Constraint Controller for Minimally Invasive Surgical Instruments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally invasive coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures cause significant trauma and prolonged recovery due to the need to split the sternum and open the chest cavity, and there is a lack of effective systems to constrain surgical instrument movement during robotic surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A medical robotic system with a constraint controller that limits the movement of surgical instruments based on predefined parameters, allowing for precise control and prevention of instrument contact with sensitive areas, using a telestrator screen for boundary definition and providing force feedback through handles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional open-chest CABG procedure is performed, then complete access to heart is achieved, but patient trauma and recovery time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical approach is segmented into multiple small incisions rather than one large incision. The robotic system uses separate ports for different instruments (sutures, clamps, cameras) inserted through small chest wall openings, avoiding the need to split the sternum while maintaining access to the heart.
Solution Approach 2:
A robotic system acts as an intermediary between the surgeon and the surgical site. The surgeon controls robotic arms from a console, and the robotic arms manipulate surgical instruments within the patient's chest, providing precise access to the heart through small incisions without direct manual manipulation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If surgical instrument movement is unconstrained, then surgical flexibility is maintained, but risk of contact with sensitive organs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The constraint system is dynamic rather than static. Virtual boundaries are defined in 3D space around sensitive structures, and the robotic system dynamically adjusts instrument movement based on real-time position data from imaging systems, allowing flexibility within safe zones while preventing contact with prohibited areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates real-time feedback through imaging systems (fluoroscopy, ultrasound) that track instrument position and provide feedback to the constraint controller. When instruments approach virtual boundaries, the system provides haptic or visual feedback to alert the surgeon and automatically constrains further movement into prohibited zones.
3Reliability
If constraint parameters are predefined, then safety is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Virtual boundaries and constraint parameters are predefined and configured before surgery begins. The surgical site is imaged preoperatively or at the start of surgery, and 3D models with annotated safe zones and prohibited areas are created in advance, allowing the constraint system to be initialized without adding complexity during the actual surgical procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical robotic system that includes a robotically controlled surgical instrument. The system includes a constraint controller that constrains the movement of the instrument based on a predetermined parameter. The parameter may be a surgical space, wherein the instrument cannot be moved into, or alternatively cannot be moved out of, the space. The surgically constrained spaced may be defined through a telestrator screen that allows a surgeon to point and click the boundaries of the space.