Tracking-Marker Surgical Robotics for Accurate Instrument Placement
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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 surgeries, especially in 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 accuracy, but the process is tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs tracking markers on surgical instruments that automatically enable the robotic system to detect and track instrument positions without manual intervention. The robotic actuator autonomously positions instruments based on pre-planned trajectories, eliminating the need for continuous manual adjustment and monitoring by the surgeon.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical positioning with an automated robotic system that uses computer vision (tracking cameras detecting markers) and automated actuation. The robotic actuator mechanically substitutes the surgeon's hands for instrument manipulation, while the tracking system substitutes visual monitoring for manual positioning feedback.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional robotic systems are 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 system divides the robotic assistance into modular components: a robotic actuator for stable positioning, separate tracking cameras for monitoring, and interchangeable end effectors for different surgical tasks. This segmentation allows the system to provide stability without requiring a single complex integrated system, reducing overall setup complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic actuator is designed with a universal interface that can accommodate multiple types of surgical instruments through interchangeable end effectors. The tracking system can monitor various instrument types using the same camera and marker detection methodology, reducing the need for specialized equipment for each surgical task.
3Adaptability or versatility
If robot arm configuration is fixed, then system structure is simplified, but the range of motion and optimal trajectory placement are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a dynamic positioning approach where the robotic actuator can adjust instrument trajectories in real-time based on tracking feedback. The end effector positioning is dynamically optimized during surgery rather than being fixed pre-operatively, allowing adaptation to anatomical variations and surgical needs while maintaining a relatively simple robot arm structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking markers and camera system serve as an intermediary between the fixed robot arm configuration and the desired instrument trajectories. By detecting marker positions and calculating optimal paths, the tracking system enables flexible trajectory planning without requiring complex multi-axis robot arms, bridging the gap between simplified mechanics and surgical versatility.
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.