Host Controller Nonvolatile Memory Error Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Robotic surgical systems face memory errors due to elevated temperatures during sterilization, leading to malfunctions that can have severe health and financial consequences, and require manual intervention for error correction, causing inconvenience and prolonged downtime.

Innovation Solution

A method where a host controller in a robotic surgical system communicates with an embedded component to perform a test on nonvolatile memory, determines errors, and modifies the memory to correct them automatically, eliminating the need for human intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual human intervention is used to address memory errors in end effectors, then the error can be corrected, but the system experiences prolonged downtime and user inconvenience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory error correctionVSAvoidsystem downtime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The host controller automatically performs memory diagnostics and correction operations on the end effector's nonvolatile memory without requiring manual human intervention. The system self-diagnoses memory errors by executing test processes and self-corrects by modifying the nonvolatile memory, thereby eliminating the need for human operators to intervene and reducing system downtime.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The host controller performs memory error detection and correction before the end effector is deployed for surgical operations. By conducting preliminary memory diagnostics and correcting potential errors in advance, the system prevents memory-related malfunctions during actual use, ensuring reliability while minimizing interruption time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If memory errors are left uncorrected in end effectors, then system availability is maintained, but severe health-related and financial consequences may occur during surgery

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem availabilityVSAvoidsurgical safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The host controller establishes a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors the health of the end effector's nonvolatile memory by requesting and evaluating results from test processes. When memory errors are detected through this feedback loop, the host controller automatically initiates correction operations, thereby maintaining both system availability and surgical safety through continuous monitoring and immediate remediation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements protective measures by detecting and correcting memory errors before they can cause surgical malfunctions. The host controller proactively identifies potential failures through memory testing and applies corrective actions in advance, cushioning against the harmful effects of memory errors that could otherwise lead to severe health-related and financial consequences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Ease of operation

If automated error correction is implemented, then user convenience and system operability are improved, but the complexity of the control system increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror correction processVSAvoidhost controller functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The host controller is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as the primary control interface for surgical operations and as an automated memory diagnostic and correction system. By integrating memory error detection and correction capabilities into the existing host controller, the system improves ease of operation without requiring separate dedicated hardware, thereby managing complexity through functional consolidation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10105189B2Techniques for correcting an error in a nonvolatile memory of an embedded component for an end effector in a robotic surgical system

Publication Date: 2018.10.23 MAKO SURGICAL CORP

AI summary

A method for correcting an error of a nonvolatile memory of an embedded component for an end effector used in a robotic surgical system is provided. The robotic surgical system includes a host controller in communication with the embedded component. The embedded component of the end effector performs a test process to test the nonvolatile memory. The host controller of the robotic surgical system requests a result of the test process from the embedded component of the end effector. The host controller determines that the error of the nonvolatile memory has occurred after requesting the result of the test process from the embedded component of the end effector. The host controller modifies the nonvolatile memory of the embedded component of the end effector to correct the error.