Arm cart for telerobotic surgical system

• US 6,837,883 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Ramans, Andris D., Rosa, David J., Guthart, Gary S., Niemeyer, Gunter D., Salisbury, J. Kenneth Jr., Nowlin, William C., Tierney, Michael J., Moll, Frederic H., Mintz, David S., Blumenkranz, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Shawna J.
• Application Number:
  US09/972,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/424, 600/102, 901/2, 901/46, 901/47, 901/8, 901 14- 18, 901/30, 901/36, 700/245, 700/247, 700/248, 606/1, 606/130
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/506 using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Improved robotic surgical systems, devices, and methods often include a first assembly with a surgical end effector supported and manipulated relative to a first base by a first robotic linkage, while a second surgical end effector manipulated and supported relative to a second, independent base by a second robotic linkage. One or more of these robotic assemblies may be moved relative to the other. To coordinate the end effector movements with those of input devices being manipulated by a surgeon relative to a display of a surgical worksite, the processor deriving the commands for movement of the robotic linkages may make use of a signal indicating a relative orientation of the bases of the robotic arm assemblies. Surprisingly, the robotic arm assemblies may not transmit signals to the processor indicating a relative translational position of the bases.

Claims

1. A robotic surgical system comprising:

a first linkage assembly having a first base coupled to a first surgical end effector by a first robotic linkage;

a second linkage assembly having a second base coupled to a second surgical end effector by a second robotic linkage, the second base being independent of the first base and having an orientation input device generating a relative orientation signal;

a master controller having at least one handle manipulatable by a hand of an operator;

a processor transmitting movement commands to the first and second linkage assemblies, the processor deriving the movement commands at least in part from manipulation of the handle, and at least in part from the relative orientation signal received by the processor and indicating an orientation of the first base relative to the second base;

wherein the first and second bases are disposed on a flat surface, the relative orientation signal indicating a horizontal angle of the second base relative to the first base alone the flat surface.

2. The robotic surgical system of claim 1, wherein the first and second bases rest on a floor, the relative orientation signal indicating a horizontal angle of the second base relative to the first base along the floor.

3. The robotic surgical system of claim 2, wherein the second linkage assembly comprises rollers rollable to effect translation of the second base along the floor without changing the horizontal orientation of the base when the base is in a first configuration, the rollers effecting translation and horizontal orientation changes when the second base is in a second configuration, movement of the base relative to the floor being inhibited when the base is in a third configuration.

4. The robotic surgical system of claim 1, wherein the orientation input device comprises indicia of alignment manually alignable with the first base.

5. The robotic surgical system of claim 1, wherein the second linkage comprises a manipulator defined by a series of links coupled together by robotically driven joints, the second linkage also having a positioning linkage supporting the manipulator relative to the base, the positioning linkage comprising a series of support links coupled together by manually articulable joints, articulation of at least one of the manual joints changing an orientation of the manipulator, the at least one orientation-changing manual joint having a joint state sensor transmitting a manual joint signal to the processor, the processor deriving the movement commands from the manual joint signal, articulation of at least one of the manual joints effecting translation of the manipulator without changing an orientation of the manipulator, wherein the processor derives the movement commands without reference to any joint state sensor coupled to the at least one translational manual joint.

6. The robotic surgical system of claim 1, wherein the processor derives the movement commands so that the first and second surgical end effectors appear substantially connected to the at least one handle in an image of a surgical worksite visible on a display adjacent the master controller.

7. The robotic surgical system of claim 6, further comprising an arm selector coupled to the processor, the processor selectably operatively associating the first surgical end effector or the second surgical end effector with a first handle of the master controller in response to an arm selector signal from the arm selector.

8. The robotic surgical system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the surgical end effectors comprises an endoscope.

9. The robotic surgical system of claim 1, where the first and second end effectors comprise tissue manipulation tools, and further comprising an image capture device coupled to the first base by a third robotic linkage, the image capture device coupled to a display adjacent the master controller.

