Compact Spine Surgery Robot with Real-Time Tracking and Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic systems for spine surgery are cumbersome, inaccurate, and slow, posing challenges in precision and speed, while compact bone-mounted robots risk vertebral damage and have limited range of motion, making surgical interventions tedious and prone to collisions.
Innovation Solution
A compact robotic system with a motorized actuation unit, passive articulated lockable holding arm, and real-time tracking unit, which provides a partial mechanical link to the spine, allowing precise alignment of a surgical tool with a target axis through a user interface that displays alignment indicators and controls the actuation unit to maintain alignment with the target axis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If large robots are used for spine surgery, then the range of motion and support for surgical tools are improved, but the robot becomes cumbersome, hinders assistant work, and reduces operational ease
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is divided into separate functional modules: a base unit with control systems, a robotic arm for positioning, and a guiding device for tool support. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall bulk while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A compact intermediary guiding device is introduced between the robotic arm and the surgical tool. This mediator provides the necessary mechanical support and guidance functions without requiring a large robot structure, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining adaptability.
2Measurement precision
If large robots are used for spine surgery, then positioning capability is improved, but manufacturing precision becomes difficult to achieve due to long kinematic chain flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the long mechanical kinematic chain with a compact robotic arm that uses direct positioning mechanisms and active feedback control. This substitution eliminates the cumulative flexibility errors inherent in long mechanical chains while maintaining positioning capability through electronic control and real-time correction.
3Measurement precision
If large robots are used for spine surgery, then positioning accuracy is improved, but surgical speed decreases due to slow response to quick motions
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system employs dynamic control with real-time feedback mechanisms that allow rapid adjustment of the guiding device position. The compact design reduces inertia, enabling faster response to surgical motions while maintaining positioning accuracy through active control algorithms that adapt to changing surgical conditions.
4Volume of moving object
If bone-mounted robots are used for spine surgery, then compactness and range of motion are improved, but the weight may break the vertebra
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of mounting the robot directly on the bone, the system uses a compact external guiding device that replicates the necessary positioning functions. This copying approach provides the benefits of compactness and range of motion without the harmful weight loading on the vertebrae, as the guiding device is supported by the robotic arm rather than the bone.
5Volume of moving object
If bone-mounted robots are used for spine surgery, then compactness is improved, but adaptability decreases due to limited range of motion requiring re-attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The compact guiding device is designed with universal mounting capabilities and adjustable positioning mechanisms that allow it to adapt to different surgical sites and target axes. The robotic arm provides the necessary range of motion and repositioning capability, making the compact guiding device versatile for various surgical scenarios without requiring bone re-attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a system for guiding a surgical tool (200) held by a user relative to at least one target axis (T) defined in a coordinate system of a patient's spine, comprising: (i) a robotic device (300) comprising: —a base (301), —a guiding device (303) configured for constraining the tool to a guiding axis (G), —a compact motorized actuation unit (304) movable relative to the base (301), coupled to the guiding device (303) for adjusting a position and orientation of said guiding device relative to the target axis, —a support unit (305) connected to the base (301), comprising at least one element designed to make contact with the spine or a region of the patient's body adjacent to the spine so as to provide a partial mechanical link between the guiding device and the spine, (ii) a passive articulated lockable holding arm (400) supporting the base (301) of the robotic device, (iii) a tracking unit (500) configured to determine in real time the pose of the guiding axis with respect to the coordinate system of the patient's spine, (iv) a control unit configured to: (a) determine the pose of the guiding axis with respect to the target axis, (b) compute a working space of the robotic device for said determined pose, (c) compute at least one indicator representing the capability of the actuation unit to bring the guiding axis in alignment with the target axis based on the computed working space and the pose of the guiding device, (v) a user interface (600) coupled to the control unit, configured for displaying a representation of the guiding axis (G) relative to the target axis (T), wherein the control unit is further configured to control the actuation unit to bring the guiding axis into alignment with the target axis.