Sterile Adapter Alignment for Teleoperated Surgical Instrument Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in teleoperated surgical systems is to maintain a sterile environment while attaching and detaching surgical instruments from teleoperated actuators, as conventional sterilization methods damage the necessary motors, sensors, and electrical connections.
Innovation Solution
An instrument sterile adapter (ISA) is introduced, which includes an adapter control surface that extends the control features of the instrument carriage and receives the instrument control surface of the surgical instrument. This adapter features a shaft receiving slot for the elongate tube of the surgical instrument, a convex curved surface for secure engagement, and latch mechanisms for easy attachment and detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sterilization methods (steam, heat, pressure, chemicals) are used on teleoperated actuators, then complete sterilization is achieved, but the motors, sensors, encoders and electrical connections are damaged or destroyed
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two distinct segments: a sterile surgical instrument that can withstand sterilization and a non-sterile teleoperated actuator that remains protected. The sterile barrier physically separates these segments, allowing the instrument to be sterilized without exposing the actuator to harmful sterilization agents.
Solution Approach 2:
A sterile barrier (sterile adapter or drape) is introduced as an intermediary between the surgical instrument and the teleoperated actuator. This barrier allows mechanical force transmission and electrical signal transmission while preventing contamination and protecting the actuator from sterilization processes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple connections are required between surgical instrument and teleoperated actuator for transmitting actuator forces, electrical signals and data, then control functionality is complete, but attachment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate connections (mechanical force transmission, electrical signals, and data transmission) are merged into a single integrated sterile adapter interface. The adapter simultaneously establishes all necessary connections when the surgical instrument is attached to the teleoperated actuator, simplifying the attachment process while maintaining complete control functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterile adapter serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a mechanical force transmission interface, an electrical connection interface, a data transmission interface, and a sterile barrier. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall attachment process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If surgical instruments are frequently attached and detached from teleoperated actuators, then instrument selection flexibility is improved, but risk of contamination to the teleoperated actuator increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sterile barrier (sterile adapter or drape) is established before surgery begins and remains in place throughout the procedure. This preliminary protective action allows multiple instrument changes to occur without repeatedly establishing and breaking sterile barriers, thus maintaining sterility while enabling instrument flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterile adapter acts as a permanent intermediary barrier between the sterile surgical field and the non-sterile actuator. Instruments can be attached and detached on the sterile side of the barrier without exposing the actuator to contamination, enabling frequent instrument changes while maintaining the sterile boundary.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of aligning a surgical instrument with the instrument sterile adapter for coupling the surgical instrument and an instrument carriage includes inserting the instrument shaft of the surgical instrument into an entry guide held in a fixed relation to the instrument carriage and the instrument sterile adapter, insertion of the instrument shaft into the entry guide constraining the surgical instrument to rotation around a first cylindrical axis of the instrument shaft and axial translation along the first cylindrical axis of the instrument shaft. The method further includes passing the instrument shaft of the surgical instrument through the shaft receiving slot of the instrument sterile adapter.