Handheld Surgical Robot Visual Indicator Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical robotic systems are cumbersome and difficult to maneuver, and navigation systems require users to divert attention from the surgical site, making it challenging to accurately position and orient surgical tools during procedures like joint preparation for implantation.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held robotic system with a tool support and actuator assembly that allows for movement in multiple degrees of freedom, coupled with a visual indicator to guide the user, enabling precise positioning and orientation of surgical tools without the need for large robotic arms, and a control system that determines the tool's pose and range of motion to maintain alignment with virtual boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If large robotic arms with six degrees of freedom are used, then the surgical tool can be positioned and oriented with multiple degrees of freedom, but the system becomes cumbersome and difficult to maneuver in the operating room
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is segmented into two independent components: a handheld portion that the surgeon holds and operates directly, and a tool support portion that contains the actuators and tool. This segmentation allows the lightweight handheld portion to be easily maneuvered while the tool support provides the necessary degrees of freedom through its actuator assembly, resolving the contradiction between versatility and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from traditional large robotic arms operating in three-dimensional space to a handheld device that adds a fourth dimension of control through the actuator assembly's multiple degrees of freedom. The actuator assembly moves the tool support relative to the handheld portion, enabling complex tool positioning without requiring large external robotic structures.
2Measurement precision
If navigation systems with displays are used to track tool position, then alignment accuracy is improved, but the user must look away from the surgical site which distracts focus
Solution Approach 1:
The visual indicator uses color changes (different colored lights) to communicate tool position and alignment status directly to the surgeon. Green lights indicate proper alignment with the desired cut path, while other colors indicate misalignment. This allows the surgeon to maintain focus on the surgical site while receiving precise alignment feedback through intuitive color signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual indicator acts as an intermediary between the navigation system's tracking data and the surgeon's decision-making. Instead of requiring the surgeon to interpret complex display information, the intermediary converts position and orientation data into simple visual cues (light patterns and colors) that can be perceived at a glance without diverting attention from the surgical site.
3Manufacturing precision
If physical cutting guides are used to constrain surgical tools, then alignment precision is improved, but the time to position and secure the guide increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical physical cutting guide with a software-based virtual boundary system. The control system compares the tool's real-time position and orientation against pre-defined virtual boundaries, eliminating the need to physically position and secure cumbersome cutting guides. This substitution maintains alignment precision through digital constraint while dramatically reducing the time required for tool positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using physical cutting guides that constrain the tool mechanically, the system creates a virtual copy or representation of the desired cut path and boundaries in digital space. The control system continuously compares the actual tool position against this virtual model, providing guidance without requiring physical contact or mechanical constraint between the tool and the patient's anatomy.
4Measurement precision
If the control system continuously updates visual indicators based on hand-held portion position, then alignment accuracy is improved, but the computational requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs multiple functions using the same computational resources: it tracks the hand-held portion's position and orientation, calculates the tool support's range of motion, determines compliance with virtual boundaries, and generates visual indicator signals all in an integrated manner. This multi-functionality approach maintains high alignment accuracy while managing system complexity through unified control architecture rather than separate dedicated systems for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided comprising a robotic instrument for use with a surgical tool. In some versions, the robotic instrument comprises a hand-held portion to be held by a user and a tool support movably coupled to the hand-held portion to support the surgical tool. A plurality of actuators operatively interconnect the tool support and the hand-held portion to move the tool support in three degrees of freedom relative to the hand-held portion. An optional constraint assembly may operatively interconnect the tool support and the hand-held portion to constrain movement of the tool support relative to the hand-held portion in three degrees of freedom. A visual indicator assists users in positioning hand-held portion of the instrument to maximize the useability of the system.