Systems and methods for sensing hand motion by measuring remote displacement
First Claim
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a housing defining an interior cavity extending through an entire longitudinal length of the housing, the interior cavity configured to receive an elongated shaft of a laparoscopic tool;
wherein the laparoscopic tool comprises;
the elongated shaft, anda surgical tool positioned at a distal end of the elongated shaft, the surgical tool comprising a first distal member coupled to a second distal member at a first pivot point on the laparoscopic tool, wherein the first distal member comprises a first inner surface configured to contact a body part during a surgical procedure and a first outer surface opposite the first inner surface, and the second distal member comprises a second inner surface configured to contact the body part during the surgical procedure and a second outer surface opposite the second inner surface;
the apparatus further comprising;
a first pivotable member and a second pivotable member coupled to each other at a second pivot point, wherein the first pivotable member is configured to engage and move with the first outer surface of the first distal member of the laparoscopic tool, and the second pivotable member is configured to engage and move with the second outer surface of the second distal member of the laparoscopic tool;
a first anchoring device coupled to the housing, the first anchoring device configured to secure the housing around the elongated shaft of the laparoscopic tool; and
a sensor coupled to the first pivotable member and the second pivotable member, the sensor configured to detect a relative movement of the first pivotable member and the second pivotable member about the second pivot point and to generate a signal based at least in part on the relative movement.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for sensing hand motion by measuring remote displacement are disclosed. For example, one disclosed apparatus includes a first surface configured to engage a first distal member of a surgical tool and a second surface configured to engage a second distal member of the surgical tool, the second surface coupled to the first surface at a pivot point. The apparatus further includes a sensor configured to detect a relative movement of the first surface and the second surface about the pivot point and to generate a signal based at least in part on the relative movement.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a housing defining an interior cavity extending through an entire longitudinal length of the housing, the interior cavity configured to receive an elongated shaft of a laparoscopic tool; wherein the laparoscopic tool comprises; the elongated shaft, and a surgical tool positioned at a distal end of the elongated shaft, the surgical tool comprising a first distal member coupled to a second distal member at a first pivot point on the laparoscopic tool, wherein the first distal member comprises a first inner surface configured to contact a body part during a surgical procedure and a first outer surface opposite the first inner surface, and the second distal member comprises a second inner surface configured to contact the body part during the surgical procedure and a second outer surface opposite the second inner surface; the apparatus further comprising; a first pivotable member and a second pivotable member coupled to each other at a second pivot point, wherein the first pivotable member is configured to engage and move with the first outer surface of the first distal member of the laparoscopic tool, and the second pivotable member is configured to engage and move with the second outer surface of the second distal member of the laparoscopic tool; a first anchoring device coupled to the housing, the first anchoring device configured to secure the housing around the elongated shaft of the laparoscopic tool; and a sensor coupled to the first pivotable member and the second pivotable member, the sensor configured to detect a relative movement of the first pivotable member and the second pivotable member about the second pivot point and to generate a signal based at least in part on the relative movement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method, comprising:
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positioning at least a portion of an elongated shaft of a laparoscopic tool throughout an interior cavity traversing an entire longitudinal length of a housing of an apparatus; wherein the laparoscopic tool comprises; the elongated shaft, and a surgical tool positioned at a distal end of the elongated shaft, the surgical tool comprising a first distal member coupled to a second distal member at a first pivot point on the laparoscopic tool, wherein the first distal member comprises a first inner surface configured to contact a body part during a surgical procedure and a first outer surface opposite the first inner surface, and the second distal member comprises a second inner surface configured to contact the body part during the surgical procedure and a second outer surface opposite the second inner surface; engaging the first outer surface of the first distal member of the laparoscopic tool with a first pivotable member of the apparatus such that the first distal member and the first pivotable member move in unison; engaging the second outer surface of the second distal member of the laparoscopic tool with a second pivotable member of the apparatus such that the second distal member and the second pivotable member move in unison, wherein the first pivotable member is coupled to the second pivotable member at a second pivot point on the apparatus; securing, by an anchoring device coupled to the housing, the housing around the elongated shaft of the laparoscopic tool such that the elongated shaft extends through the entire longitudinal length of the housing; determining, by a sensor coupled to the first and the second pivotable members, a relative movement of the first pivotable member and the second pivotable member; and outputting, by the sensor, a signal based at least in part on the relative movement of the first pivotable member and the second pivotable member. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. An apparatus configured to detect the relative motion of a laparoscopic tool, the laparoscopic tool comprising:
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an elongated shaft, and a surgical tool positioned at a distal end of the elongated shaft, the surgical tool comprising a first distal member coupled to a second distal member at a first pivot point on the laparoscopic tool, wherein the first distal member comprises a first inner surface configured to contact a body part during a surgical procedure and a first outer surface opposite the first inner surface, and the second distal member comprises a second inner surface configured to contact the body part during the surgical procedure and a second outer surface opposite the second inner surface; wherein the apparatus comprises; a housing defining an interior cavity disposed through an entire longitudinal length of the housing, the interior cavity configured to receive the elongated shaft of the laparoscopic tool; a first pivotable member and a second pivotable member coupled to each other at a second pivot point on the housing, wherein the first pivotable member is configured to engage and move with the first outer surface of the first distal member of the laparoscopic tool, and the second pivotable member is configured to engage and move with the second outer surface of the second distal member of the laparoscopic tool; an anchoring device coupled to the housing, the anchoring device configured to secure the apparatus around the elongated shaft of the laparoscopic tool; a sensor coupled to the first pivotable member and the second pivotable member and in communication with a laparoscopic simulator device, the sensor configured to measure a relative movement of the first pivotable member and the second pivotable member and transmit a movement signal based at least in part on the relative movement to the laparoscopic simulator device; an actuator positioned on the apparatus and configured to output vibrotactile feedback; and a processor positioned on the apparatus and in communication with the sensor and the actuator, the processor configured to receive the movement signal from the sensor and transmit an actuator signal to the actuator based at least in part on the movement signal, the actuator signal configured to cause the actuator to output the vibrotactile feedback.
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20. A system, comprising:
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a laparoscopic surgical tool comprising; an elongated shaft; and a surgical tool positioned at a distal end of the elongated shaft, the surgical tool comprising a first distal member coupled to a second distal member at a first pivot point on the laparoscopic tool, wherein the first distal member comprises a first inner surface configured to contact a body part during a surgical procedure and a first outer surface opposite the first inner surface, and the second distal member comprises a second inner surface configured to contact the body part during the surgical procedure and a second outer surface opposite the second inner surface; and an apparatus comprising; a housing defining an interior cavity disposed through an entire longitudinal length of the housing, wherein the elongated shaft of the laparoscopic tool is positioned through the entire longitudinal length of the housing; a first pivotable member and a second pivotable member coupled to each other at a second pivot point on the housing, wherein the first pivotable member is configured to engage and move with the first outer surface of the first distal member of the laparoscopic tool, and the second pivotable member is configured to engage and move with the second outer surface of the second distal member of the laparoscopic; an anchoring device coupled to the housing, the anchoring device configured to secure the apparatus around the elongated shaft of the laparoscopic surgical tool; and a sensor coupled to the first pivotable member and the second pivotable member, the sensor configured to detect a relative movement of the first pivotable member and the second pivotable member about the second pivot point and to generate a sensor signal based at least in part on the relative movement. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification