'GPS techniques' help surgeons carry out delicate procedures
By Darren Murph 
posted Aug 8th 2007 12:27PM
posted Aug 8th 2007 12:27PM
While some courageous individuals may not mind a lifeless being slicing them up in the name of health, there remains a number of us who'd still rather have a human counterpart handling their operation. Thankfully, even skilled doctors could soon be given a hand by GPS location techniques, which have already assisted in some joint-replacement procedures. Essentially, the technology dishes out a "three-dimensional view of the joint area on a television monitor," and enables the knife wielder to make "more accurate cuts and place prostheses much more accurately." The signals are generated by a trio of tiny satellites that are inserted into the surgical incision and "triangulate the exact position of surgical instruments and the anatomy of the patient." Just be careful one of those things don't get sewn up in you, or else you'll likely be a walking beacon for the rest of your days.[Via TGDaily, image courtesy of AVHaspen]
Just hope the doc doesn't confuse his surgical GPS readings with his 14th hole GPS readings. Talk about a slice!
They should hide a geocache inside a patient or two.
They're called 'tumors'.
in the past, we've used things like placing metal bolts all over a patient's scalp, CT scanning them, then taking them to the OR with said metal bolts still there, setting up some contraption that senses the location of the metal markers on the scalp with respect to a special probe used by the surgeon and allows the surgeon to see where he pokes with the probe superimposed on a saggital, axial, and coronal view of the CT scan. i've only seen this done in ear, nose, and throat surgery and i forget what the name of the system is.
yea.. i agree.. very bad concepts..
its not really GPS.. cos its not Global.. its more of a LPS.. local positioning system..
essentially u drill beacons into some bony landmarks.. and correspond their positions with the software.. and it will outline an ideal placement to make a good cut.. esp useful when u're replacing a joint..
'GPS Techniques' i.e. the techniques used to locate objects by the GPS system is used. NOT the actual GPS system itself, this technique is not named like that...
pray to god that they dont end up like this:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/27/faith-in-gps-sends-mercedes-downstream/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/11/another-brit-puts-complete-faith-in-gps-system-nearly-perishes/
http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/10/motorist-has-faith-in-gps-drives-into-sandpile/
;)
And surgeons can get turn-by-turn directions on their iPhones!
1. Head northwest on Tricuspid Valve towards Right Atrium
2. Turn right at Pulmonary Artery
3. Right Atrium becomes Superior Vena Cava
4. Take 3rd Exit onto Azygous Vein towards Costal Cartilage
This could also come in handy in any "Fantastic Voyage" type scenarios (Raquel Welch: "I told you we should have turned left at the Mitral Valve, but did you listen to me? Noooo...")
Survey says these beacons do not meet any known definition of the word satellite. Due to the fact that they are not so much orbiting anything.
Actually, the word satellite can mean any small object that is ancillary to another object or system. For example satellite surround sound speakers or a satellite office location.
We are lanuage's master, not the other way around.
Does EVERY post have to turn into the National Grammar Rodeo?
This is not GPS. GPS is a positioning system provided by the U.S. government, and this system doesn't use them. Also, the "satellites" are not satellites at all. (What celestial body do they revolve around?) They're merely beacons for triangulation. Engadget and the Chicago Tribune should use the correct terms to describe this technology.
Spivie,
I can't seem to find that defn anywhere on m-w.com.
Anyhow, the point I was making was that it's a false congnate to refer to these triangulation beacons as satellites especially when referring to GPS (space based orbiting bodies) in the article.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/satellite
see #3
So what objects or systems are these "satellites" ancillary to?
I imagine they are ancillary to whatever piece of the anatomy the work is being done on.
OK, GPS/Not GPS discussion aside, the article is inaccurate and sloppy in its research. The technology being used is an adaptation of the Brainlab instrumentation used in sinus cavity surgery. The three "satellites" used are informally called "spiders" they have three legs which correlate to the x, y, and z axes. These spiders are attached to the femur and tibia via pins screwed into the bones, The spiders remain OUTSIDE the body at all times. The spiders "legs" are tipped with infrared reflective balls which are visualized by a stereoscopic infrared camera. The camera hooks to a computer with software which uses either a CT or MRI of the affected limb to display a 3D image of the patient's actual bone structure.
Before the procedure begins, a probe with its own spider is placed at specific points along the patient's leg, giving the computer landmarks to process and the ability to show anatomical orientation in real time. This system is used, along with special cutting blocks with their own spiders attached, to allow precise cuts within 0.1 or 0.2 degrees or less meaning that the implant will function more smoothly and therefore last longer. This also allows the surgeon to make smaller incisions and do the surgery in less time, reducing recovery time.
Sorry for the long comment, but buzzwords like GPS which do not apply to the actual surgery irk me, as someone who works in the operating room. For those who don't mind watching an actual surgical procedure, a video of a procedure just like the one described in the article is available at:
http://www.or-live.com/tgh/1848/