Surgical Robot Communication Control for Real-Time Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotically-assisted surgical systems require the repositioning of robotic arms and patient tables during procedures, which can be cumbersome and disrupt the surgical process, as they necessitate undocking and redocking of instruments, leading to inefficiencies and potential complications.
Innovation Solution
A surgical robotic system with a user console, control tower, and patient subsystem that allows for the repositioning of the patient table without undocking the robotic arms, utilizing a network topology for real-time communication and control, enabling precise control and alignment of surgical instruments while maintaining sterility and safety protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If robotic arms are repositioned by undocking and re-docking during surgery, then the patient can be repositioned, but the surgical process is disrupted and time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the patient table and robotic arms into independently controllable segments. The patient table can be repositioned without moving the robotic arms, allowing the table to be divided into independently movable components that can be adjusted during surgery without disrupting the surgical workflow
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic repositioning where the patient table can be moved to different positions (first position, second position, third position) during surgery while the robotic arms remain docked and continue operating. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to adapt to different surgical needs without interruption
2Adaptability or versatility
If robotic arms are repositioned by undocking and re-docking, then patient repositioning is achieved, but positional accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the patient table positioning system from the robotic arm positioning system, allowing independent optimization of each. The robotic arms maintain their docked position and precision calibration while the patient table is repositioned separately, ensuring that surgical instrument positional accuracy is not compromised during patient repositioning
Solution Approach 2:
The master controller acts as an intermediary that coordinates between patient table position commands and robotic arm control. It receives position commands for the patient table, determines appropriate robotic arm responses, and ensures that repositioning operations maintain the required positional accuracy for surgical instruments
3Device complexity
If real-time and non-real-time communication are handled by the same driver, then system complexity is reduced, but real-time control precision may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The communication driver is segmented into separate functional components that handle real-time and non-real-time traffic independently. The driver includes separate processing paths, buffers, and communication channels for real-time control data and non-real-time data, allowing both types of communication to occur simultaneously without interference while maintaining real-time precision
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the communication driver are assigned different quality characteristics. The real-time communication path is optimized for precision and low latency with higher priority processing, while the non-real-time path uses standard processing. This local differentiation allows the system to maintain high precision for critical real-time control while handling less time-sensitive communications
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic surgical system and method are disclosed for handling real-time and non-real-time traffic. In one embodiment, a surgical robotic system is provided comprising at least one robotic arm coupled to an operating table; and a control computer comprising a processor and a hardware interface, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a notification about real-time data from the operating table at the hardware interface; process the real-time data immediately upon receiving the notification; and poll the hardware interface for non-real time data from the operating table only when not processing the real-time data. Other embodiments are provided.