Microsurgical Control Component for Remote Center Motion Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic microsurgical procedures face challenges in maintaining precise control over surgical tools, particularly in maintaining the remote center of motion during intraocular surgery, which can lead to incision tearing and compromised surgical outcomes due to manual difficulty in controlling tool movements.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system with a control-component unit that includes direct-drive motors, such as linear voice coil motors, provides force feedback to operators, ensuring the tool maintains a remote center of motion by opposing unintended movements and balancing the control-component tool across multiple degrees of freedom, using sensors and computer processors to track and replicate tool movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual control of surgical tools is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but precision of tool movement and maintenance of remote center of motion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control component unit incorporates sensors that detect the position and movement of the surgical tool in real-time, providing feedback to the control system. This feedback loop enables the system to automatically adjust and correct tool movements, maintaining precision without sacrificing ease of operation. The force feedback mechanism also provides tactile information to the operator, enhancing control accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The control component unit serves as an intermediary between the operator and the surgical tool. It receives input from the operator, processes it through computational algorithms, and translates it into precise tool movements while maintaining the remote center of motion constraint. This intermediary layer enables decoupling of operator intent from tool execution, allowing for higher precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If robotic automation is increased, then precision of tool movement is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control component unit is designed as a multi-functional module that integrates position sensing, force feedback, computational control, and tool manipulation guidance. By consolidating these functions into a single integrated unit, the system achieves high precision without proportionally increasing overall system complexity. The modular design allows for easier maintenance and reduced complexity compared to fully automated robotic systems.
3Manufacturing precision
If force feedback is provided to operator, then control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The force feedback mechanism uses sensors to detect tool interactions with tissue and transmit this information back to the operator through the control component unit. This feedback enhances control precision by providing real-time tactile information, while the integrated design keeps complexity manageable. The feedback loop operates at multiple levels including position, force, and tool state monitoring.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances surgical precision by maintaining tool alignment within the incision, reducing the risk of incision tearing and improving surgical outcomes through accurate force feedback and balanced tool manipulation.
Implementation Method 1
direct-drive motors, such as linear voice coil motors
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods are described including a control-component unit that includes a plurality of links that are coupled to each other via a plurality of axes. A control-component tool is coupled to the links and configured to be moved by an operator such that as the operator moves the control-component tool along linear X, Y, and Z directions, the links rotate around the linear-movement-related. An X-direction link through which X-direction linear motion is effected, is aligned with a Z-movement-related axis about which movement in the Z-direction is effected, such that the X-direction link does not exert any torque about the Z-movement-related axis. Other applications are also described.