Robotic Surgery Handoff Control Between AI Autonomy and Surgeon Judgment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical systems are complex to operate and unable to replace the role of a surgeon, leading to inefficiencies and increased risk of adverse events during surgery.
Innovation Solution
A robotic surgical system that is controlled jointly by an artificial intelligence (AI) and a surgeon, allowing for autonomous operation and seamless handoff for manual control, thereby reducing human error and fatigue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a robotic surgical system is fully autonomous, then surgical precision and reduction of human error are improved, but the ability to handle unexpected situations and surgical judgment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically transitions between autonomous and manual control modes based on surgical conditions. The robotic system operates autonomously during routine precise tasks, then dynamically hands off control to the surgeon when adaptability or surgical judgment are needed, creating a flexible hybrid control architecture that optimizes both precision and adaptability throughout the procedure
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional surgical methods are used, then surgical judgment and adaptability are maintained, but surgeon fatigue and human error increase
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical procedure is segmented into different phases: routine precise tasks are handled autonomously by the robotic system, while complex decision-making phases are handled by the surgeon. This segmentation allows the surgeon to focus only on tasks requiring judgment, reducing fatigue and human error while maintaining surgical adaptability
3Measurement precision
If a robotic surgical system is implemented, then surgical precision is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A control system acts as an intermediary between the surgeon and the robotic surgical system. This intermediary layer manages the complexity by handling autonomous operation, mode transitions, and handoff protocols, thereby reducing the operational complexity perceived by the surgeon while maintaining high surgical precision through robotic execution
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for autonomous surgical robot evolution and handoff for manual operation are disclosed. A robotic surgical system performs surgery and is controlled jointly by an artificial intelligence (AI) and a surgeon. The surgeon can perform the entire surgery or can alternatively allow the AI to control the surgical robot to perform a part of or the entirety of the surgery. The AI is trained using data from previous surgeries, can provide indication to the surgeon when it has been sufficient trained to take over parts of a surgery, and can prompt the surgeon when there is insufficient training data for the AI to continue. Alternatively, a supervising surgeon can manually take back control of the surgical robot from the AI.