Hyperdexterous surgical system

• US 10,383,699 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• 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): Bockelman, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/388,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20150038981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• 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;

at least one electromechanical tool supported by the at least one electromechanical arm to define an electromechanical arm and tool assembly;

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

at least one portable handheld controller actuatable to communicate a control signal to the electromechanical arm and tool assembly via the control system to operate the electromechanical arm and tool assembly, wherein movements of the at least one portable handheld controller control movements of the electromechanical arm and tool assembly; and

a tracking system operable to track a position of the at least one portable handheld controller, wherein the tracking system comprises at least one position sensor integrated into the portable handheld controller,

wherein the at least one portable handheld controller is configured to be carried by a surgeon during a surgical procedure to a plurality of surgeon locations of an operating arena that are between an operating table and a remote control stand, thereby allowing the surgeon to be mobile between the plurality of surgeon locations during the surgical procedure and to operate the electromechanical arm and tool assembly using the at least one portable handheld controller from the plurality of surgeon locations of the operating arena, and wherein the position sensor is operable to track the position of the at least one portable handheld controller at any of the plurality of surgeon locations independent of the remote control stand.

2. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of surgeon locations comprises beside the operating table of a patient.

3. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of surgeon locations comprises the remote control stand.

4. The surgical system of claim 2, wherein the at least one portable handheld controller is 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 at least one portable handheld controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electromechanical arm and tool assembly and the manual tool are operated independently of each other.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the electromechanical arm and tool assembly and the manual tool are operated in frames of reference that are aligned or partially aligned.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the electromechanical arm and tool assembly and the manual tool are operated in synchrony with each other.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the electromechanical arm and tool assembly and the manual tool are operated in frames of reference that are independent of each other.

9. The surgical system of claim 1, further comprising a second electromechanical arm and tool assembly, wherein the electromechanical arm and tool assemblies are operable concurrently in the same surgical workspace.

10. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portable handheld controller is wireless and communicates the control signal wirelessly.

11. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the fixture is coupled to an operating table.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromechanical arm comprises three degrees of freedom.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the position sensor comprises an absolute encoder mounted to the portable handheld controller, and the absolute encoder is operable to track the position of the portable handheld controller relative to ground.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein tracking system further comprises a position sensor coupled to the surgeon, and the position sensor coupled to the surgeon is operable to track the position of the portable handheld controller relative to a ground reference point.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the position sensor comprises an optical tracker mounted to the portable handheld controller, and the optical tracker is operable to track the position of the portable handheld controller relative to a ground reference point.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a visualization system configured to receive input signals from at least one source comprising a camera, the visualization system configured to display an image of a surgical workspace on at least one monitor within a line of sight of the surgeon.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portable handheld controller is configured to selectively operate the electromechanical arm and tool assembly.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a clutch actuatable to selectively engage and disengage the at least one portable handheld controller with the electromechanical arm and tool assembly to thereby selectively operate the electromechanical arm and tool assembly.

19. The surgical system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface operable to selectively switch the portable handheld controller between operating different electromechanical arm and tool assemblies.

20. The surgical system of claim 19, wherein the user interface is a display.