ERGONOMIC SURGEON CONTROL CONSOLE IN ROBOTIC SURGICAL SYSTEMS

• US 20100225209A1
• Filed: 03/09/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Hazebrouk, Henry, Zabinski, John, Kapoor, Deepak, Weir, David, Robinson, David, Hanuschik, Michael, Brogna, Salvatore J., Millman, Paul, Goldberg, Randal P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,120,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/209
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• 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 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20 Control lever and linkage systems

Abstract

A control console to remotely control medical equipment is disclosed having a base with an ergonomically adjustable pedal system. The base further has an opening to receive the pedal system. The pedal system includes a moveable pedal tray with a pedal base. The tray includes a first left pedal assembly and a first right pedal assembly, and an upper tier having a second left pedal assembly and a second right pedal assembly respectively in alignment with and elevated above the first left pedal assembly and the first right pedal assembly. Rollers are rotatable coupled to the moveable pedal tray to allow it roll over a floor. A drive assembly is coupled between the moveable pedal tray and the base. The drive assembly applies a force to the to roll the moveable pedal tray over the floor within the opening of the base.

Claims

1. A control console to remotely control medical equipment, the control console comprising:

a base having an opening to receive an ergonomically adjustable pedal system, the pedal system including

a moveable pedal tray with a pedal base having a first left pedal assembly and a first right pedal assembly, and an upper tier having a second left pedal assembly and a second right pedal assembly respectively in alignment with and elevated above the first left pedal assembly and the first right pedal assembly;

rollers rotatably coupled to the moveable pedal tray to allow the moveable pedal tray to roll over a floor within the opening of the base; and

a drive assembly coupled between the moveable pedal tray and the base, the drive assembly to roll the moveable pedal tray over the floor within the opening of the base.

2. The control console of claim 1, wherein the drive assembly of the pedal system includes

a frame coupled to the base;

a scissor arm coupled between the frame and the moveable pedal tray, the scissor arm to expand to push out on the moveable pedal tray and to contract to pull in on the moveable pedal tray;

a threaded drive rod rotatably coupled to the frame and threadingly coupled to the scissor arm, the threaded drive rod to rotate in a first direction to expand the scissor arm and to rotate in a second direction to contract the scissor arm; and

a motor coupled between the frame and an end of the threaded drive rod, the motor to rotate the threaded drive rod in the first direction to push out the moveable pedal tray and to rotate the threaded drive rod in the second direction to pull in the moveable pedal tray.

3. The control console of claim 1, wherein

the pedal base further has a center cutout to receive a wheel of a chair.

4. The control console of claim 1, wherein

the first left and right pedal assemblies and the second left and right pedal assemblies are horizontal switch pedals,

the upper tier of the moveable pedal tray is U-shaped and further has

a left vertical switch pedal pivotally coupled to a left side of the moveable pedal tray, and

a right vertical switch pedal pivotally coupled to a right side of the moveable pedal tray.

5. The control console of claim 1, wherein

each of the first left and right pedal assemblies and the second left and right pedal assemblies include

a pedal,

an electrical switch coupled to the pedal to open and close to form a control signal, and

a spring coupled to the pedal, the spring to compress to allow the switch to close and to return the pedal and the electrical switch to open.

6. The control console of claim 5, wherein

each of the first left and right pedal assemblies and the second left and right pedal assemblies further include

a foot detector to detect a foot positioned over the pedal.

7. The control console of claim 5, further comprising:

a console base;

an adjustable display device coupled to the console base, the adjustable display device having an adjustable height and an adjustable angle; and

an adjustable arm rest coupled to the console base, the adjustable arm rest having an adjustable height.

8. The control console of claim 5, further comprising:

a pair of master control arms coupled to the console base, each of the master control arms including a master grip to remotely control a robotic surgical instrument.

9. The control console of claim 1, wherein the pedal system further includes

a lifting assembly coupled between the moveable pedal tray and the base, the lifting assembly to raise and lower the moveable pedal tray above and down to the floor respectively within the opening of the base.

10. The control console of claim 9, wherein the lifting assembly includes

a left rail and a right rail,

a left linkage pivotally coupled between the base and the left rail,

a right linkage pivotally coupled between the base and the right rail,

a left spring and a right spring to lift the moveable pedal tray above the floor within the opening of the base, and

a torsion bar coupled between ends of the left linkage and the right linkage to transfer torque between each to concurrently lift the left and right sides of the moveable pedal tray above the floor.

