SYSTEM FOR IMAGE-BASED ROBOTIC SURGERY

• US 20140188132A1
• Filed: 12/31/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corporation (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corporation (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Hyosig
• Granted Patent: US 10,028,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4429 related to the mounting of source units and detector units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4452 the source unit and the detector unit being able to move relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4458 the source unit or the detector unit being attached to robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4476 related to motor-assisted motion of the source unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms

Abstract

A robotic surgery system having a mobile base and a first moveable support structure coupled between the mobile base and a first element of a fluoroscopic imaging system. The first element is a source element or a detector element, and a second element of the imaging system is a source element or a detector element. The second element is configured to be repositionable relative to patient tissue disposed between the first and second elements. The system further includes a coupling member configured to fixedly couple the first element to the second element, and a surgical instrument for conducting a procedure on the patient tissue. The system further includes a second moveable support structure coupled between the coupling member and the surgical instrument. The second moveable support structure includes one or more actuators which may be controlled to electromechanically characterize movement of the surgical instrument relative to the coupling member.

Claims

1. A robotic surgery system, comprising:

a mobile base configured to be moveable when in a freewheeling mode, and fixed relative to an operating room when in a braked mode;

a first moveable support structure coupled between the mobile base and a first element of a fluoroscopic imaging system, the first element comprising one of a source element and a detector element;

a second element of the fluoroscopic imaging system comprising the other of the source element and the detector element, wherein the fluoroscopic imaging system is configured to be repositionable relative to a patient tissue structure disposed between the first and second elements of the fluoroscopic imaging system;

a coupling member configured to fixedly couple the first element of the fluoroscopic imaging system to the second element;

a surgical instrument configured for conducting a procedure on the patient tissue structure; and

a second moveable support structure coupled between the coupling member and the surgical instrument, wherein the second moveable support structure comprises one or more actuators controlled to electromechanically characterize movement of the surgical instrument relative to the coupling member.

2. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the first moveable support structure comprises an electromechanically-controllable robotic arm.

3. The robotic surgery system of claim 2, wherein the robotic arm comprises one or more joints and one or more motors configured to controllably regulate motion at the one or more joints.

4. The robotic surgery system of claim 2, further comprising at least one sensor configured to monitor a position of at least a portion of the electromechanically-controllable robotic arm.

5. The robotic surgery system of claim 4, wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

an encoder, a potentiometer, an optical position tracker, and an electromagnetic position tracker.

6. The robotic surgery system of claim 4, further comprising a controller coupled to the electromechanically-controllable robotic arm and the at least one sensor, the controller configured to cause the electromechanically-controllable robotic arm to move at least in part in response to one or more signals received from the at least one sensor.

7. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the first element is the source element and the second element is the detector element.

8. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the first element is the detector element and the second element is the source element.

9. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the source element is configured to produce a collimated beam having a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of:

a circle, an ellipse, a square, and a rectangle.

10. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the detector element is a flat panel detector.

11. The robotic surgery system of claim 10, wherein the flat panel detector is an amorphous silicon panel detector.

12. The robotic surgery system of claim 10, wherein the flat panel detector is a CMOS fluoroscopy panel.

13. The robotic surgery system of claim 10, wherein the flat panel detector has an effective image area having a shape selected from the group consisting of:

a circle, an ellipse, a square, and a rectangle.

14. The robotic surgery system of claim 13, wherein the flat panel detector comprises a rectangular CMOS active fluoroscopy panel having dimensions of about 5 inches by about 6 inches.

15. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument comprises a bone cutting tool.

16. The robotic surgery system of claim 15, wherein the bone cutting tool comprises a motor.

17. The robotic surgery system of claim 15, wherein the bone cutting tool comprises a bone cutting element selected from the group consisting of:

a rotary cutting burr, an insertion/retraction motion reciprocal cutting saw, and a lateral reciprocal motion cutting saw.

18. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the coupling member comprises a substantially rigid member shaped to form a recess between the first and second elements of the fluoroscopic imaging system, the recess configured to accommodate placement of the patient tissue structure between the first and second elements.

19. The robotic surgery system of claim 18, wherein the coupling member comprises a C-arm.

20. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, further comprising a coupler configured to removably couple a portion of the coupling member to a portion of an operating table configured to support the patient tissue structure.

21. The robotic surgery system of claim 20, wherein the coupler is manually activated.

22. The robotic surgery system of claim 20, wherein the coupler is electromechanically activated.

23. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the second moveable support structure comprises an electromechanically-controllable robotic arm.

