Smart Surgical Solutions×Waracle

Increased surgical accuracy with applied computer vision

Smart Surgical Solutions (S3) developed a patented, custom-made device which, in the hands of a surgeon, can scan the contours of a bone in order to find the most ideal position for surgery - such as inserting a rod or finding an ideal drilling position. Given around 20% of knee and hip operations are repeated due to lack of precision in such measurements, but these may well be down to human limitations where applied modern computer-vision technology can add a layer of accuracy previously not thought possible.

Real-time surgical guidance with increased accuracy

Having created an early pilot to a degree of accuracy, S3 engaged Waracle to rebuild their application in such a way that it could not only improve accuracy, but guide surgeons in real-time to utilise that accuracy for patient benefit. Given mathematical modelling of average contours, generated by MRI scanning, S3's device then has a set of pins calibrated to the ideal positions for measuring contours on a joint. Waracle's task was to take this modelling and the device, and create both an algorithm to compute what the device pins were showing in real time, but also to measure it against the mathematical model and guide the surgeon on whether they should move the device to reach a better position.

The baseline accuracy was around 1-2 mm but the challenge was to improve that greatly; Waracle created a custom polynomial algorithm mapped to Apple Vision in real time, which can read the device pins to 0.2mm accuracy whilst still providing useful feedback to the surgeon; the aim is to continue improving this before taking the app to full clinical trials