Dynamic Guided Setup for Teleoperated Surgical Arms

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current teleoperational medical systems lack an efficient guided setup process for minimally invasive surgeries, leading to potential errors and inefficiencies in the setup of surgical instruments and equipment, particularly in recognizing completion of setup steps and providing adaptive feedback to users.

Innovation Solution

A dynamic guided setup system that automatically recognizes the completion of setup steps through sensors and displays prompts for subsequent steps using a user interface, incorporating visual, auditory, and voice feedback, and includes a laser targeting system to assist in arranging surgical arms, allowing for flexible setup sequences and universal overrides.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual setup procedures are used for teleoperational medical systems, then flexibility in setup sequence is maintained, but errors and inefficiencies increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesetup accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically detects the physical arrangement of surgical arms and instruments through sensors, and autonomously determines completion of setup steps without requiring manual input from users. The system serves itself by monitoring its own configuration state and managing the setup workflow independently, thereby reducing human error while maintaining procedural flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Sensors continuously monitor the physical arrangement of surgical arms, instruments, and equipment, providing real-time feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables automatic recognition of setup step completion and dynamic adjustment of the setup process, improving reliability through closed-loop control while managing complexity through automated decision-making

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If automated detection of setup step completion is implemented, then efficiency and accuracy improve, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesetup efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Manual mechanical monitoring of setup steps is replaced with automated sensor-based detection systems. Optical sensors, position sensors, and other detection devices automatically monitor the physical arrangement of components, substituting human observation and manual verification with automated electronic detection, thereby improving efficiency while managing complexity through software-based control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor system serves multiple functions: detecting physical arrangement, determining setup step completion, providing feedback for automated control, and enabling dynamic workflow management. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single integrated system, the patent improves productivity while avoiding the complexity that would result from separate systems for each function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If dynamic guided setup system with automatic recognition is used, then setup accuracy and adaptability improve, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworkflow flexibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The setup system transitions from static, pre-programmed sequences to dynamic, adaptive workflows that respond in real-time to detected physical arrangements. The system dynamically adjusts the setup process based on sensor feedback, allowing flexible accommodation of non-standard configurations and workflows while maintaining accuracy through automated recognition and adaptation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4079251A1Guided setup for teleoperated medical device
Publication Date: 2022.10.26 INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS INC
  • EP4079251A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4079251A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4079251A1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

A teleoperational medical system for performing a medical procedure in a surgical field includes a dynamic guided setup system having step-by-step setup instructions for setting up a teleoperational assembly having at least one motorized surgical arm configured to assist in a surgical procedure. It also includes a user interface configured to communicate the step-by-step setup instructions to a user. The dynamic guided setup system is configured to automatically recognize completion of a first setup step based on detected physical arrangement of at least one surgical arm on a teleoperational assembly and automatically display a prompt for a subsequent setup step after the recognizing completion of the first setup step.