Software center and highly configurable robotic systems for surgery and other uses

• US 8,749,189 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Nowlin, William C., Mohr, Paul W., Schena, Bruce M., Larkin, David Q., Guthart, Gary S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Kawing
• Application Number:
  US13/175,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 318/560, 318/567, 318/568.1, 318/568.11, 318/568.2, 318/568.21
• US Class Current: 318/568.21
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/302 specifically adapted for manipulations within body cavities, e.g. within abdominal or thoracic cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• 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 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• 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: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 3/00 Manipulators of master-slave type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39135 For multiple manipulators operating at same time, avoid collision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39212 Select between autonomous or teleoperation control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39322 Force and position control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40184 Compliant teleoperation, operator controls motion, system controls contact, force
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45117 Medical, radio surgery manipulator

Abstract

Telerobotic, telesurgical, and/or surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods employ surgical robotic linkages that may have more degrees of freedom than an associated surgical end effector n space. A processor can calculate a tool motion that includes pivoting of the tool about an aperture site. Linkages movable along a range of configurations for a given end effector position may be driven toward configurations which inhibit collisions. Refined robotic linkages and method for their use are also provided.

Claims

1. A tele-surgical system comprising:

a manipulator assembly configured to tele-operatively move a distal end effector relative to a proximal base, the manipulator assembly having a plurality of joints, the plurality of joints being configured to provide sufficient degrees of freedom to allow a range of joint states of the plurality of joints for a position of the end effector;

an input device configured to receive a command to effect a desired movement of the end effector that follows a movement of the input device; and

a processor coupling the input to the manipulator assembly, the processor having a manipulation mode and a clutch mode,

the processor in the manipulation mode being configured to determine movements of the plurality of joints in response to the command so as to move the end effector with the desired movement,

the processor in the clutch mode being configured to;

calculate a movement of at least one joint of the plurality of joints in response to an external manual articulation of another joint of the plurality of joints of the manipulator assembly, the calculated movement of at least one joint corresponding to movement of the at least one joint within a workspace; and

drive the at least one joint of the plurality of joints of the manipulator assembly according to the calculated movement of the at least one joint to effect the movement of the at least one joint within the workspace.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein the manipulator assembly comprises:

a manipulator arm having a proximal end and a distal instrument holder, and

an instrument mounted to the instrument holder, the instrument having an instrument shaft extending from the instrument holder to the distal end effector; and

wherein the processor in the clutch mode is configured to calculate a pivoting motion of the instrument shaft such that the calculated movements of the at least one joint pivot the instrument shaft about a calculated pivotal center disposed along an axis of the instrument shaft distal of the instrument holder.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor in the clutch mode is configured to drive the manipulator assembly so as to inhibit lateral movement of the instrument shaft at the pivotal center.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor in the clutch mode is configured to drive a combination of the plurality of joints so as to effect two-dimensional pivotal movements of the instrument shaft.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor in the clutch mode is configured to allow axial movement of the instrument along an axis of the instrument shaft.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor in the clutch mode is configured to allow axial movement of the instrument along an axis of the instrument shaft in response to an external force applied to the manipulator arm exceeding a threshold.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor in the clutch mode is configured to inhibit axial movement of the instrument along an axis of the instrument shaft.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor in the clutch mode is configured to effect a movement of at least a second joint of the plurality of joints in response to the manual articulation of at least a first joint of the plurality of joints, the movement of the at least a second joint maintaining a position, within a surgical workspace, of a portion of the manipulator assembly distal of the at least a first joint and the at least a second joint.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor in the clutch mode is configured to drive the manipulator assembly so as to effect balancing of a gravitational force acting on the manipulator assembly.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor in the clutch mode is configured to drive the manipulator assembly so as to effect dampening momentum of the manipulator assembly during movement of the manipulator assembly.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor in the clutch mode is further configured to calculate the movement of the at least one joint such that the corresponding movement of the at least one joint moves the manipulator assembly toward a desired pre-determined pose for surgery.

12. The system of claim 1,

wherein the processor is further configured to calculate movement of the at least one joint by calculating joint commands using vector and/or matrices.

13. The system of claim 12,

wherein the joint commands correspond to joint velocities within a joint space of the plurality of joints.

14. A tele-surgical system comprising:

a manipulator assembly configured to tele-operatively move a distal end effector relative to a proximal base, the manipulator assembly having a plurality of joints;

a port clutch input;

a master input device configured to receive a command to effect a desired movement of the end effector that follows a movement of the master input device; and

a processor coupling the master input to the manipulator assembly, the processor being configured to change between a tissue manipulation mode and a port clutch mode in response to actuation of the port clutch input,

the processor in the tissue manipulation mode being configured to calculate movements of the plurality of joints in response to the command so as to pivot the manipulator assembly at a calculated pivotal center adjacent a minimally invasive aperture site and so as to move the end effector with the desired movement that follows the movement of the master input device,

the processor in the port clutch mode being configured to;

calculate a movement of at least one joint of the plurality of joints in response to an external manual articulation of another joint of the plurality of joints, the calculated movement of the at least one joint corresponding to a movement of the at least one joint within a workspace; and

drive the at least one of the plurality of joints according to the calculated movement of the at least one joint to effect the movement of the at least one joint within the workspace to allow manual reconfiguration of the plurality of joints of the manipulator assembly for movement of the minimally invasive aperture site.

15. The system of claim 14:

wherein the manipulator assembly comprises;

a manipulator movably supporting an instrument holder, and

a surgical instrument removably mountable to the instrument holder, the surgical instrument having a shaft configured to extend from a surgical site inside a patient to the instrument holder outside the patient;

wherein the manipulator assembly is configured to have sufficient degrees of freedom to have a range of joint states of the plurality of joints for a position of the end effector;

wherein the port clutch input is disposed near the instrument holder;

wherein the processor in the clutch mode is configured to drive at least one joint of the plurality of joints to effect a calculated movement of the at least one joint calculated in response to the external manual articulation of another joint of the plurality of joints during manual reconfiguring of the manipulator assembly; and

wherein the processor is configured to determine a location of the minimally invasive aperture site at least in part in response to an actuation of the port clutch input.

16. A tele-surgical system comprising:

a manipulator assembly configured to tele-operatively move a distal instrument holder relative to a proximal base, the manipulator having a plurality of joints;

a surgical instrument releasably mountable to the instrument holder, the instrument having an instrument shaft extending from the instrument holder distally to an end effector;

an instrument clutch input;

an input device configured to receive a command to effect a desired movement of the end effector that follows a movement of the input device; and

a processor coupling the input to the manipulator assembly, the processor being coupled to the instrument clutch input, the processor being configured to change between a tissue manipulation mode and an instrument clutch mode in response to an actuation of the instrument clutch input,

the processor in the tissue manipulation mode being configured to calculate a pivoting motion of the shaft so that the calculated movements of the plurality of joints in response to the command pivot the shaft adjacent a minimally invasive aperture site along the shaft and move the end effector with the desired movement,

the processor in the instrument clutch mode being configured to calculate a pivoting motion of the shaft so that the calculated movement of the at least one joint of the plurality of joints calculated in response to manual articulation of the manipulator assembly pivot the instrument holder about a calculated pivotal center disposed along an axis of the instrument shaft distal of the instrument holder.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a movement command in a manipulation mode of a manipulator assembly from an input device to effect a desired movement of an end effector of the manipulator assembly that follows a movement of the input device, wherein a tool comprises the end effector and a shaft coupled to the end effector, wherein the shaft extends through an aperture, and wherein the desired movement comprises a movement of the shaft axially through the aperture;

calculating movements of a plurality of joints of the manipulator assembly in response to the movement command so as to move the end effector with the desired movement that follows the movement of the input device, the manipulator assembly comprising the tool and a tele-surgical manipulator configured to support the tool, a plurality of joints of the tool and the tele-surgical manipulator together being configured to provide sufficient degrees of freedom to allow a range of joint states of the plurality of joints for a particular position of the end effector, the particular position being distal of the aperture;

driving at least some joints of the plurality of joints of the manipulator assembly in accordance with the calculated movements to move the end effector with the desired movement one of the driven joints being an axial joint disposed adjacent the aperture;

receiving a clutch input to implement a clutch mode of the manipulator assembly to allow manual repositioning of at least a portion of the manipulator assembly;

calculating a movement of at least one joint of the plurality of joints of the manipulator assembly in response to an external manual articulation of another joint of the plurality of joints of the manipulator assembly in the clutch mode, the calculated movement of the at least one joint of the plurality corresponding to movement of the at least one joint within a workspace; and

driving the at least one joint of the plurality according to the calculated movement to effect the movement of the at least one joint of the plurality of joints of the manipulator assembly within the workspace, in the clutch mode.