Automated endoscope for optimal positioning
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system that allows a user to control a movement of a surgical instrument that has a longitudinal axis and which is coupled to a display device that displays an object and maintains an orientation of the displayed object, comprising:
- movement means for holding and moving the surgical instrument, wherein an intersection of said movement means and the surgical instrument define an origin for a second coordinate system with respect to a first coordinate system, wherein the second coordinate system has a y-z plane;
input means for inputting command signals from the user to move the surgical instrument; and
, control means for receiving said command signals, computing an incremental movement of said movement means from said command signals and providing an output signal to said movement means to move the surgical instrument so that the longitudinal axis of the surgical instrument always remains in the y-z plane.
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Abstract
A robotic system that moves a surgical instrument in response to the actuation of a foot pedal that can be operated by the foot of a surgeon. The robotic system has an end effector that is adapted to hold a surgical instrument such as an endoscope. The end effector is coupled to a robotic arm assembly which can move the endoscope relative to the patient. The system includes a computer which controls the movement of the robotic arm in response to input signals received from the foot pedal.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A system that allows a user to control a movement of a surgical instrument that has a longitudinal axis and which is coupled to a display device that displays an object and maintains an orientation of the displayed object, comprising:
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movement means for holding and moving the surgical instrument, wherein an intersection of said movement means and the surgical instrument define an origin for a second coordinate system with respect to a first coordinate system, wherein the second coordinate system has a y-z plane; input means for inputting command signals from the user to move the surgical instrument; and
, control means for receiving said command signals, computing an incremental movement of said movement means from said command signals and providing an output signal to said movement means to move the surgical instrument so that the longitudinal axis of the surgical instrument always remains in the y-z plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system that allows a user to control a movement of a surgical instrument that has a longitudinal axis and which is coupled to a display device that displays an object and maintains an orientation of the object, comprising:
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a first linkage arm having a longitudinal axis; an end effector attached to said first linkage arm and adapted to hold the surgical instrument, said end effector having a first joint that allows the surgical instrument to rotate about the longitudinal axis of said first linkage arm, said end effector further having a second joint that allows the surgical instrument to rotate about an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said first linkage arm, wherein an intersection of said end effector and the surgical instrument define an origin for a second coordinate system with respect to a first coordinate system, wherein the second coordinate has a y-z plane; a first actuator connected to said first linkage arm such that said first actuator can rotate said first linkage arm in a plane perpendicular to a first z axis; a second linkage arm connected to said first actuator; a second actuator connected to said second linkage arm such that said second actuator can rotate said second linkage arm in the plane perpendicular to the first z axis; a third linkage arm connected to said second actuator; a third actuator connected to said third linkage arm such that said third actuator can rotate said third linkage arm in the plane perpendicular to the first z axis; a linear actuator attached to said table and said third actuator such that said linear actuator can translate said third actuator along the first z axis; a foot pedal that generates a command signal when depressed by the user to move the surgical instrument; and
,control means for receiving said command signals computing an incremental movement of said first, second, third and linear actuators from said command signals and providing a plurality of output signals to said first, second, third and linear actuators to move the surgical instrument so that the longitudinal axis of the surgical instrument always remains in the y-z plane. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method for moving a surgical instrument relative to a patient, wherein the surgical instrument has a longitudinal axis, and is coupled to a display device that displays an object, comprising the steps of:
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a) attaching the surgical instrument to an end effector of a robotic arm assembly located within a first coordinate system having a first x axis, a first y axis, a first z axis, said robotic arm assembly being adapted to move said end effector relative to the patient in response to an input command from the user, said end effector and the surgical instrument having an intersection which defines a second coordinate system having a second x axis, a second y axis a second z axis and a y-z plane; b) inserting the surgical instrument into the patient, wherein the end of the surgical instrument is located within a third coordinate system having a third x axis, a third y axis and third z axis, wherein said third z axis is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the surgical instrument; c) inputting a command to move the end of the surgical instrument an incremental distance in the third coordinate system; d) computing an incremental moving distance of said end effector in the second coordinate system from the incremental distance of the end of the surgical instrument in the third coordinate system; e) computing an incremental moving distance of said end effector within the first coordinate system from the incremental moving distance of said end effector in the second coordinate system; f) moving said robotic arm assembly until said end effector has moved the computed incremental movement in the first coordinate system; and
, g) moving said robotic arm assembly and the surgical instrument so that the third z axis always remains in the y-z plane. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for moving a surgical instrument relative to a patient, wherein the surgical instrument has a longitudinal axis, and is coupled to a display device that displays an object, comprising the steps of:
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a) attaching the surgical instrument to an end effector of a robotic arm assembly located within a first coordinate system having a first x axis, a first y axis, a first z axis, said end effector and the surgical instrument having an intersection which defines a second coordinate system having a second x axis, a second y axis and a second z axis, said robotic arm assembly having a first actuator coupled to said end effector by a first linkage arm, a second actuator coupled to said first actuator by a second linkage arm and a third actuator coupled to said second actuator by a third linkage arm, said actuators being adapted to move said end effector in a plane perpendicular to the first z axis, said robotic assembly further having a linear actuator coupled to said third actuator to move said third actuator along the first z axis and a y-z plane; b) inserting the surgical instrument into the patient, wherein the end of the surgical instrument is located within a third coordinate system having a third x axis, a third y axis and third z axis wherein said third z axis is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the surgical instrument; c) inputting a command to move the end of the surgical instrument an incremental distance in the third coordinate system; d) computing an incremental moving distance of said end effector within the second coordinate system from the incremental distance of the end of the surgical instrument in the third coordinate system; e) computing an incremental moving distance of said end effector within the first coordinate system from the incremental moving distance of said end effector in the second coordinate system; f) moving said robotic arm assembly until said end effector has moved the incremental movement in the first coordinate system; and
, g) moving said robotic arm assembly and the surgical instrument so that the third z axis always remains in the y-z plane. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system that allows a user to control a movement of a surgical instrument that has a longitudinal axis and which is coupled to a display device that displays an object and maintains an orientation of the displayed object, comprising:
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a mechanism that holds and moves the surgical instrument, wherein an intersection of said mechanism and the surgical instrument defines an origin for a second coordinate system with respect to a first system, wherein the second coordinate system has a y-z plane; an input device that inputs command signals from the user to move the surgical instrument; and
,a controller that receives said command signals, computes an incremental movement of said mechanism from said command signals and provides an output signal to said mechanism to move the surgical instrument so that the longitudinal axis of the surgical instrument is always remains in the y-z plane. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification