Boundary-Constrained Rail Assembly for Table-Mounted Manipulators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Table-mounted manipulator systems face challenges such as space constraints, interference with personnel and equipment, limited manipulator positioning, and sterility issues due to stowing, which complicates medical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A rail assembly system that allows manipulators to translate relative to a table assembly, maintaining a wide range of motion within defined boundaries and avoiding interference with other equipment, while enabling flexible positioning and maintaining sterility by allowing manipulators to be moved out of the way when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manipulators are affixed to the table assembly, then manipulator positioning is stable and reliable, but space around the table is obstructed and interferes with personnel and equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The rail assembly enables the manipulator to transition between fixed and movable states. During surgical procedures, the manipulator is positioned along the rail and locked at a stable location. When space is needed for patient transfer or equipment access, the manipulator can be moved along the rail to different positions or retracted, dynamically adapting to spatial requirements while maintaining positioning stability when needed.
2Area of stationary object
If manipulators are moved away from the table to create open space, then space constraints are relieved, but manipulator positioning and access to patient is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The rail assembly acts as an intermediary structure between the table assembly and the manipulator. It provides a guided pathway that allows the manipulator to move close to the table when needed for patient access while preventing uncontrolled movement. The rail constrains motion to a specific trajectory, enabling the manipulator to reach optimal positions without obstructing the table or requiring complete removal from the surgical field.
3Area of stationary object
If manipulators are stowed during procedures requiring open space, then space is freed up, but sterility is compromised and delays occur
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator is extracted from the constrained position of being fixed to the table assembly and relocated to an independent rail-mounted position. This separation allows the manipulator to be positioned along the rail in locations that maintain sterility while creating necessary open space around the table. The manipulator remains in the sterile field but does not obstruct access, eliminating the need to stow and re-drape during space-requiring procedures.
4Device complexity
If manipulators are mounted directly to the table assembly, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different spatial configurations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is segmented into three independent components: the table assembly, the rail assembly mounted to the table, and the manipulator mounted to the rail. This segmentation provides modular flexibility where each component can be independently positioned or adjusted. The rail assembly serves as an intermediate module that adds adaptability without significantly increasing overall system complexity, as it uses standard rail-mechanism principles.
Data Source
AI summary
A teleoperable manipulator system comprises a table assembly, a rail coupled to the table assembly, and one or more manipulators coupled to the rail. The table assembly comprises a support column and a platform assembly coupled to the support column and configured to support a body. The platform assembly comprises lateral and longitudinal dimensions defining outer lateral and longitudinal boundaries of the platform assembly. The rail is translatable relative to the support column along a longitudinal dimension of the rail. The manipulators are translatable relative to the rail along the longitudinal dimension of the rail. The rail is configured to remain within at least the outer lateral boundaries of the platform assembly throughout all motion of the rail relative to the support column.