Method and system for moving a plurality of articulated instruments in tandem back towards an entry guide

• US 10,271,912 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Diolaiti, Nicola, Lilagan, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US15/258,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20160374767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00087 Tools A61B17/00234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00278 Transorgan operations, e.g. transgastric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00694 with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3447 Linked multiple cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2061 using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/306 Wrists with multiple vertebrae
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/72 Micromanipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/025 comprising haptic means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices

Abstract

A medical robotic system includes articulated instruments extending out of a distal end of an entry guide. Prior to pivoting the entry guide to re-orient it and the instruments, the instruments are moved in tandem back towards the entry guide after a delay. Haptic cues and velocity limits are provided to assist the operator in the retraction of the instruments. After retraction, the entry guide may then be pivoted without concern that the instruments will harm patient anatomy. The movement of the instruments in tandem back towards the entry guide may also occur through coupled control modes while the entry guide is held in a fixed position and orientation.

Claims

1. A method for concurrently moving a plurality of articulated instruments back towards an entry guide out of which the plurality of articulated instruments extend, the method comprising:

causing, by using a processor, the plurality of articulated instruments to assume retraction configurations after a delay which follows receiving one or more commands, to concurrently move the plurality of articulated instruments back towards the entry guide.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, by using the processor, an abrupt change after the delay, to a haptic force being applied against a control mechanism providing the one or more commands, followed by a force slope profile which is independent of a position of the control mechanism at a time of the delay.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, by using the processor, a haptic force applied against a control mechanism providing the one or more commands, so that the haptic force progressively increases as the one or more commands progressively exceed a commanded limit distance from an initial position.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, by using the processor, joints used to pivot the entry guide to be locked in place upon receiving one or more commands to move the entry guide translationally along its longitudinal axis in a retraction direction by a distance exceeding a locking distance from an initial position; and

generating, by using the processor, the one or more commands to concurrently move the plurality of articulated instruments in tandem back towards the entry guide in response to the one or more commands to move the entry guide translationally along its longitudinal axis in the retraction direction, after the delay.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

causing, by using the processor, the joints used for pivoting the entry guide to be unlocked after the plurality of articulated instruments has been retracted into the entry guide.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, by using the processor, the plurality of articulated instruments to concurrently move back towards the entry guide in response to the one or more commands when either each of the plurality of instruments is in a configuration which allows it to be retracted into the entry guide or each of the plurality of articulated instruments is a minimum distance away from a distal end of the entry guide.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a first one of the plurality of articulated instruments is an articulated camera instrument having an image capturing end, a second one of the plurality of articulated instruments is an articulated tool instrument having a working end;

and wherein the causing, by using the processor, the plurality of articulated instruments to concurrently move back towards the entry guide comprises;

causing, by using the processor, the articulated camera instrument to be moved back towards the entry guide until the image capturing end enters the entry guide.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the causing, by using the processor, the plurality of articulated instruments to concurrently move back towards the entry guide comprises:

causing, by using the processor, the second one of the plurality of articulated instruments to be moved back towards a proximal end of the entry guide, even after its working end enters a distal end of the entry guide.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the causing, by using the processor, the plurality of articulated instruments to concurrently move back towards the entry guide is subject to a progressively increasing velocity limit after the delay, as the one or more commands to concurrently move the plurality of articulated instruments back towards the entry guide progressively increase.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the causing, by using the processor, the plurality of articulated instruments to concurrently move back towards the entry guide is subject to a maximum velocity limit after the one or more commands exceed a maximum commanded distance after the delay.

