Distributed Safety Network for Surgical Robots

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Solution Overview

Problem

Surgical robotic systems lack an effective distributed safety network to propagate and manage errors across their components, potentially leading to localized or systemic failures during minimally invasive procedures.

Innovation Solution

A hierarchical safety network is implemented, comprising a master safety monitor, mid-level safety monitors, and local safety monitors, which propagate fault conditions and responses through lookup tables to ensure coordinated system responses and safe states across all nodes in the distributed computing system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a distributed computing system is used to control multiple robotic arms, then system versatility and capability are improved, but error propagation and system reliability become problematic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem capabilityVSAvoiderror propagation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides error monitoring and handling into segmented levels: local safety monitors at each robotic arm, mid-level safety monitors at each cart, and a master safety monitor at the console. This segmentation allows errors to be contained and handled at the appropriate level without propagating through the entire distributed system, thus maintaining reliability while preserving system versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If error propagation is implemented across all components, then system safety is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem safetyVSAvoidsafety network complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The safety network introduces a hierarchical dimension to error propagation, organizing safety monitors into multiple levels (local, mid-level, master) rather than a flat structure. This hierarchical arrangement manages complexity by distributing safety functions across different levels, allowing comprehensive error propagation while maintaining organized system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Productivity

If a hierarchical safety network is implemented, then error management efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror management efficiencyVSAvoidsafety network structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements preliminary action by pre-configuring lookup tables at each safety monitor level that define error propagation paths and responses in advance. When errors occur, the hierarchical network efficiently manages them by consulting these pre-established tables, improving error management efficiency while the structured hierarchy contains the complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20240024052A1Distributed safety network

Publication Date: 2024.01.25 COVIDIEN LP

AI summary

A surgical robotic system includes a control tower or surgical console including a main computer. The system also includes a plurality of surgical robotic arms each of which includes an arm computer. The system also includes a safety network configured to distribute errors from the arm computer of at least one of the plurality of the surgical robotic arms to at least one of the arm computer of at least one other of the plurality of the surgical robotic arms or the main computer.