Surgical Robot Force Feedback for Bone Drilling Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual surgical procedures for drilling into bone structures are tedious and prone to unintended movement of surgical instruments due to complex bone shapes and steep angles, leading to inaccurate hole placement and potential damage during vertebrae fusion surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A robot-assisted surgical system that applies insertion forces to surgical instruments, monitors forces and moments using load cells, and provides notifications when these exceed predetermined thresholds, preventing unintended movement and ensuring accurate placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a surgeon manually holds and positions a drill guide tube, then the surgeon can perform the surgical procedure, but the process is tedious and time consuming with inaccurate hole placement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical positioning system with an automated robotic arm system that uses computer-controlled mechanisms to position and hold the drill guide tube. The robotic arm can automatically adjust its position and orientation based on pre-planned surgical paths, eliminating the need for manual holding and positioning by the surgeon, thereby improving both accuracy and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system incorporates self-adjusting mechanisms including force sensors and control algorithms that automatically maintain the drill guide tube in the correct position and orientation. The system can detect and compensate for forces applied during drilling, and automatically adjust its positioning without requiring continuous manual intervention, making the system self-sufficient during the surgical procedure.
2Ease of operation
If the drill tip is driven into bone at steep angles, then the surgical procedure can be completed, but the tool-bone reaction force causes skiving or sliding of the tip away from the intended location
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system incorporates force sensors that continuously monitor the tool-bone reaction forces during drilling. When the drill tip encounters resistance or begins to skive, the sensors detect the force changes and feed this information back to the control system. The control algorithm then automatically adjusts the drilling parameters or robotic arm positioning to correct the skiving and maintain accurate tip penetration, enabling successful drilling at steep angles without loss of precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If a robot-assisted system with force monitoring is used, then instrument skiving is prevented and placement accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is designed with multi-functional capabilities where a single integrated platform performs positioning, force monitoring, real-time control, and surgical procedure execution. The robotic arm can accommodate different surgical instruments and perform multiple surgical tasks, reducing the need for separate specialized devices. This universal design approach manages complexity by consolidating functions rather than requiring multiple separate systems.
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 system significantly reduces the risk of instrument skiving and improves the accuracy of hole placement in bone drilling, enhancing the precision and reliability of surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
one or more load cells may be configured to measure forces and moments associated with the insertion force
Data Source
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AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for detecting unexpected movement of a surgical instrument during a robot-assisted surgical procedure are provided. The surgical robot system may be configured to measure forces and torques experienced by the surgical instrument during the surgical procedure and determine if the forces and torques are within an acceptable range. The robot system is further configured to notify the user of the presence of the unexpected movement.