Robotic Surgical Tool Pose Correction via Image-Based Rigid Transformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic surgical systems face challenges in accurately determining the absolute location and orientation of end effectors due to reliance on joint-based data, which can lead to inaccuracies in tool tracking and movement calculations, especially when environmental constraints are involved.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates image-based data to correct the pivotal center pose of robotic surgical tools, using a simple rigid transformation to adjust joint-based data, thereby enhancing the accuracy of tool position and orientation without requiring extensive computational recalculation of the entire kinematic chain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If joint-based data is used to determine tool position and orientation, then the system is simpler to implement, but measurement precision deteriorates due to inaccuracies in tool tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an image-based measurement system as an intermediary to correct the joint-based pose data. The image processing system captures visual information of the tool and calculates pose independently, then fuses this with joint-based data to produce corrected, more accurate tool position and orientation measurements without requiring complete system redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on purely mechanical joint sensing with an optical/image-based measurement system. By using vision systems to capture and process images of the tool, the system substitutes mechanical measurement limitations with optical measurement capabilities, achieving higher precision in tool pose determination
2Measurement precision
If image-based correction is applied to joint-based data, then measurement precision improves, but use of energy increases due to additional image processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial correction by using image-based data only for pivotal center pose correction rather than complete re-calculation of all tool poses. This selective application of image processing reduces computational energy consumption while still achieving the primary goal of improving tool tracking accuracy where it matters most
3Measurement precision
If extensive computational recalculation of the entire kinematic chain is performed, then measurement precision improves, but productivity decreases due to increased computational time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the pivotal center pose information from image-based measurement rather than performing complete kinematic chain recalculation. By isolating and correcting only the critical pivotal center parameters, the system achieves improved pose accuracy without the computational burden of processing the entire kinematic chain
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the pose correction problem into independent components, correcting the pivotal center pose separately from other tool parameters. This segmentation allows selective application of computational resources to the most critical measurement errors, improving overall precision while maintaining computational efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Robotic devices, systems, and methods for use in telesurgical therapies through minimally invasive apertures make use of joint-based data throughout much of the robotic kinematic chain, but selectively rely on information from an image capture device to determine location and orientation along the linkage adjacent a pivotal center at which a shaft of the robotic surgical tool enters the patient. A bias offset may be applied to a pose (including both an orientation and a location) at the pivotal center to enhance accuracy. The bias offset may be applied as a simple rigid transformation from the image-based pivotal center pose to a joint-based pivotal center pose.