Robotic Surgical Tool Drive Assembly Rotation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic surgical systems face limitations in efficiently rotating and articulating surgical tools within minimally invasive procedures, which can lead to reduced precision and increased complexity for surgeons during endoscopic and laparoscopic operations.
Innovation Solution
A robotic surgical system with a drive housing and instrument driver that includes a tool drive assembly with a drive motor, allowing the surgical tool to rotate about a central axis, and featuring a carriage and elongate shaft with an end effector, along with interlocking features and actuators for precise movement and articulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If robotic surgical systems use traditional rotation mechanisms for surgical tools, then the system structure becomes simpler, but the precision of rotation and articulation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical tool is divided into multiple independent rotational segments, each controlled by separate actuators. The tool can perform rotation about a first axis and articulation about a second axis independently, allowing precise control of each degree of freedom. This segmentation enables high precision rotation and articulation while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic actuation mechanisms that can adjust rotation and articulation in real-time based on surgical requirements. The actuators provide controlled torque and speed variation, enabling smooth transitions between different rotational positions and articulation angles. This dynamic control enhances precision while the feedback mechanisms maintain system stability despite the increased complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If robotic surgical systems implement multiple degrees of freedom for tool movement, then the ability to access complex anatomical areas is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical tool employs a nested structure where articulation mechanisms are housed within the rotation mechanism. The inner articulation joint is contained within the outer rotation assembly, allowing compact packaging of multiple degrees of freedom. This nesting reduces the overall footprint of the motion system while maintaining the ability to access complex anatomical areas through coordinated rotation and articulation movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool drive assembly is designed as a universal interface that can accommodate different surgical tools with varying motion requirements. The standardized actuation system can control rotation, articulation, and other degrees of freedom across multiple tool types, enhancing versatility without proportionally increasing complexity. This multi-functional design allows the same basic mechanism to serve multiple surgical applications.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic surgical system includes a surgical tool including a drive housing having first and second ends, a carriage movably mounted to the drive housing, and an elongate shaft extending from the carriage and penetrating the first end, the shaft having an end effector arranged at a distal end. An instrument driver is arranged at an end of a robotic arm and includes a body having proximal and distal ends and defining a central aperture extending between the proximal and distal ends, the shaft and the end effector penetrate the instrument driver by extending through the central aperture, an outer housing extending between the proximal and distal ends, a tool drive assembly provided at the proximal end and extending into the outer housing, and a drive motor operatively coupled to the tool drive assembly and operable to cause the tool drive assembly to rotate relative to the outer housing.