Wireless Surgical Tool Feedback for Robotic Dexterity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimally invasive robotic surgical instruments face challenges in intuitiveness, dexterity, and sensitivity due to limited tool placement and non-intuitive movement coordination, which hinders the effectiveness of robotic surgery.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system with a sensor-equipped end effector that wirelessly communicates parameters to another surgical tool within the patient's body, allowing for improved control and coordination through a robotic surgical system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments are used, then the surgical approach is less invasive, but the surgeon loses flexibility in tool placement and dexterity in manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic surgical system divides the surgical instrument into modular components including a robotic arm, end effector, and control system. This segmentation allows the distal portion with sensors to be positioned minimally invasively while the proximal control mechanisms remain accessible outside the body, resolving the contradiction between reduced invasiveness and maintained operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A wireless communication system acts as an intermediary between the distal sensor-equipped portion and the proximal control mechanisms. This intermediary enables real-time data transmission about tissue forces and instrument position, allowing the surgeon to maintain dexterity and flexibility through electronic feedback rather than direct mechanical connection, thus preserving ease of operation while minimizing invasiveness.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If elongate endoscopic instruments are used to reach the surgical site, then access is achieved through small incisions, but the surgeon's ability to feel forces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces direct mechanical force feedback through the elongate instrument with electronic sensing and wireless communication. Sensors at the distal end electronically detect tissue forces and transmit data wirelessly to the control system, substituting the mechanical connection that would otherwise be needed for force sensing. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining small incisions while restoring precise force measurement capability through electronic substitution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by placing sensors at the distal end of the instrument that detect forces applied to tissue. This feedback information is transmitted wirelessly to the control system, which can then provide haptic feedback or visual display to the surgeon. This feedback mechanism restores the surgeon's ability to感知 forces despite the physical distance created by the elongate instrument, resolving the measurement precision issue while maintaining minimal invasiveness.
3Ease of operation
If remote control mechanisms are used for telesurgery, then the surgeon can operate from a remote location, but the coordination of end effector movement with visual feedback becomes non-intuitive
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements real-time feedback by placing sensors at the distal end that detect forces and positional information. This feedback is transmitted wirelessly to the control system, which processes the data and provides immediate visual or haptic feedback to the surgeon. This closed-loop feedback system makes the coordination between surgeon input and end effector movement more intuitive, resolving the complexity issue while maintaining remote operation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the surgical site and instrument state through visual display and sensor data representation. The surgeon interacts with this digital copy rather than directly with the physical instrument, making remote coordination more intuitive. The copying principle allows the surgeon to perceive and control instrument movement in a more natural way despite the physical separation, reducing the perceived complexity of remote operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Various exemplary methods, systems, and devices for robotic surgical instrument communication are provided. In general, a surgical tool includes a sensor configured to sense a parameter related to the surgical tool and to wirelessly communicate the sensed data to another device, e.g., another surgical tool. Each of the surgical tool and the other device are configured to beoperatively connected to a robotic surgical system and to be controlled by the robotic surgical system. The other device is configured to transmit the data received from the surgical tool to the robotic surgical system.