Robotic Surgery Network Architecture for Real-Time Traffic Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotically-assisted surgical systems require undocking and repositioning of surgical instruments and arms during patient repositioning, leading to inefficiencies and potential loss of positional accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A surgical robotic system with integrated robotic arms that can reposition the patient without undocking the instruments, utilizing a control tower for real-time communication with the user console and patient subsystem, and employing a network architecture that separates real-time and non-real-time traffic using a single fiber optic cable for improved ergonomics and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If patient repositioning is performed by undocking and repositioning robotic arms, then patient positioning flexibility is improved, but positional accuracy of surgical instruments is lost and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates patient repositioning from instrument repositioning by making the surgical table independently movable while keeping robotic arms fixed. This segmentation allows the patient to be repositioned without moving the instruments, maintaining positional accuracy while achieving positioning flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines the patient table and robotic arm positioning capabilities into an integrated system where the table can move independently. This merging allows coordinated movement where patient repositioning does not require instrument repositioning, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and precision.
2Reliability
If separate communication channels are used for real-time and non-real-time traffic, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is segmented into two separate channels: a first communication channel for real-time traffic with deterministic timing characteristics, and a second communication channel for non-real-time traffic. This segmentation ensures that critical real-time control signals are not affected by non-critical traffic, improving reliability while maintaining manageable complexity through clear separation of concerns.
3Reliability
If multiple fiber optic cables are used for separate communication channels, then communication reliability is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to increased wiring complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the first and second communication channels into a single fiber optic cable using time-division multiplexing. Real-time and non-real-time traffic are transmitted over the same physical medium at different time intervals, eliminating the need for separate cables and reducing wiring complexity while maintaining communication reliability through temporal separation of traffic types.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic surgical system and method are disclosed for handling real-time and non-real-time traffic. In one embodiment, a surgical robotic system is provided comprising at least one robotic arm coupled to an operating table; and a control computer comprising a processor and a hardware interface, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a notification about real-time data from the operating table at the hardware interface; process the real-time data immediately upon receiving the notification; and poll the hardware interface for non-real time data from the operating table only when not processing the real-time data. Other embodiments are provided.