Adjustable Pivot Point Robotic Surgical Arm

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional robotic surgical systems for minimally invasive procedures are bulky, expensive, and lack the precision and flexibility needed for accurate abdominal surgery, limiting their effectiveness and availability due to high dexterity requirements and tremor issues in human hands.

Innovation Solution

A robotic surgical system with compact slave robotic arms equipped with a pivotal mechanism that allows for adjustable pivot points of surgical instruments, enabling precise movement and reduced tissue impact, using a master manipulator for remote control and a display for procedural monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If conventional robotic surgical systems are used, then remote control capability is achieved, but the system becomes bulky and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote control capabilityVSAvoidsystem bulkiness

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The robotic system is divided into separate functional modules: a master manipulator for control, multiple slave robotic units for surgery, and a display system for visualization. Each slave unit is independently controlled and can be selectively activated, allowing the system to achieve remote control capability while maintaining a compact form factor by only activating necessary components during specific procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The robotic system is designed with multi-functionality to perform various surgical procedures through a single compact platform. The master manipulator can control different types of surgical instruments (cutting, suturing, grasping) through the slave units, eliminating the need for separate specialized systems for each surgical task and reducing overall system bulkiness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If conventional robotic systems are used, then minimally invasive surgery is enabled, but installation space requirement increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveminimally invasive capabilityVSAvoidinstallation space

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The slave robotic units are designed to be compact and can be stored or positioned in a nested configuration when not in use. The master manipulator and control systems are integrated in a way that allows the entire system to occupy minimal installation space while still enabling minimally invasive surgical procedures when activated.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Device complexity

If fixed pivot point mechanism is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but surgical precision is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical simplicityVSAvoidsurgical precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The robotic system incorporates a pivotal mechanism that allows the surgical instrument to be freely pivoted at multiple positions along its shaft. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the pivot point to be optimized for different surgical tasks and patient anatomies, significantly improving surgical precision without requiring overly complex mechanical structures, as the pivoting is achieved through controlled rotational movements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of operation

If human hands are used to manipulate instruments, then direct tactile feedback is obtained, but tremor increases difficulty

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetactile feedbackVSAvoidtremor control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces direct hand manipulation with a master-manipulator-controlled robotic interface. The master manipulator captures the operator's input movements and translates them into precise slave unit actions, filtering out human tremors while maintaining tactile feedback through force sensing. This substitution of the mechanical control path eliminates tremor-related instability while preserving the operator's tactile connection to the surgical site.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8231610B2Robotic surgical system for laparoscopic surgery

Publication Date: 2012.07.31 NATIONAL CANCER CENTER(JP)

AI summary

A robotic surgical system includes a master manipulator, slave robotic units having a surgical instrument for performing a Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS), and a control system for electrically associating the master manipulator with the slave robotic units. The slave robotic unit includes the driving mechanisms which are more compact than those of the conventional MIS system. In use, the existing surgical instruments used in the conventional MIS procedure can be applied to the slave robotic unit. Moreover, by using the pivotal mechanism of the driving mechanisms, a pivot point of the surgical instrument is allowed to be shifted with respect to an incision of a patient. So, the patient's tissues surrounding the surgical instrument are not excessively affected by the surgical instrument during the procedure.