Robotic Surgical Tool Positioning With Tissue Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally invasive surgical instruments lack the flexibility and intuitive control of traditional open surgery, with endoscopic tools experiencing difficulty in approaching surgical sites and reduced tactile feedback due to their length, leading to challenges in precise movement coordination.
Innovation Solution
A robotic surgical system with an electromechanical arm and tool configured to sense temperature and displacement, using sensors like infrared sensors and cameras to control the end effector's movement, adjusting velocity based on sensed parameters to prevent tissue damage and ensure precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments are used, then post-operative recovery time is reduced and scarring is minimized, but the surgeon loses flexibility in tool placement and tactile feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates force sensors that detect tissue forces and provide real-time feedback to the surgeon through the master control device, restoring tactile sensation lost in traditional minimally invasive surgery. The force feedback mechanism allows the surgeon to feel tissue resistance and manipulation forces, enabling intuitive control while maintaining minimal incision benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical hand-held manipulation with a robotic system that uses sensors and computer-controlled mechanisms to manipulate surgical tools. The master control device translates surgeon inputs into precise robotic movements, substituting the direct mechanical connection with an intelligent intermediary system that provides both precision and feedback.
2Length of moving object
If endoscopic instruments with added length are used to reach surgical sites through small incisions, then minimally invasive access is achieved, but the surgeon's ability to feel forces exerted by tissues is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Force sensors act as intermediaries between the tissue and the surgeon, detecting forces at the distal end effector and transmitting this information back to the surgeon through the master control device. This intermediary system overcomes the mechanical attenuation of forces that occurs with long endoscopic instruments, allowing the surgeon to feel tissue forces despite the instrument length.
3Reliability
If traditional endoscopic instruments are used, then minimally invasive access is achieved, but coordination of end effector movement with visual feedback on the monitor is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the surgical site through high-definition imaging and displays it on a monitor, allowing the surgeon to visualize the exact location and orientation of the end effector. The master control device provides haptic feedback that corresponds to the visual information, creating a coherent sensory-motor loop that improves coordination between visual feedback and instrument manipulation.
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
Enhances surgical dexterity and safety by allowing precise control of surgical tools based on real-time tissue feedback, reducing the risk of tissue damage and improving the surgeon's ability to perform complex procedures with greater accuracy and sensitivity.
Implementation Method 1
A sensor, such as an infrared sensor, can be configured to sense a temperature of the end effector
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods are provided in which movement of a tool is controlled based on sensed parameters. In one embodiment, an electromechanical tool is provided having an instrument shaft and an end effector formed thereon. The electromechanical tool is configured to be mounted on an electromechanical arm, and the electromechanical tool is configured to move with or relative to the electromechanical arm and perform surgical functions. A controller is operatively coupled to the electromechanical arm and the electromechanical tool and is configured to retard advancement of the electromechanical tool toward a tissue surface based on a sensed amount of displacement of a tissue surface, a strain on the tissue of the patient, the temperature of the electromechanical tool, or the like.