ROBOT FACE USED IN A STERILE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20110187875A1
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Hanrahan, Kevin, Wang, Yulun, Pinter, Marco, Sanchez, Daniel Steven, Jordan, Charles S., Roe, David Bjorn, Whitney, Blair
• Application Number:
  US12/700,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187875A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery

Abstract

A robot system that includes a robot face with a monitor, a camera, a speaker and a microphone. The system may include a removable handle attached to the robot face. The robot face may be controlled through a remote controller. The handle can be remove and replaced with another handle. The remote controller can be covered with a sterile drape or sterilized after each use of the system. The handle and remote controller allow the robot to be utilized in a clean environment such as an operating room without requiring the robot face to be sterilized after a medical procedure. The robot face can be attached to a boom with active joints. The robot face may include a user interface that allows a user to individually move the active joints of the boom.

Claims

1. A robot system, comprising:

a robot face that has a monitor, a camera, a speaker and a microphone; and

,

a removable handle attached to said robot face.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a boom attached to said robot face.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote controller coupled to said robot face.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said robot face includes a CPU, a hard disk drive and a wireless transceiver.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said boom has a plurality of actuators, said robot face includes a CPU, a hard disk drive and a wireless transceiver that are coupled to said actuators to create movement of said robot face in response to signals from said remote control.

6. A method for operating a robot face, comprising:

moving a robot face with a first handle; and

,

replacing the first handle with a second handle.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising controlling the robot face through a remote controller.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting a signal from the remote controller to actuate an actuator of a boom attached to the robot face.

9. A robot system, comprising:

a robot face that has a monitor, a camera, a speaker, a microphone and a wireless transceiver; and

,

a remote controller that is coupled to said wireless transceiver.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a sterile drape that covers said remote controller.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said remote controller is constructed to be sterilized.

12. A method for operating a robot face, comprising:

transmitting a signal from a remote controller to a robot face; and

,

executing a robot face function in response to the signal from the remote controller.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the robot face function includes moving the robot face.

14. A robot system, comprising:

a boom that has a plurality of active joints;

a robot face that is attached to said boom, said robot face includes a monitor, a camera, a speaker and a microphone; and

,

a user interface that allows a user to individually move said joints of said boom.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said user interface includes a plurality of graphical slide bars that can be moved to move said boom joints.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said interface includes at least one memory button that can be selected to move said boom to a desired position.

17. A method for moving a robot face, comprising:

providing a robot face that is attached to a boom with a plurality of active joints;

manipulating a user interface; and

,

moving individually the active points of the boom in response to manipulation of the user interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the manipulation of the user interface includes moving one or more graphical slide bars.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the manipulation of the user interface includes selecting one or more graphical memory buttons.

20. A robot, comprising:

a boom that has a plurality of active joints; and

,

a robot face that is attached to said boom, said robot face includes a monitor, a camera, a speaker and a microphone, said robot face further having a CPU, a hard disk drive and a wireless transceiver, said CPU provides signals to said active joints of said boom in response to a signal received by said wireless transceiver.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said robot face includes a laser pointer that receives signals from said CPU in response to signals received by said wireless transceiver.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising a removable handle attached to said robot face.