Multi-Actuator Surgical End-Effector Positioning in Constrained Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical devices with low degrees of freedom struggle to accurately align and position end-effectors in limited surgical spaces and restricted postures, making it difficult to perform precise artificial joint surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A surgical device with a mounting plate and actuators allowing for four degrees of freedom, including a first actuator for translational movement, a second actuator for rotational movement, and a third actuator for vertical and rotational movements, enabling precise positioning and alignment of end-effectors regardless of the surgeon's posture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a low degree of freedom surgical device is used, then the device structure is simple, but the positioning accuracy and alignment capability in limited surgical spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical device is segmented into multiple independent actuators (first actuator for translation, second actuator for rotation, third actuator for vertical movement) that can be individually controlled. This segmentation allows each actuator to contribute to a specific degree of freedom, achieving high positioning accuracy through coordinated operation of simpler individual components rather than a single complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from 2 degrees of freedom to 4 degrees of freedom by adding dimensional capabilities: the first actuator provides translation in the second direction, the second actuator adds rotation in the first direction, and the third actuator contributes vertical movement and additional rotation. This dimensional expansion enables precise positioning in three-dimensional surgical spaces that were previously inaccessible.
2Ease of operation
If a low degree of freedom surgical device is used, then the device is easy to operate, but the adaptability to restricted postures and surgical spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates dynamic adjustability through multiple actuators that can be independently controlled during surgery. The first actuator enables dynamic translation of the mounting plate, the second actuator provides dynamic rotation adjustment, and the third actuator allows dynamic vertical positioning. This dynamic capability allows the device to adapt to various surgical postures and spatial constraints while maintaining ease of operation through independent actuator control.
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical device achieves multi-functionality by integrating four different degrees of freedom into a single system. The first actuator handles translational positioning, the second actuator manages rotational orientation, and the third actuator provides vertical adjustment and additional rotation. This universal design allows the device to perform multiple positioning and orientation functions that would otherwise require separate specialized tools, enhancing adaptability without complicating operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a high degree of freedom surgical device is developed, then the freedom of posture for surgeon is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex four-degree-of-freedom system is segmented into three independent actuators, each responsible for specific motion capabilities. The first actuator handles translation in the second direction, the second actuator manages rotation in the first direction, and the third actuator controls vertical movement and rotation in the second direction. This segmentation reduces overall system complexity by making each component simpler and more manageable while collectively achieving high freedom of posture.
Solution Approach 2:
The device merges multiple actuation functions into an integrated system where three separate actuators work in coordination to provide four degrees of freedom. The mounting plate serves as a common interface for all three actuators, and their combined operations achieve complex positioning and orientation capabilities that would be difficult to accomplish with a single monolithic mechanism, thereby managing complexity through functional integration.
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical device and a method of controlling the same are described. The surgical device includes: a mounting plate on which an end-effector including a tool is mounted, the mounting plate being placed on a plane parallel to both a first axis along which the tool extends and a second axis crossing the first axis; a first actuator on which the mounting plate is mounted, the first actuator causing the mounting plate to perform a first motion in a direction of the second axis; a second actuator configured to rotate the first actuator along a circumference of a third axis orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis to generate rotational power causing a second motion of the mounting plate; and a third actuator coupled to the second actuator and configured to transfer the rotational power from the second actuator to the first actuator and to cause a third motion in which the mounting plate is rotated along a circumference of a rotational shaft in a direction of the second axis.