Microsurgical robot system

• US 7,155,316 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deerfield Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microbotics Corporation
• Inventors: Fielding, Tim, McBeth, Paul Bradley, Sutherland, Garnette Roy, Gregoris, Dennis John, Louw, Deon Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US10/639,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20040111183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 700245-249, 700258-264, 600/102, 600/130, 606/205, 606/130, 606/139, 318/568.11, 901 1- 2, 901/9, 414 1- 2
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00911 for fields applied by a magnetic resonance imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2059 Mechanical position encoders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/363 Use of fiducial points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• 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 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• 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 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• 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 34/75 Manipulators having means for prevention or compensation of hand tremors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/20 Surgical microscopes characterised by non-optical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/25 Supports therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 : Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers

Abstract

A robot system for use in surgical procedures has two movable arms each carried on a wheeled base with each arm having a six of degrees of freedom of movement and an end effector which can be rolled about its axis and an actuator which can slide along the axis for operating different tools adapted to be supported by the effector. Each end effector including optical force sensors for detecting forces applied to the tool by engagement with the part of the patient. A microscope is located at a position for viewing the part of the patient. The position of the tool tip can be digitized relative to fiducial markers visible in an MRI experiment. The workstation and control system has a pair of hand-controllers simultaneously manipulated by an operator to control movement of a respective one or both of the arms. The image from the microscope is displayed on a monitor in 2D and stereoscopically on a microscope viewer. A second MRI display shows an image of the part of the patient the real-time location of the tool. The robot is MRI compatible and can be configured to operate within a closed magnet bore. The arms are driven about vertical and horizontal axes by piezoelectric motors.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in micro-surgery and stereotactic surgical procedures on a patient comprising:

an imaging system for obtaining a three dimensional internal image through a selected part of the body of the patient;

a robot for operating on a part of a patient, the robot including;

a movable support assembly arranged to be located in fixed position adjacent a patient;

two movable arms each carried on the support assembly;

each arm having a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement;

each arm having an end effector for carrying a selected surgical tool for operation on the patient;

each end effector including force sensors for detecting forces applied to the tool by engagement with the part of the patient;

a microscope arranged to be located at a position for viewing the part of the patient;

and a workstation and control system including;

a pair of hand-controller simultaneously manipulated by an operator to control movement of a respective one or both of the arms;

each hand-controller having force feedback arranged to be controlled in response to the detected forces for providing haptic effect to the operator such that the hand-controllers can control the arms in effecting micro-surgery;

a first display for displaying at least one first image obtained from the microscope;

a second display for displaying a second image obtained from the imaging system of the part of the patient and for displaying on the second image the real-time location of the tool such that the tool can be guided in stereotaxy.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there is provided on the robot a field camera operable for generating a field image of the part of the patient.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the imaging system for generating the second image is an MRI system and wherein the tool is arranged to be visible in the MRI system such that the image of the tool is visible on the second image of the patient.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each arm has joints defining six degrees-of-freedom and the end effector for the tool actuation has two degrees of freedom.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the end-effector includes a roll actuator for causing roll movements of the tool about a longitudinal axis of the tool and a tool actuator for causing actuation movements of the tool.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the tool actuator is a linear drive mechanism designed to effect movement of an actuation member along the tool.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the linear drive mechanism provides accurate movement and targeting of a cannula and introducer for MR guided stereotactic procedures.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the tool actuator is a linear drive mechanism designed to effect movement of an actuation member along the tool, wherein the tool comprises a pair of forceps and wherein the actuation member comprises a collar for engaging ramp surfaces on the forceps for actuating a squeeze movement of the forceps.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the tool actuator is a linear drive mechanism designed to effect movement of an actuation member along the tool, wherein the tool comprises a pair of scissors and wherein the actuation member moves an actuating rod longitudinally of the scissors for pivoting one blade of the scissors.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the tool actuator is a linear drive mechanism designed to effect movement of an actuation member along the tool, wherein the tool comprises a suction duct and wherein the actuation member moves a blocking collar longitudinally of the suction duct for exposing or covering a suction release opening of the suction duct.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the robot includes a dead-man switch in the robot hand controllers to prevent inadvertent movement of the robot arm and alternative dead-man switches located on the workstation and the robot base.

12. Apparatus for use in surgical procedures on a patient comprising:

an imaging system for obtaining a three dimensional internal image through a selected part of the body of the patient;

a robot for operating on the part of the body of the patient, the robot including;

a movable support assembly arranged to be located in fixed position adjacent the patient;

at least one movable arm carried on the support assembly;

said at least one arm having a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement;

said at least one arm having an end effector for carrying selected surgical tool for operation on the patient;

at least one camera arranged to be located at a position for obtaining a visual image of the part of the patient;

and a workstation and control system including;

at least one hand-controllers to be manipulated by an operator to control movement of said at least one arm;

a first display for displaying the visual image obtained from the at least one camera;

a second display for displaying the three dimensional internal image obtained from an imaging system of the part of the patient and for displaying on the three dimensional internal image the real-time location of the surgical tool;

wherein there is provided a registration system including fiducial marker members located at the part of the patient arranged, when generating the three dimensional internal image of the part of the patient from the imaging system, such that the fiducial marker members are visible in generating the three dimensional internal image;

the control system being arranged to provide, from the robot when the robot is in position for operating on the patient, inputs of the position of the tool relative to the fiducial marker members, whereby the position of the tool is located and displayed on the three dimensional internal image of the part of the patient.

