Transmission-Based Vertebrae Strength Probe Development: Far Field Probe Property Extraction and Integrated Machine...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Instrumentation

Background:

• Spinal fusion surgery requires precise instrumentation for spinal column support.
• Accurate assessment of vertebrae strength is crucial for fabricating effective surgical instrumentation.
• Current methods for vertebrae assessment may lack point-of-care applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel transmission-based probe system for point-of-care assessment of vertebrae strength.
• To integrate machine vision for precise measurement of probe tip separation within vertebrae.
• To enable straightforward calculation of bone tissue characteristics for surgical applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing thin coaxial probes inserted into vertebral pedicles for broadband signal transmission.
• Developing a machine vision scheme with a camera and fiducials to measure probe tip separation.
• Applying antenna far-field approximation for calculating tissue characteristics.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a functional transmission-based probe system for vertebrae assessment.
• Validated the machine vision technique for accurate measurement of probe tip distance.
• Showcased the combined system's capability for calculating bone tissue properties.

Conclusions:

• The developed transmission probe and machine vision system show promise for point-of-care vertebrae strength assessment.
• This technology can aid in the fabrication of improved instrumentation for spinal fusion surgery.
• Further validation and clinical prototype development are warranted.