Single-Port Surgical Robot Multi-Tool Kinematics for Collision Avoidance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical robots employed in single-port surgery face limitations in workspace, dexterity, and versatility due to interference between instruments and restricted workspace, which can lead to reduced surgical capabilities and increased risk of collisions.
Innovation Solution
A surgical robot system with a multi-tool module and a driving unit embedded in a casing, allowing for multiple degrees of freedom and redundancy in joint space, enabling flexible and precise control of surgical instruments to expand workspace, minimize collisions, and perform complex tasks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple surgical instruments are inserted through a single port, then the number of incisions is reduced and healing is improved, but interference between instruments occurs and workspace is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fourth degree of freedom through the degree of freedom adjustment mechanism, allowing the end effector to move beyond the traditional three-dimensional workspace. This dimensional expansion enables instruments to access areas that would otherwise be blocked by other instruments inserted through the same port, effectively resolving the workspace limitation while maintaining single-port insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of degrees of freedom through the degree of freedom adjustment mechanism, which can change the number of active degrees of freedom from three to four based on surgical requirements. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt its workspace and instrument positioning in real-time, preventing interference between multiple instruments while maintaining the benefits of single-port insertion.
2Ease of operation
If instruments are constrained in a limited workspace, then single-port surgery is achieved, but dexterity and versatility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The degree of freedom adjustment mechanism dynamically modifies the kinematic constraints of the end effector, transitioning between three-degree-of-freedom and four-degree-of-freedom modes. This dynamic adaptation enables the system to maintain single-port surgery capability while providing enhanced dexterity and versatility when needed, as the additional degree of freedom allows for more complex instrument maneuvers without requiring multiple ports.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the kinematic parameters of the surgical instrument by adjusting the number of degrees of freedom. This parameter modification allows the end effector to operate within the constrained single-port workspace while achieving greater versatility through the optional fourth degree of freedom, effectively resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and surgical dexterity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the robot structure is simplified for single-port insertion, then ease of insertion is improved, but the range of applicable surgeries is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The degree of freedom adjustment mechanism provides a dynamic solution that maintains the simplified single-port insertion design while expanding the range of applicable surgeries. By allowing optional activation of a fourth degree of freedom, the system can handle complex surgical tasks that would otherwise require more complex multi-port configurations, thus enhancing versatility without compromising the ease of single-port insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The end effector with adjustable degrees of freedom serves multiple functions - it can operate in both three-degree-of-freedom mode for standard single-port surgeries and four-degree-of-freedom mode for complex procedures. This multi-functionality allows a single simplified device structure to accommodate a broader range of surgical applications, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and adaptability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A robot may include: a multi-tool module having redundancy, the multi-tool module including a plurality of tools, and a guide unit for guiding said plurality of tools, wherein said plurality of tools is configured to operate while interacting with the guide unit and wherein said plurality of tools extend from the guide unit at least during operation; the robot further including a controller configured to generate a control signal regarding motion of the multi-tool module in a joint space based on motion instruction information regarding distal ends of the plurality of tools in a task space. The redundancy may reflect that a number of degrees of freedom of the multi-tool module in the joint space is greater than a number of degrees of freedom of the task space. The control signal may be generated using the redundancy.