Robot-Assisted Surgery Instrument Positioning Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robot-assisted surgery systems lack a technical monitoring or control mechanism for accurately orienting surgical instruments with respect to a target surgical area, relying on user experience for positioning and orientation.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that utilize a control unit to determine the orthogonal distance vector between the surgical instrument's axis and the target area, generating control information to assist in correctly positioning and orienting the manipulator arm, with acoustic and optical signals indicating alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If user experience-based positioning is used, then device complexity is reduced, but positioning precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual user experience-based positioning with an automated control system that uses sensors, processors, and feedback mechanisms to determine and adjust manipulator arm positioning. The control unit calculates position and orientation based on sensor data, substituting mechanical intuition with computational precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where sensors continuously monitor the manipulator arm's position and orientation, and the control unit adjusts positioning based on this feedback. The system compares actual position with target position and generates control signals to correct deviations, enabling precise automated positioning.
2Measurement precision
If automated positioning control is implemented, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it processes sensor data, calculates position and orientation, determines distance vectors, generates control signals, and provides feedback. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional control system, the patent reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges sensing, computation, control, and monitoring functions into an integrated control unit. Rather than separate systems for each function, the control unit combines all necessary operations into a unified architecture, reducing the number of discrete components and simplifying the overall system.
3Productivity
If manual positioning by physician is required, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-positioning and self-orientation automatically without requiring physician intervention. The manipulator arm autonomously adjusts its position and orientation based on sensor feedback and control unit calculations, enabling the system to serve itself rather than requiring manual operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-calculates and pre-positions the manipulator arm based on target area coordinates and instrument parameters. Before the actual surgical procedure, the system automatically determines the correct position and orientation, eliminating the need for manual setup and reducing preparation time.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for robot-assisted surgery as well as a method for assisting the positioning of a manipulator arm of an apparatus for robot-assisted surgery. An instrument unit is connected to a coupling unit of the manipulator arm. The instrument unit has a surgical instrument with an instrument shaft, the proximal end of which is passable through a body orifice of a patient to a target area. When connecting the instrument unit to the coupling unit the distance vector (V), which is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the instrument shaft of the surgical instrument, between the longitudinal axis and the target area defined by the coordinates (xz, yz, zz) is determined. A first control information is generated when the amount of the determined distance vector (V) has and/or falls below a first preset value. An output unit outputs a signal dependent on the first control information.