Sterile Robotic Surgery Console With Chair-Integrated Motion Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic surgery consoles force surgeons to adopt uncomfortable postures and limit their range of motion, leading to reduced precision, focus, and safety during long operations, while being unsuitable for sterile environments and relocation.
Innovation Solution
A sterile console with a mechanically ungrounded master input tool, a tracking system, and a surgical chair integrated with a field generator, allowing the surgeon to operate in a comfortable posture within the operating arena, with enhanced motion tracking and safety features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a remote console station with force/torque detectors is used, then mechanical vibration noise is reduced, but the surgeon's posture becomes uncomfortable and the surgeon is forced to operate from a fixed location
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical force/torque detector system with an optical tracking system. Instead of using mechanical appendices with force/torque detectors that require the surgeon to insert arms within a metallic frame, the invention uses an optically tracked master controller that can be freely manipulated in space. This substitution eliminates the mechanical vibration transmission path while providing natural hand manipulation and comfortable posture throughout the operating arena.
2Ease of operation
If a mechanically ungrounded master input tool is used, then the surgeon's range of motion is improved, but the tracking system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an optical tracking system using electromagnetic fields and optical markers to track the position and orientation of the mechanically ungrounded master input tool. This non-mechanical tracking approach allows the surgeon to move the controller freely within the operating arena without mechanical constraints, while the tracking system captures six degrees of freedom (position and orientation) through field-based detection rather than mechanical linkages.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the console is designed to be unmovable, then mechanical stability is improved, but the console cannot be relocated or sterilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the fixed mechanical console structure with a mobile surgical cart equipped with an optical tracking system. The master controller's position is tracked through electromagnetic fields and optical markers rather than through a fixed mechanical reference frame. This allows the cart to be freely relocated and sterilized while maintaining accurate tracking of the master controller's position and orientation relative to the surgical site.
4Reliability
If the surgeon operates from a remote location, then safety distance from the surgical site is improved, but the surgeon's perception of the surgery becomes unrealistic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the surgeon to operate from within the sterile operating arena rather than from a remote control room. By using a mobile cart with optical tracking, the surgeon can position themselves close to the surgical site while maintaining proper ergonomics through the master controller. This eliminates the unrealistic perception caused by remote operation, as the surgeon can directly observe the surgical field and spatial relationships while maintaining safety through the intuitive master-slave control system.
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
The solution provides a comfortable and reliable operating environment, improving precision and safety by allowing surgeons to move freely within the sterile operating arena, reducing the risk of contamination and unwanted command transmissions.
Implementation Method 1
at least one tracking system, suitable to detect position and orientation of said at least one master input tool within a predefined tracking volume
Data Source
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AI summary
Master console (302) for a robotic surgery system (301), suitable to detect a manual command, comprising at least one master input tool (306) mechanically ungrounded and suitable to be handheld by a surgeon during surgery; at least one surgical chair (309) comprising at least one seating surface (310) for the surgeon to seat thereon during surgery; at least one tracking system, suitable to detect position and orientation of said at least one master input tool (306) within a predefined tracking volume (308); at least one tool resting element (324) providing a support for said at least one master input tool (306) to rest thereon when the surgeon does not hand-hold said at least one master input tool (306); wherein said at least one master input tool (306) defining at least one first frame of reference (X1, Y1,Z1; Y2, Y2, Z2) attached thereto; said tracking system comprising a magnetic field generator (307) defining a second frame of reference (XO, YO, ZO) attached thereto; said tracking volume (308) being integral with said field generator (307) of the tracking system; and wherein the position and orientation detected by said tracking system is the position and orientation of said at least one first frame of reference (X1 ,Y1 ,Z1; X2, Y2, Z2) with respect of the second frame of reference (XO, YO, ZO), so that a control unit (305) of the robotic surgery assembly (301) is suitable for receiving information about said position and orientation of said at least one master input tool (306) within said tracking volume (308) and is suitable for transmitting a command signal to the slave robot assembly (303) in order to actuate said at least one surgical instrument (304); said magnetic field generator (307) of the tracking system is integral with a portion of the surgical chair (309) so that, when the surgeon seats onto said seating surface (310) of the surgical chair (309) and hand holds said at least one master input tool (306), said master input tool (306) is located within said tracking volume (308) and the position and orientation thereof can be detected by the tracking system; and wherein said surgical chair comprises a seating lower portion (315) integral with said seating surface (310) and located under said seating surface (310), said seat lower portion comprising said magnetic field generator (307) so that said tracking volume is integral with said seating surface (310).