Auxiliary View for Articulatable Instruments in Medical Robotics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical robotic systems face challenges in providing an unobstructed view of articulatable instruments extending out of an entry guide, leading to potential collisions and difficulties in determining optimal tool orientations due to the camera's limited field of view and restricted range of motion.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that provide a computer-generated auxiliary view displaying graphical representations of joint positions and range of motion limitations for articulatable instruments, using forward kinematics to determine joint positions and indicating when joints are nearing motion limitations, thereby assisting operators in avoiding collisions and optimizing instrument placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the camera is bundled with surgical tools through a single entry guide, then the number of entry apertures is reduced and tissue injury is minimized, but the camera's field of view is restricted and collisions between linkages may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the physical instrument linkage system through computer-generated imagery (CGI). The auxiliary view displays a graphical representation of the entry guide and articulatable instruments, replicating their positions and movements in a virtual environment that provides comprehensive visibility without requiring additional physical entry apertures.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a two-dimensional camera view constrained by the bundled instrument configuration to a three-dimensional virtual representation that can be viewed from multiple angles and perspectives. The auxiliary view provides a top-down or lateral perspective that reveals linkage positions and potential collision risks that are invisible in the standard endoscopic camera view.
2Length of stationary object
If the camera is bundled with surgical tools, then the entry guide diameter can be kept small for minimally invasive access, but the controllable linkages cannot be viewed and may collide with each other
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous visual feedback by displaying the auxiliary view that shows the real-time positions of all articulatable instruments and their linkages. The computer-generated image updates as instruments move, providing the operator with feedback about linkage positions and potential collision risks, enabling proactive avoidance of harmful interactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual auxiliary view acts as an intermediary between the physical instrument configuration and the operator's perception. Instead of requiring direct visual observation of linkages through the camera, the system mediates this information through a computational model that renders and displays the linkage positions, making invisible elements visible without altering the physical bundled configuration.
3Ease of operation
If intuitive control is provided to assist operator movement of surgical tools, then ease of operation is improved, but the motions of linkages required to produce such motions are not obvious to the operator
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary computational actions by calculating the positions and orientations of all instrument linkages based on the controlled joint movements before displaying them. The virtual model pre-computes the kinematic relationships and renders the auxiliary view in advance, providing the operator with visible information about linkage positions that correspond to their control inputs, making the otherwise invisible motions apparent.
Data Source
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AI summary
A medical robotic system (100) includes an entry guide (200) with surgical tools (231, 241) and a camera (211) extending out of its distal end. To supplement the view provided by an image captured by the camera, an auxiliary view including articulatable arms of the surgical tools and/or camera is generated from sensed or otherwise determined information about their positions and orientations are displayed along with indications of range of motion limitations on a display screen (140) from the perspective of a specified viewing point.