Adaptable integrated energy control system for electrosurgical tools in robotic surgical systems

• US 8,862,268 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Robinson, David W., Nixon, Thomas R., Hanuschik, Michael, Goldberg, Randal P., Hemphill, Jason, Larkin, David, Millman, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US13/800,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20130231681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/11, 700/2, 700/245, 700/247, 700/250, 700/251, 700/259, 700/264, 700/3, 700/9, 600/102, 600/109, 600/117, 600/229, 600/407, 600/427, 600/429, 600/1, 600/139, 600/142, 600/205, 600/206, 600/41, 901/1, 901/15, 901/19, 901/2, 901/27, 901/30, 901/36, 901/6, 901/8, 901/9, 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 318/568.13
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback

Abstract

A method for a minimally invasive surgical system is disclosed including reading first tool information from a storage device in a first robotic surgical tool mounted to a first robotic arm to at least determine a first tool type; reading equipment information about one or more remote controlled equipment for control thereof; comparing the first tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match a first remote controlled equipment of the one or more remote controlled equipment to the first robotic surgical tool; and mapping one or more user interface input devices of a first control console to control the first remote controlled equipment to support a function of the first robotic surgical tool.

Claims

1. A user interface controller for a teleoperated surgical system, the user interface controller comprising:

mapping logic stored in a non-transitory memory, the mapping logic for being logically coupled to;

one or more input devices, the mapping logic receiving signals in response to user input at the or each input device;

one or more surgical tools, controllable by the controller, the mapping logic receiving tool information from the one or more surgical tools; and

one or more remote controlled equipment for operably coupling to and to actuate a function of the one or more surgical tools, the mapping logic receiving equipment information about the one or more remote controlled equipment from the one or more surgical tools; and

wherein the mapping logic selectively maps input devices to the one or more surgical tools and the one or more remote controlled equipment in response to;

receiving the equipment information, and

receiving the tool information.

2. The user interface controller of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more surgical tools comprise a monopolar electrosurgical tool and a bipolar electrosurgical tool;

the one or more remote controlled equipment comprise a monopolar electrosurgical generator and a bipolar electrosurgical generator.

3. The user interface controller of claim 1, wherein the one or more surgical tools are configured to be respectively operably coupled to the one or more remote controlled equipment to read equipment information, to control the one or more remote controlled equipment, and to receive a supply of vacuum, gas, liquid, energy, mechanical torque, mechanical force, data signal, or control signal from the one or more remote controlled equipment.

4. The user interface controller of claim 3, wherein the one or more surgical tools are configured to be respectively operably coupled to the one or more remote controlled equipment by:

a first cable comprising one or more data lines to read equipment information from a storage device and comprising one or more control lines to control the one or more remote controlled equipment, and

a second cable to receive the supply of vacuum, gas, liquid, energy, mechanical torque, mechanical force, data signal, or control signal from the one or more remote controlled equipment.

5. The user interface controller of claim 3, the one or more surgical tools comprising an input/output (I/O) interface to operably couple to the one or more remote controlled equipment, the input/output interface is configured to read equipment information of the one or more remote controlled equipment and adapt signal levels to control signal levels of the one or more remote controlled equipment.

6. The user interface controller of claim 2, wherein, in response to an active tool control signal generated in response to input at the one or more input devices, the mapping logic selectively maps the one or more input devices to control one of the monopolar electrosurgical generator to actuate the monopolar electrosurgical tool or the bipoloar electrosurgical generator to actuate the bipolar electrosurgical tool.

7. The user interface controller of claim 6, wherein:

the active tool control signal is an energy swap signal produced in response to user input at the one or more input devices; and

in response to the energy swap signal, the mapping logic selectively maps the one or more input devices to swap the one or more input devices between controlling the monopolar electrosurgical generator to actuate a function of the monopolar electrosurgical tool and controlling the bipoloar electrosurgical generator to actuate a function of the bipolar electrosurgical tool.

8. The user interface controller of claim 1, wherein the one or more input devices comprise one or more foot pedal switches.

9. The user interface controller of claim 1, wherein the one or more surgical tools communicate with the one or more remote controlled equipment to command the one or more remote controlled equipment to supply to the one or more tools at least one of a vacuum, gas, liquid, energy, mechanical torque, mechanical force, data signal, and control signal.

10. The user interface controller of claim 1, wherein the mapping logic further selectively maps the one or more input devices to the one or more surgical tools and the one or more remote controlled equipment in response to user input at the one or more input devices to swap control of a respective input device over a respective remote controlled equipment from one surgical tool to another surgical tool.

11. The user interface controller of claim 1, wherein the one or more remote controlled equipment are operable to actuate a function of the one or more surgical tools on a basis of input at the one or more input devices.

