Surgical manipulator and method for transitioning between operating modes

• US 10,420,619 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Bowling, David Gene, Stuart, John Michael, Beer, Joel N., Ketchel, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber, Tamara L
• Application Number:
  US15/414,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20170128147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/16 Bone cutting, breaking or removal means other than saws, e.g. Osteoclasts; Drills or chisels for bones; Trepans arthroscopic bone cutters A61B17/320016; dental implant drills potentially for other surgical use A61C8/0089; bone grinders A61F2/4644, A22C17/06; A61B17/1662 takes precedence over all other subgroups except A61B17/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1626 Control means; Display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00565 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2046 Tracking techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/066 for measuring torque
• 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 34/32 operating autonomously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/00 Controls for manipulators programme controls B25J9/16; control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/085 Force or torque sensors B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/009 being mechanically linked with one another at their distal ends
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1633 compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40191 Autonomous manipulation, computer assists operator during manipulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45117 Medical, radio surgery manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation

Abstract

A surgical manipulator operates in a manual mode in which a user applies forces and torques to the surgical instrument to cause movement of the energy applicator. The surgical manipulator also operates in a semi-autonomous mode in which the surgical manipulator moves the energy applicator along a tool path. A controller monitors output of a force/torque sensor as the energy applicator is being moved along the tool path in the semi-autonomous mode and transitions from the semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode in response to the output exceeding a limit.

Claims

1. A surgical manipulator for positioning an energy applicator extending from a surgical instrument, said surgical manipulator comprising:

a plurality of links and a plurality of actuators configured to move said plurality of links to position the energy applicator;

a force/torque sensor configured to generate output in response to forces and torques being applied to the surgical instrument by a user; and

at least one controller configured to;

control operation of said surgical manipulator in a manual mode in which the user applies the forces and torques to the instrument to cause movement of the energy applicator or a semi-autonomous mode in which said surgical manipulator moves the energy applicator along a tool path based on calculated forces and torques, said calculated forces and torques including forces and torques calculated to advance and orient the surgical instrument in said semi-autonomous mode;

monitor said output of said force/torque sensor as the energy applicator is being moved along the tool path in said semi-autonomous mode;

determine if said output exceeds an associated limit; and

transition from said semi-autonomous mode to said manual mode to enable movement of the energy applicator in said manual mode by adjusting said forces and torques calculated to advance and orient the surgical instrument in said semi-autonomous mode in response to said output exceeding said associated limit.

2. The surgical manipulator of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller is configured to transition from said semi-autonomous mode to said manual mode in response to said output exceeding said associated limit for a time greater than a designated time period.

3. The surgical manipulator of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller includes a manipulator controller and a plurality of joint motor controllers, said plurality of joint motor controllers configured to control said plurality of actuators to move the energy applicator in one or more degrees of freedom.

4. The surgical manipulator of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller is configured to model the surgical instrument and the energy applicator as a virtual rigid body and determine forces and torques to be applied to the virtual rigid body to advance the energy applicator in said semi-autonomous mode.

5. The surgical manipulator of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller is configured to set said forces and torques calculated to advance and orient the surgical instrument in said semi-autonomous mode to zero to transition said surgical manipulator from said semi-autonomous mode to said manual mode when said output exceeds said associated limit.

6. The surgical manipulator of claim 1, including a pendant having a switch configured to, when actuated, place said surgical manipulator back into said semi-autonomous mode after said at least one controller transitions said surgical manipulator from said semi-autonomous mode to said manual mode.

7. The surgical manipulator of claim 1, including a plurality of joints between adjacent links, wherein said at least one controller is configured to determine joint angles that position the energy applicator according to a commanded pose.

8. The surgical manipulator of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller is configured to model the surgical instrument and the energy applicator as a virtual rigid body having virtual mass and virtual inertia.

9. The surgical manipulator of claim 8, wherein said at least one controller is configured to determine a total force and a total torque to be applied to said virtual rigid body to advance the energy applicator.

10. The surgical manipulator of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller is configured to reposition the energy applicator off the tool path in response to transitioning from said semi-autonomous mode to said manual mode when said output exceeds said associated limit.

11. A method for positioning an energy applicator extending from a surgical instrument with respect to target tissue with a surgical manipulator having a force/torque sensor responsive to forces and torques being applied to the surgical instrument by a user, a plurality of links, and a plurality of actuators for moving the plurality of links, said method comprising the steps of:

controlling operation of the surgical manipulator in a manual mode in which the user applies the forces and torques to the surgical instrument to cause movement of the energy applicator or a semi-autonomous mode in which the surgical manipulator moves the energy applicator along a tool path based on calculated forces and torques, the calculated forces and torques including forces and torques calculated to advance and orient the surgical instrument in the semi-autonomous mode;

monitoring output of the force/torque sensor as the energy applicator is being moved along the tool path in the semi-autonomous mode;

determining if the output exceeds an associated limit; and

transitioning from the semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode to enable movement of the energy applicator in the manual mode by adjusting the forces and torques calculated to advance and orient the surgical instrument in the semi-autonomous mode in response to the output exceeding the associated limit.

12. The method of claim 11, including transitioning the surgical manipulator from the semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode if the output exceeds the associated limit for a time greater than a designated time period.

13. The method of claim 11, including modeling the surgical instrument and the energy applicator as a virtual rigid body and determining forces and torques to be applied to the virtual rigid body to advance the energy applicator in the semi-autonomous mode.

14. The method of claim 11, including setting the forces and torques calculated to advance and orient the surgical instrument in the semi-autonomous mode to zero to transition the surgical manipulator from the semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode when the output exceeds the associated limit.

15. The method of claim 11, including determining joint angles for a plurality of joints of the surgical manipulator that position the energy applicator according to a commanded pose.

16. The method of claim 11, including modeling the surgical instrument and the energy applicator as a virtual rigid body having virtual mass and virtual inertia and determining a total force and a total torque to apply to the virtual rigid body to advance the energy applicator.

17. The method of claim 11, including repositioning the energy applicator off the tool path in response to transitioning from the semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode when the output exceeds the associated limit.