Wireless Beacon Tracking for Surgical Instrument Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In robotic surgery, there is a need for real-time tracking of surgical instruments relative to the endoscopic camera's field of view, especially when instruments are moved outside the camera's field of vision, to prevent collisions and ensure safe surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A system using wireless beacons on access ports, which communicate with each other to determine the position of instruments and the camera, providing a graphical representation on the surgeon console to visualize their positions and alert the surgeon to instruments outside the field of view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If instruments are moved outside the camera's field of view to perform surgical tasks, then surgical flexibility and access to different anatomical sites is improved, but the surgeon loses real-time visual awareness of instrument positions, increasing collision risk
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous real-time feedback by tracking beacon positions and displaying instrument locations on the surgeon console. The beacons emit signals that are continuously monitored, providing the surgeon with updated positional information of all instruments relative to the camera field of view, enabling awareness without visual contact.
Solution Approach 2:
Wireless beacons serve as intermediary devices attached to instruments and access ports. These beacons mediate the tracking process by emitting wireless signals that enable the system to determine instrument positions without requiring direct visual contact between the camera and instruments, solving the information loss problem.
2Productivity
If multiple instruments are used simultaneously to perform complex surgical procedures, then surgical capability is improved, but the complexity of tracking and monitoring all instrument positions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking system is segmented into independent modular components: wireless beacons attached to individual instruments, separate transceivers at access ports, and a central controller. Each instrument-tracker pair operates independently, allowing the system to scale to multiple instruments without increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each instrument is equipped with its own self-contained beacon that autonomously emits tracking signals. The beacons self-manage their own identification and positioning functions without requiring external intervention, simplifying the overall tracking architecture and enabling easy addition of multiple instruments.
3Reliability
If real-time tracking of all instruments is implemented to prevent collisions, then patient safety is improved, but the system complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates virtual copies or representations of physical instruments in the form of graphical icons displayed on the surgeon console. These visual representations copy the spatial positions and movements of actual instruments, allowing the surgeon to monitor instrument locations through simplified graphical interfaces rather than complex raw data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical tracking systems with wireless electromagnetic field-based tracking. Wireless beacons and transceivers substitute for mechanical linkages, reducing moving parts and mechanical complexity while enabling real-time position detection through signal processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system enhances surgical safety by providing 360-degree awareness and preventing intracorporeal collisions, streamlining the procedure and allowing better visualization with pre-operative imaging.
Implementation Method 1
Each beacon of the plurality of beacons is configured to wirelessly communicate with each other
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical robotic system includes a first robotic arm configured to hold a camera access port and an endoscopic camera inserted therethrough. The system also includes a plurality of secondary robotic arms each of which is configured to hold an instrument access port of a plurality of instrument access ports and a surgical instrument of a plurality of surgical instruments, each of which is configured to be inserted into one instrument access port of the plurality of instrument access ports. The system further includes a plurality of beacons. One beacon of the plurality of beacons is disposed on the camera access port and one beacon of the remaining plurality of beacons is disposed on one instrument access port of the plurality of instrument access ports. Each beacon of the plurality of beacons is configured to wirelessly communicate with each other. The system additionally includes a controller configured to determine a position of the endoscopic camera and the plurality of surgical instruments based on wireless communication between the beacons.