USER SELECTION OF ROBOTIC SYSTEM OPERATING MODES USING MODE DISTINGUISHING OPERATOR ACTIONS

• US 20130211590A1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Gomez, Daniel H., Mitra, Probal, Mustufa, Tabish, Diolaiti, Nicola
• Granted Patent: US 9,586,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/257
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00207 with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/302 specifically adapted for manipulations within body cavities, e.g. within abdominal or thoracic cavities
• 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 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/04 Foot-operated control means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/06 Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/065 comprising joy-sticks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation

Abstract

A robotic system has a plurality of user selectable operating modes. To select one of the operating modes, a user performs a distinguishing action which uniquely identifies a desired operating mode among the plurality of user selectable operating modes. A method implemented by a processor in the robotic system identifies the distinguishing action and places the robotic system in the user selected operating mode.

Claims

1. A robotic system operable in a plurality of operating modes, the robotic system comprising:

one or more input devices that is used in each of the plurality of operating modes; and

a processor configured to select an operating mode among the plurality of operating modes by determining that the one or more input devices has been manipulated in a manner that distinguishes the selected operating mode.

2. The robotic system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mode switch, wherein activation of the mode switch indicates that a present operating mode of the robotic system may be changed;

wherein the processor is configured to change the present operating mode of the robotic system to the selected operating mode after determining that the mode switch has been activated and the one or more input devices has been manipulated in the manner that distinguishes the selected operating mode from at least the present operating mode.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to change the operating mode of the robotic system from the selected operating mode back to a prior operating mode upon the mode switch being deactivated.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the mode switch is adapted to be activated by a foot of an operator and each of the one or more input devices is adapted to be manipulated by a corresponding hand of the operator.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to change the operating mode of the robotic system from the selected operating mode back to a prior operating mode after determining that the one or more input devices has been manipulated in a manner that distinguishes the prior operating mode from at least the selected operating mode.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to change the operating mode of the robotic system from the selected operating mode back to a prior operating mode by deactivating, then reactivating the mode switch.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to change to the selected operating mode after the manipulation of the one or more input devices, that distinguishes the selected operating mode, has reached a threshold level.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to cause a sensory feedback to be provided to an operator of the one or more input devices that indicates when the manipulation of the one or more input devices, that distinguishes the selected operating mode, is approaching the threshold level.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to cause the sensory feedback to be provided to the operator by causing haptic feedback to be provided on the one or more input devices.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to cause the haptic feedback on the one or more input devices to increase in intensity as the manipulating of the one or more input devices approaches the threshold level.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to cause the sensory feedback to be provided to the operator by causing visual feedback to be provided to the operator.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a display;

wherein the processor is configured to cause the visual feedback to be provided to the operator by causing a graphical indication to be displayed on the display so as to indicate when the manipulating of the one or more input devices approaches the threshold level.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to cause the sensory feedback to be provided to the operator by causing audio feedback to be provided to the operator.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display;

wherein the processor is configured to cause one or more graphical indications to be displayed on the display, wherein each graphical indication indicates a manipulation of the one or more input devices that distinguishes a corresponding one of the plurality of operating modes from others of the plurality of operating modes.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more input devices comprises a pair of input devices, wherein the plurality of operating modes comprises a first operating mode in which the pair of input devices are both manipulated and a second operating mode in which only one of the pair of input devices is manipulated so that the second operating mode is selected by the processor when only one of the pair of input devices is operated.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second operating mode is selected by the processor when only one of the pair of input devices is manipulated in a predefined manner by an operator.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first operating mode is selected by the processor when both of the pair of input devices is manipulated in a predefined manner by an operator.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an entry guide;

an articulated camera instrument extending through the entry guide;

wherein the entry guide has a pivot point along a central axis extending through proximal and distal ends of the entry guide;

wherein the entry guide is controllably pivotable about the pivot point in the first operating mode so as to pivot the articulated camera instrument about the pivot point in response to predefined movement of the pair of input devices; and

wherein the entry guide is stationary and a distal end of the articulated camera instrument is movable in the second operating mode in response to movement of an associated one of the pair of input devices.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the robotic system further comprises:

at least one articulated tool instrument extending through the entry guide, wherein distal ends of the at least one articulated tool instrument are controllably held in place relative to a fixed reference frame by the processor controlling their articulations during the first and second operating modes.

20. A method for selecting one of a plurality of operating modes of a robotic system, the method comprising:

selecting an operating mode among the plurality of operating modes by determining that one or more input devices that is used in each of the plurality of operating modes has been manipulated in a manner that distinguishes the selected operating mode.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining an activation state of a mode switch, wherein activation of the mode switch indicates that a present operating mode of the robotic system may be changed; and

changing the present operating mode of the robotic system to the selected operating mode after determining that the mode switch has been activated and the one or more input devices has been manipulated in the manner that distinguishes the selected operating mode from at least the present operating mode.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

changing the operating mode of the robotic system from the selected operating mode back to incumbent prior operating mode upon the mode switch being deactivated.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

changing the operating mode of the robotic system from the selected operating mode back to a prior operating mode after determining that the one or more input devices has been manipulated in a manner that distinguishes the prior operating mode from at least the selected operating mode.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

changing the operating mode of the robotic system from the selected operating mode back to a prior operating mode by deactivating, then reactivating the mode switch.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

changing a present operating mode of the robotic system to the selected operating mode after the manipulation of the one or more input devices, that distinguishes the selected operating mode, has reached a threshold level.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

causing a sensory feedback to be provided to an operator of the one or more input devices that indicates when the manipulation of the one or more second input devices, that distinguishes the selected operating mode, is approaching the threshold level.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the causing of the sensory feedback to be provided to the operator comprises causing haptic feedback to be provided on the one or more input devices.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the causing of the haptic feedback to be provided on the one or more input devices comprises causing the haptic feedback to increase in intensity as the manipulating of the one or more input devices approaches the threshold level.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the causing of the sensory feedback to be provided to the operator comprises causing visual feedback to be provided to the operator.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the causing of the visual feedback to be provided to the operator comprises causing a graphical indication to be displayed on a display viewable by an operator of the one or more input devices so as to indicate to the operator when the manipulating of the one or more input devices approaches the threshold level.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the causing of the sensory feedback to be provided to the operator comprises causing audio feedback to be provided to the operator.

32. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

causing one or more graphical indications to be displayed on a display viewable by an operator of the one or more input devices, wherein each graphical indication indicates a manipulation of the one or more input devices that distinguishes a corresponding one of the plurality of operating modes from others of the plurality of operating modes.

33. A robotic system comprising:

at least one input device;

an entry guide;

an articulated camera instrument having an image capturing end extending out of a distal end of the entry guide;

at least one articulated tool instrument having a working end extending out of the distal end of the entry guide; and

coupled control means for pivoting the entry guide about a pivot point in response to movement of the at least one input device so as to re-orient the distal end of the entry guide and the image capturing end of the articulated camera instrument while maintaining a pose of the working end of the at least one articulated tool instrument relative to a fixed reference frame by adjusting articulations of the at least one articulated tool instrument.