Virtual Protection Zones for Tracked Surgical Resection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing surgical systems fail to protect anatomical structures, such as ligaments, from being inadvertently damaged by resection equipment during procedures like knee arthroplasty due to their exclusion from the surgical plan.

Innovation Solution

A computer-assisted surgical system that tracks the location of resection equipment and defines a virtual protection area around sensitive structures, controlling the cutting action to prevent damage by enabling or disabling the equipment based on its proximity to these areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If resection equipment is used for bone removal during surgical procedures, then correct implant positioning can be achieved, but anatomical structures such as ligaments may be inadvertently damaged by the cutting action

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimplant positioning accuracyVSAvoiddamage to anatomical structures

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical workspace is segmented into multiple zones: a resection volume for bone removal and a protection volume for anatomical structures. The system divides the three-dimensional space around the bone into distinct regions, allowing the resection equipment to operate safely within the resection volume while the protection volume contains sensitive structures that must not be contacted by the cutting element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A virtual protection volume acts as an intermediary barrier between the resection equipment and anatomical structures. This digital boundary, defined by coordinates in the reference frame, mediates the interaction by providing real-time feedback to the control system, which then adjusts the resection equipment operation to prevent contact with protected structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the surgical plan includes only the bone volume for resection, then the resection process is simple to execute, but anatomical structures proximate to the bone are not protected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresection execution simplicityVSAvoidprotection of anatomical structures

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The protection volume is defined in advance as part of the surgical plan, before the actual resection begins. Coordinates for the protection volume boundaries are established based on the anatomical structures that need protection, allowing the control system to have pre-programmed safety boundaries that guide the resection equipment operation throughout the procedure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously tracks the position of the resection equipment and compares it against the predefined protection volume boundaries in real-time. This feedback mechanism provides immediate information to the control system about the proximity of the cutting element to protected structures, enabling dynamic adjustment of resection parameters or automatic cessation of cutting when the protection boundary is approached.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If a virtual protection area is defined and real-time tracking is implemented, then anatomical structures are protected from damage, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of anatomical structuresVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces complex mechanical protection mechanisms with a computational approach. Instead of using physical barriers or mechanical constraints to protect anatomical structures, the invention uses software-based virtual volumes, coordinate transformations, and algorithmic control to achieve protection, thereby reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining or enhancing protection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12514642B2Methods for protecting anatomical structures from resection and devices thereof

Publication Date: 2026.01.06 SMITH & NEPHEW INC

AI summary

Methods, non-transitory computer readable media, and surgical computing devices that more effectively protect anatomical structures from resection during surgical procedures are disclosed. With this technology, a virtual protection area is defined in a reference frame by extending a line defined by an obtained set of coordinates in the reference frame in at least one direction. The reference frame is of a bone to be resected during a surgical procedure. Resection equipment is tracked during the surgical procedure to obtain a location of the resection equipment in the reference frame. A determination is made when the obtained location of the resection equipment is within the defined virtual protection area. The resection equipment is disabled when the determination indicates the obtained location is within the defined virtual protection area. Accordingly, this technology advantageously allows a surgeon to intraoperatively establish a protection area to facilitate automated protection of particular anatomical structures from resection.