Surgical Robot End Effector Grip Sensing for Safe Manual Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical robotic systems lack an efficient mechanism for manually operating end effectors with cutting accessories, particularly in terms of precise control and activation/deactivation of cutting tools, which can lead to accidental movements or failures during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
The end effector design includes a linkage assembly, a cutting accessory with a nose tube, a mounting fixture, a lever, and a sensor-activator mechanism that allows for manual control of the cutting tool's activation and deactivation based on the lever's position, ensuring safe and precise operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a manual operation mechanism is added to the end effector, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lever mechanism is integrated within the handle structure, and the sensor-activator system is nested within the nose tube assembly. The activator moves along the axis of the nose tube, creating a compact nested arrangement that adds manual control functionality without significantly increasing external dimensions or overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor acts as an intermediary between the activator's mechanical movement and the actuator's electrical control. This intermediary component translates physical lever position into electronic signals that safely control the cutting tool's activation and deactivation, bridging manual operation with automated safety systems.
2Reliability
If a sensor-activator mechanism is implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor provides continuous feedback about the lever's position to the control system. This feedback mechanism ensures that the cutting tool can only be activated when the lever is in the correct position, creating a reliable interlock system that prevents accidental activation while maintaining a relatively simple control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system requires preliminary action of depressing the lever before the cutting tool can be activated. This preliminary mechanical action must occur first, and only then can the sensor detect the correct position and permit actuator activation, ensuring that accidental cuts are prevented through a mandatory preparatory step.
3Measurement precision
If the activator is positioned closer to the sensor, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is positioned to detect activator location at a specific critical point in its travel range. Rather than requiring the entire activator movement to be precisely measured, the system only needs to detect whether the activator has reached the specific position that enables cutting, allowing for adequate operational travel while maintaining precise detection at the critical threshold.
Data Source
AI summary
An end effector is disclosed for use with a surgical robotic manipulator and a cutting accessory. The end effector comprises a nose tube for receiving the cutting accessory and an actuator for driving the cutting accessory. The end effector may also comprise a mounting fixture for coupling the end effector to the surgical robotic manipulator and a handle for gripping by the user. The handle may be coupled to the nose tube and configured to rotate about the axis of the nose tube. The end effector may also comprise a lever coupled to the handle and moveable between depressed and released positions. The end effector may further comprise an activator coupled to the lever and configured to interact with a sensor for sensing the position of the lever.