Surgical Robotic Arm Drape Cooling to Reduce Overheating and Bulk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical robotic arms face overheating issues due to small, high-speed motors, making it challenging to integrate cooling ducts without increasing bulk and weight, which is undesirable for minimization and sterility in surgical environments.
Innovation Solution
A surgical robotic arm drape with an exterior sheet defining an elongate cavity and a duct integral to the sheet for channeling fluid to or from the robotic arm, allowing for efficient cooling without the need for extensive internal ducts, using material integral with the sheet and surface features on the arm to maintain a fluid path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling ducts are integrated within the robotic arm, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but the bulk and weight of the robotic arm increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling duct is extracted from the robotic arm structure and relocated to the drape. The drape now contains the duct that channels cooling fluid to and from the robotic arm, separating the cooling function from the arm's structural design and reducing the arm's weight and bulk.
Solution Approach 2:
The drape serves as an intermediary component between the cooling fluid source and the robotic arm. The duct within the drape acts as a mediator to transport cooling fluid, eliminating the need for integrated ducts within the arm itself while maintaining effective cooling.
2Ease of operation
If the robotic arm is made smaller and lighter, then usability and maneuverability are improved, but cooling capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling duct is extracted from the robotic arm and placed in the drape, allowing the arm to be minimized in size and weight for improved maneuverability while the duct in the drape provides adequate cooling capacity.
3Reliability
If a drape is used to maintain sterility, then surgical hygiene is improved, but the robotic arm may overheat due to enclosed space
Solution Approach 1:
The sterile drape and cooling system are merged into a single integrated solution. The drape not only maintains surgical hygiene by enclosing the robotic arm but also incorporates a cooling duct that actively removes heat, simultaneously achieving both sterility and thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure that causes overheating is converted into a benefit by integrating a cooling duct within the drape. The same drape that encloses the arm to maintain sterility now also provides a controlled environment for efficient cooling fluid delivery, converting the potential harm of enclosed space into a beneficial cooling channel.
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 solution provides effective cooling to the robotic arm while minimizing bulk and weight, maintaining sterility, and reducing the cost of the robotic arm's design, enhancing usability and maneuverability.
Implementation Method 1
a duct defined at least in part by material integral with the exterior sheet, the duct defining a fluid path along the longitudinal extent of the cavity to channel fluid to or from a robotic arm housed within the cavity
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical robotic arm drape for enveloping a portion of a robotic arm, the drape comprising: an exterior sheet defining an elongate cavity for housing a portion of a robotic arm; and a duct defined at least in part by material integral with the exterior sheet, the duct defining a fluid path along the longitudinal extent of the cavity to channel fluid to or from a robotic arm housed within the cavity.