One way to improve the quality of a medical manipulator for sterile boxes

Abstract

Today, the advanced robot-surgeons and medical manipulators are managed by operators. Among the best recognized systems are: Da Vinci, Robodoc, SMR Surgical Versius. Further development of medical robotic surgery field requires new solutions in the engineering and software spheres. The main issues and directions are remote surgical operations online as well as automation of processes in sterile boxes. To overcome such limitations, the system must be of minimal size, but it should not lose its accuracy and power. A large number of solutions are aimed at a specific characteristic: Robodoc (accuracy and automation), Da Vinci (flexibility and remote control), SMR Surgical Versius (modularity and miniaturization). If the system has high accuracy, small dimensions and the possibility of automation, it will significantly accelerate the development of robotic surgery.

This task can be solved by removing all electronic components from the segments of the manipulator. Such a solution is already available in the robot surgeon Da Vinci, but a cable mechanism is used there at the base of the segments, which does not allow automating the process because of a low accuracy. The solution that will ensure sufficient accuracy and allow automating the processes is using a bevel gear inside the segments. In this way, it is possible to reduce significantly the size and to increase the accuracy (enlarging the number and type of motors), as well as to make the system as modular as possible, which in its turn will simplify the repair and maintenance.

A manipulator prototype was developed and printed on the NodeMcu hardware platform. The main functionality corresponds to the task. The dimensions of the prototype are 324x324x620 mm, but at the same time, like Da Vinci's robotic surgeon, 7 degrees of freedom remained. Nema17 motors have been used, the accuracy has increased significantly and reaches more than 0.01mm Automation research is still ongoing, but the vibration rate has been significantly reduced because all the motors are placed separately. Technical solutions will allow automating work in sterile boxes, ensuring maximum reliability.