Robotic Surgical System with Spherical Ball Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current remote surgical systems lack the capability to effectively track and transmit the complex movements and provide haptic feedback for neurosurgeons performing endovascular procedures, particularly in manipulating thrombectomy devices like stent retrievers, which require precise proximal and distal movement, rotation, and force application.
Innovation Solution
A robotic surgical system utilizing a physician-side shaft with surrounding spherical balls to track movement, a patient-side shaft with a distal body framework of memory metal strips, and a patient-side force applicator with multiple spherical balls to mimic the physician's movements and provide haptic feedback, enabling remote control of stent retrievers or similar devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a robotic surgical system uses spherical balls to track physician-side shaft movement, then measurement precision of shaft movement is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple balls and sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs spherical balls surrounding the physician-side shaft to track movement in three dimensions. The spherical geometry of the balls allows them to roll and rotate in response to shaft movements, converting complex multi-axis shaft motion into measurable ball positions and orientations, thereby achieving precise 3D movement tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical balls serve as intermediary elements between the physician-side shaft and the sensors. Instead of directly measuring shaft movement, the system uses the balls as mediators that physically respond to shaft motion and translate it into detectable positional changes, enabling indirect but accurate measurement of shaft dynamics.
2Ease of operation
If the system transmits signals between physician-side and patient-side components, then remote control capability is improved, but loss of information may increase due to signal transmission delays or errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements bidirectional signal transmission with feedback mechanisms. Sensors on the physician-side detect ball movements and transmit signals to control patient-side shaft movements. The two-way communication allows for real-time feedback, enabling the system to monitor and adjust for transmission accuracy, thereby maintaining remote control precision despite potential signal delays or errors.
3Productivity
If the patient-side shaft mimics physician-side shaft movements, then productivity of remote surgery is improved, but device complexity increases due to force applicators and movement coordination mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patient-side shaft system is designed to copy the movements of the physician-side shaft. By using force applicators and coordination mechanisms that replicate the physician's manual manipulations of the shaft and spherical balls, the system enables remote execution of surgical actions with high fidelity, thereby improving remote surgery productivity.
4Ease of operation
If the system provides haptic feedback from patient-side to physician-side, then ease of operation is improved by enhancing physician tactile awareness, but device complexity increases due to feedback mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates haptic feedback mechanisms that transmit tactile information from the patient-side shaft back to the physician-side shaft. This feedback loop allows the physician to feel resistance, force, and movement characteristics at the distal end of the catheter system, enhancing tactile awareness and operational control during remote procedures.
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
Enables precise remote control of stent retrievers or other distal bodies within blood vessels, allowing for effective clot removal by translating physician-side movements into patient-side actions and providing tactile feedback, enhancing the accuracy and safety of endovascular neurosurgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a physician-side shaft whose movement may be tracked by a plurality of spherical balls surrounding the physician-side shaft
Implementation Method 2
the distal body comprising a framework formed by a plurality of memory metal strips, wherein the distal body has a relaxed state wherein the distal body has a first height and a first width, and a collapsed state wherein the distal body has a second height and a second width
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic surgical system is described. In some embodiments, the robotic surgical system includes a physician-side shaft controlled by a physician, the movement of which is tracked by a plurality of physician-side balls and transmitted to a plurality of patient-side balls, which in turn, move a patient-side shaft and attached surgical device, such as a stent retriever.