Hyperdexterous surgical system

• US 10,299,883 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2014
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Inventors: Kilroy, Pablo Eduardo Garcia, Egan, Thomas D., Koenig, Karen Shakespear
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Martin T
• Application Number:
  US14/510,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20150038982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 606130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00207 with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/306 Wrists with multiple vertebrae
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/371 with simultaneous use of two cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/571 for clamping a support arm to a bed or other supports
• 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 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/10 for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• 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: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/60 Supports for surgeons, e.g. chairs or hand supports seats for dentists or surgeons associated with dental chairs or operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39135 For multiple manipulators operating at same time, avoid collision

Abstract

A hyperdexterous surgical system is provided. The system can include one or more surgical arms coupleable to a fixture and configured to support one or more surgical tools. The system can include an electronic control system configured to communicate electronically with the one or more robotic surgical tools. The control system can electronically control the operation of the one or more surgical tools. The system can include one or more portable handheld controllers actuatable by a surgeon to communicate one or more control signals to the one or more surgical tools via the electronic control system to operate the one or more surgical tools. The one or more portable handheld controllers can provide said one or more control signals from a plurality of locations of an operating arena, allowing a surgeon to be mobile during a surgical procedure and to remotely operate the one or more surgical tools from different locations of the operating arena.

Claims

1. A surgical system, comprising:

at least one electromechanical arm coupleable to a fixture, the at least one electromechanical arm comprising a first electromechanical joint comprising a first roll mechanism rotating around a roll axis, a second electromechanical joint comprising a pitch mechanism, at least one additional electromechanical joint comprising a second roll mechanism which together with the first and second electromechanical joints results in one or more redundant degrees of freedom, and a base link having a distal end connected to the second roll mechanism and a proximal end coupleable to the fixture, and wherein the distal end of the base link is operable to be positioned between the second roll mechanism and the first roll mechanism;

at least one electromechanical tool comprising a tool shaft axis, wherein the at least one electromechanical tool is supported by the at least one electromechanical arm to define an electromechanical arm and tool assembly wherein the pitch mechanism rotates the at least one electromechanical tool around a pitch axis; and

a control system configured to electronically communicate with and control the operation of the electromechanical arm and tool assembly,

wherein the roll axis, the pitch axis, and the tool shaft axis intersect at a remote center,

wherein when the electromechanical arm and tool assembly is coupled to the fixture, the second roll mechanism is positioned below the remote center, thus minimizing instances in which a dead zone is inside a body of a patient.

2. The surgical system of claim 1, further comprising one or more portable handheld controllers actuatable by a surgeon from a plurality of locations of an operating arena to communicate one or more control signals to the electromechanical arm and tool assembly via the control system to operate the electromechanical arm and tool assembly from different locations of the operating arena.

3. The surgical system of claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of locations is beside an operating table that supports the patient.

4. The surgical system of claim 3, wherein the one or more portable handheld controllers are operable from beside the operating table to thereby allow the surgeon to simultaneously operate a manual tool with one hand and the electromechanical arm and tool assembly with another hand via the one or more portable handheld controllers.

5. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the electromechanical arm has three axes associated with three degrees of freedom, wherein the three axes intersect at the remote center which is defined proximate an incision point on the patient.

6. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the pitch mechanism comprises one or more mechanically connected linkages.

7. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the base link comprises a longitudinal axis that is at an angle with respect to a roll axis of the second roll mechanism.

8. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the base link connected to the second roll mechanism comprises a tilt axis, and the second roll mechanism is operable to tilt about the tilt axis.

9. A surgical system, comprising:

at least one electromechanical arm coupleable to a fixture, the at least one electromechanical arm comprising a first electromechanical joint comprising a roll mechanism rotating around a roll axis, a second electromechanical joint comprising a pitch mechanism, and at least one proximal electromechanical joint comprising a redundant roll mechanism connected to a base link of the electromechanical arm, the base link having a distal end connected to the redundant roll mechanism and a proximal end that is coupleable to the fixture, and wherein the distal end of the base link is operable to be positioned between the redundant roll mechanism and the roll mechanism of the first electromechanical joint;

at least one electromechanical tool comprising a tool shaft axis, wherein the at least one electromechanical tool is supported by a distal end of the at least one electromechanical arm to define an electromechanical arm and tool assembly wherein the pitch mechanism rotates the at least one electromechanical tool around a pitch axis; and

a control system configured to electronically communicate with and control the operation of the electromechanical arm and tool assembly,

wherein the roll axis, the pitch axis, and the tool shaft axis intersect at a remote center,

wherein when the electromechanical arm and tool assembly is coupled to the fixture, the redundant roll mechanism is positioned below the remote center, thus minimizing instances in which a dead zone is inside a body of a patient.

10. The surgical system of claim 9, further comprising one or more portable handheld controllers actuatable by a surgeon from a plurality of locations of an operating arena to communicate one or more control signals to the electromechanical arm and tool assembly via the control system to operate the electromechanical arm and tool assembly from different locations of the operating arena.

11. The surgical system of claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of locations is beside an operating table that supports the patient.

12. The surgical system of claim 11, wherein the one or more portable handheld controllers are operable from beside the operating table to thereby allow the surgeon to simultaneously operate a manual tool with one hand and the electromechanical arm and tool assembly with another hand via the one or more portable handheld controllers.

13. The surgical system of claim 9, wherein the remote center is defined proximate an incision point on the patient.

14. The surgical system of claim 9, wherein the pitch mechanism comprises one or more mechanically connected linkages.

15. A surgical system, comprising:

at least one electromechanical arm coupleable to a fixture, the at least one electromechanical arm comprising a first roll mechanism rotating around a roll axis, a pitch mechanism, a combination of one or more proximal joints which together result in a second roll mechanism with at least one redundant degree of freedom, and a base link having a distal end connected to the second roll mechanism and a proximal end coupleable to the fixture, the distal end of the base link is operable to be positioned between the second roll mechanism and the first roll mechanism, and wherein the roll mechanism, the pitch mechanism, and the one or more proximal joints are controlled through a user interface device;

at least one electromechanical tool comprising a tool shaft axis, wherein the at least one electromechanical tool is supported by the at least one-electromechanical arm to define an electromechanical arm and tool assembly wherein the pitch mechanism rotates the at least one electromechanical tool around a pitch axis; and

a control system configured to electronically communicate with and control the operation of the electromechanical arm and tool assembly,

wherein the roll axis, the pitch axis, and the tool shaft axis intersect at a remote center,

wherein when the electromechanical arm and tool assembly is coupled to the fixture, the second roll mechanism is positioned below the remote center, thus minimizing instances in which a dead zone is inside a body of a patient.

16. The surgical system of claim 15, wherein the user interface device comprises one or more portable handheld controllers actuatable by a surgeon from a plurality of locations of an operating arena to communicate one or more control signals to the electromechanical arm and tool assembly via the control system to operate the electromechanical arm and tool assembly from different locations of the operating arena.

17. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein one of the plurality of locations is beside an operating table that supports the patient.

18. The surgical system of claim 17, wherein the one or more portable handheld controllers are operable from beside the operating table to thereby allow the surgeon to simultaneously operate a manual tool with one hand and the electromechanical arm and tool assembly with another hand via the one or more portable handheld controllers.

19. The surgical system of claim 15, wherein the remote center is defined proximate an incision point on the patient.

20. The surgical system of claim 15, wherein the pitch mechanism comprises one or more mechanically connected linkages.

21. The surgical system of claim 15, wherein the electromechanical arm and tool assembly allows access to all four quadrants of the abdomen of the patient from a single entry point.