Minimally invasive surgical training using robotics and telecollaboration

• US 9,039,681 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2008
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Wang, Yulun, Ghodoussi, Modjtaba, Uecker, Darrin, Wright, James, Mangaser, Amante, Mukherjee, Ranjan
• Primary Examiner(s): ROANE, AARON F
• Application Number:
  US12/173,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,505 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00707 Dummies, phantoms; Devices simulating patient or parts of patient
• 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 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 34/76 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 90/06 Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 19/3418 Telemedicine, e.g. remote diagnosis, remote control of instruments or remote monitoring of patient carried devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• 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 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A medical system that allows a mentor to teach a pupil how to use a robotically controlled medical instrument. The system may include a first handle that can be controlled by a mentor to move the medical instrument. The system may further have a second handle that can be moved by a pupil to control the same instrument. Deviations between movement of the handles by the mentor and the pupil can be provided as force feedback to the pupil and mentor handles. The force feedback pushes the pupil'"'"'s hand to correspond with the mentor'"'"'s handle movement. The force feedback will also push the mentor'"'"'s hand to provide information to the mentor on pupil'"'"'s movements. The mentor is thus able to guide the pupil'"'"'s hands through force feedback of the pupil handles to teach the pupil how to use the system.

Claims

1. A medical robotic system, comprising:

a first medical device;

a first input device operable by a first operator to move the first input device a first input distance;

a second input device operable by a second operator to move the second input device a second input distance; and

,

an instrument controller programmed to provide shared control of the first medical device by the first operator and second operator by commanding movement of the first medical device according to a sum of first and second products wherein the first product is of the first input distance and a first factor that is proportional to the number one minus a user settable parameter value and the second product is of the second input distance and a second factor that is proportional to the user settable parameter value; and

generate and provide a first visual indication so as to be viewable by the first operator wherein the first visual indication indicates a difference between the first and second input distances.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first visual indication is provided on a first bar graph viewable by the first operator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instrument controller is programmed to generate and provide a second visual indication so as to be viewable by the second operator, wherein the second visual indication indicates the difference between the first and second input distances.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second visual indication is provided on a second bar graph viewable by the second operator.

5. A medical robotic system, comprising:

a first medical device;

first input means operable by a first operator to move the first input means a first input distance;

second input means operable by a second operator to move the second input means a second input distance; and

controller means for providing shared control of the first medical device by the first operator and the second operator by commanding movement of the first medical device according to a sum of first and second products wherein the first product is of the first input distance and a first factor that is proportional to the number one minus a user settable parameter value and the second product is of the second input distance and a second factor that is proportional to the user settable parameter value; and

generating and providing a first visual indication so as to be viewed by the first operator wherein the first visual indication indicates a difference between the first and second input distances.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first visual indication is provided on a first bar graph viewable by the first operator.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller means generates and provides a second visual indication so as to be viewable by the second operator, wherein the second visual indication indicates the difference between the first and second input distances.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second visual indication is provided on a second bar graph viewable by the second operator.