Threaded Guide Tube Control for Precise Robotic Implant Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robot-assisted surgical systems are error-prone, cumbersome, and limited in movement range, leading to safety hazards and suboptimal instrument placement during procedures like vertebrae fusion, due to lack of mechanical feedback and visual placement within the patient.
Innovation Solution
A surgical robot system with a robot arm, end-effector, guide tube, and surgical instrument, utilizing internal and external threading for precise tool advancement, and a dilator system with concentric mount points for independent control of tool components, integrated with a local positioning system and planning software for accurate surgical instrument placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual positioning of surgical instruments is used, then surgeon dexterity determines placement accuracy, but the process is tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical positioning with an automated robotic system that uses image guidance and computer control to position surgical instruments. The robotic arm autonomously moves the instrument based on pre-planned trajectories derived from 3D imaging, eliminating the need for manual positioning while improving both accuracy and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system performs self-positioning and self-guidance through integrated sensors, image processing, and automated control algorithms. The system independently calculates trajectories, positions the instrument, and monitors placement without continuous manual intervention, enabling autonomous surgical execution.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional robotic assistance is used, then hand tremor is eliminated and instrument stability is improved, but the systems are expensive, obtrusive, and require cumbersome setup
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system integrates multiple functions including image acquisition, trajectory planning, automated positioning, and real-time monitoring into a single unified platform. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate devices for each task, reducing overall system complexity and setup requirements while maintaining instrument stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the robotic arm, image guidance system, navigation software, and surgical instruments into an integrated system. The robotic arm incorporates sensors and actuators that work together with the image processing unit and control algorithms, merging previously separate components into a cohesive platform that reduces setup complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If robot arm configuration is limited, then system simplicity is maintained, but the range of motion and optimal trajectory placement are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm employs dynamic positioning with multiple degrees of freedom, allowing real-time adjustment of trajectory angles and positions. The system can dynamically change its configuration during surgery to access different anatomical locations, providing adaptability without requiring a permanently complex mechanical structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves extended range of motion by programmatically changing operational parameters such as joint angles, arm extension lengths, and trajectory coordinates. This software-based parameter adjustment provides versatility equivalent to complex mechanical configurations without adding physical complexity to the robot arm structure.
4Measurement precision
If autonomous instrument movement is implemented, then surgical precision is improved, but mechanical feedback and visual placement are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor instrument position, force applied to tissues, and trajectory adherence. This feedback is fed back to the control system in real-time, allowing the robot to adjust its movements autonomously while maintaining precision. The system also provides visual feedback displays to the surgeon showing instrument location relative to the planned trajectory.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for aiding insertion of a surgical implant by providing a threaded guide tube configured to engage a threaded surgical instrument such that an end-effector of a robot may provide force to drive the surgical implant into a patient. In addition, devices, systems, and methods relating to a dilator system for use with a robotic system that allows independent and separate control of tools within the dilator system.