Robotic Surgery Sterile Barrier With Membrane Force Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgical procedures face challenges in maintaining sterility between non-sterile and sterile sections of surgical systems, particularly in robotic surgery, where contamination can lead to severe consequences for the patient and the success of the procedure.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system with a barrier separating non-sterile and sterile sections, utilizing a drive component with motors and associated drive elements, and a manipulator with driven elements that maintain sterility through a continuous barrier, allowing for the transmission of force while preventing contamination, and incorporating load sensors and actuators to ensure precise control and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a continuous barrier is introduced to separate non-sterile and sterile sections, then sterility is maintained, but force transmission between sections becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible membrane acts as an intermediary element between the non-sterile drive component and the sterile manipulator. The membrane transmits force and motion while maintaining the sterility barrier, allowing the drive screw to rotate and the nut to translate without direct mechanical contact across the sterile boundary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical coupling across the sterile barrier with a magnetic coupling system. Magnets in the drive component magnetically couple with corresponding magnets in the manipulator through the flexible membrane, transmitting force without physical penetration of the barrier.
2Device complexity
If motors and drive elements are placed in the non-sterile section, then device complexity is reduced, but direct control of sterile instruments becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a non-sterile section containing motors and drive components, and a sterile section containing the manipulator and surgical instruments. The flexible membrane with integrated drive screw and nut creates a clear segmentation boundary that allows independent handling of sterile and non-sterile components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane serves as a mediator that translates rotational motion of the drive screw in the non-sterile section into translational motion of the nut in the sterile section, enabling precise control of surgical instruments without contaminating the sterile field with motors.
3Reliability
If a flexible barrier is used to accommodate translational displacement, then sterility is maintained during motion, but the barrier structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible membrane made of elastomeric material is used as the sterile barrier. This thin film can stretch and deform to accommodate the translational displacement of the nut along the drive screw while maintaining the sterility seal, replacing rigid barrier structures that would prevent motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane transitions from a static barrier to a dynamic structure that adapts its shape during operation. As the nut translates along the drive screw, the membrane dynamically deforms to accommodate the motion while continuously maintaining the sterile barrier function.
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 effectively maintains sterility during robotic surgery, reducing the risk of contamination and ensuring the integrity of the surgical site, thereby enhancing the safety and success of minimally invasive procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The associated drive element has a drive screw, a nut translationally displacing about a longitudinal axis of the drive screw in response to rotation of the drive screw about the longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 2
A continuous barrier separates the receiving feature and the projection. At least a portion of the continuous barrier covers the projection. The projection engages the receiving feature through the continuous barrier. The continuous barrier maintains sterility of the drive component.
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical system which may be configured to be a minimally invasive and/or computer assisted surgical system. Operation of the system may be controlled by transmission of a force from a first section to a second section of the system. The first section and the second section may be separated by a partition or a barrier. The first section may be a non-sterile section and the second section may be a sterile section of the surgical system.