11. The control console of claim 10, wherein

the left linkage is a parallelogram linkage and includes

a left upper link having one end pivotally coupled to the left rail and an opposite end coupled to a left end of the torsion bar,

a left lower link having one end pivotally coupled to the left rail and an opposite end pivotally coupled to a frame which is coupled to the base;

and

the right linkage is a parallelogram linkage and includes

a right upper link having one end pivotally to the right rail and an opposite end coupled to a right end of the torsion bar,

a right lower link having one end pivotally to the right rail and an opposite end pivotally coupled to the frame.

12. The control console of claim 10, wherein the pedal tray further includes

a pair of left rollers rotatably coupled to a left side of the moveable pedal tray and a pair of right rollers rotatably coupled to a right side of the moveable pedal tray, the pair of left rollers rollable within the left rail and the pair of right rollers rollable within the right rail to guide the moveable pedal tray within the opening of the base.

13. The control console of claim 9, wherein the lifting assembly further includes

a left latching pedal to press down on the left linkage to lower the pedal tray with rollers on the floor and to latch to hold the pedal tray in position to roll over the floor, and/or

a right latching pedal to press down on the right linkage to lower the pedal tray with rollers on the floor and to latch to hold the pedal tray in position to roll over the floor,

14. A method for ergonomic control of a console for a robotic surgical system, the method comprising:

moving a first switch to adjust a position of a moveable pedal assembly to a user'"'"'s foot position, the moveable pedal assembly including a moveable pedal tray with a base having lower pedal assemblies and an upper tier having upper pedal assemblies elevated above the lower pedal assemblies;

energizing a motor to apply a force to the moveable pedal tray in response to the movement of the first switch; and

rolling a plurality of rollers rotatably coupled to the moveable pedal tray over the floor to move the moveable pedal tray within an opening of a base of the console in response to the force applied by the motor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

rotating a threaded drive rod coupled to the motor; and

expanding or contracting a scissor arm assembly to apply a pushing or pulling force on the moveable pedal tray in response to the rotation of the threaded drive rod.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

rolling a wheel of a chair on a floor into a center cutout in the base of the moveable pedal assembly to adjust a position of a user.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

pressing a foot down onto a first pedal of the lower pedal assemblies to activate a first controllable feature of remote controlled medical equipment; and

elevating the foot above the first pedal and pressing the foot down onto a first pedal of an upper pedal assembly to activate a second controllable feature of the remote controlled medical equipment.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein

the upper tier has vertical pedal assemblies elevated above the lower pedal assemblies,

and the method further comprises

pressing a foot down onto a first pedal of the lower pedal assemblies to activate a first controllable feature of remote controlled medical equipment;

and

elevating the foot above the first pedal and horizontally moving the foot into a first vertical pedal of the vertical pedal assemblies to alter a configuration of the robotic surgical system.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

moving a second switch to adjust a height of an arm rest; and

moving a third switch to adjust a height of a display device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

moving a fourth switch to adjust a viewing angle of the display device.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

saving a numeric representation of the position of the moveable pedal tray for recall as a saved position.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

recalling the saved numeric representation of the position of the moveable pedal tray, and

in response to the saved numeric representation, repeating the energizing of the motor and the rolling of the plurality of rollers to substantially move the moveable pedal tray to the saved position.

23. A control console to remotely control medical equipment, the control console comprising:

a base having a pedal system with a pedal layout to avoid a misstep, the pedal system having a pedal tray including

a pedal base with a first left pedal assembly and a first right pedal assembly; and

a U-shaped upper tier having a second left pedal assembly and a second right pedal assembly respectively in vertical alignment with and elevated above the first left pedal assembly and the first right pedal assembly, a left vertical switch pedal assembly pivotally coupled to a left side, and a right vertical switch pedal assembly pivotally coupled to a right side, wherein the left vertical switch pedal assembly and the right vertical switch pedal assembly are in horizontal alignment with and elevated above the first left pedal assembly and the first right pedal assembly.

24. The control console of claim 23, wherein

the pedal base further has a center cutout to receive a wheel of a chair.

25. The control console of claim 23, wherein

the first left and right pedal assemblies and the second left and right pedal assemblies are horizontal switch pedals.

26. The control console of claim 23, wherein

each of the first left and right pedal assemblies and the second left and right pedal assemblies include

a pedal,

an electrical switch coupled to the pedal to open and close to form a control signal, and

a spring coupled to the pedal, the spring to compress to allow the switch to close and to return the pedal and the electrical switch to open.

27. The control console of claim 26, wherein

each of the first left and right pedal assemblies and the second left and right pedal assemblies further include

a foot detector to detect a foot positioned over the pedal to alert a user as to its position.