MEDICAL ROBOT ARM APPARATUS, MEDICAL ROBOT ARM CONTROL SYSTEM, MEDICAL ROBOT ARM CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20150313679A1
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: FUKUSHIMA, Tetsuharu, KOKUBO, Wataru, TSUBOI, Toshimitsu, MIYAMOTO, Atsushi, NAGASAKA, Kenichiro, HIROSE, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 11,129,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00149 using articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/066 for measuring torque
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/06 Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1633 compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39237 Torque disturbance control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40599 Force, torque sensor integrated in joint
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40613 Camera, laser scanner on end effector, hand eye manipulator, local
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/41397 Estimate voltage control signal as function of voltage control signal and position error

Abstract

Provided is a surgical imaging apparatus that includes a multi-link, multi joint structure including a plurality of joints that interconnect a plurality of links to provide the multi-link, multi joint structure with a plurality of degrees of freedom, at least one video camera being disposed on a distal end of the multi-link, multi-joint structure; at least one actuator that drives at least one of the plurality of joints; and circuitry that detects a joint force experienced at the at least one of the plurality of joints in response to an applied external force, and controls the at least one actuator based on the joint force so as to position the video camera.

Claims

1. :

A surgical imaging apparatus comprising;

a multi-link, multi-joint structure including a plurality of joints that interconnect a plurality of links to provide the multi-link, multi-joint structure with a plurality of degrees of freedom, at least one video camera being disposed on a distal end of the multi-link, multi joint structure;

at least one actuator that drives at least one of the plurality of joints; and

circuitry configured to;

detect a joint force experienced at the at least one of the plurality of joints in response to an applied external force, and

control the at least one actuator based on the joint force so as to position the video camera.

2. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the joint force includes a direct force, which is applied directly to the at least one of the joints, and an indirect force, which is applied directly to another of the joints and applied indirectly to the at least one of the joints.

3. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the applied external force is applied to at least a link or a joint of the multi-link, multi-joint structure, or the video camera.

4. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the applied external force is based on a force applied by user to the video camera.

5. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry controls the at least one actuator to move the video camera in a direction of the applied external force.

6. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry controls the at least one actuator to move the video camera such that a field of view of the video camera is adjusted.

7. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry controls a movement speed of the video camera based on a magnitude of the applied external force.

8. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry controls the video camera to autofocus an image captured by the video camera.

9. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry controls the video camera to autofocus during a movement of the video camera.

10. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor that detects the joint force, the sensor being disposed at the at least one of the plurality of joints,

wherein the circuitry detects the joint force based on a signal output by the sensor.

11. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the video camera includes two imagers that capture a three-dimensional (3D) image.

12. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the circuitry digitally magnifies and reduces the 3D image

13. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the circuitry controls the video camera to optically magnify and reduce the 3D image.

14. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry controls the at least one actuator such that a position of the video camera is stabilized.

15. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the circuitry controls the at least one actuator to unlock the stabilized video camera in response to an input.

16. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry controls the at least one actuator such that a viscous drag coefficient on a rotary motion of the at least one of the plurality of joints in response to the applied external force is adjusted.

17. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry controls the at least one actuator such that a ratio of the applied external force to a travel distance of the at least one of the plurality of joints in response to the applied external force is adjusted.

18. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the circuitry stores at least two different values for the ratio, and switches the value of the ratio between the at least two different values in response to an input.

19. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry controls the at least one actuator such that the video camera moves only on a plane of a cone having a certain point in a space as an apex, and such that a photographing direction of the video camera is fixed on the certain point, in response to an input.

20. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein a distance between the video camera and the certain point is maintained constant.

21. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein the certain point is a focus position of the video camera.

22. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switch disposed at the distal end that receives an input.

23. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one display that displays an image captured by the video camera.

24. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 23,

wherein display size of the display is greater than or equal to 55 inches.

25. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 23,

wherein the display has a resolution of at least 3840×

2160 pixels (4K resolution).

26. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry controls the at least one actuator based on a control value for whole body cooperative control of the multi-link, multi-joint structure.

27. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 26,

wherein the circuitry calculates the control value according to generalized inverse dynamics using a state of the multi-link structure acquired based on the joint force as detected by the circuitry, a purpose of motion of the a multi-link, multi-joint structure, and a constraint condition of the multi-link, multi-joint structure.

28. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 27,

wherein the circuitry calculates the control value based on virtual force to achieve the purpose of motion, and actual force obtained by converting the virtual force into force for driving the at least one of the plurality of joints based on the constraint condition.

29. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 27,

wherein the circuitry controls the at least one actuator based on a command value to achieve an ideal response of the multi-link, multi-joint structure, the command value being calculated by correcting the control value to compensate for influence of a disturbance on at least one of the plurality of joints.

30. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 27,

wherein the circuitry is configure to control the at least one actuator such that gravity acting on the multi-link, multi-joint structure is negated, and that movement of the multi-link, multi-joint structure in a direction of the applied external force is supported.

31. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry is configured to detect a rotational angle of at least one of the plurality of joints.

32. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry is configured to detect external torque applied to the at least one of the plurality of joints and generated torque generated by the at least one actuator.

33. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the video camera is configured to capture an image having a resolution of at least 3840×

2160 pixels (4K resolution).

34. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 33,

wherein the video camera includes a 4K CMOS sensor.

35. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the video camera is an endoscope.

36. :

The surgical imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the multi-link, multi-joint structure has six or more degrees of freedom.

37. :

A surgical video microscope comprising;

a multi-link, multi-joint structure including a plurality of joints that interconnect a plurality of links to provide the multi-link, multi-joint structure with a plurality of degrees of freedom, at least one video camera being disposed on a distal end of the multi-link, multi-joint structure;

at least one actuator that drives at least one of the plurality of joints; and

circuitry configured to;

detect a joint force experienced at the at least one of the plurality of joints in response to an applied external force, and

control the at least one actuator based on the joint force so as to position the video camera.

38. :

A neurosurgical imaging apparatus comprising;

a multi-link, multi-joint structure including a plurality of joints that interconnect a plurality of links to provide the multi-link, multi-joint structure with a plurality of degrees of freedom, at least one video camera being disposed on a distal end of the multi-link, multi-joint structure;

at least one actuator that drives at least one of the plurality of joints; and

circuitry configured to;

detect a joint force experienced at the at least one of the plurality of joints in response to an applied external force, and

control the at least one actuator based on the joint force so as to position the video camera.

39. :

A surgical imaging apparatus control method comprising;

detecting a joint force experienced at at least one of a plurality of joints of a multi-link, multi-joint structure of the surgical imaging apparatus in response to an applied external force, the plurality of joints interconnecting a plurality of links to provide the multi-link, multi-joint structure with a plurality of degrees of freedom, at least one video camera being disposed on a distal end of the multi-link, multi-joint structure; and

controlling, using circuitry, at least one actuator that drives at least one of the plurality of joints based on the joint force so as to position the video camera.

40. :

A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute a surgical imaging apparatus control method, the method comprising;

detecting a joint force experienced at at least one of a plurality of joints of a multi-link, multi-joint structure of the surgical imaging apparatus in response to an applied external force, the plurality of joints interconnecting a plurality of links to provide the multi-link, multi-joint structure with a plurality of degrees of freedom, at least one video camera being disposed on a distal end of the multi-link, multi-joint structure; and

controlling at least one actuator that drives at least one of the plurality of joints based on the joint force so as to position the video camera.