Drone Relay Network for Low-Latency Telesurgery Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional telesurgery systems face high communication latency issues due to network congestion and geographical limitations, leading to surgical inaccuracy and safety risks, especially in remote areas with poor connectivity.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing drones to create a network between the surgeon's and patient's locations, deploying drones to adjust or add network infrastructure as needed to manage latency, ensuring reliable and secure wireless communication for telesurgery procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional network infrastructure is used for telesurgery, then geographical coverage is limited, but communication latency is high and reliability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces drones as mobile aerial nodes to create a three-dimensional communication network, transitioning from traditional two-dimensional ground-based infrastructure. This spatial expansion allows direct line-of-sight communication paths between surgeon and patient locations, reducing latency and improving reliability by bypassing conventional network congestion points.
Solution Approach 2:
Drones serve as intermediary communication nodes between the surgeon's console and the patient's location. These mobile platforms carry communication equipment and create relay paths, acting as flexible mediators that can dynamically position themselves to optimize signal transmission and reduce communication latency in remote areas.
2Loss of time
If drones are deployed to create communication network, then communication latency is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drone platform is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a communication node and potentially as a delivery or monitoring platform. This universality justifies the complexity by consolidating multiple functions into a single system, reducing the need for separate specialized equipment and operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates autonomous navigation and self-positioning capabilities in the drones, allowing them to automatically maintain optimal communication positions without constant manual intervention. This self-service aspect reduces operational complexity by enabling the drones to manage their own communication functions dynamically.
3Measurement precision
If conventional communication methods are used, then system simplicity is maintained, but surgical precision deteriorates due to latency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary deployment of drones and establishment of communication links before the surgical procedure begins. This advance preparation ensures that low-latency communication pathways are already in place and tested, enabling high surgical precision from the outset without requiring complex real-time adjustments during the procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
Robotic system and method are described for performing latency managed telesurgery. The system comprises drone(s) to create a wireless network in one or more geographic areas between a surgical site and a remote surgeon. The system further comprises a computer that is configured to: receive a request that indicates that a telesurgery is to be performed between the first location and the second location at a scheduled time; determine that one or more equipment is available for use at the surgical site for the telesurgery at the scheduled time; send a first instruction that triggers measurement of a latency of the wireless network; determine, during the telesurgery, whether the latency of the wireless network is acceptable; and send a first message that indicates that the latency is not acceptable, where an operation of the drone(s) is adjusted or an additional drone is deployed in the one or more geographic areas.