction and medical device positioning, then flexibility in handling complex cases is maintained, but time consumption increases and results become non-comparable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates standardized virtual patient models as copies of real patients, derived from medical imaging data. These virtual models serve as reproducible representations that can be consistently used across multiple testing scenarios, enabling comparable results while reducing manual intervention time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes (manual model reconstruction and positioning) with automated computational algorithms. The system automatically generates virtual patient models from imaging data and performs automated alignment and collision detection, eliminating time-consuming manual steps while improving result comparability.
2Productivity
If automated alignment and collision detection are implemented, then time for testing is reduced, but complexity of the evaluation system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the complex evaluation process into distinct modular components: virtual patient model generation, automated alignment, collision detection, and fit evaluation. Each module handles a specific task independently, making the overall complex system manageable and easier to implement while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces standardized virtual patient models as intermediary representations between real patients and the automated evaluation system. These virtual models serve as mediators that simplify the interaction between the complex automated algorithms and the medical device evaluation process, reducing system complexity while maintaining accuracy.
3Reliability
If clinical testing is performed to ensure device safety and fit, then reliability of device performance is improved, but cost and time to market increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs virtual testing and fit evaluation as preliminary actions before actual clinical implantation. By using automated alignment and collision detection on standardized virtual patient models, the system can pre-screen device suitability and identify potential issues before clinical trials, reducing the time and cost required for subsequent clinical testing while maintaining safety standards.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a system for virtually evaluating fit of a medical device in at least one patient, the system comprising means (10) for providing at least one virtual patient model (100), the virtual patient model being based at least in part on image data retrieved from multiple real patients; means (20) for providing a virtual model of a medical device (200) to be evaluated; means (30) for automatically identifying a medical device location (110) within the at least one virtual patient model (100); means (40) for aligning the model of the medical device (200) with the at least one virtual patient model (100) at the identified device location (110); and means (50) for evaluating the fit of the medical device in the at least one virtual patient model by evaluating the fit of the aligned model of the medical device (200) within the at least one virtual patient model (100).