Robotic Surgical End Effector Drive for Controlled Jaw Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic surgical systems often lack haptic feedback, leading to a loss of direct tissue manipulation feel and potential over-application of force during tissue grasping, sealing, and cutting with electrosurgical forceps.
Innovation Solution
An electrosurgical instrument with an end effector assembly featuring jaw members that provide controlled movement and pressure adjustment through a handle mechanism, incorporating levers, gears, linkages, and springs to simulate haptic feedback, allowing precise control of jaw closure pressure for grasping, sealing, and cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If robotic surgical systems are used to reduce surgical fatigue and improve ease of operation, then ease of operation is improved, but haptic feedback is lost causing loss of information about tissue size and applied force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements visual feedback indicators (LED lights, display screens) that provide real-time information about jaw closure pressure and tissue compression status. This compensates for the loss of haptic feedback by translating mechanical pressure data into visual signals that the surgeon can observe, maintaining situational awareness while preserving the ease of robotic operation.
2Loss of information
If direct haptic feedback is provided to allow surgeons to sense tissue size and applied force, then loss of information is reduced, but surgical fatigue increases reducing ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces visual indicators as an intermediary between the mechanical jaw closure system and the surgeon. Instead of directly transmitting mechanical haptic feedback to the surgeon's hands, the system uses visual displays (LEDs, screens) to convey pressure information, eliminating the need for the surgeon to physically sense forces while maintaining full information about tissue compression status.
3Manufacturing precision
If pressure control mechanisms are added to correlate lever movement with jaw closure pressure, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter being monitored and displayed from raw mechanical force to visual pressure indicators. By correlating lever movement positions with specific pressure ranges and displaying these as visual signals (different LED patterns, display readings), the system achieves precise pressure control without requiring complex mechanical force transmission mechanisms to the surgeon's hand.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic system includes an electrosurgical instrument having an instrument housing having a shaft with an end effector assembly and first and second jaw members attached thereto movable to grasp tissue. An input is operably coupled to the instrument housing and is configured to move the jaw members. A handle is remotely disposed relative to the instrument housing and is configured to communicate with the input for controlling the jaw members, the handle having a lever configured to cooperate with the input to control the jaw members relative to movement of the lever. The lever moves between a homing position and a first position correlating to the jaw members closing with a pressure therebetween in the range of about 0.1 kg/cm2 to about 2 kg/cm2. The lever further movable to a seal position correlating to the jaw members closing about tissue with a pressure between about 3 kg/cm2 to about 16 kg/cm2 for sealing.