Medical Arm Virtual Wall Endoscope Safety Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical arm systems for endoscopic surgery lack sufficient proposals for ensuring safety and convenience during endoscope insertion into the human body, particularly in securing stable positioning and preventing organ damage.
Innovation Solution
A medical arm system with a multi-joint arm and a control device that sets a virtual wall based on relative positional relationships, using CT or MRI images, abdominal circumference measurements, or real-time distance sensing to define a movable range for the endoscope, preventing it from exceeding a safe zone within the body cavity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the endoscope is allowed to move freely in the body cavity, then the operator can access various areas for surgery, but the risk of organ damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
A virtual wall is introduced as an intermediary constraint between the endoscope and organs. The virtual wall is generated based on organ position information and acts as a protective barrier that the endoscope cannot penetrate, thereby preventing direct contact with organs while still allowing the endoscope to move freely within the safe zone
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously acquires position information of both the endoscope and organs, dynamically generates or updates the virtual wall based on this feedback, and adjusts the movable range constraints in real-time. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures the endoscope remains within safe boundaries while adapting to changing surgical conditions
2Reliability
If the movable range of the endoscope is strictly constrained, then organ damage is prevented, but the convenience of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual wall and movable range are not fixed but dynamically adjusted based on real-time position feedback of the endoscope and organs. The system can expand or contract the allowable movement space as needed, providing both safety constraints and operational flexibility depending on the surgical situation
Solution Approach 2:
The body cavity space is segmented into a safe zone (within virtual wall) and a restricted zone (beyond virtual wall). This spatial segmentation allows the endoscope to move freely within the safe zone while being automatically prevented from entering the restricted zone, balancing safety with operational freedom
3Reliability
If real-time position monitoring is implemented, then safety is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Physical monitoring devices or mechanical barriers are replaced with a computational virtual wall system. The system uses software-based position calculation and virtual constraint generation instead of complex mechanical monitoring apparatus, reducing physical system complexity while maintaining safety monitoring capability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of physically tracking and constraining the endoscope, the system creates a virtual copy or representation of the safe zone based on organ position data. This virtual model allows for simplified monitoring and control logic compared to direct physical intervention
Data Source
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AI summary
Proposed is a mechanism capable of securing both convenience and safety in regard to surgery performed by inserting an endoscope into a human body. A medical arm system including: a multi-joint arm which has a plurality of links connected by joints and a distal end to which an endoscope is connectable; and a control unit which sets a virtual plane in a body cavity of a patient and controls the multi-joint arm so as to constrain a predetermined point of the endoscope in the body cavity on the virtual plane.