Surgical Table Base Structure for Vibration-Decoupled Robotic Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical tables face challenges in maintaining stability on uneven floors due to their large base size requirements for rigidity and mobility, leading to potential rocking and vibration issues, which can compromise surgical precision and safety. Additionally, robotic surgical arms experience vibrational cross-talk that degrades positional accuracy of attached devices.
Innovation Solution
A surgical table base with adjustable support members and force feedback, along with a robotic surgical system design that includes a pivot assembly and adapter with varying stiffness sections to reduce vibrations, addresses these issues by stabilizing the table on uneven surfaces and decoupling vibrational frequencies between robotic arms and the table structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the base is made large to achieve stability and rigidity, then the table becomes stable and rigid, but the footprint exceeds the table top and clinical access is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The base is divided into multiple support members (at least four) that are spatially distributed around the base body. Each support member independently contacts the floor at different locations, providing stability without requiring a large continuous base footprint. This segmentation allows the table to be stable while maintaining a compact overall footprint that fits within clinical space constraints.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the base is made rigid to prevent tipping, then the table becomes stable, but the table cannot tolerate irregularities in the floor surface and may rock
Solution Approach 1:
The support members are designed with adjustable characteristics that allow the base to dynamically adapt to floor irregularities. The support members can independently adjust their contact points and load distribution in response to varying floor conditions, enabling the rigid base structure to tolerate uneven surfaces without rocking while maintaining overall stability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the table structure is rigid to maintain stability, then the table is stable, but vibrational energy transmits efficiently between robotic arms
Solution Approach 1:
The support members act as intermediary elements between the base body and the floor surface. These intermediaries are designed to decouple vibrational frequencies, allowing the table structure to remain rigid for stability while the support members absorb and dissipate vibrational energy, preventing efficient transmission of vibrations between robotic arms mounted on the table.
4Ease of operation
If the base is made mobile with wheels for transport, then the table can be moved, but the table becomes unstable on uneven floors
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile base is segmented into multiple independent support members with wheels, distributed around the base body. This segmentation allows each wheel to independently accommodate floor irregularities while collectively providing stable support. The segmented structure enables mobility through wheels while maintaining stability on uneven surfaces, as each support member can adjust to local floor conditions.
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 enhances the stability and mobility of surgical tables on irregular floors, reducing rocking and vibration, while improving the positional accuracy of robotic surgical arms by effectively managing load distribution and decoupling vibrational frequencies, thereby ensuring safer and more precise surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
Robotic surgical table with relatively high resonant frequency structure to reduce efficiency of energy transmission between attached robotic arms
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for providing a surgical table base with sufficient stiffness and adjustable support members with force feedback are described herein. In some embodiments, a base for a surgical table includes a base body to which other components of a surgical table can be coupled. A surgical table, and optionally a patient supportable by the surgical table, and any equipment to be carried by the surgical table, collectively representing a table load to be carried by the base body to support the surgical table on a surface. The base further includes a support assembly coupled to the base body to support the base body on the surface. The support assembly includes at least four support members. Each support member has a surface-engaging end and can transmit a portion of a total load represented by the weight of the base and the table load through the surface-engaging end to the surface. The surface-engaging ends of any three of the four support members define a plane. One of the support members is adjustable to move the one support member relative to a plane defined by the three of the other support members and thereby to change the portion of the total load carried by one of the support members. The base further includes a load sensor operably coupled to the support assembly and disposed to detect the portion of the total load carried by one of the support members.