MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM PROVIDING SENSORY FEEDBACK INDICATING A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COMMANDED STATE AND A PREFERRED POSE OF AN ARTICULATED INSTRUMENT

• US 20110202068A1
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Diolaiti, Nicola, Lilagan, Paul E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/741 Glove like input devices, e.g. "data gloves"
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/743 Keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/744 Mouse
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• 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 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1633 compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/33 Tactile sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/34 force feedback

Abstract

A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulated instruments extending out of its distal end. A controller is configured to command manipulation of one of the articulated instruments towards a state commanded by operator manipulation of an input device while commanding sensory feedback to the operator indicating a difference between the commanded state and a preferred pose of the articulated instrument, so that the sensory feedback serves to encourage the operator to return the articulated instrument back to its preferred pose.

Claims

1. A medical robotic system comprising:

an entry guide;

a plurality of articulated instruments extending through the entry guide;

an input device associated with one of the plurality of articulated instruments; and

a controller configured to command manipulation of the associated articulated instrument towards a state commanded by operator manipulation of the input device while commanding sensory feedback to the operator indicating a difference between the operator commanded state and a preferred pose of the associated articulated instrument.

2. The medical robotic system according to claim 1, wherein the sensory feedback comprises haptic feedback to the input device.

3. The medical robotic system according to claim 2, wherein the haptic feedback comprises a restoring sensation applied to the input device that urges the operator to manipulate the input device so as to command the associated articulated instrument to the preferred pose.

4. The medical robotic system according to claim 3, wherein the restoring sensation comprises a restoring force exerted against each translational movement of the input device commanding the associated articulated instrument away from the preferred pose and a restoring torque exerted against rotational movement of the input device commanding the associated articulated instrument away from the preferred pose.

5. The medical robotic system according to claim 4, wherein the controller generates individual of the restoring forces and torques according to a spring function.

6. The medical robotic system according to claim 5, wherein the spring function is characterized by a dead zone.

7. The medical robotic system according to claim 5, wherein the spring function is characterized by friction compensation.

8. The medical robotic system according to claim 5, wherein the spring function increases is non-linear.

9. The medical robotic system according to claim 2, wherein the associated articulated instrument is an articulated camera instrument and the preferred pose of the articulated camera instrument corresponds to an optimal pose for viewing others of the plurality of articulated instruments by a camera of the articulated camera instrument.

10. The medical robotic system according to claim 9, wherein the optimal pose maximizes viewability of the others of the plurality of articulated instruments within a field of view of the camera and minimizes chances of collisions between the articulated camera instrument and the others of the plurality of articulated instruments.

11. The medical robotic system according to claim 9, wherein the optimal pose is characterized by the camera being extended directly above a longitudinal axis of a proximal link of the articulated camera instrument and oriented downwards towards the longitudinal axis so as to capture end effectors of the others of the plurality of articulated instruments in a field of view of the camera.

12. The medical robotic system according to claim 2, wherein the associated articulated instrument is an articulated camera instrument and the preferred pose of the articulated camera instrument corresponds to an operator selected pose.

13. The medical robotic system according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to store information of the operator selected pose in a memory by storing information of a current pose of the articulated camera instrument upon receiving an indication to do so from the operator.

14. The medical robotic system according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to receive information of the operator selected pose by receiving an operator selection of one of a plurality of programmed poses for the articulated camera instrument.

15. The medical robotic system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to generate a command for manipulation of the associated articulated instrument towards the operator commanded state using a weighted average of the operator commanded state and the preferred pose of the associated articulated instrument.

16. The medical robotic system according to claim 15, wherein the weighted average is calculated by an interpolation of the operator commanded state and the preferred pose of the associated articulated instrument.

17. The medical robotic system according to claim 15, wherein the operator commanded state includes Cartesian position and orientation variables and the weighted average is calculated by applying weights to the position and orientation variables.

18. The medical robotic system according to claim 17, wherein individual of the position and orientation variables has a corresponding programmable weight applied to it.

19. The medical robotic system according to claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to receive information of the corresponding programmable weight from a graphical user interface operated by the operator.

20. The medical robotic system according to claim 18, wherein the controller generates the haptic feedback according to a plurality of spring functions wherein individual of the plurality of spring functions applies to a different one of the position and orientation variables.

21. The medical robotic system according to claim 17, wherein the operator commanded state includes Cartesian translational and angular velocity variables and the weighted average is calculated by applying weights to the translational and angular velocity variables.

22. The medical robotic system according to claim 21, wherein each of the translational and angular velocity variables has a corresponding programmable weight applied to it.

23. The medical robotic system according to claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to receive information of the corresponding programmable weight from a graphical user interface operated by the operator.

24. The medical robotic system according to claim 2, wherein the associated articulated instrument is an articulated tool instrument.

25. The medical robotic system according to claim 24, wherein the preferred pose is a pose wherein all links of the articulated tool instrument are aligned.

