Remote Center Manipulator With Redundant Axis for Wider Surgical Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimally invasive robotic surgical systems face limitations in the range of motion provided by robotic surgical manipulators, which can impose hazardous forces against the abdominal wall during procedures.
Innovation Solution
A remote center manipulator is designed with rotationally coupled joints and linkage configurations that constrain the surgical instrument to move around a remote center of manipulation, allowing for improved range of motion without imposing hazardous forces, including parallelogram motion and conical sweep mechanisms to reorient the instrument holder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional robotic manipulator linkages are used to support surgical instruments, then the instrument can be positioned at the surgical site, but the range of motion is limited and hazardous forces may be imposed against the abdominal wall
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator is divided into multiple independent rotational joints (first joint for yaw motion, second joint for pitch motion, third joint for additional reorientation) that can be controlled independently. This segmentation allows the instrument to achieve complex motion paths while maintaining the remote center constraint, thereby increasing range of motion without imposing hazardous forces on the abdominal wall
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a third rotational joint that adds an additional degree of freedom for reorienting the instrument holder. This additional dimension of motion allows the manipulator to achieve greater versatility and adaptability in positioning the surgical instrument while maintaining the remote center of manipulation constraint, resolving the contradiction between limited range of motion and hazardous force imposition
2Reliability
If the remote center of manipulation is constrained to a fixed position, then safety is improved by avoiding forces against tissue, but the manipulator complexity increases due to multiple coupled joints
Solution Approach 1:
The rotational joints are configured to be self-constraining through their geometric arrangement and coupling mechanisms. The first, second, and third joints work together to automatically maintain the remote center of manipulation at a fixed position relative to the patient, without requiring external active control or complex feedback systems. This self-service mechanism achieves safety through inherent mechanical design rather than complex control, resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Robotic surgery systems include a floor supported surgical robot with offset links. A robotic surgery system includes a surgical robot and a control system. The surgical robot includes a manipulator and a floor/pedestal mount. The manipulator includes a mounting base, a yaw joint, an offset extension link, a parallelogram linkage assembly, and an instrument holder. The floor/pedestal mount is configured for supporting the mounting base in a fixed position and orientation relative to a patient and includes set-up joints operable to reposition and reorient the mounting base to reposition a remote center of manipulation relative to the patient prior to conducting surgery on the patient via the manipulator. The manipulator includes offset links. The control system is configured to electronically communicate with and control operation of the manipulator to articulate a surgical instrument during surgery.