Endodevice Tension Control via Back-End Sensor Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic surgical systems lack effective haptic feedback, making it difficult for surgeons to perform precise tasks and potentially unsafe due to the absence of mechanical sensing of tissue interaction, as existing solutions require sensors within the endoscope tip that are challenging to implement and maintain.
Innovation Solution
An endodevice with a back end unit and an endoscopic unit featuring a bendable rod element, tendons, and spring elements, where sensor elements measure tendon deflection to compute torque and force, providing haptic feedback without embedding sensors within the endoscope tip, allowing for precise shape sensing and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If force, torque, or pressure sensors are embedded into the endoscope tip to measure contact forces, then haptic feedback capability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sensing function from the endoscope tip and relocates it to the back end unit. Instead of embedding sensors in the difficult-to-access tip area, the system uses sensor elements (13, 14) positioned in the accessible back end unit to measure tendon deflection, thereby eliminating the complexity of tip sensor embedding while maintaining haptic feedback capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces tendons and spring elements as intermediary mechanical components that transmit force information from the endoscope tip to the back end unit. The tendons (4, 5) and spring element (9) act as mechanical mediators, converting contact forces at the tip into measurable deflections at the back end, avoiding direct sensor placement in the tip.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are placed at the distal end of the endoscope to determine joint torques and tensions, then measurement accuracy is improved, but ease of manufacture and sterilization reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing function is extracted from the distal end and relocated to the back end unit where manufacturing and sterilization are more feasible. The sensor elements (13, 14) are positioned in the back end unit, eliminating the difficulties associated with placing sensors at the distal end while maintaining measurement precision through tendon deflection measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing tendon mechanism as a self-sensing element. The tendons (4, 5) and spring element (9) naturally deflect under load, and this deflection is passively measured by the sensor elements (13, 14) in the back end unit, eliminating the need for complex active sensing at the distal end.
3Measurement precision
If position sensors are placed at the distal end to determine tendon tension, then haptic feedback precision is improved, but device complexity and reliability under sterilization conditions worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The position sensing function is extracted from the distal end and relocated to the back end unit. The sensor elements (13, 14) are positioned where they can be more reliably sterilized and maintained, while still achieving precise tendon tension measurement through the tendon deflection measurement approach.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise and safe haptic feedback during surgical procedures by computing tendon deflection and torque, enhancing the surgeon's ability to interact with tissues without the need for sensors within the endoscope tip, thus improving surgical precision and safety.
Implementation Method 1
Haptic perception is not a passive, unidirectional perception like vision or hearing, but it always involves the exchange of mechanical energy in two directions
Implementation Method 2
One approach is to measure the tendon elongation and to use Hooke's Law to estimate the tendon tension
Data Source
AI summary
An endodevice is disclosed with tension control. The endodevice includes a back end unit with an endoscopic unit coupled thereto. The back end unit includes first and second sensor elements, wherein the first sensor element is arranged between a drive member and a first spring element and the second sensor element is arranged between another end of the first spring element and a first tendon coupler. Each of the first and second sensor elements are configured to generate a sensor signal wherein the first sensor element, the second sensor element and the drive member are connected to a control unit. The control unit is configured to obtain sensor signals from the first sensor element and the second sensor element and to compute a deflection of the first spring element on the basis of the sensor signals obtained from the first sensor element and the second sensor element.