Surgical Force Notification Using Distinct Musical Pitch Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing force feedback systems in surgery assistance robots face challenges in accurately conveying force information due to the dullness of tactile sensations and the potential for visual information to be overlooked, while auditory feedback can be confused with irrelevant noise, leading to false recognition.
Innovation Solution
A force sense notification device that uses consonant and dissonant musical notes to convey the magnitude of acting forces on surgical instruments, distinguishing between different force levels through unique pitch combinations and patterns to prevent false recognition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If auditory feedback is used to convey force information, then the feedback can be perceived more clearly than tactile sensation, but the auditory feedback may be confused with irrelevant noise leading to false recognition
Solution Approach 1:
The auditory feedback is segmented into multiple distinct frequency components (first frequency component and second frequency component) that are melodically related. This segmentation allows the system to encode different force magnitude information in distinguishable frequency bands, enabling accurate force perception while preventing confusion with irrelevant noise through the characteristic melodic relationship between components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the frequency parameters of the notification sound based on the magnitude of the acting force. When the force magnitude changes, the frequency components are adjusted to produce different melodic patterns. This parameter change strategy enables accurate force information transmission while the specific melodic relationships maintain reliability by preventing false recognition.
2Device complexity
If tactile feedback is used to convey force information, then the feedback mechanism is simple, but the tactile sensation is dull and cannot convey information accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical tactile feedback system with an acoustic feedback system. Instead of relying on dull tactile sensations that require complex mechanical actuators, the system uses notification sounds with specific frequency components that can be generated electronically. This substitution maintains relatively simple device complexity while dramatically improving force information accuracy through the richness of auditory perception.
3Measurement precision
If visual feedback is used to convey force information, then the information can be conveyed clearly, but the visual information may be overlooked during surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces auditory feedback as an intermediary channel for force information transmission. Instead of relying solely on visual feedback that competes for the surgeon's attention, the system uses notification sounds that can be perceived peripherally during surgical operations. This intermediary auditory channel conveys force information clearly while being less likely to be overlooked, as auditory processing operates somewhat independently from visual attention during complex tasks.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a force sense notification device provided with: a signal input part to which a measurement signal for a magnitude of an acting force exerted on a surgical instrument is input; a sound information generator that generates, based on the measurement signal, notification sound information indicating the magnitude of the acting force using at least a first low-pitched note, a first notification sound pitched higher than the first low-pitched note, and a second notification sound containing at least a second low-pitched note and a second high-pitched note pitched higher than the second low-pitched note, at least one of the second low-pitched note or the second high-pitched note being different from the first low-pitched note and the first high-pitched note; and a notification sound outputter that outputs the generated notification sound information to a sound generator that generates a sound based on the notification sound information.