Remote Center Guidance for Robotic Cannula Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical procedures, such as laparoscopy and endoscopy, face challenges in accurately navigating medical instruments through body orifices due to the lack of precise control over the remote center of motion, leading to inefficiencies and potential complications.
Innovation Solution
A robotic medical system with a control unit that determines and maintains a remote center of motion for medical tools, using a robotic arm with a visual and auditory alert system to guide precise instrument movement, ensuring the instrument's orientation and position are constrained to enhance navigation and reduce friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a robotic arm is used to control medical instrument movement, then navigation precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control unit as an intermediary between the robotic arm and the medical instrument. The control unit receives operator input and automatically calculates and executes the complex coordination required to maintain remote center constraint, thereby improving navigation precision without directly increasing the mechanical complexity of the robotic arm itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical constraint mechanisms with a control system that uses sensors and algorithms to enforce the remote center constraint. Instead of purely mechanical linkages and guides, the system uses electronic control to achieve the same effect, reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining precision.
2Ease of operation
If the remote center is constrained to reduce friction, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system automatically monitors the position of the medical instrument and autonomously adjusts the robotic arm to maintain the remote center constraint. This self-regulating capability reduces friction and improves ease of operation without requiring complex manual adjustment mechanisms, as the system performs the constraint maintenance automatically.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control loop where sensors continuously monitor the position of the medical instrument relative to the remote center, and the control unit automatically adjusts the robotic arm position to maintain the constraint. This closed-loop feedback system ensures the remote center constraint is maintained with minimal operator effort, improving ease of operation while using electronic control rather than complex mechanical systems.
3Reliability
If visual and auditory alerts are added to guide mode, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual alerts in the form of color changes or light signals to indicate the guided mode status and provide feedback to the operator. These visual indicators enhance reliability by clearly communicating system state without requiring complex mechanical or structural modifications, using instead electronic display elements that can be integrated into the existing robotic arm interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces potential mechanical alert systems (such as physical indicators or switches) with electronic visual and auditory alert components. This substitution maintains or improves reliability through clearer communication of system state while reducing mechanical complexity, as electronic alerts can be controlled software-based without adding mechanical parts.
Data Source
AI summary
At least one robotic arm is coupled to an instrument and docked to a cannula. The cannula includes a first location of the cannula and a second location of the cannula. The at least one robotic arm is capable of entering a guided mode whereby a remote center of motion changes from the first location of the cannula to the second location of the cannula, and wherein an alert associated with the guided mode informs a user of entry into the guided mode.