Methods of fluid flow control with robotic surgical instruments for irrigation, aspiration, and blowing

• US 20090099520A1
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Magnasco, John, Brogna, Salvatore, Mintz, David Stephen, Larkin, David Q., Bailey, David, Guthart, Gary, Hoornaert, Dean, Millman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/454,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099520A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00203 with speech control or speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/506 using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/007 with irrigation system
• 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 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/743 by changing the cross-section of the line, e.g. flow regulating valves A61M1/7413 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/76 Handpieces specially for suction-irrigation A61M1/774, aspiration tips A61M1/84
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/77 Suction-irrigation systems aspiration tips supplying fluids A61M1/85; specific for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 13/003 Blowing gases other than for carrying powders, e.g. for inflating, dilating or rinsing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2473 Valve comprising a non-deformable, movable element, e.g. ball-valve, valve with movable stopper or reciprocating element

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a first control signal is generated to control a robotic surgical instrument. The first control signal is then coupled into the robotic surgical instrument. In response to the first control signal, a first valve in the robotic surgical instrument is opened to flow a first fluid over a surgical site.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a first control signal to control a robotic surgical instrument;

coupling the first control signal into the robotic surgical instrument; and

opening a first valve in the robotic surgical instrument to flow a first fluid over a surgical site in response to the first control signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a second control signal to control the robotic surgical instrument;

coupling the second control signal into the robotic surgical instrument; and

opening a second valve in the robotic surgical instrument to flow a second fluid over the surgical site in response to the second control signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a third control signal to control the robotic surgical instrument;

coupling the third control signal into the robotic surgical instrument; and

closing the first valve in the robotic surgical instrument to reduce the flow of the first fluid over the surgical site in response to the third control signal.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a fourth control signal to control the robotic surgical instrument;

coupling the fourth control signal into the robotic surgical instrument; and

opening a third valve in the robotic surgical instrument to flow a third fluid over the surgical site in response to the fourth control signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first control signal is generated in response to movement of a touch sensitive handle of a master control console.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein

the first control signal is generated in response to squeezing a grip of the touch sensitive handle.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein

the first control signal is generated in response to rotation of the touch sensitive handle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first control signal is generated in response to a spoken command to a master control console.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first control signal is generated in response to movement of a foot pedal of a master control console.

10. A method comprising:

mounting an irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument to a robotic arm of a robotic surgical manipulator;

inserting a tip of a hollow tube of the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument into a patient near a surgical site; and

controlling a flow of a fluid between the surgical site and the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

removing the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument from the patient;

dismounting the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument from the robotic arm;

discarding a modular valve assembly and one or more hoses of the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument; and

sterilizing the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument for reuse.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein

the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument includes a flow control system with an inexpensive valve subassembly, and the method further comprises

removing the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument from the patient;

dismounting the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument from the robotic arm; and

discarding the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

coupling at least one hose from the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument to at least one pump;

14. The method of claim 13, wherein

the at least one hose to couple fluids into and out of the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument, and

the controlling of the flow of the fluid between the surgical site and the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument is provided by

controlling the at least one pump.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

a motor of the at least one pump is controlled, or

a valve of the at least one pump is controlled.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein

the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument includes

a coupler to couple between the at least one hose and the hollow tube.

17. A method comprising:

mounting an irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument to a robotic arm of a robotic surgical manipulator;

inserting a tip of a hollow tube of the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument into a patient near a surgical site;

controlling a flow of a fluid between the surgical site and the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument; and

monitoring a level of the flow of the fluid between the surgical site and the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein

the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument includes

a user-feedback means to monitor the level of the flow of the fluid between the surgical site and the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein

the user-feedback means is one or more light emitting diodes coupled near the tip of hollow tube of the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument, the one or more light emitting diodes to generate a visible light in response to the control of a flow of a fluid through the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein

the user-feedback means is a light pipe coupled along the length of the hollow tube of the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument with a light emitting diode, the light emitting diode to couple photons into the light pipe and generate a visible side light in response to the control of a flow of a fluid through the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein

the user-feedback means is a sliding sleeve coaxial with the hollow tube and a scale coupled to the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument, the sliding sleeve to slide along the hollow tube and reveal the scale in response to the control of a flow of a fluid through the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein

the user-feedback means is a rotatable sleeve coaxial with the hollow tube and a striped scale coupled to the hollow tube, the rotatable sleeve including windows to rotate around the hollow tube and reveal the striped scale in response to the control of a flow of a fluid through the irrigation-aspiration robotic surgical instrument.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein

the striped scale is one or more rectangular stripes and the rotatable sleeve has oval windows aligned with the one or more rectangular stripes.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein

the striped scale is one or more triangular stripes and the rotatable sleeve has rectangular windows aligned with the one or more triangular stripes.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein

the striped scale is one or more rectangular stripes and the rotatable sleeve has triangular windows aligned with the one or more rectangular stripes.