Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/EP1294285B1/en
Timestamp: 2019-10-20 15:04:47
Document Index: 274322814

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 09', 'art 300', 'art 300', 'art 300', 'art 300', 'art 300', 'arts 58', 'arts 58', 'art 58', 'art 699', 'art 699', 'art 699', 'art 699', 'art 699', 'art 699', 'art 699', 'art 699']

EP1294285B1 - Guided tool change - Google Patents
EP1294285B1
EP1294285B1 EP01950310.1A EP01950310A EP1294285B1 EP 1294285 B1 EP1294285 B1 EP 1294285B1 EP 01950310 A EP01950310 A EP 01950310A EP 1294285 B1 EP1294285 B1 EP 1294285B1
EP01950310.1A
EP1294285A1 (en
EP1294285A4 (en
2000-06-16 Priority to US09/595,777 priority Critical patent/US6645196B1/en
2000-06-16 Priority to US595777 priority
2001-06-15 Application filed by Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc filed Critical Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc
2001-06-15 Priority to PCT/US2001/019276 priority patent/WO2001097694A1/en
2003-03-26 Publication of EP1294285A1 publication Critical patent/EP1294285A1/en
2009-09-30 Publication of EP1294285A4 publication Critical patent/EP1294285A4/en
2014-08-06 Publication of EP1294285B1 publication Critical patent/EP1294285B1/en
This application is related to the following patents and patent applications : PCT International Application No. PCT/US98/19508 , entitled "Robotic Apparatus", filed on September 18, 1998, U.S. Application Serial No. 09/418,726 , entitled "Surgical Robotic Tools, Data Architecture, and Use", filed on October 15, 1999; U.S. Application Serial No. 60/111,711 , entitled "Image Shifting for a Telerobotic System", filed on December 8, 1998; U.S. Application Serial No. 09/378,173 , entitled "Stereo Imaging System for Use in Telerobotic System", filed on August 20,1999; U.S. Application Serial No. 09/398,507 , entitled "Master Having Redundant Degrees of Freedom", filed on September 17, 1999, U.S. Application No. 09/399,457 , entitled "Cooperative Minimally Invasive Telesurgery System", filed on September 17, 1999; U.S. Application Serial No. 09/373,678 , entitled "Camera Referenced Control in a Minimally Invasive Surgical Apparatus", filed on August 13, 1999; U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 09/398,958 , entitled "Surgical Tools for Use in Minimally Invasive Telesurgical Applications", filed on September 17, 1999; and U.S. Patent No. 5,808,665 , entitled "Endoscopic Surgical Instrument and Method for Use", issued on September 15,1998.
The most common form of minimally invasive surgery may be endoscopy. Probably the most common form of endoscopy is laparoscopy, which is minimally invasive inspection and surgery inside the abdominal cavity. In standard laparoscopic surgery, a patient's abdomen is insufflated with gas, and cannula sleeves are passed through small (approximately 1/2 inch) incisions to provide entry ports for laparoscopic surgical instruments. The laparoscopic surgical instruments generally include a laparoscope (for viewing the surgical field) and working tools. The working tools are similar to those used in conventional (open) surgery, except that the working end or end effector of each tool is separated from its handle by an extension tube. As used herein, the term "end effector" means the actual working part of the surgical instrument that is manipulatable for effecting a predetermined treatment of a target tissue, and can include clamps, graspers, scissors, staplers, and needle holders, for example. The terms "surgical instrument", "instrument", "surgical tool", or "tool" refer to a member having a working end which carries one or more end effectors to be introduced into a surgical site in a cavity of a patient, and is actuatable from outside the cavity to manipulate the end effector(s) for effecting a desired treatment of a target tissue in the surgical site. The instrument or tool typically includes a shaft carrying the end effector(s) at a distal end, and is preferably servomechanically actuated by a telesurgical system for performing functions such as holding or driving a needle, grasping a blood vessel, and dissecting tissue.
