Articulating Surgical Instrument With Multifunction Tendon Cables
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical robotic systems face limitations in dexterity and complexity due to the number of wires and cables required for controlling instruments with multiple degrees of freedom, which can complicate surgical procedures and increase the size of the instrument shaft.
Innovation Solution
The use of a surgical instrument design with a reduced number of cables, utilizing a combination of upper and lower cables to achieve pitch, yaw, and jaw actuation, along with a mechanism for delivering electrical energy, minimizes the overall size of the instrument shaft and simplifies the assembly by integrating mechanical and electrical energy delivery through the same cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple wires and cables are used to control instruments with multiple degrees of freedom, then the control precision and dexterity are improved, but the device complexity and instrument shaft size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cables (upper and lower cables) into a integrated cable system that controls multiple degrees of freedom (pitch, yaw, jaw actuation) simultaneously. This merging approach reduces the total number of separate cables needed while maintaining full control capability, directly resolving the contradiction between dexterity and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cable system is designed to perform multiple functions through a unified structure. The same cable assembly that provides mechanical control also integrates electrical energy delivery, allowing a single system to handle both actuation and power transmission, thereby reducing overall device complexity
2Ease of operation
If multiple wires and cables are used to control instruments with multiple degrees of freedom, then the control precision and dexterity are improved, but the instrument shaft size increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple control functions into a single integrated cable system, the patent reduces the cumulative space required for multiple separate cables. This allows the instrument shaft to maintain a smaller diameter while still accommodating all necessary control elements for multi-degree-of-freedom manipulation
Solution Approach 2:
The cable system employs a nested arrangement where upper and lower cables are positioned in a compact, space-efficient configuration within the instrument shaft. This nesting allows multiple cable elements to occupy overlapping or adjacent spaces, minimizing the overall shaft diameter required
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate mechanical and electrical energy delivery systems are used, then the functionality is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges mechanical cable actuation and electrical energy delivery into a single integrated cable system. This unified approach maintains the ability to deliver both mechanical motion and electrical power while eliminating the need for separate, parallel systems, thus reducing device complexity without sacrificing functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The cable system is designed as a universal platform that simultaneously handles mechanical control and electrical power transmission. This multi-functional design allows the same physical infrastructure to serve multiple purposes, reducing the overall system complexity while maintaining full operational capability
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument for use with a robotic manipulator includes an end effector assembly having one or two end effector members, each having a distal treatment end, a proximal end, and a tendon pass-through. Tendons that provide both mechanical actuation and electrical conduction to the end effector members are positioned in the pass-throughs.