Robotic Surgical Tool Guidance With User-Defined Virtual Boundaries

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Solution Overview

Problem

Surgeons face challenges in performing unfamiliar or infrequently performed surgical procedures due to difficulties in navigating surgical tools relative to patient anatomy, even with the assistance of surgical navigation systems.

Innovation Solution

A surgical system comprising a robotic manipulator and tracking system that enables surgeons to direct tool movement, generate a virtual boundary, and constrain the tool within this boundary, using a tracking system to guide the robotic manipulator and ensure precise surgical tool manipulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If surgical navigation systems are used to track surgical tools and anatomy, then surgical guidance and visualization are improved, but surgeons still encounter difficulty in performing unfamiliar or infrequently performed procedures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking precisionVSAvoidsurgical procedure performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preoperative simulation where surgeons can practice unfamiliar procedures in a virtual environment before actual surgery. The robotic manipulator allows surgeons to rehearse tool movements and procedures, building confidence and skill before the real surgical event, thus resolving the difficulty with unfamiliar procedures despite having navigation systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If surgeons manually control surgical tools, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but precision and consistency in tool movement are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgical tool control flexibilityVSAvoidtool movement precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The robotic manipulator serves as an intermediary between the surgeon's control inputs and the actual surgical tool. It receives commands from the surgeon and executes them with enhanced precision and consistency, acting as a mediator that combines human adaptability with robotic precision for optimal surgical outcomes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If virtual boundaries are generated based on user-directed tool movement, then surgical safety and accuracy are improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgical safetyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors surgical tool position and compares it against the preoperative simulation model, providing real-time feedback to the surgeon through visual displays. This feedback loop ensures the tool remains within safe boundaries defined during simulation, enhancing surgical safety through an intelligent but manageable control system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250331925A1Robotic Surgical Systems And Methods For Generating A Virtual Boundary Based On User Directed Tool Movement

Publication Date: 2025.10.30 STRYKER CORP

AI summary

Robotic surgical systems and methods involve controlling a robotic manipulator that supports a surgical tool. Controller(s) control the robotic manipulator to enable a user to direct movement of the surgical tool relative to a bone. A tracking system tracks movement of the surgical tool pursuant to the user's directed movement of the surgical tool for generating a tool path. Controller(s) generate a virtual boundary based on the tool path and control the robotic manipulator to move the surgical tool to manipulate the bone while constraining the surgical tool to remain within the virtual boundary.