Hand-Held Robotic Surgical Instrument for Guide-Free Tool Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical robotic systems face challenges such as cumbersome large robots, time-consuming setup of physical cutting guides, and navigation systems that distract users from the surgical site due to requiring them to look away from the tissue.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held robotic instrument system with a user-held portion, a tool support movably coupled to the hand-held portion, and actuators that move the tool support in three degrees of freedom, along with a constraint assembly to constrain movement, and a guidance array to visually indicate desired tool orientations and translations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If physical cutting guides are used to constrain surgical tools, then positioning accuracy is improved, but setup time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical mechanical cutting guides with a robotic actuation system. The robotic instrument uses actuators to automatically adjust and constrain the surgical tool in three degrees of freedom, eliminating the need for manual physical cutting guides and their associated setup time while maintaining positioning accuracy through electronic control and feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic instrument provides self-adjusting capability through its actuator system. The instrument can automatically position and constrain itself relative to the surgical site without requiring external physical guides, reducing setup time while maintaining precision through active control and feedback mechanisms.
2Manufacturing precision
If navigation systems with displays are used to track tool position, then positioning accuracy is improved, but user focus on surgical site deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic instrument performs self-positioning and self-constraint through its actuator system, eliminating the need for external navigation displays. The instrument automatically maintains the correct position and orientation through active control, allowing the user to focus entirely on the surgical site without requiring visual feedback from external displays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the positioning information and control functions from external navigation systems and integrates them directly into the hand-held robotic instrument. This eliminates the need for separate display devices and allows the user to maintain focus on the surgical site while still achieving precise positioning through the instrument's integrated actuation system.
3Manufacturing precision
If large robotic arms with six degrees of freedom are used, then positioning capability is improved, but ease of operation in operating room deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the robotic system into a compact hand-held portion that can be easily maneuvered by the user, separate from any base or support structure. This segmentation allows the positioning capability of a full robotic system while maintaining the ease of operation of a simple hand-held tool, as the actuated portions are integrated directly into the handheld instrument rather than requiring large external robotic arms.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system is provided comprising a robotic instrument for use with a tool. In some versions, the robotic instrument comprises a hand-held portion to be held by a user and a tool support movably coupled to the hand-held portion to support the tool. A plurality of actuators operatively interconnect the tool support and the hand-held portion to move the tool support in three degrees of freedom relative to the hand-held portion. An optional constraint assembly may operatively interconnect the tool support and the hand-held portion to constrain movement of the tool support relative to the hand-held portion in three degrees of freedom. A guidance array assists users in positioning the tool and/or portions of the instrument.