Non-Invasive Robotic Surgical System for Bone Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical systems for cutting anatomical structures, such as bones during knee arthroplasty, require invasive attachment to the patient, leading to potential bone fracture, accuracy issues due to manual adjustment, and the need for additional devices for tibial cuts, which increases complexity and time.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system with a cutting tool that uses a parallel architecture actuation unit with motorized degrees of freedom, a passive or active planar mechanism to constrain the cutting tool within a plane, and a tracking unit to ensure precise alignment with target planes without invasive attachment, allowing real-time adjustment and alignment of the cutting plane with the target plane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If invasive attachment (pins) is used to fix the robotic system to the bone, then stability and support for the cutting tool is improved, but the risk of bone fracture increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the invasive pins from the system entirely. Instead of fixing the robotic system to the bone, it uses a non-invasive external support structure (frame with adjustable arms) that positions the cutting tool accurately without penetrating or damaging the bone tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary support structure (external frame with positioning arms) that mediates between the robotic system and the patient's body. This intermediary provides the necessary stability and positioning without direct invasive contact with the bone, thus avoiding bone fracture risk while maintaining cutting precision.
2Ease of operation
If manual adjustment of cutting block orientation is used, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision (alignment accuracy) deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms through the adjustable positioning system with multiple degrees of freedom. The system provides real-time positional information and allows incremental adjustments until the cutting plane is precisely aligned with the target plane, combining ease of manual operation with high alignment accuracy through iterative feedback-based positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a dynamic positioning system with multiple adjustable degrees of freedom that allows the cutting block orientation to be flexibly adjusted during the surgical procedure. This dynamic adjustment capability enables precise alignment while maintaining ease of operation, as the system can adapt to different anatomical configurations and surgical requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate devices are used for femoral and tibial cuts, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal robotic system with a reconfigurable support structure that can perform both femoral and tibial cuts using the same basic platform. The system's adjustable arms and positioning mechanisms can be reconfigured for different bone types and cutting requirements, eliminating the need for separate dedicated devices while maintaining adaptability through software and mechanical flexibility.
4Reliability
If invasive pins are used for fixation, then reliability of positioning is improved, but the system generates harmful factors (bone damage)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the invasive pins from the positioning system. Instead, it relies on a non-invasive external frame with precision positioning mechanisms that achieve reliable cutting plane alignment without any invasive attachment to the bone, thus maintaining positioning reliability while avoiding bone damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical invasive pin fixation system with a non-invasive positioning system based on external support structures and computational alignment. This substitution uses software-based target plane definition and mechanical adjustment of external arms rather than invasive mechanical penetration, achieving reliable positioning without harmful mechanical stress to the bone.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a surgical system for cutting an anatomical structure (F, T) of a patient according to at least one target plane defined in a coordinate system of the anatomical structure, comprising: i) a robotic device (100) comprising: - a cutting tool, - an actuation unit (4) comprising from three to five motorized degrees of freedom, said actuation unit comprising at least one portion having a parallel architecture comprising a base (40) and a platform (41) selectively orientable relative to the base (40) according to at least two of said motorized degrees of freedom, - a planar mechanism (24) connecting a terminal part of the actuation unit (4) to the cutting tool (2), ii) a passive articulated lockable holding arm (51) supporting the actuation unit, iii) a tracking unit (200) configured to determine in real time the pose of the cutting plane with respect to the coordinate system of the anatomical structure, iv) a control unit (300) configured to determine the pose of the cutting plane with respect to the target plane, to detect whether the cutting plane can be aligned with one target plane without changing the pose of the actuation unit, the control unit being further configured to, if the cutting plane cannot be aligned with the target plane, compute indication to a user to reposition the actuation unit with respect to the anatomical structure and, if the cutting plane can be aligned with the target plane, control the actuation unit (4) so as to bring the cutting plane into alignment with the target plane, v) a user interface coupled to the control unit, configured to indicate directions to a user to position the actuation unit with respect to the anatomical structure according to a pose allowing aligning the cutting plane with the target plane.