SBIR Phase I: Development of a tracking system for computer assisted surgery

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是提高机器人全膝关节置换术（TKA）的可及性。机器人TKA可以提高种植体定位精度，促进早期功能康复，减少术后疼痛和出院时间。然而，当前位置跟踪系统造成的手术室中断阻碍了机器人在TKA过程中的应用。第一阶段项目的重点是开发一种由内而外的跟踪系统，该系统将节省手术室的宝贵空间，消除视线问题，可能消除二次切口，并降低机器人系统的总体成本。经销商可以将这种由内而外的跟踪系统集成到任何需要跟踪骨骼解剖（膝关节、髋关节、肩关节或踝关节成形术以及脊柱或颅骨手术）的导航或机器人手术系统中。这一创新的目标是全球骨科手术机器人设备市场。实施由内而外的跟踪可以显著提高手术机器人的可用性，提高其可及性，并最终改善TKA患者的预后。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发一种由内到外的跟踪系统原型，适用于外科骨骼跟踪。传统商业实施例的由内到外跟踪系统不够紧凑，不具备手术应用所需的处理能力。最近，技术的进步使得具有足够处理能力的小尺寸相机能够以低成本为开发人员提供手术机器人使用的由内而外跟踪系统。在第一期项目中，团队将通过以下技术目标来论证该系统的可行性：台架测试商用相机，开发实时捕获和处理位置数据的软件；将一个由内到外的跟踪系统集成到手术机器人TKA系统中，并在尸体研究中展示了一个集成系统的可行性，以确定外科医生的可用性。该项目的成功完成可能会确定外科应用所需性能的硬件和软件，并确认系统对外科医生用户的可用性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to improve accessibility to robotic total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Robotic TKA can improve implant positioning accuracy, enhance early functional rehabilitation, and reduce postoperative pain and time to hospital discharge. However, disruption in the operating room caused by current positional tracking systems impedes robotic utilization in TKA procedures. This Phase I project focuses on developing an inside-out tracking system that would free up valuable space in the operating room, eliminate line-of-sight concerns, possibly eliminate secondary incisions, and reduce the robotic system's overall cost. The distributors may be able to integrate this inside-out tracking system into any navigated or robotic surgical system that requires tracking bony anatomy (knee, hip, shoulder, or ankle arthroplasty and spinal or cranial procedures). This innovation targets the global orthopedic surgical robotic device market. The implementation of inside-out tracking may significantly improve the usability of surgical robots, improving their accessibility and, ultimately, improving outcomes for TKA patients.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop an inside-out tracking system prototype that is appropriate for surgical bone tracking. Legacy commercial embodiments of inside-out tracking systems are not sufficiently compact and do not possess the necessary processing power for surgical applications. Recently, technological advances have made small form factor cameras with sufficient processing power to enable the realistic development of an inside-out tracking system for surgical robotic use accessible to developers at low cost. In this Phase I project, the team will demonstrate the feasibility of such a system through the following technical objectives: bench test commercial cameras and develop software to capture and process positional data in real-time; integrate an inside-out tracking system into a surgical robotic TKA system, and demonstrate the feasibility of an integrated system in a cadaver study to determine surgeon usability. Successful completion of this project may identify hardware and software that demonstrates the performance necessary for surgical applications and confirm the system's usability with surgeon users.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.