SURGICAL ROBOT AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20130178868A1
• Filed: 01/03/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: ROH, Chang Hyun
• Application Number:
  US13/733,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20130178868A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/066 for measuring torque
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence

Abstract

A surgical robot includes a console and a manipulator assembly. The manipulator assembly includes at least one arm having a plurality of links and a motor provided between links adjacent to each other among the plurality of links, and a control unit configured to determine whether a mode is changed between a tele-operation mode and a manual mode. The control unit sets output data of the motor provided before the mode is changed as input data of the motor provided after the mode is changed, if it is determined that the mode is changed between the tele-operation mode and the manual mode, thereby preventing the vibration and the rapid change of the posture from occurring at the arm of the surgical robot during the change of the mode between the manual mode and the tele-operation mode, thereby increasing stability of the surgical robot.

Claims

1. A surgical robot having a console and a manipulator assembly, wherein the manipulator assembly comprises:

at least one arm having a plurality of links and a motor provided between links adjacent to each other among the plurality of links; and

a control unit configured to determine whether a mode is changed between a tele-operation mode controlling the motor based on a command transmitted from the console and a manual mode controlling the motor based on an external force, to set output data of the motor provided before the mode is changed as input data of the motor provided after the mode is changed if it is determined that the mode is changed between the tele-operation mode and the manual mode, and to control the motor based on the input data in the changed mode.

2. The surgical robot of claim 1, wherein:

the manipulator assembly further comprises a torque detection unit configured to detect the external force applied to the at least one arm, and

the control unit is configured to control the manual mode if the external force is detected.

3. The surgical robot of claim 2, wherein:

the control unit, in a case of controlling the motor in the manual mode, is configured to calculate a torque corresponding to the external force, and controls a current applied to the motor based on the calculated torque.

4. The surgical robot of claim 1, wherein:

the manipulator assembly further comprises an angle detection unit configured to detect an angle of the motor, and

the control unit, when the command is transmitted from the console during the manual mode, is configured to change the manual mode to the tele-operation mode, and sets the angle detected as an initial angle of the tele-operation mode.

5. The surgical robot of claim 4, wherein:

the control unit is configured to control a change of the angle of the motor from the initial angle to an angle corresponding to the command transmitted from the console.

6. The surgical robot of claim 1, wherein:

the control unit, in a case of controlling the motor in the tele-operation mode, is configured to generate a position command based on the command transmitted from the console, calculates an angle corresponding to the position command generated, and controls a current applied to the motor based on the calculated angle.

7. The surgical robot of claim 6, wherein:

the control unit is configured to control a speed of the motor when the current applied to the motor is controlled based on the calculated angle.

8. The surgical robot of claim 1, wherein:

the control unit, if determined that the mode is changed from the tele-operation mode to the manual mode, is configured to check a torque of the motor provided when the motor is controlled in the tele-operation mode, and sets the torque checked as an initial torque of the manual mode.

9. The surgical robot of claim 8, wherein:

the manipulator assembly further comprises a torque detection unit configured to detect the external force applied to the at least one arm, and

the control unit is configured to calculate a torque corresponding to the external force when the mode is changed from the tele-operation mode to the manual mode, and controls the torque of the motor from the initial torque to the calculated torque.

10. The surgical robot of claim 9, wherein:

the control unit is configured to control the torque of the motor by performing interpolation.

11. The surgical robot of claim 6, wherein the control unit comprises:

a command generating unit configured to generate the position command and torque command;

a position adjusting unit configured to adjust the angle of the motor in response to the position command generated;

a current producing unit configured to calculate a current used to follow a torque corresponding to the generated torque command and to generate a current used to adjust the angle of the motor; and

an electrical power converting unit configured to adjust a pulse applied to the motor based on the calculated current.

12. A method of controlling a surgical robot having a console and a manipulator assembly, the method comprising:

detecting an external force applied to an arm provided at the manipulator assembly;

performing a manual mode configured to control a torque of the motor based on the external force detected;

determining whether a command is transmitted from the console;

determining a point in time to change from the manual mode to the tele-operation mode when it is determined the command is transmitted from the console;

detecting an angle of the motor;

setting the detected angle as an initial angle of the tele-operation mode;

controlling a change of the angle of the motor from the initial angle to an angle corresponding to the command transmitted; and

controlling the tele-operation mode.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the performing of the manual mode comprises:

generating a torque command corresponding to the external force;

calculating a current to follow the generated torque command; and

adjusting a pulse width of the current and applying a current to the motor reflecting the adjusted pulse width.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the performing of the tele-operation mode comprises:

generating a position command based on the command transmitted from the console;

calculating an angle corresponding to the position command generated;

calculating a current corresponding to the calculated angle, and adjusting a pulse width of the current and applying a current to the motor reflecting the adjusted pulse width.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

controlling a speed of the motor.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a point in time to change from the tele-operation mode to the manual mode when the external force applied to the arm is detected during the execution of the tele-operation mode,

checking the torque of the motor at the time of the completion of the execution of the tele-operation mode,

setting the torque checked as an initial torque of the manual mode, and

controlling the torque of the motor from the initial torque to a torque corresponding to the external force.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling of the torque of the motor comprises performing interpolation.

18. A surgical robot comprising:

a console; and

a manipulator assembly, wherein the manipulator assembly includes;

at least one arm having a plurality of links and a motor provided between links adjacent to one another among the plurality of links; and

a control unit configured to determine when to switch between a first mode and a second mode,

wherein when it is determined to switch from the first mode to the second mode, a first parameter from the first mode used to control the motor is calculated, and the calculated first parameter is used as an initial parameter to control the motor when the mode is switched to the second mode.

19. The surgical robot of claim 18, wherein the first mode is a tele-operation mode, the second mode is a manual mode, and the first parameter includes a torque value of the motor.

20. The surgical robot of claim 18, wherein the first mode is a manual mode, the second mode is a tele-operation mode, and the first parameter includes an angle of the motor.