Hybrid control surgical robotic system

• US 10,398,519 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Children's National Medical Center
• Original Assignee: Children's National Medical Center
• Inventors: Kim, Peter C. W., Kim, Yonjae, Cheng, Peng, Krieger, Axel, Opfermann, Justin, Decker, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gedeon, Brian T
• Application Number:
  US15/706,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20180193099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00486 Adaptors for coupling parts with incompatible geometries
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2059 Mechanical position encoders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a method and system for performing robot-assisted surgical procedures. The system includes a robotic arm system assembly, an end effector assembly, and a hybrid control mechanism for robotic surgery. The robotic arm is a lightweight, bedside robot with a large range of motion, which can be easily manipulated to position endoscope and surgical instruments. The control console is mounted at the distal end of the robotic arm to enable robotic arm to follow operators arm movement, provide physical support, filter out hand tremor, and constrain motion. A universal adapter is also described as an interface to connect traditional laparoscopic tools to the robotic arm.

Claims

1. A method regarding a surgical robotic system that includes at least one robot arm, the method comprising:

detecting, using at least one sensor, an input or an operating condition of the at least one robot arm;

detecting, using first control circuitry, surgeon interaction input, the first control circuitry being detachably attached to the at least one robot arm;

processing the input or the operating condition and/or the surgeon interaction input, using second control circuitry;

operating, using the second control circuitry, the at least one robot arm in a plurality of operating modes; and

executing commands, using the second control circuitry, to the at least one robot arm to share a workspace and surgical elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the surgical elements include at least one of a manual surgical tool, a robotic surgical tool, an electrocautery tool, and a display of the shared workspace.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the surgical robotic system further includes a surgical tool adapter,

wherein the manual surgical tool or the robotic surgical tool is attachable to and detachable from the surgical tool adapter to provide at least one degree of actuation for tool operation of the manual surgical tool or the robotic surgical tool, and

wherein the method further comprises controlling the surgical tool adaptor via the at least one robot arm or by manual operation.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein the manual surgical tool is a non-modular surgical tool,

wherein the surgical tool adapter includes a stationary member and a movable member secured to the non-modular surgical tool, and

wherein the movable member comprises a plurality of pin holes and at least two mounting pins, the at least two mounting pins being rearrangeable on the plurality of pin holes to engage a movable portion of the non-modular surgical tool with the movable member.

5. The method of claim 3,

wherein the manual surgical tool or the robotic surgical tool is a modular surgical tool,

wherein the modular surgical tool is drivingly secured to the surgical tool adapter via a linear drive interface, an articulation rotor, and/or a gear, and

wherein the linear drive interface, the articulation rotor, and/or the gear is driven by a rotational motor or a linear rotor interfaced with the surgical tool adapter.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the surgical tool adapter includes a motor pack having at least one rotational motor or linear motor, the motor pack being drivingly connected to the robotic surgical tool, and the robotic surgical tool being detachably coupled to the tool adapter via at least one of pins, springs, or threaded portions.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the display of the shared workspace includes at least partially an endoscopic view.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one sensor is a force sensor or a position encoder coupled to the at least one robot arm, and

wherein the method further comprises detecting the surgeon interaction input from the first control circuitry using the force sensor or the position encoder.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of operating modes includes a fully automated mode and a partially automated mode, and

wherein the second control circuitry operates the at least one robot arm in the fully automated mode or the partially automated mode based on the surgeon interaction input from the first control circuitry and/or sensory information for the at least one sensor.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising interrupting or adjusting automated operations during the fully automated mode or during the partially automated mode due to a subsequent surgeon interaction input from the first control circuitry.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, using the second control circuitry, a kinematic model of a surgeon based on the surgeon interaction input from the first control circuitry in a calibration step,

wherein said operating the at least one robot arm is based on the kinematic model to provide dynamic support in order to reduce surgeon fatigue.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the calibration step includes receiving surgeon interaction inputs from the first control circuitry based on one or more detected arm positions in the shared workspace by the at least one sensor and based on force sensed by the at least one sensor to generate the kinematic model.

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein the at least one robot arm provides the dynamic support as a dynamic force by asserting a counter force to an external force applied to the at least one robot arm, and

wherein the external force includes at least a gravitational force applied by a surgical tool attached to the at least one robot arm.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein the surgeon interaction input includes movement or force sensed by the at least one sensor,

wherein the at least one sensor includes a force sensor and a position sensor, and

wherein said operating the at least one robot arm, using the second control circuitry, performs at least one of defining no-fly zones, tissue grasping, tissue cutting, tissue dissection, tissue joining, and tissue retraction based on the surgeon interaction input.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the surgeon interaction input defines a planned position or a force vector in the shared workspace for the at least one robot arm to execute or maintain.

16. The method of claim 1,

wherein the surgeon interaction input defines at least one no-fly zone, the at least one no-fly zone being a conventional volumetric zone or a task-specific zone having abstract geometries including planes, and

wherein the surgeon interaction input includes a trace of a boundary from the first control circuitry.

17. The method of claim 1,

wherein the surgeon interaction input defines the tissue cutting or the tissue dissection performed by the at least one robot arm, and

wherein the surgeon interaction input includes a trace or a drawing on the shared workspace from the first control circuitry with a surgical tool attached.

18. The method of claim 1,

wherein the surgeon interaction input defines the tissue joining, including tissue suturing or clipping methods, and

wherein the surgeon interaction input includes a trace or a selection of an area of the shared workspace from the first control circuitry to indicate an area of tissue to be joined.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising, using the second control circuitry, executing a command to provide haptic feedback.