Touch Display Activation Button for Surgical Robots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical robots rely on physical switches that are prone to errors, difficult to sterilize, and require additional components, posing risks during surgical interventions.
Innovation Solution
A medical robot system utilizing a touch display with a visual activation switch, where pressing the button sends a control signal to the robot control device to activate or deactivate robot actions, eliminating the need for physical switches and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical switches are used to control robot activation, then the robot can be controlled to move or perform actions, but the system becomes prone to errors (buttons getting stuck), requires additional components, and is difficult to sterilize
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical physical switch system with a software-based activation switch displayed on a touch screen. The touch screen detects finger contact and transmits control signals to the robot control device, eliminating the need for physical buttons that can get stuck or require sterilization. This substitution of mechanical components with electronic/software components directly resolves the reliability and complexity issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the activation button on the touch screen interface. Instead of using a physical button that exists in the surgical field, a graphical representation of the button is displayed on the screen, which can be pressed with a finger. This virtual copy eliminates the need for physical components while maintaining the same functional purpose of activating robot movements.
2Ease of operation
If physical buttons are used for robot activation, then control is possible, but sterilization becomes difficult and components can get stuck
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the physical button mechanism entirely and replaces it with a touch screen interface. The touch screen has no moving parts or gaps where cloth could get stuck, making it easy to sterilize while maintaining intuitive button-like operation through visual feedback and tactile touch interaction.
3Reliability
If a touch display is used instead of physical switches, then sterilization is improved and errors are reduced, but the system requires integration of the touch display with the robot control system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the touch screen with multiple functions: it serves as both the user interface for robot control and as a display for surgical visualization. By making the touch screen multi-functional, the system avoids adding separate components for different purposes, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the benefits of error-free operation and ease of sterilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical robot system includes a robot with a movable robot arm connected to a robot base and a robot head connected to the robot arm. An end effector can be on the robot head or serve as a robot head. A control device can execute an action of the robot, in particular to control a movement of the robot and execute the movement as an action. The robot system further includes at least one touch display with a control unit. An activation button is visually displayed on the touch display. When the activation button is pressed as an input by a user, a control signal is sent to the robot control device via a signal connection to activate an action of the robot, such as a movement of the robot. The robot system can be implemented with an activation method, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program.