Medical Manipulator Arm Alignment with Insertion Port

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing remote operation-type surgery systems lack flexibility in coping with variations in the position of the trocar during minimally invasive surgeries, requiring manual adjustments of the mechanical settings and physical disposition of the arms, which complicates the surgical procedure.

Innovation Solution

A medical manipulator with a multiple-degree freedom arm, retention means for maintaining the insertion port position, determination means for calculating the optimal insertion posture, and control means for adjusting the arm to align the medical instrument's major axis with the insertion port position, allowing for flexible adaptation to varying trocar positions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual adjustments of mechanical settings and physical disposition of arms are made to cope with trocar position variations, then the system can adapt to different insertion port positions, but the operation convenience and procedural efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to trocar position variationsVSAvoidoperation convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically determines the required arm posture and executes positioning without requiring manual mechanical adjustments. The control unit autonomously calculates the posture based on detected trocar position and controls the multiple-degree freedom arm to achieve proper alignment, making the system self-adjusting and eliminating the need for operator intervention in the positioning process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical adjustments are replaced with an automated control system that uses sensors to detect trocar position, processes this information through a control unit, and actuates the arm through electronic control mechanisms. This substitution of manual mechanical operations with automated sensor-based control resolves the contradiction by maintaining adaptability while dramatically improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to trocar position variationsVSAvoidsurgical procedure time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of the trocar position using sensors before the surgical procedure begins. The control unit pre-calculates the required arm posture and positions the multiple-degree freedom arm in advance, so that when the surgical procedure starts, the system is already configured and ready, eliminating time-consuming adjustments during the actual surgery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The automated positioning system operates independently and autonomously to complete the arm positioning task without requiring surgical team intervention. This self-service capability eliminates the time that would otherwise be spent on manual mechanical adjustments and coordination during the surgical procedure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If the medical instrument's major axis is aligned with the insertion port position, then the precision of minimally invasive surgery is improved, but the complexity of positioning and control increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of instrument alignmentVSAvoidpositioning and control complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Complex manual positioning and alignment procedures are replaced with an automated control system that uses sensors to detect the insertion port position, calculates the required instrument orientation, and controls the multiple-degree freedom arm to achieve precise alignment. This electronic control system handles the complexity internally while presenting a simple interface to the surgical team.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates sensors that continuously detect the position of the insertion port and provide feedback to the control unit. Based on this feedback, the control unit adjusts the multiple-degree freedom arm in real-time to maintain precise alignment of the medical instrument's major axis with the insertion port, ensuring high precision while managing complexity through closed-loop control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS9844416B2Medical manipulator and method of controlling the same

Publication Date: 2017.12.19 MEDICAROID CORP

AI summary

A medical manipulator is disclosed, which includes a multiple-degree freedom arm which can be mounted with a medical instrument, an insertion port position which indicates a spatial position of an insertion port for inserting the medical instrument mounted in the multiple-degree freedom arm into a human body is retained. An insertion posture of the medical instrument is determined so as to cause an extended line of a major axis of the medical instrument to pass through the spatial position indicated by the retained insertion port position, outside the human body. The multiple-degree freedom arm is controlled so as to realize the determined insertion posture.