Surgical tool having integrated microphones

• US 10,565,977 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verb Surgical Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Verb Surgical Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Miller, Denise Ann, Savall, Joan, Russell, Geoffrey Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thang V
• Application Number:
  US15/999,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20200058284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0004 for electronic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00142 with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3132 for laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2048 using an accelerometer or inertia sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/116 Medical; Dental
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3044 Phase shift, e.g. complex envelope processing
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3046 Multiple acoustic inputs, multiple acoustic outputs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Communication apparatus and devices for surgical robotic systems are described. The communication apparatus can include a user console in communication with a communication device having a surgical tool. The communication device can include a microphone to convert a sound input into an acoustic input signal. The communication device can transmit the acoustic input signal to the user console for reproduction as a sound output for a remote operator. The surgical tool can include an endoscope having several microphones mounted on a housing. The surgical tool can be a sterile barrier having a microphone and a drape. The microphone(s) of the surgical tools can face a surrounding environment such that a tableside staff is a source of the sound input that causes the sound output, and a surgeon and the tableside staff can communicate in a noisy environment. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A surgical robotic system, comprising:

a robotic arm mounted on an operating table;

a surgical tool coupled to the robotic arm;

a first microphone mounted on an outer surface of the surgical tool above a sterile drape that covers a portion of the robotic arm, the first microphone configured to receive and convert a first sound input from a tableside staff into a first audio signal;

a user console;

a second microphone mounted on the user console that is in communication with the robotic arm, the second microphone configured to receive and convert a second sound input from a user at the user console into a second audio signal; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the first microphone and the second microphone to process and transmit the first audio signal and the second audio signal to facilitate vocal communication between the tableside staff and the user at the user console.

2. The surgical robotic system of claim 1, wherein the surgical tool includes a sterile adapter between the robotic arm and a surgical instrument.

3. The surgical robotic system of claim 1, wherein the first microphone is a microphone array comprising a plurality of microphones arranged equidistantly with each other in a plane.

4. The surgical robotic system of claim 3, wherein processing the first audio signal includes detecting a source location of the first sound input based on a time difference of arrival at the plurality of microphones.

5. The surgical robotic system of claim 1, further comprising a first speaker mounted on the outer surface of the surgical tool, the first speaker configured to receive the second audio signal from the one or more processors and to convert the second signal into a first sound output.

6. The surgical robotic system of claim 1, further comprising a second speaker mounted on the user console, the second speaker configured to receive the first signal from the one or more processors and to convert the first audio signal into a second sound output.

7. The surgical robotic system of claim 1, wherein processing the first audio signal and the second audio signal includes measuring a background noise and reducing the background noise by the one or more processors.

8. The surgical robotic system of claim 1, wherein the surgical tool has a shaft and a housing coupled to a proximal end of the shaft, the first microphone being mounted on the outer surface of the housing and operatively disposed above a sterile barrier covering a portion of the operating table.

16. The surgical robotic system of claim 2, wherein the sterile adapter is mounted on the sterile drape and includes a transmission element to transmit torque from the robotic arm to the surgical instrument.

17. The surgical robotic system of claim 1, wherein the surgical tool includes a surgical instrument for manipulating tissue, and wherein the sterile drape is between the robotic arm and the surgical instrument.

18. The surgical robotic system of claim 1, wherein the surgical tool is an endoscope, and wherein the sterile drape is between the robotic arm and the endoscope.

9. A method for audio communications in a surgical robotic system having a robotic arm mounted on an operating table, a surgical tool coupled to the robotic arm, and a user console, comprising:

receiving a first audio signal from a first microphone, wherein the first microphone is mounted on an outer surface of the surgical tool above a sterile drape that covers a portion of the robotic arm, and wherein the first audio signal captures a first sound input from a tableside staff;

receiving a second audio signal from a second microphone mounted on the user console that is in communication with the robotic arm, wherein the second audio signal captures a second sound input from a user at the user console; and

processing and transmitting the first audio signal and the second audio signal to facilitate vocal communication between the tableside staff and the user at the user console.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the surgical tool includes a sterile adapter between the robotic arm and a surgical instrument.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first microphone is a microphone array comprising a plurality of microphones arranged equidistantly with each other in a plane.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the first audio signal includes detecting a source location of the first sound input based on a time difference of arrival at the plurality of microphones.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the second audio signal includes transmitting the second audio signal to a first speaker mounted on the outer surface of the surgical tool, and wherein the first speaker converts the second audio signal into a first sound output.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the first audio signal includes transmitting the first audio signal to a second speaker mounted on the user console, the second speaker configured to convert the first audio signal into a second sound output.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the first audio signal and the second audio signal includes measuring a background noise and reducing noise in the first and second audio signals.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the sterile adapter is mounted on the sterile drape and includes a transmission element to transmit torque from the robotic arm to the surgical instrument.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the surgical tool includes a surgical instrument for manipulating tissue, and wherein the sterile drape is between the robotic arm and the surgical instrument.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the surgical tool is an endoscope, and wherein the sterile drape is between the robotic arm and the endoscope.