Robot-Assisted Surgical Tool Insertion with Force Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual surgical procedures for drilling into bone structures are tedious and prone to errors due to the difficulty in maintaining accurate, perpendicular insertion, especially when dealing with complex bone surfaces, leading to unintended movement or 'skiving' of surgical instruments.
Innovation Solution
A robot-assisted surgical system that applies insertion forces to surgical instruments, monitors forces and moments using load cells, and compares them to predetermined thresholds to detect and prevent unintended movement, providing real-time feedback to ensure accurate and precise instrument placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual surgical procedures are used for drilling into bone structures, then the surgeon has direct control and flexibility, but the procedure becomes tedious and prone to errors due to difficulty in maintaining accurate perpendicular insertion on complex bone surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
A robot arm serves as an intermediary device between the surgeon's control inputs and the surgical instrument. The robot arm receives control signals from the surgeon and automatically positions the surgical instrument with high precision on complex bone surfaces, eliminating the need for manual manipulation while maintaining surgeon control. This resolves the contradiction by providing both ease of operation (through automated positioning) and insertion accuracy (through robotic precision).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system (surgeon's hands directly manipulating the instrument) with an automated robotic mechanical system. The robot arm uses sensors, actuators, and control algorithms to achieve precise perpendicular insertion on complex bone surfaces, substituting human manual dexterity with automated mechanical precision. This resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and insertion accuracy.
2Length of moving object
If the surgical instrument is inserted at steep angles into bone, then access to deep structures is achieved, but the tool-bone reaction force component parallel to the bone surface increases causing skiving or wandering of the tip
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm is equipped with sensors that provide real-time feedback on forces and moments experienced during instrument insertion. When the instrument encounters resistance or experiences skiving forces at steep angles, the system detects these changes and automatically adjusts the insertion trajectory or applies compensating forces to maintain tip stability. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by enabling deep insertion while maintaining instrument stability through automated force compensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot arm applies preliminary counteracting forces before and during insertion at steep angles to prevent skiving. By anticipating the tool-bone reaction forces that cause wandering, the system pre-applies compensating forces in the opposite direction, ensuring the instrument tip remains stable throughout the insertion process. This resolves the contradiction between achieving deep insertion and maintaining instrument stability.
3Manufacturing precision
If robot-assisted surgical techniques are used to prevent skiving, then instrument placement accuracy is improved, but the system complexity increases with additional sensors and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm is designed as a multi-functional system that performs positioning, force application, and sensing functions through integrated components. The same robotic mechanism that provides precise positioning also incorporates force sensors and control algorithms to prevent skiving, eliminating the need for separate dedicated devices. This universality resolves the contradiction by achieving high placement accuracy without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions (positioning control, force sensing, and skiving prevention) into a single integrated robotic system. The robot arm merges the positioning mechanism with force sensors and control algorithms, creating a unified system that achieves high placement accuracy while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate devices. This merging resolves the contradiction between precision and system complexity.
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 enhances surgical precision and accuracy by automatically detecting and preventing instrument skiving, thereby improving the success rate of procedures like vertebrae fusion by maintaining instrument alignment and preventing damage to bone structures.
Implementation Method 1
monitoring one or more forces and one or more moments associated with the insertion force, wherein the monitored forces and moments are measured by one or more load cells of the robot system
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for detecting unexpected movement of a surgical instrument during a robot-assisted surgical procedure are provided. The surgical robot system may be configured to measure forces and torques experienced by the surgical instrument during the surgical procedure and determine if the forces and torques are within an acceptable range. The robot system is further configured to notify the user of the presence of the unexpected movement.