11. A robotic system comprising:

at least one input device;

an entry guide;

a plurality of instrument manipulators coupleable to a plurality of articulated instruments; and

a processor configured to;

command the plurality of instrument manipulators to manipulate the plurality of articulated instruments when coupled to the plurality of instrument manipulators, so that the plurality of articulated instruments assume retraction configurations after a delay which follows receiving one or more commands from the at least one input device to concurrently move the plurality of articulated instruments back towards the entry guide.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to cause an abrupt change after the delay, to a haptic force being applied against the at least one input device, followed by a force slope profile which is independent of a position of the at least one input device at the time of the delay.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to cause a haptic force to be applied against the at least one input device so that the haptic force progressively increases as the one or more commands from the at least one input device progressively exceed a commanded limit distance from an initial position.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

an entry guide manipulator having a plurality of joints used for pivoting the entry guide;

wherein the processor is configured to;

cause the plurality of joints of the entry guide manipulator to be locked in place upon receiving a command one or more commands from the at least one input device to move the entry guide translationally along its longitudinal axis in a retraction direction by a distance exceeding a locking distance from an initial position; and

generate the one or more commands to concurrently move the plurality of articulated instruments back towards the entry guide in response to the one or more commands received from the at least one input device to move the entry guide translationally along its longitudinal axis in the retraction direction.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to cause the plurality of joints of the entry guide manipulator to be unlocked after the plurality of articulated instruments has been retracted into the entry guide.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a viewer that outputs displayed processed images originating from an articulated camera instrument, wherein a first one of the plurality of articulated instruments comprises the articulated camera instrument; and

wherein the processor is configured to command the plurality of instrument manipulators to manipulate the plurality of articulated instruments to concurrently move back towards the entry guide in response to the one or more commands from the at least one input device in a manner to provide an operator of the at least one input device an impression that the operator is pushing the displayed processed images away while the operator is viewing the viewer and manipulating the at least one input device in a manner that results in commanding the entry guide to move translationally along its longitudinal axis in the retraction direction.

17. The system of claim 16:

wherein the at least one input device comprises a first input device operated by a first hand of the operator and a second input device operated by a second hand of the operator, pivot points of the first and second input devices defining a handle bar axis which passes through the pivot points; and

wherein the processor is configured to;

command the entry guide manipulator to rotate the entry guide about a first axis in response to movement of the first and second input devices in opposite forward and back directions prior to the plurality of joints of the entry guide manipulator being locked in place,

command the entry guide manipulator to rotate the entry guide about a second axis in response to movement of the first and second input device in opposite up and down directions prior to the plurality of joints of the entry guide manipulator being locked in place,

command the entry guide manipulator to rotate the entry guide about a third axis in response to pivoting the first and second input devices in a same angular direction about the handle bar axis prior to the plurality of joints of the entry guide manipulator being locked in place, and

command the plurality of instrument manipulators to move the plurality of articulated instruments in common directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the entry guide in response to moving the first and second input devices forward and backward in unison regardless of whether the plurality of joints of the entry guide manipulator are locked in place.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to command the plurality of instrument manipulators to concurrently move the plurality of articulated instruments back towards the entry guide in response to the one or more commands, when either each of the plurality of instruments is in a configuration which allows it to be retracted into the entry guide or each of the plurality of articulated instruments is a minimum distance away from a distal end of the entry guide.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to command the plurality of instrument manipulators to concurrently move the plurality of articulated instruments back towards the entry guide in response to the one or more commands, subject to a progressively increasing velocity limit after the delay, as the one or more commands from the at least one input device to concurrently move the plurality of articulated instruments back towards the entry guide increase.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to command the plurality of instrument manipulators to concurrently move the plurality of articulated instruments back towards the entry guide in response to the one or more commands after the delay, subject to a maximum velocity limit after the commands from the at least one input device exceed a maximum commanded distance.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein a first one of the plurality of manipulators is coupleable to a first one of the plurality of articulated instruments, the first one of the plurality of articulated instruments comprising an articulated camera instrument having an image capturing end;

wherein a second one of the plurality of manipulators is coupleable to a second one of the plurality of articulated instruments, the second one of the plurality of articulated instruments comprising an articulated tool instrument having a working end; and

wherein the processor is configured to command the first one of the plurality of instrument manipulators to move the articulated camera instrument back towards a proximal end of the entry guide in response to the one or more commands, until the image capturing end enters a distal end of the entry guide.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to command the second one of the plurality of manipulators to move the second one of the plurality of articulated instruments back towards the proximal end of the entry guide in response to the one or more commands, even after its working end enters the distal end of the entry guide.