Robotic Arm Assembly With Internally Driven Gear Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern surgical technologies face challenges in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) due to limited access and degrees of freedom of surgical robotic systems, requiring multiple incisions and struggling to provide sufficient anchoring and reactive forces, especially in accessing all parts of the abdominal cavity and performing reverse-directed procedures.
Innovation Solution
A robotic arm assembly with a configurable external anchor and port assembly that provides additional in vitro degrees of freedom, allowing for torsional, pivotal, and telescopic movements, enabling instruments to access all quadrants of the abdominal cavity through a single access point and supporting reverse-directed surgical procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple incisions are made to access the abdominal cavity, then the surgical team can insert camera and laparoscopic instruments, but the patient suffers from multiple access wounds and the procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The port assembly is designed as a universal access point that can accommodate multiple different instruments including camera, laparoscopic tools, and robotic arms simultaneously through a single incision, eliminating the need for multiple separate access points
2Object-affected harmful factors
If surgical robotic arms are inserted through a single access point, then the number of incisions is reduced, but the degrees of freedom and ability to access all quadrants of the abdominal cavity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm assembly incorporates multiple joints including shoulder joints with first and second degrees of freedom, elbow joints, and wrist joints that provide rotational movements in different planes, effectively adding dimensional freedom of movement to overcome the single access point limitation
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm is divided into multiple segmented components (shoulder section, upper arm assembly, forearm assembly, wrist assembly) that can independently articulate and position themselves to reach different quadrants of the abdominal cavity through coordinated movement
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional surgical robotic systems are used, then standard procedures can be performed, but reverse-directed procedures and complex maneuvers are difficult to execute
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm assembly features dynamically adjustable joints with variable degrees of freedom that can adapt their range of motion during the procedure, allowing the system to transition between standard and reverse-directed procedures by reconfiguring joint movements in real-time
Data Source
AI summary
Example embodiments relate to robotic arm assemblies. The robotic arm assembly may include upper arm segment and shoulder coupling joint assembly. Upper arm segment includes a motor. Shoulder coupling joint assembly connects upper arm segment to shoulder segment. Shoulder coupling joint assembly includes distal and proximal shoulder joint subassemblies. Distal shoulder joint subassembly is connected to the upper arm segment. Distal shoulder joint subassembly includes gear train system having gear stages including first distal elbow gear stage and second distal elbow gear stage. First distal elbow gear stage includes bevel gears. Second distal elbow gear stage includes a planetary gear assembly. Proximal shoulder joint subassembly connects the shoulder segment to the distal shoulder joint subassembly.