Surgical Arm Connector Interface for Field Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current teleoperated surgical systems face challenges in the field replaceability of patient side cart manipulator arms, making maintenance, cleaning, and replacement cumbersome and time-consuming, which can lead to system downtime.
Innovation Solution
The design of a surgical instrument support arm with a connector interface that includes both mechanical and electrical connections, featuring complementary mechanical and electrical shielding to prevent interference, allowing for easy disconnection and reconnection of arm portions, facilitating field replacement and minimizing downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If manipulator arm portions are designed to be field replaceable with separate mechanical and electrical connections, then ease of repair is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple connection interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines mechanical and electrical connections into a single integrated connector interface. The mechanical connector and electrical connector are coupled together such that they engage and disengage as a unified assembly, eliminating the need for separate connection operations and reducing interface complexity while maintaining field replaceability
2Reliability
If multiple separate connection interfaces are used for mechanical and electrical connections, then reliability may be improved through independent connections, but ease of operation deteriorates due to multiple connection steps
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical connector and electrical connector are integrated into a single unit that operates together. When the mechanical connector engages, the electrical connector simultaneously establishes electrical contact, ensuring both mechanical strength and electrical reliability in one operation, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining connection reliability
3Ease of repair
If field replacement is performed with traditional separate connection methods, then maintenance accessibility is improved, but loss of time increases due to cumbersome replacement procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator arm is divided into replaceable portions with standardized connector interfaces. The integrated connector design allows the replaceable portion to be quickly detached and reattached as a modular unit, significantly reducing replacement time while maintaining ease of repair through standardized field-serviceable interfaces
4Device complexity
If electrical connections are made without shielding, then device complexity is reduced, but object-affected harmful factors increase due to electrical interference
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connector is nested within or coupled to the mechanical connector structure. Electrical shielding elements are integrated into the connector housing, surrounding the electrical contacts without adding external complexity. This nested arrangement provides electromagnetic protection while maintaining a compact, unified connector design
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument support arm of a teleoperated patient side cart may include a first arm portion including a first connector end and a second a second arm portion including a second connector end. The second arm portion may be removably connectable to the first arm portion via mating engagement of the first and second connector ends. The first and second connector ends may each include complementary mechanical connections and complementary electrical connections. At least one of the electrical connections of the first and second connector ends may include electrical shielding to protect against electrical interference in a position in which the electrical connections are matingly engaged. The electrical shielding may be configured to axially compress when the electrical connections of the first and second connector ends are matingly engaged.