Robotic Arm Auto-Positioning for Surgical Registration Start Pose

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing robotically-assisted surgical systems face challenges in accurately and efficiently preparing a patient's anatomy for joint replacement procedures, particularly in creating precise planar surfaces and pilot holes for implant components, which affects the alignment and biomechanics of prosthetic components and soft tissue tension.

Innovation Solution

A robotic surgical system with a tracking system and computing system that guides a robotic arm to create precise planar surfaces and pilot holes using a motorized movement to a starting pose, facilitated by a registration or calibration routine, ensuring accurate alignment and secure coupling of implant components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a robotic arm is manually positioned for registration or calibration routine, then the system can perform surgical operations, but the accuracy and efficiency of positioning is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidmanual positioning complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The robotic arm performs self-positioning through automated motorized movement to the starting pose. The system uses its own tracking system and control mechanisms to automatically determine and execute the correct position for registration or calibration routines, eliminating the need for external manual intervention and thereby improving positioning accuracy while reducing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If the robotic arm is repositioned manually between surgical operations, then the system can adapt to different surgical sites, but the time required for repositioning increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverepositioning flexibilityVSAvoidrepositioning time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary automated positioning of the robotic arm to the starting pose before surgical operations begin. By pre-establishing the correct position through motorized movement and automated control, the system eliminates time-consuming manual repositioning while maintaining the ability to adapt to different surgical sites, thus reducing repositioning time without sacrificing versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If the robotic arm uses motorized movement to a starting pose, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestarting pose accuracyVSAvoidautomation system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual mechanical positioning with automated motorized movement controlled by a computing system. The motorized actuation mechanisms, guided by tracking system data and control algorithms, substitute for manual manipulation, thereby improving starting pose accuracy while the automated control reduces the complexity of manual operation procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20260001226A1Robotic surgical system with motorized movement to a starting pose for a registration or calibration routine

Publication Date: 2026.01.01 MAKO SURGICAL CORP

AI summary

A surgical system includes an optical tracking system including a detector, a robotic arm including an end effector, and a computing system programmed to control, in response to joint angles of the robotic arm satisfying one or more criteria, the robotic arm to move the end effector of the robotic arm from outside a field of view of the detector of the optical tracking system to within the field of view of the detector of the optical tracking system.