PATIENT-SIDE SURGEON INTERFACE FOR A MINIMALLY INVASIVE, TELEOPERATED SURGICAL INSTRUMENT

• US 20110118748A1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Itkowitz, Brandon
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00207 with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/741 Glove like input devices, e.g. "data gloves"
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3945 Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/397 electromagnetic other than visible, e.g. microwave
• 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 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/60 Supports for surgeons, e.g. chairs or hand supports seats for dentists or surgeons associated with dental chairs or operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

Abstract

A patient-side surgeon interface provides enhanced capabilities in using a minimally invasive, teleoperated surgical system. The patient-side surgeon interface has components within the sterile surgical field of the surgery. The components allow a surgeon to control teleoperated slave surgical instruments from within the sterile surgical field. The patient-side surgeon interface permits a surgeon to be in the sterile surgical field adjacent a patient undergoing surgery. Controlling minimally invasive slave surgical instruments from within the sterile surgical field permits minimally invasive surgery combined with direct visualization by the surgeon. The proximity to the patient allows the surgeon to control a teleoperated slave surgical instrument in tandem with controlling manually controlled instruments such as a laparoscopic instrument. Also, the surgeon, from within the sterile surgical field, can use the patient-side surgeon interface to control at least one proxy visual in proctoring another surgeon.

Claims

1. A minimally invasive surgical system comprising:

a patient-side surgeon interface comprising;

a) a display device mounted in an operating room; and

b) a master interface including;

a mechanically ungrounded master tool grip positioned within a sterile surgical field within said operating room; and

a hand-tracking transmitter separated and removed from the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip wherein said mechanically ungrounded master tool grip in combination with the hand-tracking transmitter provides sensed position and orientation information in a reference frame associated with a person operating the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip;

a teleoperated slave surgical instrument comprising a surgical end effector positioned within the sterile surgical field; and

a control system coupled to the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip, to the hand-tracking transmitter, to the display device and to the teleoperated slave surgical instrument, wherein

said control system receives said sensed position and orientation information in said reference frame, generates a control command using said sensed position and orientation information, and sends said control command to move the surgical end effector with respect to a reference frame associated with an image displayed on the display device.

2. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 further comprising:

a manually operated surgical device including a control handle, wherein the control handle is positioned within the sterile surgical field such that the person operating the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip also operates the control handle of the manually operated surgical device.

3. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 wherein the patient-side surgeon interface further comprises:

a stereoscopic image viewer, wherein upon viewing the image on the display device through the stereoscopic image viewer, a stereoscopic image is seen.

4. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 wherein the patient-side surgeon interface further comprises:

a display device motion interlock wherein the display device motion interlock prevents movement of the display device upon receiving a signal from the control system indicating following between motion of the master tool grip and the slave surgical instrument.

5. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 wherein the patient-side surgeon interface further comprises:

a display device-based presence interlock, wherein the display device-based presence interlock provides a signal to the control system indicating presence or non-presence of a surgeon.

6. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 wherein the patient-side surgeon interface further comprises:

a movable boom having the display device mounted thereon, wherein the movable boom permits positioning of the display device about an operating table in the operating room.

7. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 wherein the patient-side surgeon interface further comprises:

a movable stabilization platform,

wherein the stabilization platform supports a surgeon'"'"'s forearms while grasping the master tool grip; and

said stabilization platform can be moved independent from any movement of the display device.

8. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 7 wherein the movable stabilization platform includes a plurality of wheels used to move the movable stabilization platform with respect to a position of an operating table.

9. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 7 wherein the movable stabilization platform is mounted to an operating table.

10. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 7 wherein the movable stabilization platform is mounted to a boom.

11. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 wherein the patient-side surgeon interface further comprises:

a foot tray having at least one pedal coupled to the control system.

12. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 wherein the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip further comprises:

at least one switch coupled to the control system.

13. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 12 wherein the at least one switch provides a signal to the control system indicating presence or non-presence of a surgeon.

14. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 12 wherein the at least one switch provides a master clutch signal to the control system.

15. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 12 wherein the at least one switch provides a camera control signal to the control system.

16. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 wherein the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip further comprises:

a grip sensor wherein the grip sensors provides grip closure information to the control system.

17. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 wherein the control system further comprises:

a ratcheting system.

18. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 1 further comprising:

a surgeon'"'"'s console, coupled to the control system, including a stereoscope display device and a powered master interface.

19. The minimally invasive surgical system of claim 18 wherein the control system further comprises:

a proxy visual module coupled to the stereoscopic display device of the surgeon'"'"'s console and said display device of said patient-side surgeon interface to provide a proxy visual wherein said proxy visual is moved by moving one of said mechanically ungrounded master tool grip and a master tool manipulator of said surgeon'"'"'s console.

20. A method comprising:

generating sensed position and orientation information by moving a mechanically ungrounded master tool grip located in a sterile surgical field,

wherein said sensed position and orientation information is in a reference frame associated with a person working within said sterile surgical field, and operating said mechanically ungrounded master tool grip;

controlling movement of an end effector of a minimally invasive, teleoperated slave surgical instrument based on said sensed position and orientation information wherein said end effector is in said sterile surgical field.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

controlling a manually operated surgical instrument by said person using a control handle of said manually operated surgical instrument, wherein said control handle is within said sterile surgical field.

22. In a minimally invasive surgical system including (a) a patient-side surgeon interface further comprising a display device, a mechanically ungrounded master tool grip, a hand-tracking transmitter, (b) a teleoperated slave surgical instrument and (c) a control system, a method comprising:

sensing position and orientation of the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip, in a reference frame associated with a person operating the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip, when the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip is moved in a field from said hand-tracking transmitter, and is moved within a sterile surgical field;

receiving, by the control system, the sensed position and orientation in the reference frame;

generating, by the control system, a control command, using the sensed position and orientation, with respect to a reference frame associated with an image displayed on the display device; and

sending, by the control system, the control command to the teleoperated slave surgical instrument.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

preventing movement of the display device upon the control system entering a following mode between motion of the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip and the teleoperated slave surgical instrument.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving, by the control system, a signal from a presence switch indicating presence or non-presence of a surgeon.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the presence switch is included on the mechanically ungrounded master tool grip.