Techniques for correcting an error in a nonvolatile memory of an embedded component for an end effector in a robotic surgical system

• US 10,105,189 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corporation (Stryker Corporation), Sensys Networks Inc. (Tagmaster AB)
• Original Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corporation (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Still, Stephen Eugene, Zhou, Renbin
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITT, CYNTHIA H
• Application Number:
  US15/348,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20170128142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets A61B18/00 takes precedence; contraceptive devices, pessaries, or applicators therefor A61F6/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/306 Wrists with multiple vertebrae
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0019 End effectors other than grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24043 Test memory comparing with known stored valid memory states
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45171 Surgery drill
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2284 by power-on test, e.g. power-on self test [POST]
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/3459 Circuits or methods to verify correct programming of nonvolatile memory cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/1208 Error catch memory
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/4402 Internal storage of test result, quality data, chip identification, repair information
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/08 Functional testing, e.g. testing during refresh, power-on self testing [POST] or distributed testing
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/1201 comprising I/O circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/36 Data generation devices, e.g. data inverters
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/40 using compression techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/4401 for self repair
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 Tool

Abstract

A method for correcting an error of a nonvolatile memory of an embedded component for an end effector used in a robotic surgical system is provided. The robotic surgical system includes a host controller in communication with the embedded component. The embedded component of the end effector performs a test process to test the nonvolatile memory. The host controller of the robotic surgical system requests a result of the test process from the embedded component of the end effector. The host controller determines that the error of the nonvolatile memory has occurred after requesting the result of the test process from the embedded component of the end effector. The host controller modifies the nonvolatile memory of the embedded component of the end effector to correct the error.

Claims

1. A method for correcting an error of a nonvolatile memory of an embedded component for an end effector of a robotic surgical system, the robotic surgical system including a host controller in communication with the embedded component, said method comprising the steps of:

performing, with the embedded component of the end effector, a test process to test the nonvolatile memory;

requesting, with the host controller of the robotic surgical system, a result of the test process from the embedded component of the end effector;

determining, with the host controller, that the error of the nonvolatile memory has occurred after requesting the result of the test process from the embedded component by evaluating the result of the test process if received from the embedded component or by determining that the result of the test process was not received from the embedded component; and

correcting the error of the nonvolatile memory, with the host controller, by commanding a reprogramming of the embedded component and rebooting the embedded component after reprogramming.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the test process further includes the embedded component of the end effector calculating a current checksum value of the nonvolatile memory.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein performing the test process further includes the embedded component of the end effector comparing the current checksum value to a prior calculated checksum value of the nonvolatile memory and determining that the current checksum value is different from the prior calculated checksum value.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining that the error has occurred is further defined as the host controller of the robotic surgical system evaluating the determination that the current checksum value is different from the prior calculated checksum value.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising starting a timeout counter with the host controller of the robotic surgical system and determining whether the result of the test process is received from the embedded component of the end effector within a predetermined amount of time lapsing after starting the timeout counter.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining that the result of the test process was not received is further defined as the host controller of the robotic surgical system determining that the result of the test process was not received by the host controller within the predetermined amount of time.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the test process with the embedded component of the end effector occurs automatically after booting up of the embedded component.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein correcting the error is further defined as the host controller automatically rewriting at least a portion of the nonvolatile memory.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

storing, with the host controller, a copy of data from the nonvolatile memory in a host memory; and

wherein the host controller automatically rewriting at least the portion of the nonvolatile memory further comprises copying the data to the nonvolatile memory.

10. A host controller of a robotic surgical system being configured to communicate with an embedded component of an end effector used in of the robotic surgical system and with the embedded component comprising a nonvolatile memory, and with said host controller being configured to:

request a result of a test process related to the nonvolatile memory from the embedded component of the end effector;

determine that an error has occurred in the nonvolatile memory of the embedded component after requesting the result of the test process by evaluating the result of the test process if received from the embedded component or by determining that the result of the test process was not received from the embedded component; and

correct the error of the nonvolatile memory by commanding a reprogramming of the embedded component and rebooting of the embedded component after reprogramming.

11. The host controller of claim 10 further being configured to start a timeout counter and determine that the result of the test process was not received from the embedded component of the end effector within a predetermined amount of time lapsing after starting the timeout counter.

12. The host controller of claim 10 further being configured to correct the error by automatically rewriting at least a portion of the nonvolatile memory of the embedded component of the end effector.

13. The host controller of claim 12 further being configured to:

store a copy of data from the nonvolatile memory in a host memory; and

automatically rewrite at least the portion of the nonvolatile memory by copying the data to the nonvolatile memory.

14. An end effector for a robotic surgical system and being configured to communicate with a host controller of the robotic surgical system, said end effector comprising an embedded component comprising a nonvolatile memory and with the embedded component being configured to:

perform a test process to test the nonvolatile memory;

report a result of the test process to the host controller of the robotic surgical system; and

receive and execute a command from the host controller to reprogram the embedded component and to reboot the embedded component after reprogramming to correct an error in the nonvolatile memory determined based on the result of the test process.

15. The end effector of claim 14 wherein the embedded component is further configured to perform the test process by calculating a current checksum value of the nonvolatile memory.

16. The end effector of claim 15 wherein the embedded component is further configured to perform the test process by comparing the current checksum value to a prior calculated checksum value of the nonvolatile memory and by determining that the current checksum value is different from the prior calculated checksum value.

17. The end effector of claim 14 wherein the embedded component is further configured to reprogram by allowing the host controller to automatically rewrite at least a portion of the nonvolatile memory.

18. The end effector of claim 17 wherein the embedded component is further configured to allow the host controller to automatically rewrite at least the portion of the nonvolatile memory by allowing the host controller to write data to the nonvolatile memory, the data being a copy of data previously stored on the nonvolatile memory.