Surgical Teleoperation Interlocks to Prevent Unintended Tool Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
During teleoperation in surgical robotic systems, there is a risk of unintentional tool movement due to the surgeon looking away from the display while holding user input devices, which can lead to unsafe operation.
Innovation Solution
Implement interlock mechanisms that detect whether the user is looking at the display, holding user interface devices in a usable manner, and ensuring the surgical workspace is set up correctly, engaging or disengaging teleoperation mode accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the surgeon uses an open display to view surroundings during teleoperation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to risk of unintentional tool movement when looking away
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors eye tracking data and provides real-time feedback to determine whether the surgeon is looking at the display. This feedback mechanism triggers interlock conditions that prevent or enable teleoperation based on surgeon attention, resolving the contradiction by allowing open display usage while maintaining safety through automated monitoring and control.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary control system is introduced between the surgeon's input devices and the surgical tools. This intermediary monitors eye tracking data and interlock conditions, acting as a mediator that allows or blocks tool operation based on whether safety criteria are met, thus enabling open display usage without compromising reliability.
2Reliability
If interlock mechanisms are implemented to monitor surgeon attention and device configuration, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs multiple functions: it processes eye tracking data, monitors interlock conditions, determines surgeon attention state, and controls teleoperation engagement. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional control system, the patent reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high reliability through comprehensive monitoring.
3Reliability
If the system continuously monitors interlock parameters including eye position and device configuration, then the safety is improved, but the use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs periodic monitoring of interlock parameters including eye position and device configuration rather than continuous monitoring. The control system evaluates interlock conditions at discrete intervals, determining whether to engage or disengage teleoperation mode based on current sensor data, thus reducing energy consumption while maintaining safety through regular checks.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for engaging and disengaging a surgical instrument of a surgical robotic system comprising: receiving a plurality of interlock inputs from one or more interlock detection components of the surgical robotic system; determining, by one or more processors communicatively coupled to the interlock detection components, whether the plurality of interlock inputs indicate each of the following interlock requirements are satisfied: (1) a user is looking toward a display, (2) at least one or more user interface devices of the surgical robotic system are configured in a usable manner, and (3) a surgical workspace of the surgical robotic system is configured in a usable manner; in response to determining each of the interlock requirements are satisfied, transition the surgical robotic system into a teleoperation mode; and in response to determining less than all of the interlock requirements are satisfied, transition the surgical robotic system out of a teleoperation mode.