Methods Relating to Microsurgical Robot System

• US 20080161677A1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deerfield Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Neuroarm Surgical Ltd. (IMRIS Inc.)
• Inventors: Fieding, Tim, McBeth, Paul Bradley, Sutherland, Garnette Roy, Gregoris, Dennis John, Louw, Deon Francois
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/417
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00911 for fields applied by a magnetic resonance imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2059 Mechanical position encoders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• 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 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• 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 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/75 Manipulators having means for prevention or compensation of hand tremors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/20 Surgical microscopes characterised by non-optical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/25 Supports therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 : Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers

Abstract

A method of operating a surgical system. The method includes obtaining a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in which magnetic resonance (MR) visible targets are located; registering a robotic arm to the MRI scan using a digitizing tool, the robotic arm including: multiple joints and multiple degrees of freedom; an MR-compatible structural material; multiple MR-compatible joint motors; multiple MR-compatible joint encoders; and an end effector holding an MR-compatible surgical tool having a tool tip; and displaying a location of the tool tip relative to an image from the MRI scan.

Claims

1. A method of operating a surgical system, comprising:

obtaining a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in which magnetic resonance (MR) visible targets are located;

registering a robotic arm to the MRI scan using a digitizing tool, the robotic arm including;

multiple joints and multiple degrees of freedom;

an MR-compatible structural material;

multiple MR-compatible joint motors;

multiple MR-compatible joint encoders; and

an end effector holding an MR-compatible surgical tool having a tool tip; and

displaying a location of the tool tip relative to an image from the MRI scan.

2. The method of claim 1, where the robotic arm has six degrees of freedom.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

driving the MR-compatible joint motors based on input from an operator that is filtered to remove hand tremor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

driving the MR-compatible joint motors based on input from an operator that is scaled.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

driving the MR-compatible joint motors based on input from an operator that is scaled and that is filtered to remove hand tremor.

6. The method of claim 1, where the registering comprises:

registering first and second robotic arms to the MRI scan using a digitizing tool, the first robotic arm including;

multiple joints and multiple degrees of freedom;

an MR-compatible structural material;

multiple MR-compatible joint motors;

multiple MR-compatible joint encoders; and

an end effector holding an MR-compatible surgical tool having a tool tip.

7. A method of using a surgical tool, comprising:

receiving input from an operator manipulating a master hand controller; and

driving a robotic arm that is slaved to the master hand controller and that includes;

multiple joints and multiple degrees of freedom;

an MR-compatible structural material;

multiple MR-compatible joint motors;

multiple MR-compatible joint encoders; and

an end effector holding a surgical tool.

8. The method of claim 7, where the surgical tool comprises bipolar forceps.

9. The method of claim 7, where the surgical tool comprises a suction tool.

10. The method of claim 7, where the surgical tool comprises a micro-dissection tool.

11. The method of claim 7, where the surgical tool comprises micro-scissors.

12. The method of claim 7, where the driving comprises driving the robotic arm based on scaling the input and filtering the input to remove hand tremor.