Surgical Robot Instrument Overlay for In-View Selection Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical robot control systems risk operator error due to the need to shift attention from the video stream to check the status of robotic arms or instruments, leading to inadequate attention on the surgical site during instrument selection changes.
Innovation Solution
A control system that displays a graphical arrangement of icons representing surgical instruments, allowing for mode changes between manipulation and selection modes, enabling easy identification and selection of instruments through visual cues like color, size, and position changes, without diverting attention from the surgical site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the operator checks the status of robotic arms or instruments by shifting attention from the video stream, then the operator can identify instrument status, but the operator's attention on the surgical site is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the instrument status display with the video stream by overlaying graphical icons representing instruments directly on the surgical site video feed. This integration allows the operator to monitor instrument status without shifting attention between separate displays, resolving the contradiction between obtaining instrument information and maintaining focus on the surgical site.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates visual copies of instruments in the form of graphical icons that are overlaid on the video stream. These icons represent the physical instruments and their status, allowing the operator to perceive instrument information within the contextual framework of the surgical site without diverting attention from the primary visual field.
2Ease of operation
If the operator shifts attention from the video stream to check instrument status, then the operator can identify selectable instruments, but operator error risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the instrument selection interface with the video stream by displaying selectable instrument icons directly over the surgical site view. This merging eliminates the need to shift attention to separate control panels or status displays, thereby reducing operator error risk while maintaining ease of instrument selection through intuitive visual cues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color changes in the graphical icons to indicate instrument selectability and status. Different colors or color intensities signify different states (e.g., selectable vs. currently controlled), enabling the operator to quickly identify available instruments without diverting attention from the video stream, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining safety.
3Loss of information
If the robot displays visual indication of robot state on a separate interface, then the operator can understand required inputs, but the operator must divert attention from the video stream
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the robot state visualization with the video stream by overlaying graphical representations of instruments and their states directly on the surgical site feed. This integration eliminates the need for separate display interfaces, allowing the operator to understand required inputs and instrument status without diverting attention or losing time switching between views.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a graphical overlay dimension to the existing video stream, layering instrument status information in a visual dimension that does not require temporal or spatial separation. This allows simultaneous presentation of robot state information and surgical site view, preventing attention loss and time waste.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for controlling a surgical robot by a surgeon console remote from the surgical robot, the control system being configured to: receive one or more state signal associated with a plurality of instruments, each of the plurality of instruments being attachable to the surgical robot, the one or more state signal indicating a selectability of each of the plurality of instruments for control by the surgeon console, and a control mode of each of the plurality of instruments from a group of modes, the group of modes comprising a manipulation mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is controllable by the surgeon console, and a selection mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is selectable for control by the surgeon console; determine a graphical arrangement of icons for display in dependence on the received one or more state signal, where each icon represents a respective one of the plurality of instruments, and output a display signal to cause the graphical arrangement of icons to be displayed; receive a mode change signal indicating a change of mode to the selection mode; modify, in response to the received mode change signal, the graphical arrangement of icons to permit identification of selectable instruments of the plurality of instruments; receive a select signal from the surgeon console indicating a selection of one of the selectable instruments; modify, in response to the received select signal, the graphical arrangement of icons to permit identification of the selected instrument; and enable control of the selected instrument by the surgeon console.