Force-Sensed Robotic End-Effector for Deformation-Compensated Organ Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surface scanning techniques for anatomical organs during surgical procedures face challenges such as time-consuming and user-dependent accuracy, inaccuracies due to tool calibration and tissue deformation, and difficulties with integrating external laser range scanners in minimally invasive settings, especially with soft tissue structures.
Innovation Solution
A force-sensed surface scanning system employing a scanning robot with a surface scanning end-effector that generates force sensing data to construct an intraoperative volume model of the anatomical organ, responsive to defined surface deformation offsets, enhancing registration with preoperative image segmented models.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a tracked tool pointer is used for surface scanning, then the scanning can be performed with available equipment, but the accuracy is reduced due to tool calibration errors and tracking system inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical tracked tool pointer system with a robotic arm system that uses force sensing technology. The robotic arm mechanically scans the organ surface while force sensors detect contact forces, eliminating dependence on external optical tracking systems and their associated calibration errors. This substitution of mechanical scanning with force sensing resolves the contradiction by achieving higher measurement precision without the reliability issues of tracking systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces force sensors as an intermediary between the scanning tool and the organ surface. These sensors measure contact forces during scanning, providing additional data that compensates for tissue deformation effects. This intermediary measurement mechanism allows the system to maintain accuracy despite soft tissue deformation, resolving the contradiction between using available equipment and achieving high precision.
2Reliability
If manual surface scanning is performed by an operator, then flexibility in scanning approach is maintained, but reproducibility is reduced due to user-dependent accuracy and difficulty in maintaining constant pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm system performs surface scanning autonomously without requiring operator intervention during the scanning process. The system self-regulates contact forces through force feedback control, automatically maintaining consistent pressure on the organ surface. This eliminates the skill dependency of manual scanning while ensuring reproducible results, resolving the contradiction between scanning reliability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements force feedback control where force sensors continuously monitor contact forces during scanning and provide real-time feedback to the control system. This feedback loop automatically adjusts the robotic arm's motion to maintain constant contact force, eliminating the need for operator skill in pressure regulation and ensuring reproducible scanning results. The feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by making the system both reliable and easy to operate.
3Productivity
If external laser range scanners are used for surface scanning, then scanning speed can be increased, but integration into minimally invasive surgical suite becomes difficult and accuracy is reduced due to reflective organ surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the surface scanning function with the robotic surgical system by integrating force sensors directly into the robotic arm's end effector. This combination eliminates the need for separate external laser range scanners, simplifying system integration into the minimally invasive surgical suite. The merged system maintains high scanning speed while reducing device complexity, resolving the contradiction between productivity and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces optical laser range scanning with mechanical robotic arm scanning equipped with force sensors. This substitution eliminates the problems of laser reflection from wet organ surfaces and the complexity of integrating external optical systems. The mechanical scanning approach achieves comparable or superior speed while being naturally compatible with the robotic surgical platform, resolving the contradiction between scanning speed and integration complexity.
4Measurement precision
If soft tissue deformation is not accounted for in scanning, then the scanning process is simpler, but registration accuracy with preoperative models is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses force sensor feedback to detect and compensate for tissue deformation during scanning. By measuring contact forces at multiple points, the system reconstructs the deformed organ surface geometry and compensates for deformation effects in the 3D model. This feedback-based compensation achieves high registration accuracy without requiring complex real-time deformation modeling, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs force-based surface scanning before surgical resection begins, capturing the organ's initial deformed state. This preliminary scanning with deformation compensation establishes an accurate baseline model that can be registered with preoperative images. By performing the deformation compensation action preliminarily, the system achieves high registration accuracy without adding complexity to the ongoing surgical procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
A force sensed surface scanning system (20) employs a scanning robot (41) and a surface scanning controller (50). The scanning robot (41) includes a surface scanning end-effector (43) for generating force sensing data informative of a contact force applied by the surface scanning end-effector (43) to an anatomical organ. In operation, the surface scanning controller (50) controls a surface scanning of the anatomical organ by the surface scanning end-effector (43) including the surface scanning end-effector (43) generating the force sensing data, and further constructs an intraoperative volume model of the anatomical organ responsive to the force sensing data generated by the surface scanning end-effector (43) indicating a defined surface deformation offset of the anatomical organ.