Magnetic Field Surgical Tool Control System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional minimally invasive surgical (MIS) devices and robotic systems face limitations in providing intuitive and natural motion control for surgical tools within a patient's body, with constraints on degrees of freedom, operator fatigue, and high costs associated with robotic systems.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system that remotely controls the movement of surgical tools using an external master assembly and a slave assembly, allowing for mimicked motion without physical linkage, enabling movement in multiple degrees of freedom and reducing operator fatigue, while being cost-effective.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional MIS devices are used, then the surgical procedure can be performed through small incisions, but the motion control is limited to four degrees of freedom and requires counter-intuitive handle movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical linkage system of conventional MIS devices with a magnetic field-based control system. Magnets embedded in the control handle interact with magnetometers in the instrument shaft, enabling wireless transmission of motion commands and eliminating the need for physical linkages that constrained degrees of freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces magnetic fields as an intermediary between the operator's hand movements and the instrument tip movements. The magnetic field serves as a mediator that transmits motion information without direct mechanical contact, allowing for more flexible and intuitive control with increased degrees of freedom.
2Adaptability or versatility
If robotic systems are used to assist MIS procedures, then more degrees of freedom and intuitive hand movements are achieved, but the physical space required and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs inexpensive magnetic components (magnets and magnetometers) that can be integrated into standard MIS instruments rather than requiring complex robotic systems. This approach provides robotic-like functionality at a fraction of the cost, making the technology economically viable for widespread adoption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential control functionality from complex robotic systems and implements it through a simplified magnetic field-based approach. By separating the control function from the mechanical structure, the system achieves robotic-like precision without the associated complexity and cost.
3Ease of operation
If robotic systems are used, then intuitive hand movements are achieved, but the physical space required during surgical procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible magnetic field lines to transmit control signals, allowing the control handle to be positioned anywhere within the magnetic field range rather than requiring fixed mechanical linkages. This flexibility enables intuitive hand movements without requiring large physical spaces or complex mechanical structures.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices are provided for controlling movement of a distal end of a surgical instrument. In general, the methods and devices can allow for controlling movement of surgical tools, and in particular for causing mimicked motion between an external control unit and a surgical tool positioned within a patient's body. In one embodiment, a surgical system is provided having a master assembly including an input tool and a slave assembly including a surgical instrument. The master assembly and the slave assembly can be configured to be electronically coupled together such that movement of the master assembly can be electronically communicated to the slave assembly to cause mimicked movement of the slave assembly.