Patent ID: 8504188
Filing Date: 2013-08-06
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
1. A method for computer-assisted generation of a manipulator path, comprising: providing and loading a virtual tool into a computerized processor, said virtual tool virtually mimicking an actual tool; providing and loading a virtual component into said computerized processor, said virtual component virtually mimicking an actual component with which said actual tool is to interact in a tool/component interaction; in said computerized processor, generating a virtual tool path of said virtual tool with respect to said virtual component in order to produce said tool/component interaction; providing and loading a virtual manipulator kinematic into said computerized processor, said virtual manipulator kinematic virtually mimicking kinematics of an actual manipulator; in said computerized processor, automatically generating a virtual manipulator path, to be implemented by said actual manipulator, based on said virtual tool path and said virtual manipulator kinematic, said virtual manipulator path comprising a part of a virtual manipulator process to be executed by said actual manipulator in order to produce said tool/component interaction, said virtual manipulator process having process values associated therewith; providing and loading a virtual manipulator controller into said computerized processor, said virtual manipulator controller mimicking an actual controller that generates a control instruction for said actual manipulator based on said virtual manipulator controller and said virtual manipulator process; via said computerized processor, allowing editing of said process values after said virtual tool path has been generated, and thereby producing an edited virtual manipulator process in said computerized processor, and allowing modification of said control instruction to produce a modified control instruction; via said computerized processor, automatically conforming said control instruction or, when present, said modified control instruction, and the virtual manipulator process or, when present, the edited virtual manipulator process, to each other in order to produce at least one of an adapted control instruction and an adapted virtual manipulator process; and making the control instruction or, when present, the adapted control instruction, available at an output of said computerized processor in an electronic form transferrable to said actual manipulator controller for use by said actual manipulator controller to operate said actual manipulator.