Redundant Robot Power and Communication for Fault Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical robotic arms are heavy and cumbersome, and faults in the communication or power system can render them inoperable, potentially caging the patient during surgery, necessitating mechanical bailouts that risk injury.
Innovation Solution
A fault-safe redundant robot power and communication architecture with dual communication controllers and monitoring, ensuring continuous operation by switching to a redundant controller upon fault detection, and redundant power sources with circuit breakers to isolate faults.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single communication controller is used in the surgical robotic system, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates because a fault in the communication controller can render the robotic arms inoperable and potentially cage the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The communication controller is divided into two independent communication controllers (first and second), each capable of independently controlling the robotic arms. This segmentation allows the system to maintain functionality even if one controller fails, as the other controller can take over without requiring complete system shutdown or mechanical bailout procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The redundant communication controller serves as a pre-prepared backup that is already integrated into the system architecture. When a fault is detected in the primary communication controller, the system can immediately switch to the redundant controller without requiring external intervention or mechanical bailouts, thereby cushioning against the potential harm of patient entrapment.
2Reliability
If mechanical bailouts are implemented to free the patient from caged robotic arms, then the reliability is improved, but the safety deteriorates because users may accidentally drop the arm on the patient during manual removal
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical bailout system is replaced with a redundant communication controller system that provides software-level fault recovery. Instead of physically manipulating the robotic arms to free the patient (mechanical approach), the system uses a secondary communication controller to maintain electronic control and prevent arm movement that could harm the patient, thereby substituting mechanical intervention with an electronic control approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The redundant communication controller acts as an intermediary between the host and the robotic arms during fault conditions. Rather than allowing direct mechanical manipulation of the arms (which risks patient injury), the intermediary controller mediates all control signals, ensuring that any arm movement is controlled and safe, thus eliminating the harmful aspect of mechanical bailouts while maintaining fault recovery capability.
3Strength
If the robotic arms are made heavy and sturdy with metal materials to ensure structural strength, then the strength is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates because the arms become cumbersome and difficult to manually reposition during surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical repositioning of heavy robotic arms is replaced with electronic control through the redundant communication controller. Instead of manually lifting and moving the heavy metal arms (mechanical operation), the controller can electronically adjust arm positions, reduce motor torques, or put actuators into free-wheel mode, thereby maintaining structural strength while dramatically improving ease of repositioning during surgery.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic circuit for a surgical robotic system includes a central power node, a first voltage bus that electrically couples a first power source to the node, a second voltage bus that electrically couples a second power source to the node, and several robotic arms, each arm is electrically coupled to the node via an output circuit breaker and is arranged to draw power from the node. Each bus is arranged to provide power from a respective power source to the node and each bus has an input circuit breaker that is arranged to limit a first output current flow from the node and into the bus. Each breaker that is arranged to limit a second output current flow from the node and into a respective arm. A breaker is arranged to open in response to a fault occurring within the respective arm, while the other breakers remain closed.