Capacitive Hover Sensing for Sterile Surgical Robot Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical robotic system components, such as manipulators and tables, are difficult to move and reconfigure within an operating arena while maintaining sterility and safety, as manual handling can cause injuries and disrupt sterility due to the need for direct physical contact and force application, leading to jagged and discretized movements.
Innovation Solution
A capacitive hover sensing system is integrated into surgical robotic components, allowing for touch-free control through proximity sensing pads that detect hand gestures, enabling smooth and continuous movement without direct contact, with the system automatically computing the required joint movements to achieve desired poses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual handling is used to move surgical robotic components, then ease of operation is improved, but sterility and safety are compromised due to direct physical contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with a capacitive sensing system that detects hand gestures and translates them into robotic component movements. The capacitive pads sense changes in capacitance caused by proximity of the user's hand, enabling control without physical contact, thus maintaining sterility while achieving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The capacitive sensing system acts as an intermediary between the user and the surgical robotic components. Instead of direct contact, the system uses electromagnetic field changes (capacitance variations) caused by the user's hand proximity to mediate control, eliminating direct physical contact and preserving sterility.
2Measurement precision
If manual force is applied to move surgical robotic manipulators, then positioning capability is improved, but movement quality deteriorates due to discretized and jagged motion
Solution Approach 1:
The capacitive sensing system provides continuous, periodic feedback as the user's hand moves through space. The system continuously monitors capacitance changes and translates them into smooth, continuous robotic movements, eliminating the discretized motion that occurs with manual handling and achieving both positioning accuracy and movement smoothness.
3Speed
If direct physical contact is used to control surgical robotic components, then control responsiveness is improved, but user safety deteriorates due to risk of pinching injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based control with a capacitive sensing system that detects hand gestures through electromagnetic field changes. This substitution maintains control responsiveness by detecting hand movements in real-time while completely eliminating the risk of pinching injuries associated with direct physical contact with moving robotic components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances ergonomics by reducing physical effort and maintaining sterility, enabling flexible and safe user-robot interaction, allowing for precise and continuous movement of surgical robotic components along complex trajectories without manual kinematic considerations.
Implementation Method 1
A change of capacitance on each linear conductive pad line, as caused, for example, by user hand gestures (e.g., moving left and right, or up and down, relative to the sensor assembly) can be detected.
Implementation Method 2
A change of capacitance on each linear conductive pad line, as caused, for example, by user hand gestures (e.g., moving left and right, or up and down, relative to the sensor assembly) can be detected.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for surgical robots based on proximity sensing, the control system including a proximity sensor coupled to a component of a surgical robot, the surgical robot component including a table, robotic arms coupled to the table, and surgical tools mounted on the robotic arms, the proximity sensor configured to sense a movement of a nearby controlling object in one or more degrees of freedom; and a processor configured to drive the component of the surgical robot to follow the movement of the controlling object.