10. A robotic surgical system comprising:

a first linkage assembly having a first base coupled to a first surgical end effector by a first robotic linkage;

a second linkage assembly having a second base coupled to a second surgical end effector by a second robotic linkage, the second base being independent of the first base;

a master controller having at least one handle manipulatable by a hand of an operator;

a processor transmitting movement commands to the first and second linkage assemblies, the processor deriving the movement commands at least in part from manipulation of the handle, and at least in part from a relative orientation signal indicating an orientation of the first base relative to the second base;

wherein the first and second bases rest on a floor, the relative orientation signal indicating a horizontal angle of the second base relative to the first base along the floor;

an orientation input device supported by the second base, the input device generating the relative orientation signal;

wherein the orientation input device comprises indicia of alignment manually alignable with the first base; and

wherein the orientation input device comprises an electrical component, the indicia of alignment rotatably coupled to the electrical component into horizontal alignment with the first base, the relative orientation signal comprising an electrical characteristic of the component.

11. A robotic surgical system comprising:

a first linkage assembly having a first base coupled to a first surgical end effector by a first robotic linkage;

a second linkage assembly having a second base coupled to a second surgical end effector by a second robotic linkage, the second base supporting the second end effector independently of the first base;

a relative orientation indicating system transmitting a relative orientation signal indicating a relative orientation between the first base and the second base to a processor;

the relative orientation signal indicating a horizontal angle of the second base relative to the first base along a flat surface to which the first and second bases are disposed;

a display having an image of a surgical worksite;

a master controller adjacent the display and having at least one input manipulatable by a hand of an operator;

the processor transmitting movement commands to the first and second linkage assemblies so that images of the first and second surgical end effectors shown in the display appear substantially connected to the at least one input, the processor deriving the movement commands in response to the relative orientation signal received from the relative orientation indicating system.

12. The robotic surgical system of claim 11, wherein the second base comprises rollers for movement of the second base along a floor.

13. The robotic surgical system of claim 11, wherein the second linkage comprises a manipulator defined by a series of links coupled together by robotically driven joints, the second linkage also having a positioning linkage supporting the manipulator relative to the base, the positioning linkage comprising a series of support links coupled together by manually articulable joints, articulation of at least one of the manual joints changing an orientation of the manipulator, the at least one orientation-changing manual joint having a joint state sensor transmitting a manual joint signal to the processor, the processor deriving the movement commands from the manual joint signal, articulation of at least one of the manual joints effecting translation of the manipulator without changing an orientation of the manipulator, wherein the processor derives the movement commands without reference to any joint state sensor coupled to the at least one translational manual joint.

14. A robotic arm system for use with a robotic surgical system having a processor generating movement command signals, the processor coupled to a first robotic linkage having a first base and at least one input of a master controller disposed adjacent to a display, the arm system comprising:

a second robotic linkage supporting a surgical end effector relative to a second base independent of the first base, the second linkage coupled to the processor and moving robotically in response to the command signals, the second robotic linkage manually movable in a first degree of freedom so as to change an orientation of the end effector, the base of the second robotic linkage manually movable in a second degree of freedom so as to effect translation of the end effector without changing an orientation of the end effector;

an orientation indicating system supported by the second base and couplable to the processor, the orientation indicating system transmitting an orientation signal indicating an orientation of the second base relative to the first base sufficient for use by the processor in deriving the movement commands for the second linkage so that an image of the surgical end effector shown in the display appears substantially connected to the at least one input, wherein no signal is transmitted to the processor from the orientation indicating system indicating a position of the second base along the second degree of freedom for use by the processor in deriving the movement commands.

15. A surgical robotic method comprising:

moving a first base of a first robotic linkage, the first base supporting a first surgical end effector independently of a second base of a second robotic linkage supporting a second surgical end effector;

transmitting a relative orientation signal to a processor, the signal indicating an orientation of the first base relative to the second base, wherein the first and second bases are disposed on a flat surface, the relative orientation signal indicating a horizontal angle of the second base relative to the first base along the flat surface;

deriving movement command signal with the processor by manipulating at least one input device coupled to the processor and with reference to the relative orientation signal; and

moving the first and second surgical end effectors with the first and second robotic linkages in response to the movement command signals.

16. The surgical robotic method of claim 15, wherein the input comprises a handle manipulated with reference to an image of the first surgical end effector seen in a display, and wherein the movement command signals are derived so that the image of the first end effector appears substantially connected with the handle.

17. The surgical robotic method of claim 15, wherein moving the base effects an orientational change in alignment of the base and a translational change in position, and wherein the movement command signals are derived without reference to the translational change in position.