Synthetic Tool Representation for Robotic Surgery Haptic Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive robotic surgical systems face challenges in providing effective haptic feedback and maintaining the surgeon's focus during procedures, especially when using multiple tools, as current hardware is complex and expensive, and surgeons often need to interrupt their view to access secondary interfaces for noncritical adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A robotic surgical system that includes a tool for performing surgery, data for providing a synthetic representation of the tool, an image capturing device, and a display to superimpose a graphical representation of the tool's position and orientation over the field of view, allowing for improved haptic feedback and tool tracking, even when tools are out of the endoscopic field, using a combination of video feeds and kinematic information to enhance the surgeon's control and awareness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardware is used to provide haptic feedback to the surgeon, then the surgeon receives force feedback perception, but the hardware becomes complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual copies (graphical representations) of tools and haptic feedback indicators instead of complex physical hardware to provide feedback to the surgeon. The system creates synthetic representations of surgical tools and displays them on the user interface, allowing the surgeon to perceive tool status and receive feedback through visual rather than mechanical means.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical haptic feedback systems with a computational visual feedback system. Instead of using mechanical components to physically feedback force to the surgeon's hands, the system uses software-generated graphical representations and visual indicators displayed on the user interface to convey the same information.
2Ease of operation
If the surgeon accesses the secondary interface for noncritical adjustments, then system information is accessible, but the surgeon must remove head from viewer which interrupts surgical work
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the secondary interface functionality into the primary surgical display by overlaying graphical representations and system information directly on the user interface that the surgeon is already viewing. This integration allows the surgeon to access tool status, system information, and controls without switching displays or removing their head from the surgical view.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds information layers to the existing two-dimensional surgical display by superimposing graphical representations of tools and system status indicators. This dimensional addition allows multiple types of information (surgical view, tool status, system controls) to coexist in the same visual space without requiring the surgeon to switch between separate interfaces.
3Adaptability or versatility
If more than two working tools are used, then surgical versatility is improved, but the surgeon must release one tool to grasp another which interrupts workflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides continuous visual feedback to the surgeon through graphical representations that indicate which tools are currently controlled and their status. This feedback mechanism allows the surgeon to see tool status and make informed decisions about tool selection and switching without physical trial-and-error, maintaining workflow continuity while managing multiple tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares and displays information about available tools and their status in advance through the graphical interface. The surgeon can see which tools are ready for use and their current state before actually grasping or releasing them, allowing for smoother transitions between multiple tools without interrupting the surgical flow.
Data Source
AI summary
A synthetic representation of a tool for display on a user interface of a robotic system. The synthetic representation may be used to show force on the tool, an actual position of the tool, or to show the location of the tool when out of a field of view. A three-dimensional pointer is also provided for a viewer in the surgeon console of a telesurgical system.