Surgical Manipulation Arm Axis Repositioning for Compact Footprint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgery assisting systems face challenges with device size, leading to installation constraints and limited space for operation, which affects usability.
Innovation Solution
A manipulation assisting device with a manipulation unit and an arm unit featuring a first turning axis positioned closer to the wrist, allowing for overlapping movement areas of the hand and arm, reducing device size and improving usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the device is designed to allow wrist turning manipulation with adequate movement space, then the manipulation comfort is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the first turning axis from a conventional location to a position closer to the manipulator's wrist, effectively changing the spatial dimension of the manipulation mechanism. This dimensional reconfiguration allows the hand movement area and arm unit movement area to overlap significantly, reducing the overall device volume while maintaining comfortable wrist turning manipulation. The arm unit achieves this by positioning its movement space to overlap with the hand's natural movement arc during wrist turning operations.
2Volume of moving object
If the device size is reduced to improve installation flexibility, then the installation space requirement is reduced, but the manipulation space may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the hand movement space and arm unit movement space by positioning the first turning axis close to the wrist, causing these two movement areas to overlap. This spatial merging eliminates redundant movement zones, significantly reducing the overall device volume while maintaining both manipulation comfort and installation flexibility. The overlapping configuration ensures that the reduced device size does not compromise the necessary manipulation space.
3Volume of moving object
If the first turning axis is positioned closer to the wrist, then the device size is reduced, but the arm unit structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the arm unit into distinct functional components: a first movable part responsible for turning around the first turning axis, and a second movable part for additional positioning. This segmentation allows the complex function of achieving overlapping movement spaces with the first turning axis near the wrist to be divided into manageable parts, simplifying the overall structural implementation while maintaining the space-reduced configuration.
Data Source
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AI summary
A manipulation assisting device according to the present invention includes a manipulation unit to be manipulated by a manipulator, an arm unit including a first movable part turnable in a direction around a first turning axis and making the position and attitude of the manipulation unit adjustable, and a placement part provided with a placement surface on which part of a forearm used for the manipulation of the manipulation unit by the manipulator is to be placed. The first turning axis is located at a position at which the distance between the first turning axis and a wrist of a forearm of the manipulator is shorter than the distance between the manipulation unit and the wrist when a manipulation of the manipulation unit is performed by a turn in which the wrist of the forearm is the center of turn with the forearm placed on the placement surface.