To perform surgical procedures, the surgeon passes these working tools or instruments through the cannula sleeves to an internal surgical site and manipulates them from outside the abdomen. The surgeon monitors the procedure by means of a monitor that displays an image of the surgical site taken from the laparoscope. Similar endoscopic techniques are employed in, e.g., arthroscopy, retroperitoneoscopy, pelviscopy, nephroscopy, cystoscopy, cistemoscopy, sinoscopy, hysteroscopy, urethroscopy and the like.
WO 00/33755 discloses robotic surgical tools, system s, and methods for prepacing for, and performing robotic surgery including a memory mounted on the tool. The memory can perform a number of functions when the tool is loaded on the tool manipulator. First, the memory can provide a signal verifying that the tool is compatible with that particular robotic system. Secondly, the tool memory may identify the tool-type to the robotic system so that the robotic system can reconfigure its programming. Thirdly, the memory on the tool may indicate tool specific information, including measured calibration offsets indicating misalignment of the tool drive system, tool life data, or the like. This information may be stored in a read only memory (ROM), or in a nonvolatile memory which can be written to only a single time. The invention further provides engagement structures for coupling robotic surgical tools with manipulator structures.
The present invention provides a surgical robotic system comprising a slave manipulator for coupling with and actuating a robotic surgical tool inside a body cavity of a patient; a controller configured to control movement of the slave manipulator and the robotic tool; at least one sensor coupled with the slave manipulator and the controller for sensing an operating position of the robotic surgical tool coupled with the slave manipulator; wherein said controller comprises a computer having computer instructions for firstly determining a virtual wall corresponding to the sensed operating position; and secondly controlling the movement of the slave manipulator, after the first robotic surgical tool is removed from the cavity and decoupled from the slave manipulator, so as to constrain movement in one or more degrees of freedom so that a second robotic surgical tool can be guided to a location in close proximity to the sensed operating position without extending beyond the determined virtual wall.
Embodiments of the invention overcome the problems and disadvantages of the prior art by providing a guided tool change procedure to facilitate guidance of a new tool after a tool change operation back into close proximity to the operating position of the original tool prior to its removal from the surgical site. The system does so by recording the operating position of the original tool and calculating control parameters based on the operating position and the configuration of the new tool to guide the new tool easily and precisely into the vicinity of the operating position. In this way, the tool change procedure can be safer, more accurate, and less time-consuming, thereby minimizing "down time" and risk of injury to the patient.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a system for performing minimally invasive robotic surgery in a body cavity of a patient comprises sensors for sensing an operating position at which a first robotic surgical tool is disposed inside the cavity. The first robotic surgical tool is removed from the cavity. The system further facilitates determining the desired location within the body cavity of a second robotic tool based on the sensed position of the first robotic tool. The second robotic surgical tool is introduced into the cavity and guided to the desired location in close proximity to the operating position.
In some embodiments, the second robotic surgical tool is automatically or manually guided to a target space comprising the recorded position of the first tool's distal end with the target space being defined in part by the recorded position.. The target space may be defined to include a maximum allowable depth which limits the depth of insertion of the distal end of the second robotic surgical tool in the cavity. For instance, the second robotic surgical tool may be placed with the distal end disposed within a preset distance from the sensed position of the distal end of the first robotic surgical tool The second robotic surgical tool may be introduced into the cavity substantially via a straight line from the port of entry of the cavity to the target space.
Another aspect of the system comprises sensors for sensing an operating position at which a first robotic surgical tool is disposed inside the cavity. The first robotic surgical tool is decoupled from the slave manipulator and removed from the cavity. The system further facilitates determining the desired position within the body cavity of a second robotic tool based on the sensed position of the first robotic tool. The second robotic surgical tool is coupled with the slave manipulator, and introduced into the cavity. The second tool is guided to the desired position in close proximity to the operating position.
In some embodiments, the instrument comprises a proximal shaft, a wrist member movably coupled to the shaft at a first joint, and an end effector movably coupled to the wrist member at a second joint. Movement around the first and second joints provide the end effector with multiple degrees of freedom of movement relative to the shaft.
Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating a first surgical tool in an operating position in a surgical site;
Figure 2 is a schematic view illustrating a second surgical tool placed in close proximity to the operating position of the first surgical tool of Figure 1 after a tool change operation;
Figure 3 is a schematic view illustrating a robotic surgical system for placing the distal end of a second surgical tool in a target space derived from the location of the distal end of the first tool in the operating position of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a block diagram of a hierarchical control structure of the system control software for controlling operation of the robotic surgical system of Figure 3;
Figure 4A is a schematic view illustrating a guided tool path;
Figure 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the guided tool change operation according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6A is a perspective view of an operator station of a telesurgical system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 6B is a perspective view of a cart or surgical station of the telesurgical system according to an embodiment of the invention, the cart of this particular embodiment carrying three robotically controlled arms, the movement of the arms being remotely controllable from the operator station shown in Figure 6A;
Figure 7A is a side view of a robotic arm and surgical instrument assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 7B is a perspective view of the robotic arm and surgical instrument assembly of Figure 7A;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 9 is a schematic kinematic diagram corresponding to the side view of the robotic arm shown in Figure 7A, and indicates the arm having been displaced from one position into another position;
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a wrist member and end effector of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 8, the wrist member and end effector being movably mounted on a working end of a shaft of the surgical instrument;
Figure 11A is a perspective view of a hand held part or wrist gimbal of a master control device of the telesurgical system;
Figure 11B is a perspective view of an articulated arm portion of the master control device of the telesurgical system on which the wrist gimbal of Figure 11A is mounted in use;
Figure 11C is a perspective view of the master control device showing the wrist gimbal of Figure 11A mounted on the articulated arm portion of Figure 11B; and
Figures 11D and 11E depict a preferred embodiment of the master control device shown in Figures 11A-11C having a locking mechanism for locking the slave end effector into an actuated position.
Figure 1 shows a surgical tool 500 including a body 502 typically in the form of a shaft and an end effector 504 having a distal end 506. The distal end 506 is typically a tool tip of the end effector 504. The tool 500 is inserted into a surgical site 508 in a cavity of a patient's body via a port of entry 509. The tool body 502 and the end effector 504 are manipulated from outside the surgical site 508 to have a particular orientation at the operating position as shown in Figure 1. A robotic manipulator arm having one or more actuators is typically used to manipulate the surgical tool body 502 and the end effector 504.
When it is desired to remove the tool 500 from the surgical site 508 and introduce another tool 510 as shown in Figure 2, the operating position of the tool 500 is recorded. When the other tool 510 is introduced into the surgical site 508, the recorded data of the operating position of the first tool 500 is used to provide a guide path for the second tool 510 so that it can be moved to the operating position quickly and precisely. The second tool 510 includes a body 512 and an end effector 514 with a distal end 516. Using the recorded position data, the second tool 510 can be accurately positioned at the surgical site, e.g., in a field of view of an endoscope 518 or other viewing instrument. This is a way of performing a guided tool change operation.
Typically, it is desirable to record the operating position of the distal end 506 of the first tool 500, which is then used to determine the desired position of the distal end 516 of the second tool 510. In this way, the depth of insertion of the second tool 510 can be limited by the position of the distal end 516 to prevent extending the second tool 510 too far into the surgical site 508 and causing injury to the patient, especially for a tool with a sharp tool tip. The actual position of the tool tip may be determined before or after tool withdrawal. The second tool 510 preferably may be introduced via a straight line path to position the distal end 516 in the operating position. The straight line is illustrated as an imaginary line 520 in Figure 1 which intersects the target point 522 of the distal end 506 of the first tool 500 in the operating position. The imaginary line 520 may be used as an insertion axis guide for introducing the second tool 510 in Figure 2, and may be referred as an in-out axis or IO axis. The IO axis may represent a degree of freedom of movement of a tool. For instance, the tool be mounted to a carriage that is driven to translate along a linear guide formation of a robotic arm which is movable in additional degrees of freedom including angular displacements to position the tool. For comparison, the operating position of the first tool 500 prior to its removal is shown in broken lines in Figure 2. Of course, the insertion path may be curvilinear in general, as long as the tool is positioned so as not to cause injury to the patient.
