Minimally invasive surgical training using robotics and telecollaboration

• US 7,413,565 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• 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: Wright, James, Wang, Yulun, Uecker, Darrin, Mangaser, Amante, Ghodoussi, Modjtaba, Mukherjee, Ranjan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak; Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nia; Alireza
• Application Number:
  US10/948,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20050038416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/102, 700/245, 700/258, 700 65- 66, 901/9, 901/3, 901/6, 901/8, 901/41, 901/48, 606/1, 606/130
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00707 Dummies, phantoms; Devices simulating patient or parts of patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• 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 34/35 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 34/75 Manipulators having means for prevention or compensation of hand tremors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A medical system that allows a mentor to teach a pupil how to use a robotically controlled medical instrument. The system may include a first handle that can be controlled by a mentor to move the medical instrument. The system may further have a second handle that can be moved by a pupil to control the same instrument. Deviations between movement of the handles by the mentor and the pupil can be provided as force feedback to the pupil and mentor handles. The force feedback pushes the pupil'"'"'s hand to correspond with the mentor'"'"'s handle movement. The force feedback will also push the mentor'"'"'s hand to provide information to the mentor on pupil'"'"'s movements. The mentor is thus able to guide the pupil'"'"'s hands through force feedback of the pupil handles to teach the pupil how to use the system.

Claims

1. A medical robotic system, comprising:

a first medical device;

a first input device that can be moved a first input distance to move said first medical device;

a second input device that can be moved a second input distance to move said first medical device; and

,

an instrument controller programmed to generate and provide a movement command for the first medical device including a sum of first and second products wherein the first product is of the first input distance and a first factor that is proportional to the number one minus a user settable parameter value and the second product is of the second input distance and a second factor that is proportional to the user settable parameter value;

generate and provide a first sensory indication so as to be sensed by a first operator of the first input device wherein the first sensory indication is proportional to a third product of the user settable parameter value and a difference between the first and second input distances; and

generate and provide a second sensory indication so as to be sensed by a second operator of the second input device wherein the second sensory indication is proportional to a fourth product of the number one minus the user settable parameter value and the difference between the first and second input distances;

wherein the first and second sensory indications are respectively first and second force feedbacks; and

wherein said first force feedback is applied to said first input device and said second force feedback is applied to said second input device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first force feedback is generated by said instrument controller according to the following equation:

F₁=Kα

(x₂−

x₁),

wherein F₁ is the first force feedback, K is a spring constant associated with the first input device, α

is a proportional variable that allows joint control of the first medical device by the first and second input devices, x₁ is the first input distance, and x₂ is the second input distance.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second force feedback is generated by said instrument controller according to the following equation:

F₂=K(1−

α

)(x₂−

x₁),

wherein F₂ is the second force feedback.

4. A medical robotic system, comprising:

a first medical device;

first input means that can be moved a first input distance for moving said first medical device;

second input means that can be moved a second input distance for moving said first medical device; and

controller feedback means for generating and providing a movement command for the first medical device including a sum of first and second products wherein the first product is of the first input distance and a first factor that is proportional to the number one minus a user settable parameter value and the second product is of the second input distance and a second factor that is proportional to the user settable parameter value;

generating and providing a first sensory indication so as to be sensed by a first operator of the first input means wherein the first sensory indication is proportional to a third product of the user settable parameter value and a difference between the first and second input distances; and

generating and providing a second sensory indication so as to be sensed by a second operator of the second input means wherein the second sensory indication is proportional to a fourth product of the number one minus the user settable parameter value and the difference between the first and second input distances;

wherein the first and second sensory indications are respectively first and second force feedbacks; and

wherein, said first force feedback is applied to said first input means and said second force feedback is applied to said second input means.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said first force feedback is generated by said controller means according to the following equation:

F₁=Kα

(x₂−

x₁),

wherein F₁ is the first force feedback, K is a spring constant associated with the first input means, α

is a proportional variable that allows joint control of the first medical device by the first and second input means, x₁ is the first input distance, and x₂ is the second input distance.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second force feedback is generated by said controller means according to the following equation:

F₂=K(1−

α

) (x₂−

x₁),

wherein F₂ is the second force feedback.

7. A method for controlling a first medical device, comprising:

detecting movement of a first input device so as to define a first input distance;

detecting movement of a second input device so as to define a second input distance;

commanding a first medical device to be robotically moved according to a movement command including a sum of first and second products wherein the first product is of the first input distance and a first factor that is proportional to the number one minus a user settable parameter value and the second product is of the second input distance and a second factor that is proportional to the user settable parameter value;

generating first and second sensory indications, wherein the first sensory indication is proportional to a third product of the user settable parameter value and a difference between the first and second input distances and the second sensory indication is proportional to a fourth product of the number one minus the user settable parameter value and the difference between the first and second input distances; and

providing said first sensory indication so as to be capable of being sensed by a first operator operating said first input device, and providing said second sensory indication so as to be capable of being sensed by a second operator operating said second input device;

wherein the first and second sensory indications are respectively first and second force feedbacks, and further comprising applying said first force feedback to said first input device and applying said second force feedback to said second input device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating said first force feedback according to the following equation;

F₁=Kα

(x₂−

x₁),

wherein F₁ is the first force feedback, K is a spring constant associated with the first input device, α

is a proportional variable that allows joint control of the first medical device by the first and second input devices, x₁ is the first input distance, and x₂ is the second input distance.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating said second force feedback according to the following equation;

F₂=K(1−

α

) (x₂−

x₁),

wherein F₂ is the second force feedback.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating said movement command according to the following equation:

x=(1−

α

)x₁+α

x₂,

where x is a distance that the medical device is to be robotically moved.