Master-Slave Robotic Surgical System with Force Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current steerable robotic catheter navigation systems lack tactile feedback, leading to increased risk of vessel damage during endovascular procedures due to excessive force exertion on vessel walls, and fail to replicate the natural manipulation skills of manual catheterization, resulting in high costs and long setup times.
Innovation Solution
A platform assembly with a master and slave platform, incorporating a force feedback control arrangement and movement control arrangement to provide tactile feedback and reduce forces on vessel walls, allowing for controlled catheter movement with natural feel and reduced frictional loads during insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If robotic actuators are used to manipulate the catheter, then navigation precision is improved, but operator control over forces exerted on vascular anatomy is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements force feedback control that measures forces at the catheter tip and provides real-time feedback to the operator through the master controller. This allows the operator to maintain intuitive control while the robot provides precise positioning, resolving the contradiction between automated precision and operator control.
Solution Approach 2:
The master-slave robotic system acts as an intermediary between the operator and the catheter. The master controller translates operator inputs into precise slave platform movements while maintaining force feedback, serving as a mediating device that combines human intent with robotic precision.
2Reliability
If force feedback is implemented in robotic catheter navigation, then safety is improved by preventing excessive force on vessel walls, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Force sensors at the catheter tip provide real-time force measurements that are fed back to the control system. This feedback loop enables automatic force regulation, preventing excessive forces on vessel walls while maintaining manageable system complexity through integrated sensing and control.
Solution Approach 2:
The force feedback system automatically regulates forces at the catheter tip without requiring constant manual intervention. The system serves itself by using sensor data to autonomously adjust actuator commands, maintaining safety while reducing operational complexity.
3Force
If teleoperated haptic interfaces are used for catheter manipulation, then force control is improved, but natural tactile cues from manual catheterisation are removed
Solution Approach 1:
The master controller provides force feedback that replicates the tactile sensations of manual catheter manipulation. By sensing forces at the catheter tip and transmitting them back to the operator's hands, the system maintains natural tactile cues while enabling precise force control that would be difficult to achieve with direct manual manipulation alone.
4Ease of operation
If robotic catheter systems are designed to exploit operator experience, then ease of operation is improved, but setup time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The master-slave robotic platform is designed as a universal system that can accommodate different catheter types and procedures while maintaining the same intuitive control interface. This multi-functionality allows the system to exploit operator experience across various applications without requiring procedure-specific reconfiguration, reducing setup time.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprising a platform assembly comprising a master platform and a slave platform, both the master platform and the slave platform being moveable, the platform assembly further comprising a force feedback control arrangement for applying a force to the master platform in response to a force exerted on a slave device mounted on the platform.