13. Apparatus for use in surgical procedures on a patient comprising:

a magnetic resonance imaging system for obtaining a three dimensional internal image through a part of the body of the patient;

the magnetic resonance imaging system including a magnet having a horizontal bore open at least at one end for receiving the part of the body of the patient therein;

a robot for operating on the part of the body of the patient, the robot including;

a movable support assembly arranged to be located in fixed position adjacent the bore of the magnet;

at least one movable arm carried on the support assembly for extending into the bore;

said at least one arm having a plurality of joints and drive motors therefor defining at least four degrees of freedom of movement of the arm;

said at least one arm having an end effector for carrying a selected surgical tool for operation on the patient;

said at least one arm being arranged such that in use the joints and the motors extend into the bore to allow dextrous manipulation of the tool within the bore to change an angle of an axis of the tool in the bore relative to an axis of the bore and relative to the patient;

at least one camera arranged to be located at a position for obtaining a visual image of the part of the patient;

and a workstation and control system including;

at least one hand-controller to be manipulated by an operator to control movement of said at least one arm;

a first display for displaying the visual image obtained from the at least one camera;

a second display for displaying the three dimensional internal image obtained from the magnetic resonance imaging system of the part of the patient and for displaying on the three dimensional internal image the real-time location of the surgical tool;

wherein the robot is MR compatible in that the joints and motors of the arm can work within me confines of the high magnetic fields of the magnet of the MRI system without being affected by the MRI electromagnetic field emissions and without affecting the quality of the MRI imaging.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said at least one arm comprises two arms and wherein a first one of the arms is arranged such that said first arm can be moved relative to the support to a deployed position and a second one of the arms can be moved relative to the support to a retracted position to allow said first arm only to extend into the bore with the support located at one end of the bore.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the support includes a movable slide table forming an extension thereof onto which the first arm can be moved.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein each joint providing a respective degree of freedom is driven by a piezoelectric ultrasonic motor.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein each joint provides for rotation about either a vertical or a horizontal axis.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein those joints which provide rotation about a horizontal axis are arranged to minimize the moment of those portions of the arm which cantilevered from that joint so as to minimize the force necessary on the joint to counteract gravity.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein some of the joints include a single piezoelectric motor and some include two piezoelectric motors for increased torque.

20. Apparatus for use in surgical procedures on a patient comprising:

an imaging system for obtaining a three dimensional internal image through a selected part of the body of the patient;

a robot for operating on the part of the body of the patient, the robot including;

a movable support assembly arranged to be located in fixed position adjacent the patient;

at least one movable arm carried on the support assembly;

said at least one arm having a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement;

said at least one arm having an end effector for carrying a selected surgical tool for operation on the patient;

at least one camera arranged to be located at a position for obtaining a visual image of the part of the patient;

and a workstation and control system including;

at least one hand-controllers to be manipulated by an operator to control movement of said at least one arm;

a first display for displaying the visual image obtained from the at least one camera;

a second display for displaying the three dimensional internal image obtained from an imaging system of the part of the patient;

wherein the at least one camera includes a microscope having two optical viewing channels each having a respective one of two high definition cameras;

wherein the first display for displaying at least one image from the microscope includes a monitor for viewing an enlarged two dimensional image from the microscope end a two channel microscope viewing system for viewing stereoscopic images from the microscope.

21. Apparatus for use in surgical procedures on a patient comprising:

a robot for operating on the part of the body of the patient, the robot including;

a movable support assembly arranged to be located in fixed position adjacent the patient;

at least one movable arm carried on the support assembly;

said at least one arm having a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement;

said at least one arm having an end effector for carrying a selected surgical tool for operation on the patient;

at least one camera arranged to be located at a position for obtaining a visual image of the part of the patient;

and a workstation and control system including;

at least one hand-controller to be manipulated by an operator to control movement of said at least one arm;

a first display for displaying the visual image obtained from the at least one camera;

the at least one hand-controller having force feedback sensors arranged to be controlled in response to the detected forces for providing haptic effect to the operator;

wherein the force sensors for detecting forces applied to the tool by engagement with the part of the patient include a first sensor for detecting forces in an axial (Z) direction along the tool and a second and third sensor for detecting transverse forces on the tool in the X and Y planes.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the end-effector of each arm includes a roll actuator for causing roll movements of the tool about a longitudinal axis of the tool and a tool actuator for causing actuation movements of the tool and wherein the first force sensor is located on the roll actuator and the second force sensor is located on the tool actuator.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the force sensors are optical force sensors.