Often, it is not necessary to place the second tool 510 with its distal end 516 at precisely the target point 522. A target space 524 may be defined in the vicinity of the target point 522 to provide an acceptable region for positioning the distal end 516, corresponding e.g., to any position within the surgeon's field of view. Figure 2 shows a spherical target space 524 defined by specifying an acceptable distance from the target point 522 in which to place the distal end 516. Another way is to define a rectangular target space by specifying one distance along the imaginary line 520 from the target point 522 and two transverse distances perpendicular to the imaginary line 520 and to one another. Another example of a target space is a conical space or a truncated conical space defined by a yaw angle and a pitch angle of rotating the tool 510 about the port of entry 509. Of course, other ways of defining a target space 524 may be used. The use of a target space advantageously provides a safety factor to prevent extending the tool too far into the surgical site.
Because it is often desirable to limit the insertion depth of the second tool 510 to prevent injury to the patient, particularly if the second tool 510 has a sharp tool tip, a virtual wall or servo wall 526 may be specified to limit the insertion depth relative to the IO axis, as illustrated in Figure 3. The virtual wall 526 may intersect the target point 522 or may be disposed inward or outward along the imaginary line or IO axis 520 relative to the target point 522. For safety reasons, it may be desirable to move the virtual wall 526 from the target point 522 so as to reduce the insertion depth and to provide a margin of error in more reliably avoiding damage to the internal organs or tissue of the patient by the second tool 510. Figure 3 shows a truncated conical target space 524' which is defined in part by the virtual wall 526.
Figure 3 shows a slave manipulator 530 connected with the second tool 510 for moving the tool. The slave manipulator 530 may include a servomechanism. One or more slave sensors 532 may be provided for sensing the movement of the slave manipulator 530 and the tool 510. A controller 534 is coupled with the slave manipulator 530 for controlling operation of the slave manipulator 530. The controller 534 includes a processor 536 and a memory 538. The processor 536 typically includes analog and digital input/output boards, interface boards, and various controller boards. A user interface 540 is generally not necessary, but may be provided for receiving input instructions and displaying outputs if desired. For example, the interface 540 may include a CRT monitor and an input device such as a keyboard.
In a preferred embodiment, a master manipulator 542 is coupled with the controller 534, and one or more master sensors 544 may be provided for sensing movement of the master manipulator 542, as illustrated in Figure 3. The master manipulator 542 is moved by a human operator such as a surgeon. Based on movement of the master manipulator 542, the controller 534 maps the movement of the tool 510 and the slave manipulator 530 onto the movement of the master manipulator 542.
The controller 534 desirably is capable of calculating the control parameters for moving the slave manipulator 530, based on the operating position of the first tool 500 prior to its removal from the surgical site 508 and the configurations and dimensions of the first and second tools 510, to automatically set up a target space 524 in which to place the second tool 510 so that the second tool 510 (more particularly, the distal end 516) is in close proximity to the operating position of the first tool 500. The controller 534 controls the operation of the manipulators 530, 542 by executing system control software, which is a computer program stored in a computer-readable medium such as the memory 538. The memory 538 is typically preferably a non-volatile re programmable "flash" memory. The computer program includes sets of instructions that dictate the mapping operation of the surgical tool onto the master and the guided tool change operation. The computer program code can be written in any known computer readable programming language.
Figure 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the hierarchical control structure of the system control software or computer program 550. Input parameters and instructions entered into the user interface 540 are supplied to a process selector 552 for performing a mapping operation or a guided tool change operation or any other desired operations. A system manager subroutine 554 comprises program code for accepting the specified parameters for the particular operation from the process selector subroutine 552 and controlling the operation of the robotic system shown in Figure 3. The system manager subroutine 554 controls execution of a number of subroutines that control operation of the manipulator 530, 542. For example, Figure 4 shows a mapping subroutine 556 and a tool change subroutine 558. The system manager subroutine 554 controls the operation of the robotic system according to the mapping mode or the tool exchange mode.
