Neural monitor-based dynamic haptics

• US 9,801,686 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corporation (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corporation (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Lightcap, Chris Alan, Kang, Hyosig, Quaid, III, Arthur E., Abovitz, Rony
• Primary Examiner(s): Bendidi, Rachid
• Application Number:
  US14/673,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20150320500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1757 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7032 Screws or hooks with U-shaped head or back through which longitudinal rods pass
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7092 for checking pedicle hole has correct depth or has an intact wall pedicle drill depth limiters A61B17/1626
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0003 of parts of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00119 alarm; indicating an abnormal situation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00339 Spine, e.g. intervertebral disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0044 Spinal cord
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/108 Computer aided selection or customisation of medical implants or cutting guides
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2048 using an accelerometer or inertia sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2059 Mechanical position encoders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/207 : Divots for calibration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/252 : indicating steps of a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/254 : being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 : Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/306 : Wrists with multiple vertebrae
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/066 : for measuring torque
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/067 : for measuring angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 : of the patient or his organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 : augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3983 : Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 : Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 : Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 : User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 : Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 : Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 : Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/74 : Manipulators with manual electric input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 : Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 : using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 : Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 : Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 : Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/745 : using a holographic display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 : Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/06 : Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/14 : Fixators for body parts, e.g. skull clamps; Constructional details of fixators, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30942 : for designing or making customized prostheses, e.g. using templates, CT or NMR scans, finite-element analysis or CAD-CAM techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/38 : for elbows or knees
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4632 : using computer-controlled surgery, e.g. robotic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4633 : for selection of endoprosthetic joints or for pre-operative planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 : Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36432 : By putting some constraints on some DOF, move within limited volumes, areas, planes, limits motion in x, y or z planes, virtual reality constraints
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39196 : Use of passive joint, no actuator but brake, brake on or off
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40478 : Graphic display of work area of robot, forbidden, permitted zone
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45117 : Medical, radio surgery manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45171 : Surgery drill
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 : Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/08 : Robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 : Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/34 : force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/35 : Proximity

Abstract

A computer-assisted surgery system may have a robotic arm including a surgical tool and a processor communicatively connected to the robotic arm. The processor may be configured to receive, from a neural monitor, a signal indicative of a distance between the surgical tool and a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy including nervous tissue. The processor may be further configured to generate a command for altering a degree to which the robotic arm resists movement based on the signal received from the neural monitor; and send the command to the robotic arm.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a surgical system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a neural monitor, a signal indicative of a distance between a surgical tool connected to a robotic arm and a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy;

receiving a joint angular velocity of one or more joints of the robotic arm;

determining a neural monitor gain based on the signal received from the neural monitor;

generating a first force value proportional to the neural monitor gain and the joint angular velocity of one or more joints of the robotic arm and a second force value based on a relationship of the surgical tool with a repulsive virtual haptic geometry associated with the patient'"'"'s anatomy; and

generating a command to control the surgical system by altering a degree to which the robotic arm resists movement by combining the first force value and the second force value.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the virtual haptic geometry defines a volume associated with a sensitive portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the virtual haptic geometry is configured to generate haptic feedback forces that repulse the surgical tool away from the sensitive portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy associated with the virtual haptic geometry.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

providing an electrical potential to the surgical tool;

measuring an electromyographic signal at another portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy innervated by the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy; and

generating the signal indicative of the distance between the surgical tool and the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy based on the electromyographic signal.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy is a portion of nervous tissue.

6. A computer-assisted surgery system comprising:

a robotic arm including a surgical tool;

a processor communicatively connected to the robotic arm and configured to;

receive, from a neural monitor, a distance between the surgical tool connected to the robotic arm and a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy;

receive a joint angular velocity of one or more joints of the robotic arm;

determine a neural monitor gain based on the signal received from the neural monitor;

generate a first force value proportional to the neural monitor gain and the joint angular velocity of one or more joints of the robotic arm and a second force value based on a relationship of the surgical tool with a repulsive virtual haptic geometry associated with the patient'"'"'s anatomy; and

generate a command to control the surgical system by altering a degree to which the robotic arm resists movement by combining the first force value and the second force value.

7. The computer-assisted surgery system of claim 6, further comprising the neural monitor, wherein the neural monitor is configured to:

provide an electrical potential to the surgical tool;

measure an electromyographic signal at another portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy innervated by the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy; and

generate the signal indicative of the distance between the surgical tool and the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy based on the electromyographic signal.

8. A computer-implemented method for controlling a surgical system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a processor associated with a computer, a signal from a neural monitor indicative of a distance between a surgical tool connected to a robotic arm and a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy;

receiving a joint angular velocity of one or more joints of the robotic arm;

determining a neural monitor gain based on the signal received from the neural monitor;

determining, by the processor, a first force value proportional to the neural monitor gain and the joint angular velocity of one or more joints of the robotic arm and a second force value based on a relationship of the surgical tool with a repulsive virtual haptic geometry associated with the patient'"'"'s anatomy; and

determining a haptic feedback command to control the surgical system based on the first force value and the second force value.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the virtual haptic geometry defines a volume associated with a sensitive portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the virtual haptic geometry is configured to generate haptic feedback forces that repulse the surgical tool away from the sensitive portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy associated with the virtual haptic geometry.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the haptic feedback command dynamically alters a degree to which the robotic arm resists movement by generating damping torque based on the neural monitor signal.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the haptic feedback command dynamically alters a degree to which the robotic arm resists movement by modifying an amount of force feedback being applied to the robotic arm based on the neural monitor signal.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the haptic feedback command dynamically alters a degree to which the robotic arm resists movement by altering a haptic object impedance value based on the neural monitor signal.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the haptic feedback command dynamically alters a degree to which the robotic arm resists movement by altering a haptic object admittance value based on the neural monitor signal.