METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ASSIGNING INPUT DEVICES TO TELEOPERATED SURGICAL INSTRUMENT FUNCTIONS

• US 20140081455A1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: HANUSCHIK, Michael, MILLMAN, Paul, MOHR, Paul W., NIXON, Thomas R., ROBINSON, David, GOLDBERG, Randal P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,301,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/250
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00225 Systems for controlling multiple different instruments, e.g. microsurgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/254 being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• 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 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40195 Tele-operation, computer assisted manual operation

Abstract

A method of assigning an auxiliary input device to control a surgical instrument in a robotic surgical system can include automatically assigning an auxiliary input device to control an auxiliary function of a surgical instrument based on a position of the auxiliary input device and which of a user'"'"'s hands is operating another input device operably coupled to control movement of the surgical instrument. A system for controlling a surgical instrument may include an input device of a surgical system that is operably coupled to generate and transmit an input control signal to control movement of a surgical instrument operably coupled to the surgical system. The system may further include an auxiliary input device, and a control system operably coupling the auxiliary input device to control an auxiliary function of the surgical instrument based on a position of the auxiliary input device and which of a user'"'"'s hands is operating the input device.

Claims

1. A method of assigning an auxiliary input device to control of a surgical instrument in a robotic surgical system, the method comprising:

automatically assigning an auxiliary input device to control of an auxiliary function of a surgical instrument based on a position of the auxiliary input device and which of a user'"'"'s hands is operating another input device operably coupled to in remotely control movement of the surgical instrument.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the auxiliary input device is one of a left position and a right position relative to at least one other auxiliary input device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an input command signal received from the auxiliary input device, sending a signal to activate the auxiliary function of the surgical instrument.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary function is chosen from at least one of delivering energy, image and/or audio streaming, irrigation, suction, stapling, and cutting.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a presence of a user in proximity to the auxiliary input device; and

in response to the detecting, displaying an indication at a portion of a graphical user interface indicating which surgical instrument the auxiliary input device is assigned control.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an actuation of the auxiliary function input device; and

in response to the detecting, displaying an indication at a portion of a graphical user interface indicating to which surgical instrument the auxiliary input device is assigned.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an auxiliary function type of the surgical instrument and sending a signal from the auxiliary input device to activate the auxiliary function of the surgical instrument based on the detected auxiliary function type.

8. A system for controlling a surgical instrument, comprising:

an input device operably coupled to generate and transmit an input control signal to control a surgical instrument operably coupled to a teleoperated surgical system;

an auxiliary input device; and

a control system operably coupling the auxiliary input device to control an auxiliary function of the surgical instrument based on a position of the auxiliary input device and which of a user'"'"'s hands is operating the input device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the position of the auxiliary input device is one of a left position and a right position relative to at least one other auxiliary input device.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a manipulator interface assembly operably coupled to the input device, the manipulator interface assembly configured to control the surgical instrument responsive to control signals from the input device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary input device transmits a signal to control the surgical instrument according to a detected auxiliary function type of the surgical instrument.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a readable memory structure associated with the surgical instrument, the readable memory structure comprising data identifying the auxiliary function type of the surgical instrument.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a presence sensor arranged to detect a presence of a user in proximity to the auxiliary input device; and

a graphical user interface including an indication of a detected presence of the user in proximity to the auxiliary input device.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an actuation sensor detecting an actuation of the auxiliary input device; and

a graphical user interface including an indication of the actuation of the auxiliary input device.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the input device comprises a gripping mechanism.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary input device comprises a foot pedal.

17. The system of claim 8, further comprising an additional input device, the input devices being respectively positioned at a left-hand position and a right-hand position of a user operating a surgeon console of the teleoperated surgical system.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising an additional auxiliary input device each of the auxiliary input devices being respectively positioned at a respective left position and a right position relative to each other.

19. A method of assigning an auxiliary input device to control a surgical instrument in a robotic surgical system, the method comprising:

detecting a first surgical instrument coupled to a first manipulator interface assembly of a teleoperated surgical system, the manipulator interface assembly being controlled by a first input device;

detecting which one of a user'"'"'s left and right hands operates the first input device; and

assigning control of an auxiliary function of the first surgical instrument to a first auxiliary input device disposed in a left position relative to a second auxiliary input device if the user'"'"'s left hand is detected to operate the first input device, or

assigning control of an auxiliary function of the first surgical instrument to a second auxiliary input device disposed in a right position relative to the first auxiliary input device if the user'"'"'s right hand is detected to operate the first input device,

wherein a frame of reference of the left position and right position is relative to a user operating the first input device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the auxiliary function comprises an electrosurgical function.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first input device comprises a gripping mechanism.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising

detecting a second surgical instrument coupled to a second manipulator interface assembly of the teleoperated surgical system, the second manipulator interface assembly being controlled by a second input device;

detecting which one of a user'"'"'s left and right hands operates the second input device; and

assigning control of an auxiliary function of the second surgical instrument to the second auxiliary input device if the user'"'"'s left hand is detected to operate the second input device, or

assigning control of an auxiliary function of the second surgical instrument to the second auxiliary input device if the user'"'"'s right hand is detected to operate the second input device.