Surgical Robotic Linkages With Software Centering for Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally invasive surgical robotic systems face challenges such as excessive movement outside the patient, collisions between robotic manipulators, and complex setup procedures, which hinder their efficiency and safety during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
The development of highly configurable surgical robotic manipulators with redundant degrees of freedom and software centering capabilities, allowing for precise movement control and collision avoidance through processor-driven joint movements, which can adjust to patient breathing and tissue constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If robotic manipulators are used for minimally invasive surgery, then surgical precision and dexterity are improved, but collisions between manipulators and excessive movement outside the patient occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the virtual center of motion based on the actual positions of the robotic manipulators. As manipulators move during surgery, the virtual center is recalculated and updated in real-time, allowing the manipulators to maintain precise control while adapting to changing spatial relationships and avoiding collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
A virtual center of motion is introduced as an intermediary computational construct that mediates between the physical manipulator positions and the surgical tasks. This virtual center serves as a reference point for calculating tool center point positions and for constraining manipulator movements, enabling precise surgical control while preventing excessive movement outside the patient.
2Adaptability or versatility
If robotic manipulators with multiple degrees of freedom are used, then surgical dexterity is improved, but setup complexity and reconfiguration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical constraint mechanisms with computational methods. Instead of using physical mechanical structures to enforce movement constraints and guide setup, the system uses software algorithms to calculate virtual centers, constrain tool center point movements, and coordinate manipulator positions, significantly simplifying the physical setup while maintaining surgical dexterity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the parameters of the virtual center of motion based on manipulator positions and surgical requirements. By adjusting the virtual center location and the constraint parameters in real-time, the system adapts to different surgical scenarios and manipulator configurations without requiring complex physical reconfiguration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manipulators pivot independently about apertures, then surgical access flexibility is improved, but collisions between manipulators increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the positions of all manipulators and uses this feedback to dynamically recalculate the virtual center of motion. This feedback loop enables real-time coordination of manipulator movements, allowing each manipulator to pivot about the aperture while the system adjusts the virtual center to prevent collisions and maintain safe spatial separation.
Data Source
AI summary
Telerobotic, telesurgical, and/or surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods employ surgical robotic linkages that may have more degrees of freedom than an associated surgical end effector in space. A processor can calculate a tool motion that includes pivoting of the tool about an aperture site. Linkages movable along a range of configurations for a given end effector position may be driven toward configurations which inhibit collisions. Refined robotic linkages and methods for their use are also provided.