Surgical manipulator

• US 6,676,669 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2002
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microdexterity Systems Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microdexterity Systems Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Stuart, J. Michael, Bronisz, Larry, Charles, Steve T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Pedro
• Application Number:
  US10/050,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 606/130, 606/1, 600/229, 600/102, 600/407, 600/417, 604/116, 378/20, 378/163, 700/245, 901/2, 901/30, 901/14, 901/48, 901/41, 128/898
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3407 including a base for support on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3409 including needle or instrument drives
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• 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 34/77 Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/14 Fixators for body parts, e.g. skull clamps; Constructional details of fixators, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/725 Nanomotor/nanoactuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/838 Magnetic property of nanomaterial

Abstract

The present invention provides a surgical manipulator which capable of manipulating a surgical or medical tool in up to six degrees of freedom. The manipulator has a relatively lightweight, compact design as a result of the use of high force to mass ratio actuators. The manipulator includes a mounting fixture which permits the manipulator to be fixed relative to a portion of a body of a patient.

Claims

1. A manipulator for use in performing medical procedures on a body of a patient, the manipulator comprising:

a first tool support arm;

a second tool support arm;

a medical tool pivotably supported by the first and second support arms;

wherein the support arms are movable independently of each other to manipulate the tool with at least one degree of freedom;

a support frame which carries the first and second support arms such that the first and second support arms are movable with respect to the support frame; and

a mounting structure which carries the support frame and is capable of fixing the support frame relative to at least a portion of the body of the patient.

2. A manipulator according to claim 1 wherein the mounting structure is mountable to the portion of the body of the patient.

3. A manipulator according to claim 2 wherein the mounting structure comprises a mounting ring which is mounted to the support frame.

4. A manipulator according to claim 3 wherein the mounting structure is mountable to the portion of the body of the patient by fasteners received in a plurality of mounting apertures in the mounting ring.

5. A manipulator according to claim 3 wherein the support frame is mounted to the mounting ring such that the position of the support frame relative to the mounting ring is selectively adjustable.

6. A manipulator according to claim 5 wherein the support frame is releasably lockable in a desired position relative to the mounting ring.

7. A manipulator according to claim 1 wherein the mounting structure comprises a head clamp.

8. A manipulator according to claim 1 wherein the mounting structure is further capable of fixing the portion of the patient'"'"'s body relative to a third support structure.

9. A manipulator according to claim 8 wherein the third support structure comprises an operating table.

10. A manipulator according to claim 8 wherein the mounting structure comprises a head clamp fixation system.

11. A manipulator according to claim 10 wherein the head clamp fixation system includes a head clamp which is selectively adjustable to allow adjustment of the orientation of the head of a patient relative to the third support structure.

12. A manipulator according to claim 11 wherein the support frame is fixed relative to the head clamp.

13. A manipulator according to claim 1 wherein the first support arm is pivotable about a first axis by a first rotary actuator and the second support arm is pivotable about a second axis by a second rotary actuator.

14. A manipulator according to claim 13 wherein the first axis and the second axis are aligned with each other.

15. A manipulator according to claim 13 wherein the first axis and the second axis are offset from each other.

16. A manipulator according to claim 13 wherein the rotary actuators comprise electrodynamic motors.

17. A manipulator according to claim 13 wherein the rotary actuators comprise ultrasonic motors.

18. A manipulator according to claim 1 wherein the first support arm includes a first linear actuator for moving the first support arm in a lengthwise direction and the second support arm includes a second linear actuator for moving the second support arm in a lengthwise direction.

19. A manipulator according to claim 18 wherein the first and second linear actuators comprise electrodynamic linear motors.

20. A manipulator according to claim 18 wherein the first and second linear actuators comprise ultrasonic linear motors.

21. A manipulator according to claim 13 wherein the first support arm includes a first linear actuator for moving the first support arm in a lengthwise direction perpendicular to the first rotational axis and the second support arm includes a second linear actuator for moving the second support arm in a lengthwise direction perpendicular to the second rotational axis.

22. A manipulator according to claim 1 further including a tool support member pivotably supported by the first and second arms and on which the medical tool is carried.

23. A manipulator according to claim 22 wherein the tool support member includes a linear actuator for moving the medical tool along a linear path relative to the tool support member.

24. A manipulator according to claim 22 wherein the tool support member includes a rotary actuator for rotating the medical tool relative to the tool support member.

25. A manipulator according to claim 1 wherein the first and second support arms and the medical tool are constructed of magnetic resonance imaging compatible materials.

26. A manipulator according to claim 1 wherein the first and second support arms and the medical tool are constructed of radiolucent materials.

27. A manipulator according to claim 1 further including a haptic interface which communicates with a controller that directs movement of the first and second support arms.

28. A manipulator according to claim 27 wherein the haptic interface is adapted to receive manually input position information from an operator and communicate position signals based on the position information to the controller and the controller is adapted to make predetermined adjustments to the position signals prior to directing movement of the first and second arms.

29. A method of performing a medical procedure on a body of a patient comprising the steps of:

pivotably supporting an elongated tool support having a medical tool mounted thereon by first and second independently movable manipulator arms which are carried by a manipulator support frame;

fixing the manipulator support frame relative to the portion of the body of the patient with a mounting structure; and

moving the manipulator arms in order to move the medical tool.

