FLUX DISAMBIGUATION FOR TELEOPERATED SURGICAL SYSTEMS

• US 20140128886A1
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: COOPER, Thomas G., HOLOP, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,864,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 Tool

Abstract

A method includes receiving at a controller of a teleoperated surgical system a first signal indicating that a surgical instrument is in an installed position at a patient side cart of the teleoperated surgical system, receiving at the controller a second signal indicating that the surgical instrument is in a flux connection state, and outputting a signal via the controller to provide feedback indicating that the surgical instrument is in the flux connection state. A system for detecting an operative condition of a surgical instrument of a teleoperated surgical system includes a surgical instrument comprising a housing for coupling the surgical instrument in an installed position at a patient side cart of a teleoperated surgical system, the housing comprising a connector feature. A flux transmission conduit is engageable with the connector feature to place the surgical instrument in a flux connection state. The system further includes a sensing device associated with the patient side cart and disposed to detect a presence of the flux transmission conduit in a flux connection state of the surgical instrument.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a controller of a teleoperated surgical system at least one signal indicating which of a plurality of surgical instruments positioned at a patient side cart of the teleoperated surgical system are in an energy connection state; and

controlling energy transmission from one or more energy supply sources to the surgical instruments based on which of the plurality of installed surgical instruments are in the energy connection state;

wherein receiving the at least one signal regarding which of the plurality of surgical instruments are in the energy connection state comprises receiving a plurality of signals indicating that more than one of the plurality of installed surgical instruments are in the energy connection state;

wherein the controlling the energy transmission comprises prohibiting or permitting energy transmission to the plurality of installed surgical instruments based on energy type of the plurality of installed surgical instruments in the energy connection state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information at the controller that the energy type of at least two installed surgical instruments in the energy connection state is the same; and

prohibiting the energy transmission to the installed surgical instruments.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information at the controller that an energy type of the installed surgical instruments in the energy connection state differ from each other; and

permitting the energy transmission to the installed surgical instruments based on an energy input command received at the controller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the signal information indicating which of the plurality of surgical instruments are in the energy connection state comprises receiving signal information that only one of the plurality of surgical instruments is in the energy connection state; and

the controlling the energy transmission comprises permitting energy transmission to the surgical instrument in the energy connection state based on an energy input command received at the controller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the signal information indicating which of the plurality of surgical instruments is in the energy connection state comprises receiving a signal from a sensor at the patient side cart.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the signal from the patient side cart comprises receiving a signal from a sensor at a patient side cart that detects a presence of an energy transmission cable in engagement with a respective surgical instrument in an energy connection state.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving the signal from the patient side cart comprises receiving a signal from a Hall sensor detecting a proximity of a magnet associated with a respective surgical instrument in an energy connection state.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the controller at least one first signal indicating which of the plurality of surgical instruments is in an installed position at the patient side cart.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising outputting a third signal via the controller to provide feedback indicating which of the plurality of surgical instruments is in the energy connection state.

10. A surgical instrument for a teleoperated surgical system, the surgical instrument comprising:

a housing for coupling the surgical instrument in an installed position at a patient side cart of a teleoperated surgical system, the housing comprising a connector feature for engagement with a flux transmission conduit; and

a mechanism that is transitionable between (1) a first state in which the connector feature and the flux transmission conduit are in disengagement and (2) a second state in which the connection feature and the flux transmission conduit are in engagement,

wherein, in the installed position of the surgical instrument, a transition between the first state and the second state of the mechanism is detectable by a sensor.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein, in an installed position of the surgical instrument, the mechanism is detectable in the first state and the second state to indicate the surgical instrument is in the installed position.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the mechanism comprises a magnet that is transitionable between a first position and a second position.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 12, wherein the magnet is disposed on an arm moveable in response to the flux transmission conduit being moved between engagement with and disengagement from the connection feature.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 10, further comprising at least one memory storage structure programmed to store information about the surgical instrument.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the surgical instrument. comprises an electrosurgical instrument and the connection feature is engageable with an electrical energy transmission cable.

16. A system for detecting an operative condition of a surgical instrument of a teleoperated surgical system, the system comprising:

a surgical instrument comprising a housing for coupling the surgical instrument in an installed position at a patient side cart of a teleoperated surgical system, the housing comprising a connector feature;

a flux transmission conduit engageable with the connector feature to place the surgical instrument in a flux connection state; and

a sensing device associated with the patient side cart and disposed to detect a presence of the flux transmission conduit in a flux connection state of the surgical instrument.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the surgical instrument further comprises a magnet moveable from a first position to a second position, the second position associated with a flux connection state of the surgical instrument.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sensing device comprises a Hall sensor in sensing proximity to the magnet in the second position.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a second Hall sensor disposed in sensing proximity to the magnet in the first position.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a first set of Hall sensors in sensing proximity to the magnet in the first position; and

wherein the sensing device comprises a second set of Hall sensors in sensing proximity to the magnet in the second position.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the first set of Hall sensors is not in sensing proximity to the magnet in the second position; and

the second set of Hall sensors is not in sensing proximity to the magnet in the first position.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the first set of Hall sensors and at least one of the second set of Hall sensors are in sensing proximity to the magnet in a position of the magnet between the first position and the second position.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the sensing device is in signal communication with a controller to provide a signal indicating the flux connection state of the surgical instrument.

24. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a readable memory structure associated with the surgical instrument and comprising information about the surgical instrument; and

a reader associated with the patient side cart to read the information from the readable memory structure.