Robotic Surgical System Selective Motion Control Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments lack the flexibility and intuitive control of open surgery, making it difficult for surgeons to perform precise movements and feel tissue forces, which hinders the effectiveness of robotic surgery systems.
Innovation Solution
A robotic surgical system with an electromechanical tool and arm, and a control system that allows for selective motion control decoupling, enabling the end effector to perform surgical functions based on multiple control states, allowing movement coupling or decoupling with the user interface device, and providing a vision system for intuitive control and recoupling assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments are used, then small incisions are made reducing recovery time and scarring, but the surgeon loses flexibility in tool placement and intuitive control
Solution Approach 1:
A robotic system acts as an intermediary between the surgeon and the surgical site. The robotic arm with end effector performs minimally invasive procedures through small incisions while the surgeon controls it from a remote console, gaining both the benefits of MIS (reduced recovery, minimal scarring) and the flexibility/intuitive control of open surgery through the robotic mediator
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional direct mechanical manipulation of surgical instruments by the surgeon with an automated robotic system. The robotic arm with multiple axes of movement and end effector substitutes the surgeon's direct hand manipulation, providing enhanced precision, flexibility, and control while maintaining the minimally invasive approach
2Length of moving object
If elongate endoscopic instruments are used to access the surgical site through small incisions, then minimally invasive access is achieved, but the surgeon's ability to feel tissue forces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system serves as an intermediary that bridges the gap between the surgeon and the deep surgical site. The robotic arm transmits and amplifies tissue forces back to the surgeon through the control console, providing haptic feedback that compensates for the loss of direct tactile sensation through elongate instruments
3Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional endoscopic instruments are used, then minimally invasive access is achieved, but coordination between visual display and actual end effector movement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system incorporates real-time feedback mechanisms that provide the surgeon with visual display showing the actual position and movement of the end effector at the surgical site. The control console translates surgeon inputs into precise robotic movements and provides immediate visual confirmation, eliminating the coordination difficulty between visual display and actual movement that plagues traditional endoscopy
Data Source
AI summary
Robotic surgical systems are provided for control of an end effector in response to actuation of a user interface device based upon different control states. In each control state, selected movement directions of the user interface device are either coupled to or decoupled from corresponding movements directions of the end effector. Decoupled movement directions can be recoupled by positioning the user interface device within a range of where the user interface device and the end effector were decoupled. To assist with such recoupling, a graphical image estimating a position of the end effector that would be achieved, based upon a current position of the user interface device, if the decoupled movement direction was recoupled can be overlaid upon a current position of the end effector.