Manipulator positioning linkage for robotic surgery

• US 20010013764A1
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Published: 08/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: David J. Rosa, Steven J. Blumenkranz
• Inventors: Rosa, David J., Blumenkranz, Steven J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,441,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/568.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/506 using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph
• 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 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39022 Transform between measuring and manipulator coordinate system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40158 Correlate actual image at angle with image presented to operator without angle
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40166 Surface display, virtual object translated into real surface, movable rods
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45123 Electrogoniometer, neuronavigator, medical robot used by surgeon to operate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/07 Servo-systems

Abstract

Techniques and structures are provided for aligning robotic elements with an internal surgical site and each other. Manually positionable linkages support surgical instruments. These linkages maintain a fixed configuration until a brake system is released. While the brake is held in a released mode, the linkage allows the operating room personnel to manually move the linkage into alignment with the surgical site. Joints of the linkage translate the surgical instrument in three dimensions, and orient the surgical instrument about three axes of rotation. Sensors coupled to the joints allow a processor to perform coordinate transformations that can align displayed movements of robotically actuated surgical end effectors with a surgeon'"'"'s hand inputs at a control station.

Claims

1. A robotic surgery system comprising:

a base;

a surgical end effector;

a manipulator supporting the end effector, the manipulator having a rigid shaft;

an imaging system oriented toward the end effector, the imaging system having a field of view defining a coordinate system;

a linkage supporting the manipulator relative to the base;

a brake system restraining articulation of the linkage, the brake system releasable to allow manual movement of the pivot point of the manipulator relative to the base;

a servomechanism drivingly engaging the manipulator for robotic manipulation of tissues with the end effector;

a hand input controller coupled to the servomechanism, the controller having a controller coordinate system;

a sensor system coupled to the linkage so as to generate linkage configuration signals; and

a processor coupled to the sensor system and the servomechanism, the processor using the linkage position signals to calculate a coordinate system transformation so as to coordinate controller inputs with a displayed image of the end effector.

2. The robotic system of

claim 1

, wherein the linkage comprises a plurality of joints, and wherein the sensor system measures articulation of the joints.

3. The robotic system of

claim 2

, wherein a plurality of the measured joints comprise manually repositionable joints, and further comprising a brake system for preventing articulation of the joints during manipulation of tissue.

4. The robotic system of

claim 1

, further comprising an imaging linkage supporting the imaging system relative to the base, the sensor system coupled to the imaging linkage so as to generate imaging linkage configuration signals, the processor further manipulating the linkage configuration signals to transform the controller coordinate system to the imaging coordinate system.

5. A transportable robotic surgery system comprising:

a cart having rolling elements for moving the cart between operating rooms;

a plurality of robotic arms supported by the cart;

a plurality of surgical implements supported by the arms;

a control station couplable to the cart for directing robotic surgery.

6. The transportable system of

claim 5

, wherein the rolling elements include at least one non-swiveling roller and at least one steerable roller coupled to a steering handle.

7. The transportable system of

claim 5

, wherein the arms comprise a plurality of linkages and joints, wherein at least a portion of the linkages and joints of the arms are manually movable, and wherein the cart includes an arm position sensing system.

8. The transportable system of

claim 5

, wherein the cart and control station are transportable on a standard hospital elevator.

9. A method for preparing for robotic surgery, the method comprising:

maintaining driven joints of a robotic surgical manipulator sufficiently near mid points of travel of the joints so as to inhibit interference with a limit of travel of the manipulator within an intended worksite;

pre-positioning the robotic manipulator by manually articulating a linkage while maintaining the driven joints near the mid points; and

restraining the positioned manipulator with a brake system so as to prevent articulation of the linkage.

10. The method of

claim 9

, wherein the positioning step comprises orienting shafts towards internal access sites, the manipulators adapted to pivot the shafts about the access sites so as to manipulate tissues endoscopically.

11. A method for performing robotic surgery, the method comprising:

positioning a robotic surgical manipulator by manually articulating a linkage;

restraining the positioned manipulator with a brake system so as to prevent manual articulation of the linkage;

imaging a surgical end effector, supported by the positioned manipulator, in an imaging coordinate system;

sensing a joint configuration of the restrained linkage; and

actuating the restrained manipulator with a servomechanism by actuating a controller so as to robotically manipulate tissue with the end effector.

12. The method of

claim 11

, further comprising:

transforming a controller coordinate system to the imaging coordinate system using the sensed joint configurations of the restrained linkage; and

displaying the imaged end effector so that controller inputs correlate with end effector movements.

13. A method for performing robotic surgery, the method comprising:

manually moving a manipulator relative to a base by articulating a plurality of fixable joints;

actuating a brake to inhibit inadvertent manual movement of the positioned end effector from articulation of the fixable joints;

manipulating tissue with the end effector by actuating a plurality of driven joints of the linkage with a servomechanism; and

sensing positions of the fixable joints.

14. A robotic surgery system couplable to a base, the robotic surgery system comprising:

a surgical end effector; and

a robotic linkage movably supporting the end effector relative to the base, the linkage comprising;

a plurality of driven joints coupled to a servomechanism for moving the end effector so as to manipulate tissues; and

a plurality of releasably fixable joints for pre-configuring the linkage; and

a joint sensor system coupling the fixable joints to the servomechanism, the sensor system generating joint configuration signals.

15. A robotic surgical system comprising:

a surgical end effector;

a linkage movably supporting the end effector;

a servomechanism coupled to the linkage for manipulating tissue with the end effector; and

means coupled to the linkage for configuring the linkage in a pre-determined nominal configuration for a surgical procedure.