Robotic system for positioning a surgical instrument relative to a patient's body

• US 5,572,999 A
• Filed: 01/26/1995
• Issued: 11/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: LaRose, David A., Taylor, Russell H., Funda, Janez
• Primary Examiner(s): ZELE, KRISTA MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US08/378,433
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 128/653.1, 128/662.05, 128/662.06, 128/662.03, 606/130, 600/118
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00194 adapted for three-dimensional imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00203 with speech control or speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2065 Tracking using image or pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3945 Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• 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 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 : Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/10 : for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 : with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0275 : Universal joints, e.g. Hooke, Cardan, ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/04 : by rotating at least one arm, excluding the head movement itself, e.g. cylindrical coordinate type or polar coordinate type
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37074 : Projection device, monitor, track tool, workpiece form, process on display
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40418 : Presurgical planning, on screen indicate regions to be operated on
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40609 : Camera to monitor end effector as well as object to be handled
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45123 : Electrogoniometer, neuronavigator, medical robot used by surgeon to operate
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45166 : Tomography

Abstract

The present method and apparatus use image processing to determine information about the position of a designated object. The invention is particularly useful in applications where the object is difficult to view or locate. In particular, the invention is used in endoscopic surgery to determined positional information about an anatomical feature within a patient'"'"'s body. The positional information is then used to position or reposition an instrument (surgical instrument) in relation to the designated object (anatomical feature). The invention comprises an instrument which is placed in relation to the designated object and which is capable of sending information about the object to a computer. Image processing methods are used to generated images of the object and determine positional information about it. This information can be used as input to robotic devices or can be rendered, in various ways (video graphics, speech synthesis), to a human user. Various input apparatus are attached to the transmitting or other used instruments to provide control inputs to the computer.

Claims

1. A system for positioning a surgical instrument relative to a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:

a robotic manipulator having at least one controlled degree of freedom;

a controller controlling the robotic manipulator;

an instrument holder attaching a first surgical instrument to the robotic manipulator;

a second surgical instrument held by a surgeon;

a surgeon input device mounted on the second surgical instrument, the surgeon input device permitting the the surgeon to specify desired motions of the first surgical instrument to the controller so that the robotic manipulator moves the first surgical instrument to a position relative to the patient'"'"'s body as specified by the surgeon using the surgeon input device.

2. A system for positioning a surgical instrument relative to a patient'"'"'s body, as in claim 1, in which the robotic manipulator has a remote center-of-motion distal to the robotic manipulator;

and

the instrument holder holds the first surgical instrument so that a point at which the first surgical instrument enters the patient'"'"'s body is located at the center-of-motion of the robotic manipulator.

3. A system for positioning a surgical instrument relative to a patient'"'"'s body, as in claim 1, wherein the surgeon input device comprises a joystick.

4. A system for positioning a surgical instrument relative to a patient'"'"'s body, as in claim 1, wherein the surgeon input device comprises a force sensing element.

5. A system for positioning a surgical instrument relative to a patient'"'"'s body, as in claim 1, wherein the second surgical instrument is inserted into the patient'"'"'s body and the surgeon input device is mounted on a portion of the second instrument which remains outside the patient'"'"'s body.

6. A system for positioning a surgical instrument relative to a patient'"'"'s body, as in claim 1, wherein the first surgical instrument is any one of the following:

a surgical tool, a forceps, a device positioned within the patient'"'"'s body for transmitting an image outside of the patient'"'"'s body, a laparoscope, and a medical telescope.

7. A system for positioning two or more surgical instruments relative to a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:

two or more robotic manipulators, each robotic manipulator having at least one controlled degree of freedom;

one or more controllers that controls each of the respective robotic manipulators;

an instrument holder connected to each robotic manipulator that attaches a first surgical instrument to each of the respective robotic manipulators;

a second surgical instrument held by a surgeon;

a surgeon input device mounted on the second surgical instrument, the surgeon input device permitting the surgeon to specify desired motions of each of the first surgical instruments to the one or more controllers so that each of the respective robotic manipulators moves each of the first surgical instruments to a position relative to the patient'"'"'s body as specified by the surgeon using the surgeon input device.