Robotic Operating Table With Retractable Articulated Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic patient positioning assemblies, designed for radiation treatment, do not consider the need for sufficient space around an operating table during surgical operations, potentially interfering with medical personnel and equipment in hybrid operating rooms where radiography and surgery are performed closely together.
Innovation Solution
A robotic operating table with an articulated robotic arm that can assume a posture where its length is shorter than half the table's length, allowing for sufficient space under and around the table, and enabling the arm to be housed under the table during operations, thus preventing interference with medical personnel and equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a large robotic arm is used to move the table with patient, then the table can be easily moved while preventing interference with surrounding equipment, but the robotic arm reduces the space around the operating table and may interfere with medical personnel during surgical operations
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to retract into a compact configuration when not in use. The arm can extend when table movement is needed and retract to minimize space occupation during surgical operations, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and space availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm structure employs a nested configuration where segments of the arm can be folded or retracted into each other, similar to a nested doll. This allows the arm to maintain a compact profile when not actively moving the table, preserving space around the operating table while still providing full movement capability when needed.
2Area of stationary object
If the imaging position for radiography and the surgical operation position are close to each other, then space is saved in the hybrid operating room, but it becomes difficult to leave sufficient space under the table for radiography and around the table for surgical operation
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm utilizes vertical space by extending upward and positioning the table in three-dimensional space rather than only horizontal movement. This allows the arm to clear the path for C-arm placement under the table while maintaining close imaging and surgical positions, effectively using the vertical dimension to resolve the spatial conflict.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm is divided into multiple articulated segments that can be independently positioned and configured. This segmentation allows different parts of the arm to occupy different spatial zones, enabling the arm to move the table away from the imaging area while keeping the surgical area accessible, thus accommodating both close positioning requirements and operational accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An operating table may include: a table on which to place a patient; a base fixed to a floor; and an articulated robotic arm including a first end supported on the base and a second end supporting the table at a position near the first end in a longitudinal direction of the table. The robotic arm may take a first posture in which the robotic arm is housed under the table when the table is situated at a first predetermined position. And a length of the robotic arm in the first posture in the longitudinal direction of the table is shorter than or equal to 1/2 of a length of the table in the longitudinal direction.