ADAPTABLE INTEGRATED ENERGY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTROSURGICAL TOOLS IN ROBOTIC SURGICAL SYSTEMS

• US 20100228264A1
• 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 Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Nixon, Thomas R., Hanuschik, Michael, Hemphill, Jason, Millman, Paul, Larkin, David O., Goldberg, Randal P., Robinson, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• 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 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback

Abstract

A method for a minimally invasive surgical system is disclosed including reading first tool information from a storage device in a first robotic surgical tool mounted to a first robotic arm to at least determine a first tool type; reading equipment information about one or more remote controlled equipment for control thereof; comparing the first tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match a first remote controlled equipment of the one or more remote controlled equipment to the first robotic surgical tool; and mapping one or more user interface input devices of a first control console to control the first remote controlled equipment to support a function of the first robotic surgical tool.

Claims

1. A method for a minimally invasive surgical system, the method comprising:

reading first tool information from a storage device in a first robotic surgical tool mounted to a first robotic arm to at least determine a first tool type;

reading equipment information about one or more remote controlled equipment for control thereof;

comparing the first tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match a first remote controlled equipment of the one or more remote controlled equipment to the first robotic surgical tool; and

mapping one or more user interface input devices of a first control console to control the first remote controlled equipment to support a function of the first robotic surgical tool.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adapting signal levels of the one or more user interface input devices to signal levels of the first remote controlled equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

the one or more user interface input devices are one or more foot pedal switches.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the one or more user interface input devices are mapped through the first robotic surgical tool to control the first remote controlled equipment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first remote controlled equipment is controlled to supply vacuum, gasses, liquids, energy, mechanical torques, mechanical forces, data signals, or control signals to the first robotic surgical tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first robotic surgical tool is an electrosurgical tool and the first remote controlled equipment is an electrosurgical generator that is controlled to supply energy to the first robotic surgical tool.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading second tool information from a storage device in a second robotic surgical tool mounted to a second robotic arm to at least determine a second tool type; and

comparing the second tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match a second remote controlled equipment of the one or more remote controlled equipment to the second robotic surgical tool; and

wherein the mapping of a first user interface input device is responsive to a control swap signal to swap between control of the first remote controlled equipment and the second remote controlled equipment in the supply to the first robotic surgical tool and the second robotic surgical tool, respectively.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein

the first user interface input device is a first foot pedal switch.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading second tool information from a storage device in a second robotic surgical tool mounted to a second robotic arm to at least determine a second tool type; and

comparing the second tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match the first remote controlled equipment of the one or more remote controlled equipment to the second robotic surgical tool; and

wherein the mapping of the one or more user interface input devices is responsive to a control swap signal to swap control of the first remote controlled equipment in the supply to the first robotic surgical tool and the second robotic surgical tool.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein

the first robotic surgical tool is a monopolar electrosurgical tool;

the second robotic surgical tool is a bipolar electrosurgical tool; and

the first remote controlled equipment is a monopolar and bipolar electrosurgical generator that is first controlled to supply energy to the first robotic surgical tool and that is second controlled to supply energy to the second robotic surgical tool.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading second tool information from a storage device in a second robotic surgical tool mounted to a second robotic arm to at least determine a second tool type; and

comparing the second tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match a second remote controlled equipment of the one or more remote controlled equipment to the second robotic surgical tool;

reading third tool information from a storage device in a third robotic surgical tool mounted to a third robotic arm to at least determine a third tool type; and

comparing the third tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match one or the one or more remote controlled equipment to the third robotic surgical tool.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the mapping of the one or more user interface input devices is responsive to a tool swap signal to swap kinematic control between the second robotic surgical tool and the third robotic surgical tool.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading second tool information from a storage device in a second robotic surgical tool mounted to a second robotic arm to at least determine a second tool type;

comparing the second tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match the one or more remote controlled equipment to the second robotic surgical tool;

reading third tool information from a storage device in a third robotic surgical tool mounted to a third robotic arm to at least determine a third tool type;

comparing the third tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match the one or more remote controlled equipment to the third robotic surgical tool; and

wherein the mapping of the one or more user interface input devices is responsive to

a tool swap signal to swap kinematic control between the second robotic surgical tool and the third robotic surgical tool, and

a control swap signal to swap between control of the first remote controlled equipment and the second or third remote controlled equipment in the supply to the first robotic surgical tool and the second or third robotic surgical tool, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein

the first, second and third remote controlled equipment are controlled to control the supply of vacuum, gasses, liquids, energy, mechanical torques, mechanical forces, data signals, or control signals to the first, second, and third robotic surgical tools, respectively.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing user feedback in response to a selection of at least one of the one or more foot pedals to inform a user of status of the first, second, or third robotic surgical tools.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein

the equipment information is read from a storage device in each of one or more cables respectively coupled to the one or more remote controlled equipment.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading second tool information from a storage device in a second robotic surgical tool mounted to a second robotic arm to at least determine a second tool type;

comparing the second tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match a second remote controlled equipment of the one or more remote controlled equipment to the second robotic surgical tool; and

mapping one or more user interface input devices of a second control console to control the second remote controlled equipment to support a function of the second robotic surgical tool.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading second tool information from a storage device in a second robotic surgical tool mounted to a second robotic arm to at least determine a second tool type;

comparing the second tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match a second remote controlled equipment of the one or more remote controlled equipment to the second robotic surgical tool;

mapping one or more user interface input devices of the first control console to control the second remote controlled equipment to support a function of the second robotic surgical tool; and

mapping at least one user interface input device of a second control console to control the kinematics of at least the first robotic surgical tool.

