Modularity system for computer assisted surgery

• US 20030195661A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Wright, James, Wang, Yulun, Uecker, Darrin, Mangaser, Amante, Ghodoussi, Modjtaba
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/258
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00982 combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• 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 34/77 Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/923 by comparison of patient data to other data

Abstract

A medical system that allows a medical device to be controlled by one of two input devices. The input devices may be consoles that contain handles and a screen. The medical devices may include robotic arms and instruments used to perform a medical procedure. The system may include an arbitrator that determines which console has priority to control one or more of the robotic arms/instruments.

Claims

1. A medical system, comprising:

a first medical device;

a first input device that can control said first medical device; and

,

a second input device that can control said first medical device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first medical device includes a robotic arm.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first medical device includes an instrument.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first input device includes a console that has a video screen and a handle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said second input device includes a console that has a video screen and a handle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said second input device includes a touchpad screen.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an arbitrator that is coupled to said first input device and allows either said first input device or said second input device to control said first input device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said first and second input devices each transmit a packet of information, each packet including a priority that is used by said arbitrator to allow either said first input device or second input device to control said first medical device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said first and second input devices each transmit a packet of information, each packet including a source address that is used by said arbitrator to allow either said first input device or second input device to control said first medical device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said arbritator includes a computer.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication link that couples said first and second input devices with said first medical device.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a second medical device that can be controlled by a third input device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said first medical device includes a robotic arm that moves a medical instrument and said second medical device includes a robotic arm that moves an endoscope coupled to a camera.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a communication link that couples said first and second medical devices with said first and second input devices, and a computer that multiplexes robotic data from said robotic arms with video data from said camera onto said communication link.

15. A medical system, comprising:

a first medical device;

first input means for controlling said first medical device; and

,

second input means for controlling said first medical instrument.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said first medical device includes a robotic arm.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said first medical device includes an instrument.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said first input means includes a console that has a video screen and a handle.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said second input means includes a console that has a video screen and a handle.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said second input means includes a touchpad screen.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising arbitrator means for allowing either said first input device or said second input device to control said first input device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said first and second input means each transmit a packet of information, each packet including a priority that is used by said arbitrator means to allow either said first input means or second input means to control said first medical device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said first and second input means each transmit a packet of information, each packet including a source address that is used by said arbitrator means to allow either said first input means or second input means to control said first medical device.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said arbritator means includes a computer.

25. The system of claim 15, further comprising communication means for coupling said first and second input means with said first medical device.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising third input means for controlling a second medical device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said first medical device includes a robotic arm that moves a medical instrument and said second medical device includes a robotic arm that moves an endoscope coupled to a camera.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising communication means for coupling said first and second medical devices with said first and second input means, and multiplexor means for multiplexing robotic data from said robotic arms with video data from said camera onto said communication means.

29. A medical system, comprising:

a first robotic arm;

a first medical instrument coupled to said first robotic arm;

a second robotic arm;

a second medical instrument coupled to said second robotic arm;

a third robotic arm that can hold an endoscope coupled to a camera;

a first console that can control said first and second robotic arms;

a second console that can control said first and second robotic arms;

a first endoscopic input device that can control said third robotic arm;

a second endoscopic input device that can control said third robotic arm; and

,

an arbitrator coupled to said first robotic arm, said second robotic arm, said third robotic arm, said first console, said second console, said first endoscopic input device and said second endoscopic input device.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said first and second consoles each transmit a packet of information including a priority to said arbitrator, said priority is used by said arbitrator to determine whether said first and second robotic arms are to be controlled by either said first console or said second console.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said first and second consoles each transmit a packet of information including a source address to said arbitrator, said source addresses are used by said arbitrator to determine whether said first and second robotic arms are to be controlled by said first console or said second console.

32. The system of claim 29, further comprising a communication link coupled to said arbitrator and said first and second consoles, said arbitrator multiplexes robotic data from said first, second and third robotic arms with video data from the camera onto said communication link.

33. A medical system, comprising:

a first robotic arm;

a first medical instrument coupled to said second robotic arm;

a second robotic arm;

a second medical instrument coupled to said second robotic arm;

a third robotic arm that can hold an endoscope coupled to a camera;

a first console that can control said first and second robotic arms;

a second console that can control said first and second robotic arms;

a first endoscopic input device that can control said third robotic arm;

a second endoscopic input device that can control said third robotic arm; and

,

arbitrator means for allowing said first and second robotic arms to be controlled by either said first console or said second console, and said third robotic arm to be controlled by either said first endoscopic input device or said second endoscopic input device.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said first and second consoles each transmit a packet of information including a priority to said arbitrator means, said priority is used by said arbitrator means to determine whether said first and second robotic arms are to be controlled by either said first console or said second console.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein said first and second consoles each transmit a packet of information including a source address to said arbitrator means, said source addresses are used by said arbitrator means to determine whether said first and second robotic arms are to be controlled by said first console or said second console.

36. The system of claim 33, further comprising communication means for coupling said arbitrator means with said first and second consoles, said arbitrator means multiplexes robotic data from said first, second and third robotic arms with video data from the camera onto said communication means.

37. A medical system, comprising:

a first medical device;

an arbitrator coupled to said first and second medical devices.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein said arbitrator allows control of said first medical device in accordance with a priority included in a packet of information transmitted to said arbitrator.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein said arbitrator allows control of said first medical device in accordance with a source address included in a packet of information transmitted to said arbitrator.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein said first medical device includes a robotic arm.

41. A medical system, comprising:

a first input device;

a second input device; and

,

an arbitrator coupled to said first and second input devices.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein said first input device transmits a first packet of information including a first priority and said second input device transmits a second packet of information including a second priority, said arbitrator transmits either said first or second packet of information based on said first and second priority.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein said first and second input devices each include a console.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein each console includes a pair of handles and a screen.

45. A medical system coupled to a communication link, comprising:

a first robotic arm that provides robotic data;

a second robotic arm that provides robotic data;

a third robotic arm that can move an endoscope coupled to a camera that provides video data;

a multiplexor that multiplexes the robotic data with the video data onto the communication link.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the robotic data is transmitted in packets.

47. A method for controlling a medical device, comprising:

controlling a first medical device with a first input device; and

,

controlling the first medical device with a second input device.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising comparing a priority associated with the first input device with a priority associated with the second input device to determine whether the first input device or the second input device should control the first medical device.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising a second medical device that includes a robotic arm that controls an endoscope coupled to a camera, said first medical device including a robotic arm, wherein robotic data from the robotic arms is multiplexed with video data from the camera onto a transmission link.

50. A method for transmitting robotic data and video data of a medical system, comprising:

transmitting robotic data from a robotic arm that moves a medical instrument;

transmitting video data from a camera that is coupled to an endoscope; and

,

multiplexing the robotic data and video data onto a communication link.