26. The medical robotic system according to claim 24, wherein the preferred pose of the articulated tool instrument corresponds to an operator selected pose.

27. A medical robotic system comprising:

an entry guide;

a plurality of articulated instruments extending through the entry guide;

an input device associated with the entry guide; and

a controller configured to command manipulation of the entry guide towards a state commanded by operator manipulation of the input device while commanding sensory feedback to the operator indicating a difference between the operator commanded state and a preferred pose of the entry guide.

28. The medical robotic system according to claim 27, wherein the preferred pose of the entry guide directs a distal end of the entry guide towards a target area.

29. The medical robotic system according to claim 27, wherein the preferred pose of the entry guide corresponds to an operator selected pose.

30. A method implemented in a medical robotic system having an entry guide, a plurality of articulated instruments extending through the entry guide, and an input device associated with one of the plurality of articulated instruments, the method comprising:

manipulating the associated articulated instrument towards a state commanded by operator manipulation of the input device; and

providing sensory feedback to the operator indicating a difference between the operator commanded state and a preferred pose of the associated articulated instrument.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the providing of the sensory feedback comprises providing haptic feedback to the input device.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the providing of the haptic feedback comprises applying a restoring sensation to the input device that urges the operator to manipulate the input device so as to command the associated articulated instrument to the preferred pose.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the applying of the restoring sensation comprises:

exerting a restoring force against each translational movement of the input device commanding the associated articulated instrument away from the preferred pose; and

exerting a restoring torque against each rotational movement of the input device commanding the associated articulated instrument away from the preferred pose.

34. The method according to claim 32, further comprising generating individual of the forces and torques according to a spring function.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the spring function is characterized by a dead zone.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the spring function is characterized by friction compensation.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein the spring function is non-linear.

38. The method according to claim 31, wherein the associated articulated instrument is an articulated camera instrument and the preferred pose of the articulated camera instrument corresponds to an optimal pose for viewing others of the plurality of articulated instruments by a camera of the articulated camera instrument.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the optimal pose maximizes viewability of the others of the plurality of articulated instruments within a field of view of the camera and minimizes chances of collisions between the articulated camera instrument and the others of the plurality of articulated instruments.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the optimal pose is characterized by the camera being extended directly above a longitudinal axis of a proximal link of the articulated camera instrument and oriented downwards towards the longitudinal axis so as to capture end effectors of the others of the plurality of articulated instruments in a field of view of the camera.

41. The method according to claim 31, wherein the associated articulated instrument is an articulated camera instrument and the preferred pose of the articulated camera instrument corresponds to an operator selected pose.

42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising storing information of the operator selected pose in a memory by storing information of a current pose of the articulated camera instrument upon receiving an indication to do so from the operator.

43. The method according to claim 41, further comprising receiving information of the operator selected pose by receiving an operator selection of one of a plurality of programmed poses for the articulated camera instrument.

44. The method according to claim 31, further comprising generating a command for manipulation of the associated articulated instrument towards the operator commanded state using a weighted average of the operator commanded state and the preferred pose of the associated articulated instrument.

45. The method according to claim 44, further comprising calculating the weighted average by an interpolation of the operator commanded state and the preferred pose of the associated articulated instrument.

46. The method according to claim 44, wherein the operator commanded state includes Cartesian position and orientation variables and the weighted average is calculated by applying weights to the position and orientation variables.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein each of the position and orientation variables has a corresponding programmable weight applied to it.

48. The method according to claim 47, further comprising receiving information of the corresponding programmable weight from a graphical user interface operated by the operator.

49. The method according to claim 47, further comprising generating the haptic feedback according to a plurality of spring functions wherein individual of the plurality of spring functions applies to a different one of the position and orientation variables.

50. The method according to claim 46, wherein the operator commanded state includes Cartesian translational and angular velocity variables and the weighted average is calculated by applying weights to the translational and angular velocity variables.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein individual of the translational and angular velocity variables has a corresponding programmable weight applied to it.

52. The method according to claim 51, further comprising receiving information of the corresponding programmable weight from a graphical user interface operated by the operator.

53. The method according to claim 31, wherein the associated articulated instrument is an articulated tool instrument.

54. The method according to claim 53, wherein the preferred pose is a pose wherein all links of the articulated tool instrument are aligned.

55. The method according to claim 53, wherein the preferred pose of the articulated tool instrument corresponds to an operator selected pose.

56. A method implemented in a medical robotic system having an entry guide, a plurality of articulated instruments extending through the entry guide, and an input device associated with one of the plurality of articulated instruments, the method comprising:

manipulating the entry guide towards a state commanded by operator manipulation of the input device; and

providing sensory feedback to the operator indicating a difference between the operator commanded state and a preferred pose of the entry guide.

57. The method according to claim 56, wherein the preferred pose of the entry guide directs a distal end of the entry guide towards a target area.

58. The method according to claim 56, wherein the preferred pose of the entry guide corresponds to an operator selected pose.