19. An adaptable integrated user interface controller for a control console, the adaptable integrated user interface controller comprising:

mapping logic to couple to one or more user interface input devices to receive control signals in response to selection of the one or more user interface input devices;

adaptable input/output (I/O) interface coupled to the mapping logic, the adaptable I/O interface to couple to one or more remote controlled equipment, the adaptable I/O interface to read equipment information of the one or more remote controlled equipment and adapt signal levels of the one or more user interface input devices to signal levels of the one or more remote controlled equipment; and

wherein the mapping logic to selectively map the one or more user interface input devices to the one or more remote controlled equipment in response to

the equipment information of the one or more remote controlled equipment,

tool information of one or more robotic surgical tools controllable by the control console, and

an active tool control signal selected by a user, the active tool control signal to swap control of at least one user interface device to the remote controlled equipment between the one or more robotic surgical tools.

20. The adaptable integrated user interface controller of claim 19, wherein

a first robotic surgical tool is a monopolar electrosurgical tool,

a second robotic surgical tool is a bipolar electrosurgical tool, and

the active tool control signal is an energy swap signal to swap the at least one user interface device between controlling a monopolar electrosurgical generator to support the first robotic surgical tool and a bipolar electrosurgical generator to support the second robotic surgical tool.

21. The adaptable integrated user interface controller of claim 19, further comprising:

a user input interface to couple between mapping logic and the one or more user interface input devices, the user input interface to generate control signals in response to selection of the one or more user interface input devices.

22. The adaptable integrated user interface controller of claim 19, further comprising:

a user output interface to couple to one or more user interface output devices, the user output interface to inform a user of status of the one or more robotic surgical tools.

23. The adaptable integrated user interface controller of claim 19, wherein

the adaptable input/output (I/O) interface couples to the one or more remote controlled equipment by a smart cable having a storage device, and

the adaptable input/output (I/O) interface reads the storage device of each smart cable to read equipment information of the one or more remote controlled equipment.

24. The adaptable integrated user interface controller of claim 23, wherein

the adaptable integrated user interface controller is in communication with the one or more robotic surgical tools to read the tool information.

25. An adaptable integrated user interface controller for a control console, the adaptable integrated user interface controller comprising:

mapping logic to couple to one or more user interface input devices to receive control signals in response to selection of the one or more user interface input devices;

a tool interface coupled to one or more robotic surgical tools, the tool interface to read tool information from one or more robotic surgical tools controllable by the control console and read equipment information of one or more remote controlled equipment from the one or more intelligent robotic surgical tools; and

wherein the mapping logic to selectively map the one or more user interface input devices to the one or more intelligent robotic surgical tools to remotely control the one or more remote controlled equipment through the intelligent one or more robotic surgical tools, the selective mapping by the mapping logic is in response to

the equipment information of the one or more remote controlled equipment,

tool information of the one or more intelligent robotic surgical tools, and

an active tool control signal selected by a user, the active tool control signal to swap control of at least one user interface device to the remote controlled equipment between the one or more intelligent robotic surgical tools.

26. The adaptable integrated user interface controller of claim 25, wherein

a first intelligent robotic surgical tool is a monopolar electrosurgical tool,

a second intelligent robotic surgical tool is a bipolar electrosurgical tool, and

the active tool control signal is an energy swap signal to swap the at least one user interface device between controlling a monopolar electrosurgical generator to support the first intelligent robotic surgical tool and a bipolar electrosurgical generator to support the second intelligent robotic surgical tool.

27. The adaptable integrated user interface controller of claim 25, wherein

the one or more intelligent robotic surgical tools are respectively coupled to the one or more remote controlled equipment to read equipment information, to control the one or more remote controlled equipment, and to receive a supply of vacuum, gasses, liquids, energy, mechanical torques, mechanical forces, data signals, or control signals there-from.

28. The adaptable integrated user interface controller of claim 27, wherein

the one or more intelligent robotic surgical tools are respectively coupled to the one or more remote controlled equipment by

a smart cable to read equipment information from a storage device over one or more data lines in the cable and to control the one or more remote controlled equipment over one or more control cables in the cable, and

a supply cable to receive the supply of vacuum, gasses, liquids, energy mechanical torques, mechanical forces, data signals, or control signals from the one or more remote controlled equipment.

29. The adaptable integrated user interface controller of claim 27, wherein

the one or more intelligent robotic surgical tools include an adaptable input/output (I/O) interface to couple to the one or more remote controlled equipment, the adaptable I/O interface to read equipment information of the one or more remote controlled equipment and adapt signal levels to control signal levels of the one or more remote controlled equipment.

30-45. -45. (canceled)