Repositioning and reorientation of master/slave relationship in minimally invasive telesurgery

• US 7,087,049 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Limited (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Guthart, Gary S., Niemeyer, Gunter D., Salisbury, J. Kenneth Jr., Nowlin, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US10/052,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 600/429, 600/476, 600/102, 600/103, 600/427, 600/109, 600/114, 600/118, 600/119, 606/1, 606/130, 901/2, 901/30, 901/8, 901/9, 901/19, 901/46, 700/245, 700/264
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• 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 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras

Abstract

The invention provides robotic surgical systems which allow selectable independent repositioning of an input handle of a master controller and/or a surgical end effector without corresponding movement of the other. In some embodiments, independent repositioning is limited to translational degrees of freedom. In other embodiments, the system provides an input device adjacent a manipulator supporting the surgical instrument so that an assistant can reposition the instrument at the patient'"'"'s side.

Claims

1. A robotic surgical system comprising:

a manipulator movably supporting at least one surgical instrument;

a controller comprising an input device, the controller operatively associated with the manipulator to cause selective movement of the instrument in response to inputs from an operator at the controller; and

a clutching assembly that is movable from a first mode to a second mode,

wherein the clutching assembly in the first mode is configured to interrupt the operative association between the controller and the manipulator so that one of the input device and the surgical instrument is moved from one position to another while the other of the input device and surgical instrument is held in a substantially fixed position and to inhibit independent repositioning of the input device in at least one rotational degree of freedom, and the clutching assembly in the second mode is configured to reestablish the operative association between the manipulator and the controller after the surgical instrument or input device has been repositioned.