Remote Robotic Surgery Connection Testing for Network Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The lack of high-quality physicians, particularly in rural areas, and the inefficiency in utilizing surgeons' time due to travel and wait times, coupled with challenges in designing systems for remotely controlling robotic surgery systems, including transmission delay, availability, and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A scalable and flexible network is developed for connecting physician consoles and robotic-assisted medical procedure systems, allowing remote control through a network that includes switching circuitries, interfaces, and adapters, utilizing low-bandwidth motion input signals and high-bandwidth image data transmission, with dedicated networks to ensure reliability and low latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a network connection is established between physician console and robotic procedure system, then remote control capability is enabled, but transmission delay and reliability issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs connection testing before the actual medical procedure to verify network reliability and identify potential issues in advance. This preliminary action ensures that the connection is tested under controlled conditions, allowing verification of transmission reliability before critical operations begin.
Solution Approach 2:
A simulated adapter or simulated robotic procedure system is introduced as an intermediary component to test the network connection. This intermediary allows verification of connection reliability without requiring the actual robotic system to be present, isolating the testing process from the critical medical equipment.
2Reliability
If dedicated network is used for remote surgery, then transmission reliability improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection testing functionality is extracted as a separate, independent process that can operate without the full robotic system. By separating the testing function from the main surgical system, the complexity is reduced while maintaining dedicated network testing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A simulated adapter or simulated robotic system is created as a simplified copy of the actual equipment. This copy replicates the essential communication interfaces and protocols, allowing network testing without requiring the complex actual surgical system to be present.
3Reliability
If connection testing is performed before procedure, then safety is enhanced, but procedure time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The testing process uses a simulated adapter or simulated robotic system as a copy, allowing connection verification to occur independently and rapidly without requiring the actual robotic system to be fully assembled or prepared. This reduces the time penalty of testing while maintaining safety verification.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods enable remotely controlling robotic-assisted medical systems, such as robotic-assisted surgery systems. Disclosed approaches facilitate deployment and improve the safety of robotic-assisted procedures.