12. A surgical system, comprising:

one or more input devices;

mapping logic stored in non-transitory memory for being logically coupled to the one or more input devices and to receive control signals in response to actuation of the one or more input devices by a user;

one or more remote controlled equipment;

an input/output interface for being operably coupled to the one or more remote controlled equipment and for being operably coupled to the mapping logic, wherein the input/output interface receives equipment information about the one or more remote controlled equipment and issues signals to control the one or more remote controlled equipment; and

one or more surgical tools for being operably coupled to the input/output interface;

wherein the mapping logic, in response to receiving the equipment information via the input/output interface, automatically maps the one or more remote controlled equipment to be operably coupled to the one or more surgical tools and to the one or more input devices.

13. The surgical system of claim 12, wherein the one or more surgical tools comprise the input/output interface.

14. The surgical system of claim 12, further comprising a user interface controller for being operably coupled to the one or more input devices, to the one or more remote controlled equipment, and to the one or more surgical tools, wherein the user interface controller comprises the input/output interface.

15. The surgical system of claim 12, wherein the one or more surgical tools comprise a controller to generate control signals to control the one or more remote controlled equipment in response to user input at the one or more input devices.

16. The surgical system of claim 15, wherein the one or more surgical tools communicate with the one or more remote controlled equipment to command the one or more remote controlled equipment to supply to the one or more tools at least one of a vacuum, gas, liquid, energy, mechanical torque, mechanical force, data signal, and control signal.

17. The surgical system of claim 12, wherein:

the mapping logic automatically maps each of the one or more input devices to one of the one or more remote controlled equipment and to one of the one or more surgical tools; and

the mapping logic performs automatic mapping in response to receiving equipment information from the one or more remote controlled equipment and tool information from the one or more surgical tools.

18. The surgical system of claim 17, further comprising a user input control logic stored in the non-transitory memory to detect the one or more remote controlled equipment operably coupled to the one or more input devices and to detect the one or more surgical tools operably coupled to the input devices to, wherein the user input control logic maps signals from the one or more input devices to control the one or more controlled equipment on the basis of the equipment information.

19. The surgical system of claim 12, wherein each of the one or more surgical tools are respectively coupled to a respective one of the one or more remote controlled equipment by:

a first cable to read the equipment information from a storage device of the one or more remote controlled equipment over one or more data lines in the first cable, and to control the one or more remote controlled equipment over one or more control lines in the first cable, and

a second cable to receive at least one of a vacuum, gas, liquid, energy, mechanical torque, mechanical force, data signal, and control signal from the one or more remote controlled equipment.

20. A surgical system, comprising:

one or more input devices;

one or more remote controlled equipment; and

one or more surgical tools configured to be operably coupled to the one or more remote controlled equipment;

wherein the one or more surgical tools comprise a controller to generate control signals to control the one or more remote controlled equipment in response to user input from the one or more input devices.

21. The surgical system of claim 20, further comprising mapping logic stored in non-transitory memory, the mapping logic being operably coupled to the one or more input devices and receiving control signals in response to actuation of the one or more input devices, wherein:

the one or more surgical tools operably couple to the one or more remote controlled equipment via an input/output interface of the one or more surgical tools and read equipment information of the one or more remote controlled equipment via the input/output interface; and

the mapping logic automatically maps the one or more remote controlled equipment to the one or more surgical tools and to the one or more input devices in response to receiving the equipment information.

22. A user interface controller for a teleoperated surgical system, the user interface controller comprising:

mapping logic stored in non-transitory memory, the mapping logic being logically coupled to;

receive one or more signals from one or more input devices in response to user input at the one or more input devices,

receive tool information from one or more surgical tools controllable by the user interface controller,

receive equipment information about one or more remote controlled equipment,

map the one or more surgical tools and the one or more remote controlled equipment to the one or more user input devices in response to the received tool information and the received equipment information, and

actuate one or more functions of the mapped one or more surgical tools in response to the one or more signals received from the one or more input devices, the one or more functions being associated with the mapped one or more remote controlled equipment.

23. The user interface controller of claim 22, wherein each of the one or more surgical tools are respectively coupled to a respective one of the one or more remote controlled equipment by:

a first cable to read the equipment information from a storage device of the one or more remote controlled equipment over one or more data lines in the first cable, and to control the one or more remote controlled equipment over one or more control lines in the first cable, and

a second cable to receive at least one of a vacuum, gas, liquid, energy, mechanical torque, mechanical force, data signal, and control signal from the one or more remote controlled equipment.

24. The user interface controller of claim 22, wherein the one or more surgical tools communicate with the one or more remote controlled equipment to command the one or more remote controlled equipment to supply to the one or more tools at least one of a vacuum, gas, liquid, energy, mechanical torque, mechanical force, data signal, and control signal.