Surgical Robot Arm Mode Switching for Patient-Tracked Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical robotic systems face challenges in ensuring safety and optimizing collaboration between the user and the robotic arm, particularly in maintaining precise positioning of the end-effector relative to a patient and adapting to patient movement during surgery.
Innovation Solution
A surgical robotic system that combines hand guiding mode, computed trajectory mode, and servo-controlled mode, allowing the robotic arm to be freely movable, autonomously controlled, and automatically maintained in a target position relative to a tracker attached to the patient, ensuring safety and efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the robotic arm moves toward target position with continuous pressure on button/pedal, then the robotic arm reaches target position, but the displacement is slow and significantly increases operative time
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the robotic arm's movement behavior based on the activation state of the button or pedal. When activated, the robotic arm moves autonomously at optimized speed toward the target position without requiring continuous user input, thereby increasing displacement speed and reducing operative time while maintaining safety through predefined trajectory constraints.
2Reliability
If the robotic arm stops as soon as user releases button or pedal, then safety is ensured, but the robotic arm trajectory may not take into account all obstacles present in the vicinity of the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary planning of the robotic arm trajectory before movement begins. The control unit computes a complete path that anticipates and accounts for obstacles in the vicinity of the patient beforehand. This pre-computed trajectory allows the robotic arm to move autonomously while maintaining safety, as the path has already been validated to avoid obstacles, resolving the contradiction between safety and adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If the robotic arm is freely movable by user in hand guiding mode, then ease of operation is improved, but precision in maintaining end-effector in target position relative to patient is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the control unit continuously monitors the robotic arm's position and the patient's position (via tracker). When the patient moves, the system detects this movement and automatically adjusts the robotic arm's position to maintain the end-effector at the correct target position relative to the patient. This feedback loop enables high precision while allowing the user easy operation in hand guiding mode.
4Measurement precision
If the robotic arm moves autonomously in servo-controlled mode, then precision in maintaining end-effector position is improved, but user control and safety monitoring are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
In servo-controlled mode, the robotic arm operates autonomously to maintain the end-effector position, effectively serving itself by automatically compensating for patient movements without requiring continuous user intervention. The control unit independently monitors position data and adjusts the robotic arm as needed, providing high precision while reducing the operational burden on the user. Safety is maintained through the system's automated monitoring capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a surgical robotic system comprising a robotic arm holding an end-effector and a control unit for controllably moving the robotic arm and maintaining the end-effector in at least one target position relative to a patient. The control unit can, based on a first input continuously applied onto the robotic arm, activate a hand guiding mode wherein the robotic arm is freely movable by the user; based on a second input different from the first input, continuously applied onto the robotic arm, activate a computed trajectory mode wherein the robotic arm moves to a target position according to a computed trajectory; when the computed trajectory is activated, detect that the end-effector meets a predetermined safety condition and automatically switch to a servo-controlled mode wherein the robotic arm is automatically movable to maintain the end-effector in the target position relative to a tracker attached to the patient.