Capacitive Proximity Sensing for Surgical Robotic Arm Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical robotic arms face challenges in avoiding collisions with objects in the surgical arena, such as patients, assistants, and other robotic components, due to limited collision detection capabilities, which can lead to pinching or hitting during movements.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of capacitive hover sensors into surgical robotic arms at strategic locations to detect the presence, position, and orientation of objects using capacitive sensing principles, allowing for real-time collision avoidance by stopping movement or triggering alarms before collisions occur.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical robotic arms are equipped with collision detection capabilities, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical collision detection systems with capacitive sensing technology. The capacitive sensors detect changes in electrical field capacitance caused by nearby objects, providing collision detection capability without mechanical contact or complex mechanical structures. This substitution maintains safety while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces capacitive sensors as an intermediary detection mechanism between the robotic arm and potential collision objects. These sensors create an electrical field that interacts with nearby conductive objects, providing advance warning of potential collisions without requiring direct physical contact or complex mechanical detection systems.
2Measurement precision
If capacitive hover sensors are installed at multiple strategic locations on the robotic arm, then collision detection precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the robotic arm into multiple segments or zones, each equipped with capacitive sensors at strategic locations. This segmentation allows detection of collisions at different positions along the arm, improving overall detection precision. The modular placement of sensors on different links and joints enables precise localization of potential collision points without requiring a single complex detection system.
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
The capacitive hover sensors effectively prevent collisions by detecting objects in the path of the robotic arm, ensuring safe movement and minimizing the risk of pinching or hitting, thereby enhancing the safety and precision of surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
capacitive hover sensors which can detect the presence, position and/or orientation of objects with respect to the sensor using capacitive sensing principles
Implementation Method 2
When a pad is excited by a voltage source, the pad creates an electrical field around it. When a conductive object approaches the pad, it interferes with the field and forms/changes the capacitance of the pad
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical robotic system including a surgical table, a surgical robotic manipulator coupled to the surgical table and comprising a plurality of links coupled together by a plurality of joints that are operable to move with respect to one another to move the surgical robotic manipulator, at least one of the plurality of links or the plurality of joints having a portion that faces another of the plurality of links or the plurality of joints, a proximity sensing assembly coupled to the portion of the at least one of the plurality of links or the plurality of joints, the proximity sensing assembly operable to detect an object prior to the surgical robotic manipulator colliding with the object and to output a corresponding detection signal, and a processor operable to receive the corresponding detecting signal and cause the manipulator or the object to engage in a collision avoidance operation.