Teleoperated Surgical Robot Force Threshold Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic arms in medical systems can experience excessive contact force and torque during teleoperation, leading to potential injuries and collisions, necessitating improved force and torque regulation to enhance safety and reduce interruptions during surgery.
Innovation Solution
A robotic control system monitors contact forces and torques on robotic arms, adjusting movement velocity or stopping the arm based on predefined conditions, and provides haptic or visual feedback to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the robotic arm moves under teleoperation to achieve desired pose, then the surgical task is performed, but excessive contact force and torque may be applied to the patient or medical personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors contact forces and torques on the robotic arm during teleoperation and provides real-time feedback to the control system. When contact force or torque exceeds predetermined thresholds, the system automatically responds by reducing velocity or stopping motion, preventing excessive forces from being applied to the patient or medical personnel while maintaining teleoperation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic control system dynamically adjusts the velocity of the robotic arm based on real-time contact force and torque conditions. When contact forces are within safe limits, the arm moves at commanded velocity to perform surgical tasks efficiently. When thresholds are exceeded, the velocity is automatically reduced or stopped, creating a dynamic safety mechanism that adapts to changing operational conditions
2Stability of the object's composition
If the robotic arm executes null space motion to maintain pose during contact, then the surgical pose is maintained, but additional collisions and contact with the patient or other objects may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors contact forces and torques to detect when the robotic arm is in contact with external objects. When contact is detected, the system determines whether to allow null space motion or stop motion based on whether maintaining pose would cause additional collisions. This feedback mechanism prevents harmful additional collisions while maintaining surgical pose stability when safe
3Ease of operation
If the operator moves the patient or reaches for input control to avoid collision, then the robotic arm can be moved out of the way, but additional risks of undesirable collisions and contact with the patient or other objects are posed
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic control system automatically detects contact forces and torques on the robotic arm and independently determines the appropriate response (reduce velocity or stop motion) without requiring operator intervention. This self-service safety mechanism eliminates the need for the operator to manually move the patient or reach for controls during potential collisions, removing the source of additional harmful collisions while maintaining collision avoidance capability
Data Source
AI summary
Surgical robotic systems may regulate external forces for teleoperation. A surgical robot can include a surgical instrument configured to mount on a robotic arm. The surgical robot can estimate an external force applied to the surgical instrument during teleoperation while the surgical instrument or the robotic arm is in motion. The surgical robot can pause the motion of the surgical instrument or the robotic arm in response to detecting that the external force exceeds a first threshold. The surgical robot can reduce a velocity of the surgical instrument or the robotic arm in response to detecting that the external force exceeds a second threshold, which is lower than the first threshold.