Remote Manipulator System With Adjustable Pivot Points
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic surgical systems face challenges in intuitive operation due to restricted movement possibilities of endoscopic instruments, requiring a long learning phase and not shortening the duration of surgical interventions, especially in laparoscopic operations where incisions limit the degrees of freedom of surgical instruments.
Innovation Solution
A remote manipulator system with a motor-driven actuator mechanism and manually movable control elements that allow for independent movement and adjustment of pivot points, enabling precise control of endoscope apparatuses with multiple degrees of freedom, mirroring the movement of control elements to facilitate intuitive operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manually movable control elements are used to control endoscopic instruments, then the surgeon can control the movement of surgical instruments, but the restricted movement possibilities of endoscopic instruments due to incisions make intuitive operation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The control elements are designed with adjustable pivot points that can be repositioned to match the spatial arrangement of the endoscopic instruments' pivot points (incisions). This dynamic adjustability allows the control system to adapt to different surgical configurations, making the operation more intuitive while managing the complexity of movement restrictions.
Solution Approach 2:
The control elements are designed to mirror the movement possibilities and spatial relationships of the endoscopic instruments. By creating a simplified copy of the instrument geometry and pivot point arrangements at the control station, the surgeon experiences intuitive control that reflects the actual surgical field geometry, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the control elements have fixed pivot points, then the system structure is simple, but the system cannot adapt to different physiological conditions and instrument arrangements
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot points of the control elements are made adjustable rather than fixed, allowing the system to adapt to different physiological conditions, patient anatomies, and instrument configurations. This dynamic reconfigurability enables the control system to match various surgical scenarios while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The control elements are designed with universal adjustability features that allow them to accommodate multiple instrument types, different patient anatomies, and various surgical approaches. This multi-functionality enables a single control system design to handle diverse surgical conditions without requiring completely different control configurations.
3Ease of operation
If the control system mirrors the exact geometry of surgical instruments, then operation is intuitive, but the system cannot accommodate varying physiological conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses dynamically adjustable pivot points that can be repositioned to maintain geometric mirroring of the surgical instruments under varying physiological conditions. This allows the system to preserve intuitive control characteristics while adapting to different patient anatomies and surgical configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for parameter changes in the control element geometry and pivot point positions to match the specific surgical situation. By adjusting these parameters, the system maintains the intuitive geometric mirroring relationship between control elements and instruments while accommodating varying physiological conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A remote manipulator system according to the invention for carrying out manipulations in a body-internal cavity comprises a manipulator apparatus with a motor-driven actuator mechanism for moving at least two endoscope apparatuses that are insertable through a respective access opening into the body-internal cavity, said endoscope apparatuses each having an elongate shaft (3), wherein the at least two endoscope apparatuses are each displaceable along a longitudinal direction and pivotable about a pivot point (10) defined by the respective access opening, an operating apparatus (21, 71) with at least two control elements (22, 22′, 22″, 33, 72, 72′, 72″, 73), which each have an elongate shaft (23, 23′), wherein the at least two control elements (22, 22′, 22″, 33, 72, 72′, 72″, 73) are each, in manual fashion, displaceable in the direction of a longitudinal axis and pivotable about a pivot point (30), and a controller (75) which is embodied to detect a respective longitudinal displacement and pivot movement of the at least two control elements (22, 22′, 22″, 33, 72, 72′, 72″, 73) and actuate the manipulator apparatus (1) in such a way that the movements of the endoscope apparatuses correspond to those of the at least two control elements (22, 22′, 22″, 33, 72, 72′, 72″, 73), wherein the operating apparatus (21, 71) is embodied in such a way that a relative position of the pivot points (30) of the control elements (22, 22′, 22″, 33, 72, 72′, 72″, 73) is adjustable.