Medical Robot Pneumatic Manifold Layout for Compact Precise Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing pneumatic drive mechanisms for medical robots are bulky due to the need for multiple drive sources to control the operation, orientation, and angle of surgical tools, leading to increased size and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A compact pneumatic drive mechanism is designed with a manifold having cylinders and air supply ports arranged to consolidate air supply ports on one side, allowing for orthogonal arrangement of cylinders and pipes, and incorporating a linear encoder for precise positioning without interfering with air supply ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple drive sources are used to independently drive each operation of the surgical tool, then the control precision is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple air supply ports into a single unified air supply mechanism. The air supply unit integrates multiple ports that can independently control different cylinders, allowing precise control of multiple surgical tool operations from a single compact air supply source, thereby reducing overall device size while maintaining control precision
Solution Approach 2:
The air supply unit is designed with multi-functionality, where a single unit can supply controlled air pressure to multiple cylinders for different surgical tool operations. This universal air supply mechanism eliminates the need for separate drive sources for each operation, reducing device size while preserving independent control capability
2Productivity
If air supply ports are distributed on both sides of the manifold, then the pneumatic connection efficiency is improved, but the device configuration size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates air supply ports onto one side of the manifold by utilizing the depth dimension of the manifold structure. Instead of distributing ports across both sides (width dimension), the design routes air supply connections through the manifold's internal passages to a single-sided port arrangement, reducing the device's width while maintaining pneumatic efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The air supply ports are nested within the manifold structure itself, with internal passages routing air from a single external connection point to multiple internal ports on one side. This nested arrangement allows efficient pneumatic distribution without requiring external ports on both sides of the manifold
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
This configuration reduces the overall size of the device configuration while maintaining precise control and positioning accuracy, enhancing the compactness and efficiency of the medical robot's pneumatic drive system.
Implementation Method 1
a pneumatic drive mechanism that manipulates a surgical tool... drive mechanism using pneumatic pressure... air supply ports that feed the cylinders with air for moving the respective rods forward and backward
Data Source
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AI summary
An aspect of the present invention provides a pneumatic drive mechanism for a medical robot. The pneumatic drive mechanism includes: a manifold having a plurality of cylinders extending in a first direction; and respective rods corresponding to the plurality of cylinders. The rods extend on one side in the first direction. The manifold further has a plurality of air supply ports that feed the cylinders with air for moving the respective rods forward and backward. The air supply ports are provided on the other side in the first direction in the manifold. It is therefore possible to consolidate the arrangement of the plurality of air supply ports on one side (rear side) of the manifold to reduce the size of the device configuration.