Surgical Arm Control Using Real-Time Intrusion Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical support arm devices face challenges in safely navigating around moving obstacles during surgery, as traditional control methods rely on pre-surgical three-dimensional information that may not match the actual surgical environment, and do not account for interactions with nearby objects such as drapes, instruments, or staff, leading to potential interference and safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A control device and method that utilize a driving control unit, region setting unit, intrusion determination unit, and action instruction unit to set an intrusion appropriateness region based on real-time peripheral images, determining and preventing intrusions of the arm unit into this region during non-contact user operations, ensuring safer arm unit movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If pre-surgical three-dimensional information from MRI is used to set the operating region, then the region can be determined beforehand, but the actual surgical environment may not match the pre-acquired information, reducing warning effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static pre-surgical MRI-based region definition to dynamic real-time region detection using cameras during surgery. The intrusion appropriateness region is continuously updated based on actual surgical conditions, allowing the system to adapt to changes in the operating environment while maintaining efficient operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of the intrusion appropriateness region using image processing before surgery begins, but maintains the capability to update this region dynamically during surgery based on actual conditions, combining preparatory work with real-time adaptability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If only prevention of contact between medical instrument and patient body is considered, then patient safety is improved, but contact between arm unit and nearby objects (drape, instruments, staff) is not prevented, obstructing smooth surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the safety monitoring function into two distinct components: intrusion appropriateness region detection for patient body protection, and intrusion prohibited region detection for obstacle avoidance. This segmentation allows each function to operate independently and effectively without interfering with the other, ensuring both patient safety and surgical smoothness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary spatial concept - the intrusion prohibited region - that acts as a buffer zone between the arm unit and nearby objects. This intermediary region prevents direct contact between the arm unit and obstacles, eliminating interference while maintaining patient safety through the separate intrusion appropriateness region monitoring.
3Reliability
If industrial multi-articulated robot interference avoidance technology is applied to medical support arm devices, then safety can be improved, but the technology may not account for the unique characteristics of medical surgical environments
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different quality standards to different spatial regions: the intrusion appropriateness region uses image-processing-based detection suitable for complex medical environments, while the intrusion prohibited region uses distance-based detection for reliable obstacle avoidance. This local differentiation allows the system to adapt industrial robot safety technology to medical-specific requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the detection parameters based on the application context: using image processing parameters for patient body detection (intrusion appropriateness region) and distance measurement parameters for obstacle detection (intrusion prohibited region). This parameter adaptation enables effective safety monitoring in the unique medical surgical environment.
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide a control device, control method, and surgical system that can further improve safety. Provided is the control device including: a driving control unit (146) configured to control driving of an arm unit (112) that supports a medical instrument (111); a region setting unit (142) configured to set an intrusion appropriateness region for which appropriateness of intrusion of the medical instrument or the arm unit is determined in a space on a basis of a peripheral image showing a peripheral state of the medical instrument or the arm unit; an intrusion determination unit (144) configured to determine presence/absence of intrusion of the medical instrument or the arm unit into the intrusion appropriateness region when the driving control unit controls driving of the arm unit in accordance with a non-contact operation by a user with respect to the arm unit; and an action instruction unit (145) configured to cause an intrusion hindering action for hindering intrusion of the medical instrument or the arm unit into the intrusion appropriateness region to be executed in accordance with a determination result of the intrusion determination unit.