Medical Instrument End Effector Angular Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laparoscopic surgery faces challenges with the visibility and operability of medical instruments due to difficulties in angular adjustment of end effectors during in vivo treatments and viewing, requiring improved precision and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A medical system with a trocar sensor assembly that includes tilt angle, amount-of-movement, and amount-of-rotation detection sensors, coupled with a controller that adjusts the end effector's angle based on sensor signals and operational inputs, allowing for automatic changeover between follow-up and operation modes to enhance precision and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual angular adjustment of end effector is used, then practitioner skill and experience are required, but operability and ease of use deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs sensors to detect the actual angle of the end effector and feeds this information back to a controller, which automatically adjusts the end effector to match the target angle specified by the practitioner, eliminating manual adjustment errors and improving precision while maintaining ease of use
Solution Approach 2:
The angular adjustment system performs self-correction by automatically detecting position deviations and adjusting the end effector angle without requiring manual intervention, making the system self-regulating and eliminating the need for skilled manual operation
2Measurement precision
If automatic follow-up processing is implemented, then precision control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A controller acts as an intermediary between the simple directional input from the practitioner and the complex motor control required for precise angular adjustment, simplifying the user interface while achieving precise control through automated processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex manual mechanical adjustment mechanisms with an automated system using sensors and motors, reducing the mechanical complexity at the user interface while achieving superior control precision through electronic control
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are added for position detection, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensor functions (angle detection, position detection, movement detection) are merged into a single integrated sensor assembly that communicates with the controller through a unified interface, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high measurement precision
Data Source
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Figure 3(A)~3(B)
AI summary
An object of the invention is to provide for automatic angular adjustment of an end effector thereby improving on the operability of a medical instrument. The medical system of the invention comprises a medical instrument including a driver for driving adjustment of the angle of the end effector relative to a shaft, a trocar having an insertion opening through which the medical instrument is inserted, a sensor that produces a sensor signal including at least an angle of a shaft in a reference coordinate system, and a driver for enabling follow-up control processing for driving the driver based on a sensor signal produced out of the sensor such that the angle of the end effector follows a follow-up criterion in a reference coordinate system.