Reduced Profile Robotic Surgical Device Drivetrain Nesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally invasive surgical technologies, such as laparoscopy and robotic systems like the da Vinci Surgical System, face limitations due to mobility restrictions and limited visual feedback, and are often large, expensive, and not widely available in hospitals, restricting their scope and complexity in surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
Development of a reduced-profile robotic surgical device with a compact design, featuring a distal section width of 28-30 mm and depth of 22-24 mm, and arm dimensions of 13-15 mm in width and 20-26 mm in depth, equipped with drivetrain assemblies and end effectors, allowing for enhanced mobility and visualization within a body cavity through a single incision, reducing the need for large access ports and specialized infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a robotic surgical system is designed with traditional size and configuration, then it provides sufficient power and functionality, but it requires large access ports and specialized infrastructure, increasing cost and reducing mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic surgical device is divided into modular components including a robotic arm, end effector, and drivetrain assembly that can be independently optimized and assembled. This segmentation allows the system to achieve sufficient functionality while reducing overall size requirements and infrastructure needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The drivetrain assembly is nested within the robotic arm structure, with motors and mechanical components integrated into the arm's housing. This nesting approach reduces the external dimensions of the device, enabling smaller access ports and reducing infrastructure requirements while maintaining full functionality.
2Strength
If rigid tools are used in minimally invasive laparoscopy, then structural strength is maintained, but mobility and dexterity are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm incorporates articulated joints with rotational degrees of freedom that allow dynamic adjustment of the arm's configuration. This dynamic design enables the arm to adapt its posture and movement capabilities while maintaining structural strength through the joint mechanism design.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm is segmented into multiple articulated links connected by joints, allowing each segment to move independently. This segmentation provides both structural integrity through the joint connections and enhanced mobility through the articulated movements, overcoming the limitations of traditional rigid tools.
3Manufacturing precision
If robotic systems like da Vinci are implemented, then surgical precision is improved, but cost and availability are significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm incorporates self-contained drivetrain assemblies with integrated motors and mechanical transmissions that can be manufactured using standard components. This self-service design reduces dependency on expensive specialized infrastructure and enables more affordable production while maintaining surgical precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses parameter optimization in the drivetrain design, including gear ratios and motor specifications, to achieve the required precision with cost-effective components. By carefully selecting and optimizing these parameters, the system attains surgical precision without requiring expensive specialized infrastructure.
4Ease of operation
If access ports are reduced in size, then mobility and visualization are improved, but the device must be more compact, reducing internal space for drivetrain components
Solution Approach 1:
The drivetrain components are nested within the robotic arm's internal structure, with motors positioned within the arm housing and mechanical transmissions integrated into the joint mechanisms. This nesting allows the device to maintain a compact footprint for improved visualization while providing sufficient internal space for all necessary drivetrain components.
Solution Approach 2:
The drivetrain components are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration within the arm, utilizing vertical and radial spaces efficiently. This dimensional arrangement allows compact packaging of the drivetrain while maintaining adequate space for each component, enabling small access ports without compromising internal functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Robotic surgical devices having an elongate device body with a distal section having a distal section diameter and a proximal section having a proximal section diameter that is greater than the distal section diameter and first and second arms operably coupled to a distal end of the device body. In some embodiments, the elongate device body has first and second drivetrain assemblies, with both such assemblies having a pitch drivetrain and a roll drivetrain. In other embodiments, the first and second arms each have a forearm having a rotation drivetrain and a roll drivetrain.