Method and apparatus for performing minimally invasive surgical procedures

• US 6,699,177 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Computer Motion Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Wang, Yulun, Jordan, Charles S., Uecker, Darrin, Wright, James W., Wilson, Jeff D., Laby, Keith P., Ghodoussi, Modjtaba
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US09/557,950
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/102, 600/130, 600/131, 600/106, 600/107, 606/130, 901/6, 901/8, 901/13-16
• US Class Current: 600/102
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• 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 34/75 Manipulators having means for prevention or compensation of hand tremors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for performing minimally invasive medical procedures. This system includes one or more robotic arms that can be attached to the operating table. The robotic arms can be controlled by input devices such as handles and a foot pedal to perform a minimally medical procedure.

Claims

1. A medical robotic system, comprising:

at least two robotic arms;

at least one handle;

a controller coupled to said robotic arms and said handle, wherein movement at a handle produces a movement at a corresponding robotic arm; and

means for switching connections between a handle of the controller and said robotic arms such that at least one handle may control either robotic arm.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for switching comprises a voice recognizer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for switching comprises a switching device.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least two surgical instruments coupled to the respective at least two robotic arms.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein each surgical instrument comprises one of the following:

a grasper, a coagulator, and a scalpel.

6. A medical robotic system, comprising:

at least two robotic arms;

at least one handle;

a controller electrically coupled to said handle and said robotic arms, said controller detects movement of said handle and generates one or more signals to provide movement of said robotic arms; and

a switch coupled to said handle and said robotic arms to allow at least one handle to control either robotic arm.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the switch comprises a multiplexer.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising at least two surgical instruments coupled to said two robotic arms.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each surgical instrument comprises one of the following:

a grasper, a coagulator, and a scalpel.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said at least one handle is mounted to a cabinet.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein said at least one handle is mounted to a handle stand.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said handle stand adjusts a height and the tilt of the at least one handle.