Compact Robotic Device for Surgical Tool Manipulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic systems for manipulating elongate surgical tools face challenges in efficiently and compactly moving and positioning these tools within a surgical environment, particularly in terms of linear movement and roll movement, with existing solutions often being bulky and prone to slippage or requiring manual intervention.
Innovation Solution
A compact robotic device with a driving assembly featuring multiple pairs of driving wheels arranged on intersecting planes, actuated by motors and transmission gears, and adjustable via elastic elements, allowing for precise linear and roll movement of elongate surgical tools within a minimized footprint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple pairs of driving wheels are arranged on intersecting planes, then the manipulation precision and stability of elongate surgical tools is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by arranging driving wheels on intersecting planes (first plane and second plane that cross each other, with the second plane being perpendicular to the first plane). This three-dimensional arrangement allows the surgical tool to be gripped from multiple directions simultaneously, enhancing manipulation precision and stability without requiring an excessively large number of wheels in a single plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The driving assembly is segmented into multiple independent pairs of driving wheels distributed across different planes. Each pair can be independently actuated by separate motors, allowing selective engagement and control. This segmentation enables precise manipulation while distributing the mechanical load across multiple contact points.
2Reliability
If driving wheels are arranged in multiple planes, then the risk of slippage is reduced, but the volume of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
By transitioning from a single-plane to multi-plane arrangement of driving wheels, the patent increases the three-dimensional contact density with the surgical tool. The intersecting planes create overlapping grip zones that prevent slippage more effectively than a single plane could, while the compact vertical stacking minimizes the overall volume increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The driving wheels on different planes are arranged to nest within each other's spatial envelope. The first pair of driving wheels on the first plane and the second pair on the second plane are positioned such that they interlock around the surgical tool, creating a compact gripping structure that minimizes the device's external dimensions while maintaining multiple contact points.
3Ease of operation
If elastic elements are used to actuate driving wheels, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Elastic elements (springs) are used to provide self-actuating force to the driving wheels. The springs naturally exert outward force to press the wheels against the surgical tool, and this force is automatically modulated by the mechanical structure as the tool is inserted or removed. This eliminates the need for additional actuators while maintaining consistent gripping force.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic elements serve as intermediaries between the structural framework and the driving wheels. Rather than directly actuating each wheel with motors or other complex mechanisms, the springs mediate the force transmission, providing smooth, compliant contact pressure that adapts to the tool's presence and position.
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 enables efficient, precise, and compact manipulation of elongate surgical tools, reducing the risk of slippage and allowing for automated movement, thereby enhancing procedural efficiency and minimizing spatial interference in the surgical setting.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of elastic elements coupled to each of the at least one driving wheel of each pair, wherein a change in tension of each of the elastic elements moves the driving wheel between the first position and the second position
Implementation Method 2
reducing the risk of slippage
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly for driving movement of an elongate surgical tool, comprising:a plurality of adjacent pairs of driving wheels, each pair of driving wheels having a space therebetween such that spaces of the plurality of pairs of driving wheels are axially aligned to form a channel for the elongate surgical tool to extend through;wherein at least one pair of driving wheels out of the plurality of pairs is arranged to lie on a plane different than a plane on which at least one other pair of driving wheels lies.