Surgical Robot Fault Detection Using Control Signal Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical robotic systems face challenges in detecting faults in real-time without increasing communication burden and ensuring safety, as they rely on redundant equipment and lack a systematic approach to human body safety during minimally invasive surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A fault detection system using a master computer and slave embedded computers that communicate via a LAN router and first communication bus, employing alarm, emergency stop, and recovery mechanisms to identify and address failures, allowing for manual control of surgical tools and imaging tools without additional detection components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional detection signals are employed to monitor control computer nodes in real time, then fault detection capability is improved, but communication burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing communication signals (desired pose signals and actual pose signals) to perform self-diagnosis and fault detection. Each computer node monitors whether it receives expected signals from other nodes, turning the normal operational communication into a dual-purpose mechanism that simultaneously controls the system and detects faults, eliminating the need for separate detection communication channels
Solution Approach 2:
The existing communication bus and signal transmission mechanisms are made multi-functional by enabling them to serve both operational control purposes and fault detection purposes. The same LAN router and communication interfaces used for transmitting control commands also detect system health status by monitoring signal presence and timing
2Reliability
If redundant equipments are adopted to take over faulty equipments, then system safety is improved, but system resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback monitoring where each computer node checks whether it receives expected signals from other nodes within predetermined time periods. When a fault is detected through this feedback mechanism, the system activates backup control logic that redistributes workloads among remaining functional nodes, eliminating the need for dedicated redundant hardware by using software-based failover
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis and self-recovery by monitoring its own operational status through existing communication signals. When a node fails, other nodes automatically detect the failure and reconfigure the system to continue operation, enabling the system to service itself without requiring external redundant components
3Reliability
If fault detection is performed on control computer nodes, then operational safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fault detection functionality is embedded within the existing operational software of each computer node. The detection logic uses the same processing units and communication interfaces already present in the system, adding detection capabilities through software algorithms rather than hardware additions, thereby maintaining operational safety while minimizing increases in device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a method for detecting faults in the operating states of a surgical robotic system, wherein the surgical robotic system including a master computer, a master embedded computer and a plurality of slave embedded computers is provided; the master computer controls the master embedded computer and the slave embedded computers via the LAN router; the master embedded computer communicates with the slave embedded computers via the LAN router and a first communication bus. In the present invention, the master computer, the master embedded computer and the slave embedded computers can detect faults interactively. Safety and reliability of the operation of the surgical robotic system can be improved without increasing any additional detection components, and communication burden of the system can be effectively reduced. The present invention can be widely applied to a minimally invasive surgical robotic system.