Manipulator positioning linkage for robotic surgery

• US 6,246,200 B1
• Filed: 08/03/1999
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Rosa, David J., Blumenkranz, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): San Martin, Edgardo
• Application Number:
  US09/368,309
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 318/568.16, 318/568.19, 318/568.21, 318/568.25, 901/1, 901/2, 901/15, 901/16, 901/28, 901/30, 901/41, 901/46, 128/DIG.7, 128/DIG.26, 128/897, 128/898, 128/899, 600/117, 601/1
• US Class Current: 318/568.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/506 using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• 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 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39022 Transform between measuring and manipulator coordinate system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40158 Correlate actual image at angle with image presented to operator without angle
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40166 Surface display, virtual object translated into real surface, movable rods
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45123 Electrogoniometer, neuronavigator, medical robot used by surgeon to operate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/07 Servo-systems

Abstract

Techniques and structures are provided for aligning robotic elements with an internal surgical site and each other. Manually positionable linkages support surgical instruments. These linkages maintain a fixed configuration until a brake system is released. While the brake is held in a released mode, the linkage allows the operating room personnel to manually move the linkage into alignment with the surgical site. Joints of the linkage translate the surgical instrument in three dimensions, and orient the surgical instrument about three axes of rotation. Sensors coupled to the joints allow a processor to perform coordinate transformations that can align displayed movements of robotically actuated surgical end effectors with a surgeon'"'"'s hand inputs at a control station.

Claims

1. A robotic surgery system comprising:

a base;

a surgical end effector; and

a robotic linkage movably supporting the end effector relative to the base, the linkage comprising;

a plurality of driven joints coupled to a servomechanism for moving the end effector so as to manipulate tissues;

a plurality of releasably fixable joints for pre-configuring the linkage;

a joint sensor system coupling the fixable joints to the servomechanism, the sensor system generating joint configuration signals; and

a brake system coupled to the fixable joints, the brake system releasably inhibiting articulation of the fixable joints previously configured in an at least substantially fixed configuration, the brake system including a brake release actuator for releasing the fixable joints to a manually repositionable configuration in which the fixable joints can be manually articulated.

2. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the brake system is biased toward the fixed configuration.

3. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the fixable joints in the repositionable configuration articulate to accommodate manual translation of the end effector in three dimensions.

4. The robotic surgery system of claim 3, wherein the fixable joints in the repositionable configuration further articulate to accommodate manual rotation of the end effector about three axes.

5. The robotic surgery station of claim 4, further comprising a handle extending from the linkage for manual positioning of the end effector, wherein the actuator is disposed on or near the handle.

6. The robotic surgery system of claim 4, wherein the linkage comprises a plurality of rigid fixable links and a plurality of rigid driven links, the fixable links coupled together by the fixable joints, the driven links coupled together by the driven joints, wherein the fixable links are supported by the base and the driven links are supported by the fixable links.

7. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the linkage is balanced about the fixable joints.

9. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the robotic linkage comprises a parallelogram arrangement constraining a rigid shaft to rotation about a point along the shaft, and wherein actuation of the fixable joints moves the pivot point and the shaft.

10. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the joint sensor system transmits the joint configuration signals to a computer of the servomechanism.

11. The robotic surgery system of claim 10, wherein the computer calculates a coordinate system transformation between a reference coordinate system affixed relative to the base and the end effector using the joint configuration signals.

12. The robotic surgery system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of robotic linkages, each linkage including a plurality of joints coupled to the sensor system and supporting an associated end effector, wherein the computer calculates coordinate system transformations between the reference coordinate system and each of the end effectors using the joint configuration signals.

13. The robotic surgery system of claim 12, wherein the joint configuration signals vary with an absolute position of the joint.

8. A robotic surgery system comprising:

a base;

a surgical end effector; and

a robotic linkage movably supporting the end effector relative to the base, the linkage comprising;

a plurality of driven joints coupled to a servomechanism for moving the end effector so as to manipulate tissues;

plurality of releasably fixable joints for pre-configuring the linkage, wherein the linkage is balanced about the fixable joints, the fixable joints including at least two rotational joints accommodating pivotal motion about vertical axes and a vertical sliding joint accommodating translation along the vertical axes, the vertical slide supporting the rotational joints;

a slide counterweight supported by the base; and

a joint sensor system coupling the fixable joints to the servomechanism, the sensor system generating joint configuration signals.