30. A method according to claim 29 further including the step of inputting position signals for the medical tool through a haptic interface which is manually operable by an operator.

31. A method according to claim 30 further the step of directing the movement of the first and second manipulator arms based on the position signals using a controller.

32. A method according to claim 31 further including the step of performing predetermined adjustments to the position signals using the controller prior to directing movement of the first and second manipulator arms.

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein the step of performing predetermined adjustments includes enhancing the dexterity of the haptic interface operator.

34. A method according to claim 33 further including the step of tracking the position of the medical tool relative to the portion of the patient'"'"'s body.

35. A method according to claim 34 further including the steps of forming an image of the portion of the patient'"'"'s body and displaying the position of the medical tool relative to the portion of the patient'"'"'s body in the image.

36. A method according to claim 35 further including the step of updating the image of the portion of the patient'"'"'s body after moving the medical tool.

37. A method according to claim 34 wherein the step of tracking the position of the medical tool is performed using optical triangulation.

38. A method according to claim 34 wherein the step of tracking the position of the medical tool is performed using electromagnetic tracking.

39. A method according to claim 29 further including the step of forming an image of the medical tool and the portion of the patient'"'"'s body after moving the medical tool.

40. A method according to claim 30 further including the steps of:

establishing a plurality of reference points on the portion of the patient'"'"'s body;

forming an image of the portion of the patient'"'"'s body which includes the reference points; and

fixing the mounting structure to the patient'"'"'s body in a predetermined position relative to the reference points.

41. A method according to claim 40 further including the step of tracking the position of the medical tool relative to the reference points.

42. A method according to claim 41 further including the step of rendering the position of the medical tool on the image.

43. A method according to claim 32 wherein the position signals are input through a movable input device of the haptic interface and the step of performing predetermined adjustments includes coordinating movement the input device and the medical tool based on the orientation of the manipulator support frame relative to the haptic interface.

45. A manipulator according to claim 43 further including an output display in communication with the position detection controller for displaying the position of the first remote field sensor relative to an image of the portion of the body of the patient.

44. A manipulator for use in performing medical procedures on a portion of a body of a patient, comprising:

a medical tool;

a positioning mechanism which carries the medical tool, the positioning mechanism being capable of moving the tool with at least one degree of freedom;

an electromagnetic field generator for producing a multidimensional electromagnetic field in three mutually distinguishable dimensions;

a first remote field sensor carried by the tool for detecting the multidimensional electromagnetic field; and

a second remote field sensor carried by the manipulator support frame or the body of the patient for detecting the multidimensional electromagnetic field; and

a position detection controller in communication with the first and second remote field sensors for determining a position of the first remote field sensor relative to the second remote field sensor in three dimensions.

46. A manipulator according to claim 44 wherein the positioning mechanism comprises first and second arms which pivotably support the medical tool and which are movable independently of each other.

47. A manipulator according to claim 44 further including a haptic interface which communicates with a manipulator controller that directs movement of the positioning mechanism.

48. A manipulator according to claim 46 wherein the haptic interface is adapted to receive manually input position information from an operator and communicate position signals based on the position information to the manipulator controller and the manipulator controller is adapted to make predetermined adjustments to the position signals prior to directing movement of the positioning mechanism.

49. A method for performing a medical procedure on a body of a patient comprising the steps of:

supporting a medical tool with a manipulator capable of moving the medical tool with at least one degree of freedom;

mounting the manipulator relative to the patient'"'"'s body;

mounting a haptic interface relative to the patient'"'"'s body;

tracking the orientation of the manipulator, the orientation of the haptic interface and the position of the medical tool relative to a predetermined frame of reference using a three dimensional, six degree of freedom position detection system;

inputting position signals for the medical tool through movement of an input device of the haptic interface;

adjusting the position signals based on the orientation of the manipulator relative to the haptic interface to coordinate movement of the input device and the medical tool in the predetermined frame of reference; and

operating the manipulator based on the translated position signals to move the medical tool.

50. A method according to claim 49 wherein the step of tracking the orientation of the manipulator, the orientation of the haptic interface and the position of the medical tool is performed using optical triangulation.

51. A method according to claim 49 wherein the step of tracking the orientation of the manipulator, the orientation of the haptic interface and the position of the medical tool is performed using electromagnetic tracking.

52. A manipulator for use in performing medical procedures on a portion of a body of a patient, comprising:

a medical tool;

a controller;

a positioning mechanism in communication with the controller which carries the medical tool, the positioning mechanism being capable of moving the tool with at least one degree of freedom;

a haptic interface in communication with the controller for receiving position information through a movable input device and transmitting position signals to the controller based on the position information;

a position tracking system in communication with the controller for tracking the position of the medical tool and the orientations of the positioning mechanism and the haptic interface relative to a predetermined frame of reference; and

wherein the controller is adapted to adjust the position signals received from the haptic interface based on the orientation of the haptic interface relative to the positioning mechanism as tracked by the position tracking system so as to coordinate movement of the input device and the medical tool in the predetermined frame of reference and to direct the positioning mechanism to move the medical tool based on the adjusted positioning signals.

53. The manipulator according to claim 52 wherein the position tracking system uses optical triangulation.

54. The manipulator according to claim 52 wherein the position tracking system uses electromagnetic tracking.

55. The manipulator according to claim 52 wherein the positioning mechanism comprises first and second arms which pivotably support the medical tool and are movable independent of each other.