Surgical Instrument Actuation Sleeve for Precise Robotic Manipulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical instruments for eye surgery, particularly those used in robotic platforms, are bulky, impractical, and pose risks due to manual manipulation errors and potential accidental sliding during operations.
Innovation Solution
An actuation mechanism comprising a sleeve with studs and wheels, drive shafts, and mechanical transmission elements that allow for precise manipulation and actuation of surgical instruments with multiple degrees of freedom, ensuring safety and compatibility with a wide range of standard instruments without hardware modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a base with rotational and translational movements is used to install a surgical instrument, then the instrument can be manipulated with multiple degrees of freedom, but the apparatus becomes bulky and impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument is nested within a cylindrical sleeve that rotates around its longitudinal axis. The instrument shaft is received inside the sleeve, allowing the sleeve to rotate independently while the instrument remains contained within it. This nested configuration enables rotational manipulation without requiring a bulky base structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus is segmented into distinct functional components: a cylindrical sleeve for rotation, a jaw assembly for gripping, and a surgical instrument for execution. Each component performs a specific function and can be independently controlled, allowing compact design while maintaining multiple degrees of freedom for manipulation.
2Ease of operation
If a collar is installed on the instrument to enable manipulation, then the instrument can be actuated, but the instrument requires prior installation and modification
Solution Approach 1:
The cylindrical sleeve is designed with a universal interface that can accommodate various surgical instruments with different shafts. The sleeve rotates around the instrument shaft and engages with the jaw assembly through a standardized mechanism, allowing the same sleeve structure to work with multiple instrument types without requiring instrument-specific modifications or installations.
3Ease of operation
If manual intervention is used to manipulate the instrument, then the practitioner can control the instrument, but there is a risk of manipulation error and accidental sliding
Solution Approach 1:
The manual manipulation system is replaced with a robotic system comprising a cylindrical sleeve actuated by a drive shaft, a jaw assembly with mechanical transmission elements, and a control system. The drive shaft rotates the sleeve in a controlled manner, and the jaw assembly translates this rotation into precise gripping and manipulation actions, eliminating manual manipulation errors and accidental sliding.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the position and movement of the surgical instrument are continuously monitored. The control system receives information about the instrument's state and adjusts the drive shaft rotation and jaw positioning accordingly, ensuring precise control and preventing accidental sliding or manipulation errors.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a complex base structure is used to support the instrument, then the instrument can be manipulated, but the workspace becomes cluttered and impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The complex base structure is extracted and replaced with a simple cylindrical sleeve that rotates around the instrument shaft. The manipulation functionality is extracted from the base and integrated into the sleeve-jaw assembly system, which is much more compact and easier to integrate into the surgical workflow without cluttering the workspace.
Data Source
AI summary
An actuation mechanism for a surgical instrument (100) includes a sleeve (202) configured to receive the surgical instrument and including one or more parts (208, 210, 226), with studs (250, 252) provided on each part, on some parts only, or distributed over the different parts. At least two wheels (204, 206) are mounted on the sleeve on either side of the part or parts, each wheel being equipped with at least one groove (242) and a mechanical transmission element (244). The groove of each wheel movably receives one of the studs in the groove. At least two drive shafts (212, 214), each being equipped with a first mechanical transmission element (254), cooperate with the mechanical transmission element (244) of one of the wheels.