14. A support structure for supporting a first robotic surgical manipulator relative to a second robotic surgical manipulator, each surgical manipulator coupled to a servomechanism so as to robotically manipulate tissues of a patient body with a surgical end effector, the support structure comprising:

a base coupled to the first manipulator;

a manipulator support movably supporting the second manipulator relative to the base;

an articulated linkage having a plurality of joints coupling the base to the manipulator support so as to allow manual movement of the second manipulator relative to the base;

a brake system releasably inhibiting movement of the joints, wherein the brake system can release the joints supporting the second manipulator upon actuation of a single actuator; and

a sensor system coupling the manipulator support to the servomechanism, the sensor system transmitting position signals to the servomechanism, the servomechanism calculating a position or orientation of the first manipulator relative to the second manipulator using the signals.

15. The support structure of claim 14, further comprising an articulated linkage having a plurality of joints coupling the base to the manipulator support so as to allow manual movement of the second manipulator relative to the base, and a brake system releasably inhibiting inadvertent movement of the joints, wherein the sensor system is coupled to the joints so that the position signals comprise joint configuration signals of the joints.

16. The support structure of claim 15, wherein the brake system is biased toward a locked configuration to prevent inadvertent movement of the manipulator.

21. The support structure of claim 14, wherein the linkage is balanced about the joints.

22. The support structure of claim 14, wherein the joints include at least two rotational joints accommodating pivotal motion about vertical axes and a vertical sliding joint accommodating translation along the vertical axis, the vertical slide supporting the rotational joints, and further comprising a slide counterweight supported by the base.

23. The support structure of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of linkages, each linkage including a plurality of joints coupled to the sensor system and supporting an associated manipulator relative to the base, wherein the position signals generated by the sensor system are sufficient to define coordinate system transformations for each of the manipulator interfaces relative to a reference coordinate system of the base.

17. A support structure for supporting a first robotic surgical manipulator relative to a second robotic surgical manipulator, each surgical manipulator coupled to a servomechanism so as to robotically manipulate tissues of a patient body with a surgical end effector, the support structure comprising:

a base coupled to the first manipulator;

a manipulator support movably supporting the second manipulator relative to the base;

an articulated linkage having a plurality of joints coupling the base to the manipulator support so as to allow manual movement of the second manipulator relative to the base;

a brake system biased toward a locked configuration to prevent inadvertent movement of the manipulator by releasably inhibiting inadvertent movement of the joints,

wherein the brake system can release the joints supporting the second manipulator upon actuation of a single actuator;

a sensor system coupling the manipulator support to the servomechanism, the sensor system transmitting position signals to the servomechanism, the sensor system coupled to the joints so that the position signals comprise joint configuration signals of the joints, the servomechanism calculating a position or orientation of the first manipulator relative to the second manipulator using the signals.

18. The support structure of claim 17, further comprising a handle extending from the linkage adjacent the manipulator for manual positioning of the manipulator, wherein the actuator is disposed on or near the handle.

19. The support structure of claim 18, wherein the joints articulate to accommodate manual translation of the manipulator and handle in three dimensions.

20. The support structure of claim 19, wherein the joints further articulate to accommodate manual rotation of an end effector about at least one axis relative to the base and handle.

24. A minimally invasive robotic surgical system comprising an articulated robotic arm having a distal end releasably coupled to a surgical tool, said tool having an end effector and a longitudinal shaft with a distal end portion coupled to said end effector, said end effector having at least one end effector member, wherein at least one of said shaft distal end portion and said end effector member has a plurality of visual markings for determining spatial relationship.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising an image capture device and a visual display operatively coupled to said capture device, wherein an operator viewing the visual display can visually sense at least a portion of said plurality of markings in an image of a distal portion of said surgical tool captured by said image capture device.

26. A minimally invasive robotic surgical system comprising an articulated robotic arm having a distal end coupled to an elongate structure having a length, a longitudinal bore and an outer surface, said bore for accepting an elongate shaft of a surgical tool, said elongate structure outer surface having a plurality of visual markings for determining spatial relationship, said markings useful for determining desired placement of said elongate structure in an aperture in a body wall of a patient.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said elongate structure comprises a cannula.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said elongate structure is releasably coupled to said distal end of said robotic arm.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said markings comprise numbers designating the distance between certain of the markings.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein said articulated robotic arm is constructed so that a remote center of motion coincides with a portion of said length of said elongate structure, wherein said plurality of markings are useful for placing said remote center of motion of said arm substantially at the depth midpoint of said aperture.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein said aperture comprises an incision between two adjacent ribs of said patient, wherein said cannula is inserted to enable remote surgery on the heart of said patient.