SURGICAL ROBOT SYSTEM

• US 20140303643A1
• Filed: 09/18/2013
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ha, Tae Sin, Ko, Won Jun, Kwon, Young Do, Kim, Gyung Rock, Choi, Byung Kwon
• Granted Patent: US 9,439,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00207 with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00212 using remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2065 Tracking using image or pattern recognition
• 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 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means

Abstract

A surgical robot system includes a slave device provided with a surgical instrument and a master device to control motion of the surgical instrument. The master device includes a master manipulation module having a manipulation tool, to which a pose recognizer is attached, and a master control module that estimates a pose of the manipulation tool using pose information acquired via the pose recognizer, generates a surgical instrument pose control signal corresponding to the estimated pose of the manipulation tool, and transmits the control signal to the slave device.

Claims

1. A surgical robot system comprising a slave device comprising a surgical instrument and a master device to control motion of the surgical instrument,

wherein the master device comprises:

a master manipulation module comprising a manipulation tool, to which a pose recognizer is attached; and

a master control module that estimates a pose of the manipulation tool using pose information acquired with the pose recognizer, generates a surgical instrument pose control signal corresponding to the estimated pose of the manipulation tool, and transmits the control signal to the slave device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the master manipulation module comprises:

the manipulation tool comprising a handle and a body;

the pose recognizer to acquire the pose information of the manipulation tool during movement of the manipulation tool;

a Radio Frequency (RF) transmission/reception unit that transmits and receives data to and from the master control module in a wireless manner; and

a first controller that acquires the pose information of the manipulation tool by driving the pose recognizer, and transmits the acquired pose information to the master control module with the RF transmission/reception unit.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the pose recognizer comprises an inertial measurement unit, and

wherein the first controller acquires first pose information of the manipulation tool with the inertial measurement unit, and transmits the acquired first pose information to the master control module with the RF transmission/reception unit.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the master control module comprises:

an RF transmission/reception unit that transmits and receives data to and from the master manipulation module in a wireless manner;

a manipulation tool pose estimation unit that estimates a first pose of the manipulation tool based on the first pose information transmitted with the RF transmission/reception unit; and

a second controller that determines whether or not the estimated first pose is within a valid range, generates a surgical instrument pose control signal corresponding to the estimated first pose if the first pose is within the valid range, and transmits the surgical instrument pose control signal to the slave device.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the valid range is a predetermined workspace range of the manipulation tool.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the master manipulation module further comprises a plurality of markers formed at the manipulation tool,

wherein the master device further comprises a camera to acquire an image of the manipulation tool, and

wherein the second controller detects the plurality of markers from the image acquired with the camera, estimates a second pose of the manipulation tool based on the respective detected markers, calculates a first final pose of the manipulation tool by applying a predetermined weighting factor to coordinates of each of the estimated first pose and second pose, determines whether or not the calculated first final pose is within a valid range, generates a surgical instrument pose control signal corresponding to the first final pose if the first final pose is within the valid range, and transmits the generated surgical instrument pose control signal to the slave device.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the master manipulation module further comprises a motion sensor provided at the manipulation tool to acquire motion information on the manipulation tool,

wherein the first controller acquires motion information on the manipulation tool by driving the motion sensor, and transmits the acquired motion information to the master control module with the RF transmission/reception unit,

wherein the master control module further comprises a manipulation tool motion estimation unit to estimate motion of the manipulation tool based on the motion information transmitted from the master manipulation module, and

wherein the second controller generates a surgical instrument motion control signal corresponding to the estimated motion, and transmits the generated surgical instrument motion control signal to the slave device.

8. The system according to claim 3, wherein the pose recognizer further comprises an RF reception node,

wherein the master device comprises a plurality of RF transmission nodes containing different identification information, and

wherein the first controller acquires second pose information on the manipulation tool based on signal intensity as well as identification information on the plurality of RF transmission nodes transmitted to the RF reception node, and thereafter transmits the acquired first pose information and second pose information to the master control module with the RF transmission/reception unit.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the master control module comprises:

an RF transmission/reception unit that transmits and receives data to and from the master manipulation module in a wireless manner;

a manipulation tool pose estimation unit that estimates a first pose and a third pose of the manipulation tool based on the first pose information and the second pose information transmitted with the RF transmission/reception unit; and

a second controller that calculates a second final pose by applying a predetermined weighting factor to coordinates of each of the estimated first pose and third pose, determines whether or not the second final pose is within a valid range, generates a surgical instrument pose control signal corresponding to the second final pose if the second final pose is within the valid range, and transmits the generated surgical instrument pose control signal to the slave device.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the valid range is a predetermined workspace range of the manipulation tool.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the master manipulation module further comprises a plurality of markers attached to the manipulation tool,

wherein the master device further comprises a camera to acquire an image of the manipulation tool, and

wherein the second controller detects the plurality of markers from the image acquired with the camera, estimates a second pose of the manipulation tool based on the respective detected markers, calculates a third final pose of the manipulation tool by applying a predetermined weighting factor to coordinates of each of the estimated first pose, second pose and third pose, determines whether or not the calculated third final pose is within a valid range, generates a surgical instrument pose control signal corresponding to the calculated third final pose if the third final pose is within the valid range, and transmits the generated surgical instrument pose control signal to the slave device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the valid range is a predetermined workspace range of the manipulation tool.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the master manipulation module further comprises a motion sensor provided at the manipulation tool to acquire motion information on the manipulation tool,

wherein the first controller acquires motion information on the manipulation tool by driving the motion sensor, and transmits the acquired motion information to the master control module with the RF transmission/reception unit,

wherein the master control module further comprises a manipulation tool motion estimation unit to estimate motion of the manipulation tool based on the motion information transmitted from the master manipulation module, and

wherein the second controller generates a surgical instrument motion control signal corresponding to the estimated motion, and transmits the generated surgical instrument motion control signal to the slave device.

14. The system according to claim 2, wherein the master manipulation module further comprises a contact sensor provided at the handle of the manipulation tool to detect whether or not the operator is manipulating the manipulation tool.

15. The system according to claim 2, wherein the master manipulation module further comprises a vibration motor provided at the manipulation tool and a motor drive unit to drive the vibration motor, and

wherein the first controller drives the vibration motor using the motor drive unit to vibrate the manipulation tool if a signal indicating a collision of the surgical instrument is transmitted from the slave device.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the master device further comprises a display unit to display a medical image of a patient.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the display unit comprises at least one of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, a transparent display, a hologram display, and a Head Mounted Display (HMD).

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the master device further comprises a mode input unit to set a connection mode with the slave device.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the mode input unit comprises at least one of a pedal, a switch, and a button.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the master manipulation module and the master control module are separated from each other.

21. A method for controlling motion of a surgical instrument in a robotic slave device, the method comprising:

detecting, using a motion sensor in a master device, pose information of a manipulation tool in the master device;

estimating, in the master device, a pose of the manipulation tool using the detected pose information;

generating, in the master device, a surgical instrument pose control signal corresponding to the estimated pose of the manipulation tool; and

transmitting the control signal to the robotic slave device.