Surgical Instrument Data Prioritization for Real-Time Hub Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical systems face challenges in efficiently managing data transmission and energy application during surgical procedures, leading to inefficiencies and potential complications due to entangled power and data lines, as well as the need for improved navigation around cancerous tissue.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system comprising a surgical hub, powered surgical instrument, and communication module that adjusts transmission rates based on surgical activity characteristics and detects irregularities, while integrating modular energy generators and sensors for precise energy application and navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data transmission rates are increased for all surgical activities, then data transmission efficiency is improved, but energy consumption and line entanglement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts data transmission rates based on the priority and type of surgical activity. The communication module monitors surgical activities and modulates transmission rates in real-time, increasing rates for critical activities (e.g., irregularity detection) and decreasing rates for non-critical activities (e.g., routine monitoring), thereby optimizing energy consumption while maintaining transmission efficiency when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transmission rate parameter according to surgical activity characteristics. By categorizing activities into priority levels and assigning appropriate transmission rates to each level, the system achieves efficient data transmission for critical functions while reducing energy consumption for less critical functions.
2Reliability
If multiple data streams are transmitted simultaneously, then comprehensive surgical monitoring is improved, but data transmission priority management becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments data streams into different priority categories (e.g., critical, important, routine). The communication module separately manages transmission for each category, applying different transmission rates and priority handling to each segment. This segmentation simplifies the management of multiple data streams by organizing them into distinct groups with specific transmission requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the communication module continuously monitors the type and priority of surgical activities, then adjusts transmission rates accordingly. This feedback loop enables automatic priority management without complex manual intervention, maintaining reliable monitoring across multiple data streams while simplifying transmission management.
3Ease of operation
If transmission rates are reduced to minimize line entanglement, then ease of operation is improved, but data transmission completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts transmission rates based on activity priority rather than using a fixed reduced rate. For low-priority activities, transmission rates are reduced to minimize line entanglement and improve ease of operation. For high-priority activities (e.g., irregularity detection), transmission rates are increased to ensure complete data transmission, thus preventing information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different transmission rate qualities to different data streams based on their priority. Critical data streams receive high-quality transmission (high rates) while non-critical streams receive lower-quality transmission (reduced rates). This local differentiation maintains data completeness for important information while reducing line complexity overall.
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical system is usable in a surgical procedure. The surgical system includes a surgical hub; a powered surgical instrument; and a communication module configured to: receive first data regarding a first surgical activity of the surgical procedure; receive second data regarding a second surgical activity of the surgical procedure; select transmission rates for transmission of the first data and the second data between the powered surgical instrument and the surgical hub based on at least one characteristic of at least one of the first surgical activity and the second surgical activity; and transmit the first data and the second data between the powered surgical instrument and the surgical hub at the selected transmission rates.