Articulated Surgical Arm Control Through Mirrored Input Limbs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical systems lack an efficient and intuitive input device for controlling articulated surgical devices, particularly in minimally invasive surgical procedures, where precise movement and control are crucial.

Innovation Solution

A surgical system comprising an input device with an articulated limb that mirrors the surgical device's articulated limb, allowing for precise control through a controller that maps the movement of the input device's portions to corresponding movements of the surgical device's portions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional control interfaces are used for surgical devices, then device control is possible, but the control lacks intuitiveness and precision for articulated movements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintuitiveness of controlVSAvoidprecision of movement control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The input device creates a simplified copy of the surgical device's articulated limb structure, allowing the user to manipulate a model that mirrors the actual device geometry. This copying approach enables intuitive control while maintaining precise mapping between input movements and surgical device responses through the controller.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Ease of operation

If the input device mirrors the surgical device structure, then control intuitiveness is improved, but the input device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol intuitivenessVSAvoidinput device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The input device is segmented into multiple independently controllable portions that correspond to segments of the surgical device. Each segment can be manipulated separately, allowing complex articulated movements to be broken down into simpler, more manageable components that reduce overall device complexity while maintaining structural mirroring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The input device portions are nested within a compact housing structure, with articulated segments contained within one another similar to nested dolls. This nesting approach allows the complex multi-segment structure to be packaged in a space-efficient manner, reducing the overall footprint and apparent complexity of the input device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Measurement precision

If multiple articulated portions are controlled independently, then movement precision is improved, but the control system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemovement control precisionVSAvoidcontrol system

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller is designed as a universal control system that handles multiple articulated portions through a unified control architecture. The same control algorithms and processing methods are applied across all portions, allowing independent precision control of multiple segments without requiring separate specialized control systems for each portion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3753518B1Control of device including mechanical arms

Publication Date: 2025.04.23 MOMENTIS SURGICAL LTD

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Figure 1B
Figure 1C~1D

AI summary

A method of jointed device movement inside a body comprising: measuring movement of at least one input object portion; mapping the measured input object portion movement to a jointed device portion movement; and moving the device portion according to mapped measured movements.