Inter-Operative Switching of Tools in a Robotic Surgical System

• US 20140276950A1
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Smaby, Niels, Diolaiti, Nicola, Hingwe, Pushkar, Nixon, Thomas R., Schena, Bruce M., Swarup, Nitish, Dachs, Gregory II
• Granted Patent: US 9,504,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• 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 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/02 Sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/04 Viewing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/214 Database migration support

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems for controlling a telesurgical system are disclosed. In accordance with a method, a first tool connected to a first manipulator of the system, and a second tool connected to a second manipulator of the system, are controlled. A swap of the tools such that the first tool is connected to the second manipulator and the second tool is connected to the first manipulator is then detected. The first tool connected to the second manipulator and the second tool connected to the first manipulator are then controlled.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a telesurgical system, the method comprising:

controlling a first tool connected to a first manipulator of the system, and a second tool connected to a second manipulator of the system;

detecting a swap of the tools such that the first tool is connected to the second manipulator and the second tool is connected to the first manipulator; and

controlling the first tool connected to the second manipulator and the second tool connected to the first manipulator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tool is an imaging device and the second tool is a surgical instrument.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a frame of reference of a user'"'"'s display element changes from the first manipulator to the second manipulator upon swapping of the tools.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling the surgical instrument prior to detecting the swap includes driving a control frame of the surgical instrument relative to a control frame of the imaging device, and controlling the imaging device after detecting the swap includes driving a control frame of the imaging device relative to an arbitrary reference frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the first tool and the second tool after detecting a swap includes changing a mapping between connector elements operable to communicate signals with the first manipulator and joint space interface elements coupled to a joint space controller.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mapping is changed from a first map defining relationships between the connector elements and the joint space interface elements unique to the first tool to a second map defining relationships between the connector elements and the joint space interface elements unique to the second tool.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tool and the second tool are controlled using the same software kernel.

8. A telesurgical system for performing minimally invasive surgery on a patient, comprising:

a plurality of robotic manipulators each operable to receive one of a plurality of tools including an imaging device and a surgical instrument; and

a controller operable to;

control an imaging device connected to a first manipulator of the robotic manipulators and a surgical instrument connected to a second manipulator of the robotic manipulators;

detect a swap of the imaging device and the surgical instrument such that the imaging device is connected to the second manipulator and the surgical instrument is connected to the first manipulator; and

control the imaging device connected to the second manipulator and the surgical instrument connected to the first manipulator.

9. The telesurgical system of claim 8, further comprising:

a surgeon'"'"'s console including a display element,

wherein a frame of reference of the display element changes from the first manipulator to the second manipulator upon swapping of the tools.

10. The telesurgical system of claim 8, wherein being operable to control the surgical instrument prior to detecting the swap includes being operable to drive a control frame of the surgical instrument relative to a control frame of the imaging device, and being operable to control the imaging device after detecting the swap includes being operable to drive a control frame of the imaging device relative to an arbitrary reference frame.

11. The telesurgical system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of connector elements operable to communicate signals with the first manipulator.

12. The telesurgical system of claim 11, further comprising a hardware mapping unit operable to change a mapping between the connector elements and joint space interface elements coupled to a joint space controller.

13. The telesurgical system of claim 12, wherein the mapping is changed from a first map defining relationships between the connector elements and the joint space interface elements unique to the imaging device to a second map defining relationships between the connector elements and the joint space interface elements unique to the surgical instrument.

14. The telesurgical system of claim 8, wherein the controller includes a kernel operable to control both the imaging device and the surgical instrument.

15. The telesurgical system of claim 8, wherein the first manipulator and the second manipulator each include a mechanical interface configured to mechanically connect each of the first manipulator and the second manipulator to both of the imaging device and the surgical instrument independently.

16. The telesurgical system of claim 15, wherein the first manipulator and the second manipulator each include an electrical interface configured to electrically connect each of the first manipulator and the second manipulator to both of the imaging device and the surgical instrument independently.

17. A method for controlling a telesurgical system, the method comprising:

determining whether a tool is connected to a manipulator of the system;

acquiring a mapping for the tool when it is determined that the tool is connected to the manipulator;

controlling the tool using the acquired mapping;

determining whether the tool is removed from the manipulator and a new tool is connected to the manipulator;

acquiring a new mapping for the new tool when it is determined that the tool is removed from the manipulator and a new tool is connected to the manipulator; and

controlling the new tool using the acquired new mapping.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the tool is an imaging device and the new tool is a surgical instrument.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein acquiring a mapping for the tool includes receiving the mapping from the tool.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein acquiring a mapping for the tool includes receiving the mapping from a storage element external to the tool.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the mapping defines a mapping between joints of the manipulator together with the tool and joint space interface elements of a joint space controller.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the new mapping defines a mapping between joints of the manipulator together with the new tool and the joint space interface elements of the joint space controller, the new mapping being different from the mapping.