System and method for surgical tool insertion using multiaxis force and moment feedback

• US 10,646,280 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Crawford, Neil, Johnson, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacob, Oommen
• Application Number:
  US15/371,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20170079727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 600424, 600407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1604 Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1655 for tapping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/17 Guides or aligning means for drills , mills, pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1757 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7082 for driving, i.e. rotating, screws or screw parts specially adapted for spinal fixation, e.g. for driving polyaxial or tulip-headed screws driving other bone screws A61B17/8875
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00119 alarm; indicating an abnormal situation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00876 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2057 Details of tracking cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/034 abutting on parts of the device itself
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/062 penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3762 using computed tomography systems [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3945 Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/397 : electromagnetic other than visible, e.g. microwave
• 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 34/30 : Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 : using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 : with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 : Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 : using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 : using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for detecting unexpected movement of a surgical instrument during a robot-assisted surgical procedure are provided. The surgical robot system may be configured to measure forces and torques experienced by the surgical instrument during the surgical procedure and determine if the forces and torques are within an acceptable range. The robot system is further configured to notify the user of the presence of the unexpected movement.

Claims

1. A method for detecting expected movement of a surgical instrument of a surgical robot system having a base, at least one arm connected to the base and an end effector adapted to attach to the arm, the end effector having a guide tube through which the surgical instrument is inserted, said method comprising:

orienting the guide tube by the arm to allow the surgical instrument to reach a desired anatomical target of the patient body;

monitoring one or more forces and one or more moments associated with the insertion force of the surgical instrument, wherein the monitored forces and moments are measured by force sensors mounted to the end effector so as to measure the forces applied to the guide tube relative to the robot system arm;

comparing the monitored forces and moments to a predetermined range or threshold expected for the surgical procedure;

providing a notification, via the robot system, upon detecting that the monitored forces and moments fall outside of the predetermined range or threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a notification includes an alert on a display associated with the robot system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification indicates that the surgical instrument moved laterally from a point of insertion of the surgical instrument.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification indicates that the surgical instrument has reached a maximum depth based on the position of the surgical instrument inside the patient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more forces are measured in at least one of an x, y, or z direction relative to the robot system arm.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more moments are measured around in at least one an x, y, or z direction relative to the robot system arm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument is a drill.

8. A surgical robot system for detecting the expected movement of a surgical instrument associated with the robot system, said robot system comprising:

a robot base;

a robot arm connected to and in electronic communication with the robot base;

an end-effector connected to the robot arm and in electronic communication with the robot based, wherein the end-effector comprises one or more load cells and a guide tube, and

wherein the one or more load cells are configured to measure forces and moments associated with the guide tube relative to the robot arm so as to measure the insertion force of a surgical instrument disposed in the guide tube, and

wherein a processor is configured to receive the measured forces and moments and indicate when the measured forces and moments are outside of an expected range for the measured forces and moments.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the robot system is configured to provide a notification on a display associated with the robot system indicating unexpected movement of the surgical instrument.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more load cells are disposed on the end-effector and the surgical instrument is disposed inside the guide tube.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the notification indicates that the surgical instrument moved laterally from a point of insertion of the surgical instrument.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the notification indicates that the surgical instrument has reached a maximum depth based on the position of the surgical instrument inside the patient.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more forces are measured in at least one of an x, y, or z direction relative to the robot arm.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more moments are measured around in at least one an x, y, or z direction relative to the robot arm.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the surgical instrument is one of a drill, an awl, a tap, and a screwdriver.