Depth and Auxiliary Sensor Fusion for Precise Robotic Surgery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing computer-assisted surgical systems lack the precision and responsiveness needed for accurate and timely operations within a patient's internal space due to the lack of concurrent access to depth and auxiliary sensor data.

Innovation Solution

A system that integrates depth data from a depth sensor and auxiliary sensor data to perform operations with a computer-assisted surgical system, utilizing a processor to obtain and process this data for precise and responsive surgical procedures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If computer-assisted surgical systems use traditional sensing methods, then the system structure remains simple, but measurement precision and responsiveness are insufficient for accurate surgical operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedepth measurement precisionVSAvoidsensor integration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple sensing modalities (depth sensing and auxiliary sensing) into a unified surgical system architecture. The operation management system integrates data from both sensor types to achieve comprehensive spatial awareness and improved measurement precision while managing system complexity through coordinated data processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The surgical system is designed with multi-functional sensing capabilities that can perform multiple operations including depth measurement, tissue characterization, and surgical guidance. The auxiliary sensor data complements depth sensor data to enable diverse surgical functions from a single integrated platform.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If the system processes multiple sensor data streams concurrently, then responsiveness and accuracy improve, but system complexity and computational load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurgical operation efficiencyVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary processing of sensor data streams before full integration, preparing depth and auxiliary sensor data for combined analysis. This preliminary action reduces computational complexity during critical surgical operations while maintaining high productivity through pre-processed information readiness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The operation management system acts as an intermediary that coordinates data flow between multiple sensors and surgical control functions. It manages the complexity of concurrent data processing by orchestrating information flow and integrating sensor inputs into unified surgical commands.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4437996B1Systems for performance of depth sensor and auxiliary sensor-based operations associated with a computer-assisted surgical system
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS INC
  • EP4437996B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4437996B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4437996B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An exemplary operation management system is configured to obtain, from a depth sensor included in an imaging device, depth data representative of a depth map for an internal space of a patient, obtain auxiliary sensor data from an auxiliary sensor not included in the imaging device, and perform, based on the depth data and the auxiliary sensor data, an operation associated with a computer-assisted surgical system configured to perform a procedure within the internal space of the patient.