Tool memory-based software upgrades for robotic surgery
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A robotic system comprising:
- a robotic arm having a tool holder and a signal interface;
a plurality of robotic tools, each tool receivable by the tool holder for manipulation by the robotic arm;
a processor having a memory and coupled to the robotic arm, the memory comprising robotic tool data associated with the plurality of tools and the processor directing movement of a robotic tool received by the tool holder using associated tool data from the processor memory;
a first additional tool, the first additional tool having a memory with additional tool data or code, the first tool transmitting the additional tool data to the processor via the tool signal interface, the processor storing the additional tool data or code in the processor memory after the first additional tool is removed from the tool holder.
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Abstract
Robotic devices, systems, and methods for use in robotic surgery and other robotic applications, and/or medical instrument devices, systems, and methods includes both a reusable processor and a limited-use robotic tool or medical treatment probe. A memory the limited-use component includes machine readable code with data and/or programming instructions to be implemented by the processor. Programming of the processor can be updated by shipping of new data once downloaded by the processor from a component, subsequent components can take advantage of the updated processor without repeated downloading.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A robotic system comprising:
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a robotic arm having a tool holder and a signal interface; a plurality of robotic tools, each tool receivable by the tool holder for manipulation by the robotic arm; a processor having a memory and coupled to the robotic arm, the memory comprising robotic tool data associated with the plurality of tools and the processor directing movement of a robotic tool received by the tool holder using associated tool data from the processor memory; a first additional tool, the first additional tool having a memory with additional tool data or code, the first tool transmitting the additional tool data to the processor via the tool signal interface, the processor storing the additional tool data or code in the processor memory after the first additional tool is removed from the tool holder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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- 3. The robotic system of clam 1, wherein the first additional tool has a tool type identifier and further comprising a second additional tool having the tool type identifier, wherein the processor stores the additional tool data from the first additional tool in the memory, and wherein the processor, in response to the tool type identifier of the second additional tool, directs movement of the robotic arm using the additional tool data from the processor memory when the second additional tool is received by the tool holder.
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13. A medical instrument system comprising:
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a plurality of medical instruments, each instrument having a tissue treatment delivery surface and an interface; a processor having an interface sequentially couplable with the instrument interfaces, the processor having a memory storing code or data, the processor controlling treatment delivered by the tissue treatment delivery surfaces of the instruments using the stored code or data; a first additional instrument having a tissue treatment delivery surface, an instrument memory, and an interface coupled to the instrument memory so as to provide communication between the instrument memory and the processor when the additional instrument interface is coupled to the processor interface, the processor configured to store update code or data from the instrument memory in the memory of the processor; and a second additional tool having a tissue treatment delivery surface and an interface, the processor controlling treatment delivered by the tissue treatment delivery surface of the second additional instrument using the update code or data communicated from the instrument memory of the first additional instrument. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A robotic method comprising:
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sequentially mounting a plurality of robotic tools of different types to a robotic arm; directing movement of each sequentially mounted robotic tool with a processor using data or code associated with the mounted robotic tool type, the data or code for the plurality of tools stored in a memory of the processor; mounting a first additional robotic tool to the robotic arm; transmitting update tool data or code from a memory of the first tool to the processor; and directing movement of a tool other than the first tool by the processor using the update tool data or code. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method comprising:
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mounting a first robotic tool to a robotic arm; directing movement of the mounted first tool with a processor using first tool data, the first tool data stored in a memory of the processor prior to mounting the first tool; mounting a second robotic tool to the robotic arm, the second robotic tool having a memory with data associated with the second robotic tool; transmitting the second tool data from the second tool to the processor; and directing movement of the mounted second tool with the processor using the transmitted second tool data; wherein the second tool data is not stored in the memory of the processor prior to mounting the second tool; the method further comprising mounting a third robotic tool to the robotic arm, determining the third robotic tool has a tool identifier corresponding to a tool identifier of the second tool, and directing movement of the mounted third tool by the processor using the transmitted second tool data. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A medical instrument system revision method comprising:
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sequentially coupling a plurality of medical instruments to a processor, each instrument having a tissue treatment delivery surface and an interface; controlling treatment delivered by the tissue treatment delivery surfaces of the sequentially coupled instruments using data stored in a memory of the processor; coupling a first additional instrument to the processor, the first additional instrument having a tissue treatment delivery surface and an instrument memory; transmitting update data from the memory of the additional instrument to the processor; storing the transmitted update data in the memory of the processor; and controlling treatment delivery from a tissue treatment delivery surface of a second additional tool using the stored update data. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A robotic system comprising:
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providing a plurality of systems, each system having a processor, to a plurality of customers; distributing to the customers a plurality of peripheral or limited-use devices, each device coupleable to a system so as to perform a primary function; and updating programming code or data of the processors from memories of the coupled devices; and altering the performance of the primary function in response to the updated programming code or data after the devices are decoupled from the systems.
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Specification