Operator Input Device for a Robotic Surgical System

• US 20100228265A1
• 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: Prisco, Giuseppe M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39387 Reflex control, follow movement, track face, work, hand, visual servoing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39389 Laparoscopic surgery, camera on center of operated part, view around, scale
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45117 Medical, radio surgery manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20305 Robotic arm

Abstract

A robotic surgical system includes a master controller with an input handle and robotic manipulator assemblies including a surgical end effector and an endoscopic camera. The input handle is translatable to provide a position and rotatable to provide an orientation. A control system couples the master controller to the first and second manipulator assemblies. The control system moves the surgical end effector in response to the position and orientation of the input handle. The control system moves the input handle to orient the input handle to correspond to an orientation of the surgical end effector from a viewpoint of the endoscopic camera during the repositioning of at least one of the input handle position, the end effector, or the endoscopic camera. The control system may move the surgical end effector only in a first mode and orients the input handle only in a second mode.

Claims

1. A controller for a robotic surgical system comprising:

a receiver coupled to an input handle, the receiver to receive an input handle position signal as the input handle is translated in a plurality of degrees of freedom and an input handle orientation signal as the input handle is rotated in a plurality of degrees of freedom; and

a control signal generator coupled to a first robotic manipulator that moves a surgical end effector and to an input handle servo mechanism that orients the input handle, the control signal generator to provide signals to the first robotic manipulator to position the surgical end effector in response to the input handle position signal and the input handle orientation signal, and to provide signals to the input handle servo mechanism to continuously orient the input handle to correspond to an orientation of the surgical end effector from a viewpoint of an endoscopic camera during the repositioning of at least one of the input handle position, the surgical end effector, or the endoscopic camera.

2. The controller of claim 1 further comprising a mode control coupled to a switch, the mode control to select one of a first mode and a second mode responsive to the switch, wherein the control signal generator provides signals to the first robotic manipulator only in the first mode and provides signals to the input handle servo mechanism only in the second mode.

3. The controller of claim 2, wherein if the second mode is selected, the control signal generator is further to allow repositioning of the surgical end effector independently from the input handle.

4. The controller of claim 2, wherein if the second mode is selected, the control signal generator is further to allow repositioning of the endoscopic camera.

5. The controller of claim 2, wherein if the second mode is selected, the control signal generator is further to provide signals to a second robotic manipulator to position the endoscopic camera in response to the input handle position signal.

6. The controller of claim 2, wherein if the second mode is selected, the control signal generator is further to provide signals to the input handle servo mechanism to prevent changes in the position of the input handle and to allow repositioning of at least one of the surgical end effector or the endoscopic camera.

7. The controller of claim 2, wherein if the second mode is selected, the control signal generator is further to provide signals to the first robotic manipulator to inhibit movement of the surgical end effector and to allow translational repositioning of the input handle.

8. The controller of claim 2, further comprising a transfer control, wherein the control signal generator is further coupled to a second input handle servo mechanism that orients a second input handle, and if the first mode is selected and the transfer control is enabled, the control signal generator is further to provide signals to the second input handle servo mechanism to orient the second input handle to correspond to the orientation of the input handle.

9. A method of controlling a robotic surgical system, the method comprising:

receiving an input handle position signal as an input handle is translated in a plurality of degrees of freedom and an input handle orientation signal as the input handle is rotated in a plurality of degrees of freedom;

providing signals to a first robotic manipulator to position a surgical end effector in response to the input handle position signal and the input handle orientation signal; and

providing signals to an input handle servo mechanism to continuously orient the input handle to correspond to an orientation of the surgical end effector from a viewpoint of an endoscopic camera during a repositioning of at least one of the input handle position, the surgical end effector, or the endoscopic camera.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising selecting one of a first mode and a second mode responsive to a switch, providing signals to the first robotic manipulator if the first mode is selected, and providing signals to the input handle servo mechanism if the second mode is selected.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising, if the second mode is selected, allowing the surgical end effector to be repositioned independently from the input handle.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising, if the second mode is selected, allowing the endoscopic camera to be repositioned.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising, if the second mode is selected, providing signals to a second robotic manipulator to position the endoscopic camera in response to the input handle position signal.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising, if the second mode is selected, providing signals to the input handle servo mechanism to prevent changes in the position of the input handle, and allowing at least one of the surgical end effector or the endoscopic camera to be repositioned.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising, if the second mode is selected, allowing translational repositioning of the input handle and inhibiting movement of the end effector.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising, if the second mode is selected and a transfer control is enabled, providing signals to a second input handle servo mechanism to orient a second input handle in response to the input handle orientation signal.