24. The robotic surgery system of claim 23, wherein the robotic arm comprises one or more joints and one or more motors configured to controllably regulate motion at the one or more joints.

25. The robotic surgery system of claim 23, further comprising at least one sensor configured to monitor a position of at least a portion of the electromechanically-controllable robotic arm.

26. The robotic surgery system of claim 25, wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

an encoder, a potentiometer, an optical position tracker, and an electromagnetic position tracker.

27. The robotic surgery system of claim 25, further comprising a controller coupled to the electromechanically-controllable robotic arm and the at least one sensor, the controller configured to resist movement of the electromechanically-controllable robotic arm based at least in part upon one or more signals received from the at least one sensor.

28. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, further comprising a controller operatively coupled to the one or more actuators of the second moveable support structure and configured to receive signals from a sensing system operatively coupled to the controller, the sensing system configured to detect positions of one or more sensor elements coupled to the patient tissue structure.

29. The robotic surgery system of claim 28, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the surgical instrument and configured to modify one or more degrees of freedom of movement of the surgical instrument relative to the patient tissue structure in response to the signals from the sensing system.

30. The robotic surgery system of claim 29, wherein the controller is configured to actively inhibit movement of the surgical instrument in one or more directions in response to the signals from the sensing system.

31. The robotic surgery system of claim 28, wherein the sensing system is selected from the group consisting of:

an optical sensing system, an electromagnetic sensing system, and a joint rotation sensing system.

32. The robotic surgery system of claim 28, wherein the one or more sensor elements are selected from the group consisting of:

a reflective marker, an electromagnetic localization sensor, a strain gauge, a joint rotation encoder, and a joint rotation potentiometer.

33. The robotic surgery system of claim 28, further comprising sensor elements coupled to the first moveable support structure, wherein the controller is configured to detect motion of the first moveable support structure.

34. The robotic surgery system of claim 28, further comprising sensor elements coupled to the second moveable support structure, wherein the controller is configured to detect motion of the second moveable support structure.

35. The robotic surgery system of claim 28, further comprising a user interface configured to allow for an operator to select a desired geometric relationship between the first and second elements relative to the patient tissue structure.

36. A robotic surgery system, comprising:

a surgical hub;

a fluoroscopic imaging system moveably coupled to the surgical hub by a first moveable support structure;

wherein the fluoroscopic imaging system comprises a first element having a source element and a second element having a detector element, and wherein the first moveable support structure is coupled to at least one of the first element and the second element of the fluoroscopic imaging system;

wherein the fluoroscopic imaging system is repositionable relative to a patient tissue structure disposed between the first and second elements of the fluoroscopic imaging system;

a coupling apparatus moveably coupled to the surgical hub;

a surgical instrument moveably coupled to the coupling apparatus by a second moveable support structure;

wherein the second moveable support structure comprises an actuator controlled to electromechanically characterize movement of the surgical instrument relative to the coupling apparatus; and

a controller operatively coupled to the actuator of the second moveable support structure and configured to receive signals from a sensing system operatively coupled to the controller, the sensing system configured to detect positions of one or more sensor elements coupled to the patient tissue structure.

37. The robotic surgery system of claim 36 further comprising a sensor element coupled to at least one of the first moveable support structure and the second moveable support structure, wherein the sensing system is configured to detect motion of at least one of the first moveable support structure and the second moveable support structure.

38. The robotic surgery system of claim 36, wherein the sensing system is at least one of an optical sensing system, an electromagnetic sensing system, and a joint rotation sensing system.

39. The robotic surgery system of claim 37, wherein the sensor element is at least one of a reflective marker, an electromagnetic localization sensor, a strain gauge, a joint rotation encoder, and a joint rotation potentiometer.

40. The robotic surgery system of claim 36, wherein the surgical hub is a mobile base.

41. The robotic surgery system of claim 36, wherein the surgical hub is an operating table.

42. The robotic surgery system of claim 40, wherein the coupling apparatus comprises a substantially rigid member carrying the first and second elements of the fluoroscopic imaging system and is coupled to the surgical hub by the first moveable support structure, and wherein the coupling apparatus is shaped to form a recess between the first and second elements, the recess configured to accommodate placement of the patient tissue structure between the first and second elements.

43. The robotic surgery system of claim 40, wherein the coupling apparatus is a moveable support arm extending from the mobile base.

44. The robotic surgery system of claim 41, wherein the coupling apparatus is an anatomy support structure configured to secure the patient tissue structure to the operating table.