Portable Micro-Tool Actuation for Surgical Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robotic arms for handling micro-components are limited by a fixed base, restricting their use and requiring complex setups, whereas there is a need for a portable, manually operable device that offers high precision and ease of use, especially in surgery and micro-assembly applications.
Innovation Solution
A portable stand-alone device with a micro-tool that can be removably coupled to a main casing and actuated by servomotors, featuring rotational, translational, and oscillating movements, controlled by a unit with gyroscopic and motion detection sensors, voice recognition, and wrist gesture input, allowing for precise spatial positioning and autonomous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fixed base robotic arm is used for micro-component handling, then positioning precision can be achieved, but mobility and ease of operation are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into a main casing containing control electronics and a separate micro-tool component with servomotors. This segmentation allows the micro-tool to be removed for sterilization while maintaining the precision positioning capabilities of the main unit, resolving the contradiction between precision and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical robotic arm structures with an electronically controlled micro-tool system featuring servomotors and digital signal processing. This substitution enables precise positioning through electronic control rather than complex mechanical linkages, improving both precision and operational ease.
2Measurement precision
If a complex robotic system with multiple components is used, then functionality and precision are improved, but device complexity and difficulty of maintenance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control electronics, power management, and positioning algorithms into an integrated main casing unit. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components and interconnections, simplifying the overall device while maintaining high precision handling capabilities through the unified control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The micro-tool is designed with universal functionality to perform multiple micro-handling tasks including surgery, assembly, and sterilization. The single tool can be configured for different applications through electronic control rather than requiring multiple specialized mechanical systems, reducing device complexity.
3Strength
If a non-removable tool design is used, then structural integrity is maintained, but cleaning and sterilization become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into a main casing and a removable micro-tool component. The micro-tool can be detached for sterilization while the main casing remains intact, maintaining structural integrity of the primary system while enabling easy cleaning and sterilization of the removable component.
Solution Approach 2:
The micro-tool is extracted as a separate removable component from the main system. This extraction allows the tool to be removed for sterilization purposes while the main casing with its sensitive electronics remains protected and structurally intact, resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and ease of sterilization.
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
Enables high-precision, user-friendly handling of micro-components with enhanced freedom of movement, facilitating easy cleaning and sterilization, and allowing for accurate positioning without manual stabilization, suitable for surgeries and micro-assembly tasks.
Implementation Method 1
the control unit may include a gyroscopic sensor associated with the microprocessor in order to stabilise the position of the micro-tool on the three coordinate axes, absorbing or eliminating any unwanted minimal hand movement or trembling of the user's hand
Implementation Method 2
the control unit includes a motion detector associated with the microprocessor for detecting the position and acceleration on the three coordinate axes
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a portable stand-alone device (1), particularly suitable for use in surgery, micro-component handling and the like. The invention comprises: a micro-tool that can be removably coupled to a main casing (3); and actuation means for handling the micro-tool (2), associated with servomotors. The aforementioned actuation means comprise: a first actuator associated with a first servomotor (4), providing the micro-tool (2) with a degree of rotational freedom; a second actuator associated with a second servomotor and connected to the first actuator in order to move the micro-tool forwards and backwards in translation; and a third actuator (6) associated with a third servomotor, which oscillates the micro-tool in relation to the longitudinal axis of the first and second actuators. The first, second and third actuators are associated with a control unit (7) for determining the position of the micro-tool in space.