Handheld Surgical Robot Interface for Accurate Arm Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotically-assisted surgical systems lack an intuitive interface for surgeons to accurately select and control robotic arms, leading to potential mistakes and risks during minimally-invasive surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A mobile interface device with a camera, processor, and display that provides a direct view of the surgical robotic system, allowing surgeons to intuitively select and control robotic arms by identifying the arm in the center of the image and generating control options based on its pose, using image processing and sensor data to ensure accurate manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional surgeon console with abstract identifiers is used to control robotic arms, then the system structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the surgeon may select the wrong robotic arm due to lack of spatial relationship, leading to reduced reliability and increased operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a camera to capture a real-time visual copy of the physical robotic arms and their spatial arrangement. This visual representation is displayed on a screen, allowing the surgeon to see the actual positions and configurations of the robotic arms rather than abstract identifiers. The visual copy maintains the spatial relationships of the physical system, enabling accurate selection without confusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera and display screen act as intermediaries between the surgeon and the robotic arms. Instead of directly interacting with abstract identifiers, the surgeon interacts with the visual representation of the robotic arms. This intermediary layer translates the physical spatial arrangement into a visual interface that preserves spatial relationships, making the control system more intuitive and reliable.
2Ease of operation
If abstract identifiers like numbers or mounting positions are used to represent robotic arms, then the interface is simple to implement, but the surgeon cannot intuitively identify the correct robotic arm, increasing the difficulty of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The camera creates a visual copy of the robotic arms that preserves their spatial relationships. The display shows the actual visual appearance and positions of the robotic arms, maintaining all spatial information that would be lost with abstract identifiers. This allows the surgeon to intuitively identify the correct arm based on its visual characteristics and position in the surgical field.
Solution Approach 2:
The system can overlay colored indicators or highlights on the visual representation of the robotic arms to enhance identification. Different colors or visual cues can be applied to indicate the selected arm, its current state, or its relationship to the surgical site, making the interface more intuitive without losing spatial information.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the surgeon console provides remote control without direct visual feedback, then the system structure is simple, but the surgeon may move the wrong robotic arm causing harmful effects to the patient or equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The camera and display serve as safety intermediaries that provide visual verification before and during robotic arm movement. The surgeon can confirm they are controlling the correct arm by viewing its visual representation, and can monitor its movement in real-time. This intermediary visual feedback system prevents harmful mistakes without requiring complex additional safety mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time visual feedback of the robotic arm's position and movement through the camera feed. This feedback loop allows the surgeon to continuously verify that the correct arm is being controlled and to monitor its movement trajectory, enabling immediate correction if the wrong arm is selected or if unintended movement occurs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The interface reduces the risk of selecting the wrong robotic arm by providing a direct and real-time view, enabling surgeons to control robotic arms with precision and safety, minimizing errors and enhancing surgical efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a camera to capture a live image of the surgical robotic system
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is a mobile interface device to control a robotically-assisted surgical system. The mobile interface device provides a surgeon with a direct view of the surgical robotic system and allows a surgeon to easily and intuitively select, control, or manipulate various target components of the surgical robotic system. The mobile interface device may capture a live image of the surgical robotic system to automatically identify a robotic arm that appears in the center of the captured live image as the target component selected by the surgeon. Based on the current pose or position of the target component, the mobile interface device may generate a list of target poses and control options. The surgeon may select a control option to select a target pose and to manipulate the target component to command a robotically-assisted movement of the selected robotic arm from the current pose to the target pose.