Sterile Barrier Force Coupling in Robotic Surgery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgical procedures face challenges in maintaining sterility and preventing contamination between non-sterile and sterile sections of robotic surgery systems, particularly in transmitting force across a barrier without physical contact.
Innovation Solution
A robotic surgery system with a barrier separating non-sterile and sterile sections, utilizing a drive component with motors and associated drive elements, and a manipulator with driven elements that engage through the barrier, allowing for the transmission of force while maintaining sterility, using magnetic or mechanical couplings to ensure contact-free communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a barrier is introduced to separate non-sterile and sterile sections, then sterility is maintained, but force transmission becomes difficult without physical contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces direct mechanical contact across the barrier with magnetic field interaction. Drive elements with magnets on the non-sterile side interact with driven elements with magnets on the sterile side through the barrier, enabling force transmission without physical contact or penetration of the sterile barrier. This substitution of mechanical contact with magnetic field coupling resolves the contradiction by maintaining sterility while enabling force transmission.
2Productivity
If direct mechanical coupling is used to transmit force, then force transmission is efficient, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a magnetic field as an intermediary between the drive elements and driven elements. The magnetic field acts as a mediator that transmits force across the barrier without requiring direct mechanical contact or penetration of the sterile field. This intermediary approach maintains force transmission efficiency while eliminating the contamination risk associated with direct mechanical coupling across the barrier.
3Reliability
If the barrier is made continuous to prevent contamination, then sterility is maintained, but mechanical coupling across the barrier is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the need for mechanical coupling across the barrier with magnetic field interaction. By using magnets on both sides of the barrier that interact through the barrier material, the system maintains a continuous barrier for sterility while enabling force transmission. This substitution eliminates the complexity of creating mechanical penetrations or couplings through the barrier.
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
Enables effective and sterile transmission of force across the barrier, reducing the risk of contamination and enhancing the safety and efficiency of minimally invasive surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
using magnetic or mechanical couplings to ensure contact-free communication
Data Source
AI summary
A force transmission system as part of a surgical system which may be configured to be a minimally invasive and/or computer assisted surgical system. Operation of the system may be controlled by transmission of a force from a first section to a second section of the system. The first section and the second section may be separated by a partition or a barrier. The first section may be a non-sterile section and the second section may be a sterile section of the surgical system.