What it does
This project proposes a Surgical Compartment for minor surgeries, a mobile, self-contained unit with an integrated micro-robotic system, aimed at addressing the high cost and large footprint of current robotic-assisted surgical systems.
Your inspiration
The decision to solve this problem stemmed from observing the substantial bulk and exorbitant cost of existing robotic-assisted surgical systems, such as the DaVinci Surgical System. These factors limit their adoption in emergency units or smaller healthcare facilities, creating an accessibility gap that prevents many patients in underserved areas from benefiting from advanced microsurgical care. The complexity of procedures like peripheral vascular microsurgery and isolated organ surgeries, e.g, during transplantation, which often lead to complications even for experienced surgeons, further highlights the urgent need for such a system.
How it works
The design is a mobile surgical compartment: a movable box structure enclosing a sterile surgical environment. It integrates a micro-robotic system of one or two multi-axial robotic arms with detachable surgical instruments and an endoscope. Transparent side walls, made of blue-clear medical-grade polymer material like PPSU, allow external observation. It also includes UV-radiation and pre-operative cleaning tools for sterility. A sliding surgical platform is integrated for external organ operations and hand microsurgeries. The entire compartment is mounted on an adjustable mobile base for easy movement and stabilization at seat level. A sub-console system, like the DaVinci console, provides intuitive control, integrating ergonomics to mitigate surgeon fatigue and musculoskeletal strain, ensuring stability within the mobile structure for precision and safety. Advanced control features, such as haptic feedback and tremor reduction, are critical to the system.
Design process
The design process began with the challenge of high costs and immobility in existing robotic surgical systems, which limit access to advanced microsurgical care. The concept of a "Arms in box" turned to "mobile surgical box", then developed for precision surgery to more locations. I focused on portability and cost reduction, envisioning a compact, sterile environment to house essential robotic components, inspired by systems like DaVinci. The early sketches explored configurations for integrating robotic arms, observation panels, and sterilization methods, helping us visualize the structure and mobile base. I researched miniaturized, cost-effective components like multi-axial robotic arms, optimizing for specific applications. For the control system, I aimed to replicate the intuitiveness of larger systems with ergonomic design to reduce surgeon fatigue, ensuring precision within a mobile structure. Refinement will prioritize miniaturization and environmental control without sacrificing stability, and alternative manufacturing such as smart fabrication through 3D printing. To date, no physical prototypes have been made; the focus has mainly been on conceptualization, component research, and 3D visualization. Future steps will involve developing actual prototypes.
How it is different
The Mobile Surgical Compartment is unique through the following core differentiators: Mobile, Cheaper, Enclosed Sterile Environment: Unlike larger, fixed existing systems, it is designed for mobility and offers a significantly lower acquisition cost. It also uniquely features an enclosed, sterile environment with integrated UV-radiation bulbs and pre-operative cleaning tools. Portability for Broadened Access: Its movable box structure mounted on wheels allows for rapid deployment and broadens the geographical reach of specialized microsurgical procedures, addressing the accessibility gap in emergency or rural settings. Cost-Effectiveness: It aims to be more affordable than current DaVinci systems (priced around $2.6m), achieving this through overall system optimization for specific applications, smart fabrication, and leveraging volume discounts.
Future plans
Modelling and Physical prototyping: The next step is to develop models that can be tested, and I hope existing companies could also adopt this design since they have the necessary foundation. Community Contribution: I encourage technical experts and experienced robotic surgeons to contribute to the system's development. Their insights will be vital for optimizing the system for real-world scenarios, enhancing patient care.
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