3 steps to making surgeons better at diagnosing pedicle breaches...
Problem
With age, spinal columns weather and decay. Intervertebral discs absorb years of shock from daily walking to severe automobile accidents. Tiny cracks can leak spinal fluid and deteriorate their spring-like qualities. When they deflate, Vertebrae can squish and pinch the spinal cord causing back pain.
Solution
Surgeons drill holes into the laminae of vertebrae and tap pedicle screws. These screws are then connected with either rigid or flexible rods that stabilize that region of the spine and restrict its movement and chance of again squishing the spinal cord. The next problem is that not all holes are drilled or tapped properly. In fact, a fair number of sharp screws can breach the laminae wall and scar the spinal cord and nerve system. A small probe is used to judge these holes before placing screws, but even then the success rate is not high enough and many patients revisit the operating room to fix poorly placed screws.
Implementation
A system similar system to the VerroTouch system was designed by the Haptics Group and my duty was to adapt the system previously used for dental operations to spinal tools, improve the filter system, and develop a 3D tracking system (NDI Aurora) to track and judge surgeon performance. Since the surgeons rely solely on their sense of touch, amplified signals from our system should improve their performance. To test this, I co-designed and ran a study with 15 neurosurgeons at the university hospital: preparing a cadaver, enlisting residents and attendings to participate, preparing documentation, and operating and explaining the technology.