Endoscope GUI Marking for Off-Screen Surgical Instrument Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In existing robotic surgical systems, operators may not easily notice the position of surgical instruments outside the endoscope's field of view, requiring significant line-of-sight adjustments to locate displayed symbols.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system with a graphical user interface that displays a mark indicating the position of surgical instruments outside the endoscope's field of view in response to a predetermined input, allowing easy visual recognition without substantial line-of-sight movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the mark indicating the surgical instrument position is displayed in the boundary area outside the viewing area, then the mark can be displayed without obstructing the main surgical field, but the operator cannot easily notice the mark without significantly moving the line of sight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the mark display from the traditional boundary area (peripheral dimension) to a centralized location within the viewing area (central dimension). This dimensional repositioning ensures the mark falls within the operator's natural line of sight while still providing distinct visual information about instruments outside the field of view.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by placing the mark in a specific centralized region of the display that has different visual priority compared to other areas. This localized positioning within the viewing area creates a focal point that naturally attracts operator attention without requiring line-of-sight adjustment.
2Loss of information
If the mark is always displayed in the boundary area, then the position information is continuously available, but the mark may not be noticed and becomes unnecessary visual clutter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic display behavior where the mark appears and disappears based on real-time detection of instrument position relative to the field of view. When an instrument exits the field of view, the mark is displayed in the centralized area; when it returns, the mark is hidden. This dynamic approach provides information only when necessary, eliminating visual clutter during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors instrument position and provides feedback through the mark display. The mark serves as visual feedback indicating that an instrument has moved outside the field of view, allowing the operator to adjust the endoscope view accordingly. This feedback mechanism reduces unnecessary visual elements while maintaining critical information availability.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical system according to an embodiment may include: manipulators supporting an endoscope and surgical instruments, respectively; a remote control apparatus including: a first display device including a first display to display an endoscope image captured by the endoscope; and two operation handles to operate two of the surgical instruments; a controller configured to display, on the first display, a graphical user interface superimposed on the endoscope image; and an input device provided to at least one of the manipulators to receive a predetermined input from a user, wherein the controller is configured to display, in response to the predetermined input through the input device when a distal end of at least one of the surgical instruments is located outside a field of view of the endoscope, a mark indicating the surgical instrument outside the field of view of the endoscope in the graphical user interface.