Robotic Retinal Grasping Control With OCT Depth Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
It is difficult for human operators to accurately grasp retinal surface structures during intraocular procedures without risking retinal damage, as they often need multiple attempts to achieve the correct depth, leading to a high risk of retinal damage.
Innovation Solution
A surgical robotic system equipped with a movable arm part, actuator subsystem, and processor subsystem that utilizes sensors like OCT probes to estimate the distance to the retinal surface, allowing the system to automatically adjust the surgical instrument's pose and activate a grasping device to grasp the retinal surface structure safely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a human operator manually grasps retinal surface structures, then the operator can control the grasping action, but the risk of retinal damage increases due to inability to accurately estimate the correct depth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the human operator's mechanical grasping action with an automated robotic system. The robotic system uses sensors (OCT probes) to detect the retinal surface and automatically controls the grasping device, eliminating the human operator's inability to accurately estimate depth while maintaining controlled grasping action.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system performs self-positioning and self-grasping operations. The sensor subsystem automatically detects the retinal surface position, the actuator subsystem automatically moves the grasping device to the correct depth, and the control subsystem automatically executes the grasping action, making the system self-sufficient without human intervention.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple grasping attempts are made to achieve correct depth, then the operator can eventually grasp the retinal surface structure, but the time required for the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor subsystem performs preliminary detection of the retinal surface position before the grasping action. The system pre-calculates the correct depth based on sensor feedback and automatically positions the grasping device at the optimal depth in a single attempt, eliminating the need for multiple trial attempts.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor subsystem provides real-time feedback on the distance between the grasping device and the retinal surface. The control subsystem uses this feedback to automatically adjust the actuator subsystem's position, ensuring accurate depth estimation and enabling single-attempt successful grasping operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If the surgical instrument is positioned closer to the retinal surface to improve grasping precision, then the grasping action becomes more effective, but the risk of misgrasp and retinal damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual positioning with an automated robotic system that uses sensor feedback to precisely control the instrument's distance from the retinal surface. The system can maintain optimal grasping precision while automatically adjusting position to prevent misgrasps, eliminating the trade-off present in manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system autonomously manages the positioning and grasping operations. The sensor subsystem continuously monitors the distance to the retinal surface, and the control subsystem automatically adjusts the grasping device's position and activation timing, enabling precise grasping without the risk of human error.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system reduces the risk of retinal damage by accurately positioning the grasping device at a safe distance and executing the grasping action autonomously, thereby decreasing the likelihood of misgrasps and enhancing procedural safety.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor may be configured to generate sensor data which is indicative of a distance between the grasping device and a retinal surface. For example, the sensor may be an optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6A~6C
AI summary
A surgical robotic system 100 may be provided for use in an intraocular procedure. The surgical robotic system may comprise a movable arm part 82 for holding a surgical instrument 119. The surgical instrument may comprise a grasping device 122 for grasping a retinal surface structure 240. A processor subsystem 40 may be configured to control an actuator subsystem to control a pose of the surgical instrument during the intraocular procedure. The processor subsystem may be further configured to, when a grasping mode is activated, control the actuator subsystem to adjust the pose of the surgical instrument to position 300 the grasping device at a predetermined distance DT to the retinal surface structure, and after reaching the predetermined distance to the retinal surface structure, operate the grasping device of the surgical instrument to grasp 310 the retinal surface structure. By providing such an automated grasping mode, the risk of mis-grasps of the retinal surface structure may be reduced, and thereby the risk of retinal damage.