Surgical Robot Arm Interface for Manual Instrument Detachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical robotic systems face challenges in safely and efficiently detaching instruments from the robot arm, especially during system faults or power disruptions, requiring manual detachment at the surgical site without causing patient damage.
Innovation Solution
The surgical robot arm and instrument interface are designed with drive assembly and instrument interface elements arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, allowing detachment in a parallel direction without moving the instrument relative to the arm, facilitated by a range of motion and interlocking protrusions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the instrument is detached manually at the surgical site during system faults or power disruptions, then patient safety is improved, but the complexity of the detachment mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interface is divided into separate drive assembly interface elements and instrument interface elements that can independently engage and disengage. Each element operates as an independent unit, allowing the instrument to be detached manually without requiring complex coordinated movements of the entire robot arm or instrument assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive assembly interface elements are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the terminal link, enabling detachment in a direction parallel to this plane. This dimensional arrangement allows manual detachment without requiring movement along the longitudinal axis, simplifying the detachment mechanism while maintaining safety.
2Ease of operation
If the instrument can be detached without moving the robot arm, then ease of operation is improved, but the mechanical drive transfer efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The drive assembly interface elements are pre-configured in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with interlocking protrusions and recesses already positioned to engage with corresponding instrument interface elements. This preliminary arrangement enables immediate manual detachment without requiring preparatory movements of the robot arm, while the mechanical drive transfer path remains optimized through the perpendicular arrangement of interface elements.
3Ease of operation
If the interface elements are arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, then ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The perpendicular arrangement of drive assembly interface elements serves multiple functions simultaneously: it enables manual detachment without robot arm movement, maintains mechanical drive transfer efficiency, and provides a compact interface design. The same geometric arrangement that simplifies operation also optimizes the mechanical drive path and reduces overall interface complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical robot arm comprises a base connected to a terminal link (503) via a series of intermediate joints. The terminal link (503) comprises a drive assembly interface comprising drive assembly interface elements (1101a,b,c). Each drive assembly interface element is configured to: engage an instrument interface element (901a,b,c) of an instrument interface of a robotic surgical instrument when the surgical robot arm engages the robotic surgical instrument; and move relative to the drive assembly interface across a range of motion so as to, when engaged with the instrument interface element, transfer drive to that instrument interface element. The drive assembly interface elements are arranged across a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the terminal link such that the robotic surgical instrument is detachable from the surgical robot arm in a detachment direction parallel to the plane when each drive assembly interface element is anywhere within its range of motion.