Methods and systems for assigning input devices to teleoperated surgical instrument functions

• US 9,301,811 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Hanuschik, Michael, Millman, Paul, Mohr, Paul W., Nixon, Thomas R., Robinson, David, Goldberg, Randal P
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/028,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20140081455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 700/247, 700/250, 700/257, 700/258, 901/2, 901/33, 901/46, 901/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00225 Systems for controlling multiple different instruments, e.g. microsurgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/254 being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• 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 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40195 Tele-operation, computer assisted manual operation

Abstract

A method of assigning an auxiliary input device to control a surgical instrument in a robotic surgical system can include automatically assigning an auxiliary input device to control an auxiliary function of a surgical instrument based on a position of the auxiliary input device and which of a user'"'"'s hands is operating another input device operably coupled to control movement of the surgical instrument. A system for controlling a surgical instrument may include an input device of a surgical system that is operably coupled to generate and transmit an input control signal to control movement of a surgical instrument operably coupled to the surgical system. The system may further include an auxiliary input device, and a control system operably coupling the auxiliary input device to control an auxiliary function of the surgical instrument based on a position of the auxiliary input device and which of a user'"'"'s hands is operating the input device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a surgical instrument in a computer-assisted surgical system, the method comprising:

detecting which of a user'"'"'s left and right hands is operating an input device operably coupled to remotely control movement of the surgical instrument, wherein the detecting comprises at least one of;

sensing a configuration of the input device the user'"'"'s hand is operating; and

sensing motion of the user'"'"'s hand operating the input device; and

automatically assigning control of an auxiliary function of a surgical instrument to a first auxiliary input device selected from at least two auxiliary input devices based on a relative position of the first auxiliary input device and the detecting of which of the user'"'"'s left and right hands is operating the input device operably coupled to remotely control the movement of the surgical instrument.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the first auxiliary input device is one of a left position and a right position relative to at least another of the at least two auxiliary input devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an input command signal received from the first auxiliary input device, activating the auxiliary function of the surgical instrument.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary function is chosen from at least one of delivering energy, image and/or audio streaming, irrigation, suction, stapling, and cutting.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a presence of a user in proximity to the first auxiliary input device; and

in response to the detecting the presence, displaying an indication at a portion of a graphical user interface indicating the surgical instrument to which the first auxiliary input device is assigned control.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an actuation of the first auxiliary function input device; and

in response to the detecting, displaying an indication at a portion of a graphical user interface indicating the surgical instrument to which the first auxiliary input device is assigned control.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an auxiliary function type of the surgical instrument and sending a signal from the first auxiliary input device to activate the auxiliary function of the surgical instrument based on the detected auxiliary function type.

8. A system for controlling a surgical instrument, comprising:

an input device operably coupled to generate and transmit an input control signal to remotely control movement of a surgical instrument operably coupled to a computer-assisted surgical system;

an auxiliary input device configured to transmit an auxiliary function control signal to activate an auxiliary function of a surgical instrument in an operably coupled state of the auxiliary input device and the surgical instrument; and

a control system configured to;

detect which of a user'"'"'s left and right hands is operating an input device operably coupled to remotely control movement of the surgical instrument based on at least one of;

a sensed configuration of the input device the user'"'"'s hand is operating; and

a sensed motion of the user'"'"'s hand operating the input device; and

operably couple the auxiliary input device to control the auxiliary function of the surgical instrument based on a relative position of the auxiliary input device and the detecting of which of the user'"'"'s left and right hands is operating the input device operably coupled to remotely control the movement of the surgical instrument.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the position of the auxiliary input device is one of a left position and a right position relative to at least one other auxiliary input device.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a manipulator interface assembly operably coupled to the input device, the manipulator interface assembly configured to control the surgical instrument in response to control signals from the input device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary input device is configured to transmit a signal to control the surgical instrument according to a detected auxiliary function type of the surgical instrument.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a readable memory structure associated with the surgical instrument, the readable memory structure comprising data identifying the auxiliary function type of the surgical instrument.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a presence sensor arranged to detect a presence of a user in proximity to the auxiliary input device; and

a graphical user interface including an indication of a detected presence of the user in proximity to the auxiliary input device.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an actuation sensor configured to detect an actuation of the auxiliary input device; and

a graphical user interface configured to provide an indication of the actuation of the auxiliary input device.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the input device comprises a gripping mechanism.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary input device comprises a foot pedal.

17. The system of claim 8, further comprising an additional input device, the input devices being respectively positioned at a left-hand position and a right-hand position of a user operating a surgeon console of the computer-assisted surgical system.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising an additional auxiliary input device, each of the auxiliary input devices being respectively positioned at a respective left position and a right position relative to each other.