17. A control system for a robotic surgical system comprising:

means for effecting corresponding movement of a surgical end effector movable in a plurality of degrees of freedom in response to a position and an orientation of an input handle; and

means for continuously orienting the input handle to correspond to an orientation of the surgical end effector from a viewpoint of the endoscopic camera during the repositioning of at least one of the input handle position, the surgical end effector, or the endoscopic camera.

18. The control system of claim 17 further comprising means for selecting one of a first mode and a second mode, wherein the means for effecting corresponding movement of a surgical end effector is operative in the first mode and the means for continuously orienting the input handle is operative in the second mode.

19. The control system of claim 18 further comprising means, operative in the second mode, for allowing the surgical end effector to be repositioned independently from the input handle.

20. The control system of claim 18 further comprising means, operative in the second mode, for allowing the endoscopic camera to be repositioned.

21. The control system of claim 18 further comprising means, operative in the second mode, for providing signals to a second robotic manipulator to position the endoscopic camera in response to the input handle position signal.

22. The control system of claim 18 further comprising means, operative in the second mode, for providing signals to the input handle servo mechanism to prevent changes in the position of the input handle, and allowing at least one of the surgical end effector or the endoscopic camera to be repositioned.

23. The control system of claim 18 further comprising means, operative in the second mode, for allowing translational repositioning of the input handle and inhibiting movement of the end effector.

24. The control system of claim 18 further comprising means, operative in the first mode, for providing signals to a second input handle servo mechanism to orient a second input handle in response to the input handle orientation signal if a transfer mode is enabled.

25. A robotic surgical system comprising:

a master controller with an input handle, the input handle translatable in a plurality of degrees of freedom to provide a position of the input handle and rotatable in a plurality of degrees of freedom to provide an orientation of the input handle;

a first robotic manipulator including a surgical end effector movable in a plurality of degrees of freedom;

a second robotic manipulator including an endoscopic camera movable in a plurality of degrees of freedom;

a control system coupling the master controller to the first and second manipulator assemblies, the control system to effect corresponding movement of the surgical end effector in response to the position and orientation of the input handle, and to effect movement of the input handle to continuously orient the input handle to correspond to an orientation of the surgical end effector from a viewpoint of the endoscopic camera during the repositioning of at least one of the input handle position, the end effector, or the endoscopic camera.

26. The robotic surgical system of claim 25, wherein the control system has first and second modes, effects corresponding movement of the surgical end effector only in the first mode, and effects movement of the input handle only in the second mode.

27. The robotic surgical system of claim 26, wherein the control system in the second mode is configured to allow repositioning of the surgical end effector independently from the input handle.

28. The robotic surgical system of claim 26, wherein the control system in the second mode is configured to allow repositioning of the endoscopic camera.

29. The robotic surgical system of claim 26, wherein the control system in the second mode is configured to effect corresponding movement of the endoscopic camera in response to the position of the input handle.

30. The robotic surgical system of claim 26, wherein the control system in the second mode is configured to allow repositioning of at least one of the surgical end effector or the endoscopic camera and prevent changes in the position of the input handle.

31. The robotic surgical system of claim 26, wherein the control system in the second mode is configured to allow translational repositioning of the input handle and inhibit movement of the end effector.

32. The robotic surgical system of claim 26, wherein the master controller further includes a transfer control and a second input handle and the control system in the first mode is configured to orient the second input handle according to the orientation of the input handle if the transfer control is enabled.