Cooperative minimally invasive telesurgical system

• US 8,666,544 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2013
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Moll, Frederic H., Rosa, David J., Ramans, Andris D., Blumenkranz, Steven J., Guthart, Gary S., Niemeyer, Gunter D., Nowlin, William C., Salisbury, J. Kenneth Jr., Tierney, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US13/938,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 237 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/11, 700/2, 700/245, 700/257, 700/259, 700/264, 700/3, 700/9, 901/2, 901/36, 901/6, 318/568.11, 318/568.2, 318/568.21, 414/1, 600/104, 600/407, 600/429, 606/1.13
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• 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 2090/506 using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph
• 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 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Improved robotic surgical systems, devices, and methods include selectably associatable master/slave pairs, often having more manipulator arms than will be moved simultaneously by the two hands of a surgeon. Four manipulator arms can support an image capture device, a left hand tissue manipulation tool, a right hand tissue manipulation tool, and a fourth surgical instrument, particularly for stabilizing, retracting, tool change, or other functions benefiting from intermittent movement. The four or more arms may sequentially be controlled by left and right master input control devices. The fourth arm may be used to support another image capture device, and control of some or all of the arms may be transferred back-and-forth between the operator and an assistant. Two or more robotic systems each having master controls and slave manipulators may be coupled to enable cooperative surgery between two or more operators.

Claims

1. A surgical training method comprising:

receiving a first command from a first master control operated by a mentee;

receiving a second command from a second master control operated by a mentor; and

commanding an object to be moved according to a percentage of control between the first and second commands, wherein the percentage of control is selectable by the mentor using an input device.

2. The surgical training method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a resistance against movement of the first master control such that the resistance is indicative of a difference between the first command and the commanded movement of the object.

3. The surgical training method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of the percentage of control from the input device.

4. The surgical training method of claim 3, wherein the input device comprises a dial having a number of discrete settings, and wherein the receiving the percentage of control from the input device comprises:

receiving an indication of a dial setting from the dial.

5. The surgical training method of claim 3, wherein the input device comprises a foot pedal having a number of discrete settings, and wherein the receiving the percentage of control from an input mechanism operated by the mentor comprises:

receiving an indication of a foot pedal setting from the foot pedal.

6. A surgical training method comprising:

displaying movement of an end effector of a surgical instrument on a display screen viewable by a mentee as the surgical instrument is being used to perform a medical procedure; and

commanding movement of a first master control being held by the mentee, wherein movement of the end effector is not responsive to movement of the first master control, and wherein the commanded movement of the first master control is synchronized with the movement of the end effector being displayed on the display screen.

7. The surgical training method of claim 6, wherein the displaying movement of an end effector of a surgical instrument on a display screen viewable by a mentee as the surgical instrument is being used to perform a medical procedure comprises:

playing a recorded video recording of the medical procedure on the display screen.

8. The surgical training method of claim 6, wherein the displaying movement of an end effector of a surgical instrument on a display screen viewable by a mentee as the surgical instrument is being used to perform a medical procedure comprises:

capturing images of the end effector of the surgical instrument as a mentor is commanding movement of the end effector by using a second master control; and

displaying the captured images on the display screen.

9. The surgical training method of claim 8, wherein the commanding movement of a first master control being held by the mentee comprises:

commanding movement of the first master control to follow movement of the second master control.