In the mapping mode, the mapping subroutine 556 has program code for processing information received from the master sensors 544 representing movement of the master manipulator 542 to produce control signals to be supplied to the slave manipulator 530 for mapping the movement of the tool 510 coupled with the slave manipulator 530 to the movement of the master manipulator 542. An example of a mapping scheme is disclosed in U.S. Application Serial No. 09/373,678 , entitled "Camera Referenced Control in a Minimally Invasive Surgical Apparatus", filed on August 13, 1999,
The general introduction of an instrument into a body cavity, such as for use during endoscopic surgery, requires motion in one or more degrees of freedom. Similarly, there are complementary degrees of freedom during instrument introduction that may be constrained. In the presently-described preferred embodiment, a single degree of freedom - a corresponding to motion along the insertion axis - is available, while all other degrees of freedom are constrained, particularly the other two proximal degrees of freedom of movement, used to position the tool mount before reinsertion, and the distal degrees of freedom of movement associated with the instrument's wrist joint and end effector. These degrees of freedom are released for movement by the surgeon operator once operative connectivity between the master controls and the slave manipulator and tool is reestablished, preferably after tool exchange is completed. Additionally, in the preferred embodiment, the unconstrained degree of freedom constitutes a linear axis of movement coinciding exactly with one joint of the tool mount mechanism. None of these elements of the present preferred embodiment, however, should be understood to constrain the general scope of the present invention, as described below.
Preferably, the constraints constitute a less than rigid, or somewhat "soft," barrier, such as a saturating spring simulation implemented via a backdrivable servo mechanism. It may be appreciated that the stiffness of the constraint presented to the operator is a matter of implementation detail, and does not materially change the essential idea of providing a virtual guide channel through which the instrument is delivered to the surgical site.
To understand how such a general tool change would be beneficial, the following description of a guided tool change using general constraint equations is helpful. Let θi represent a set of coordinates of convenience, with θ1 (without loss of generality) representing the depth of insertion past a reference point such as the remote center or port of entry into the patient's body. A one-dimensional guide path is described by the continuum of points given by the function (θ1, θ2, ... θn) = (θ1, fθ2(θ1), ... , fθ3(θ1), , fθn(θ1)) where fθi are continuous functions of the θ1 coordinate. A multidimensional guide path is a natural extension of this concept: generally the first k variables are free, and the remaining n-k variables are constrained. The mechanism or its computer control is then designed to provide constraints that guide the tool tip so that it always lies at some point on that path. The description then proceeds: (1) The tool mount adjusts so that the tool is initially guided to intersect point (i) in Figure 4A. Point i represents the beginning of the constrained path. (2) As the assistant inserts the tool, the tool mount control system continually (2a) realigns the tool mount guide to pass through point (m1), then (m2), then (m3), by continually adjusting the guide as the tip moves along the continuum of points of the like until it reaches the target space 524 in Figure 4A. In the preferred embodiment, the coordinates of the tool mount mechanism correspond to point (i), and θ1 is the only free variable corresponding to the insertion axis. It will be appreciated that the multidimensional guide path based on the coordinates θi need not only define a path for the distal tip of the too, but may also define a path for other points along the tool or joints in the mechanism to create any complex path, including, for example, serpentine paths.
Figure 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a preferred guided tool change operation performed using the subroutine 558. At the start of the tool change operation, the subroutine determines if tool change is desired (step 560). This may be indicated by, for example, the surgeon's pressing a button, a tool's being removed, etc. If tool change is desired, the subroutine stores the tip location data of the first tool just prior to its withdrawal from the surgical site (step 562). This can occur while the first tool is still in position or after it has been actually withdrawn. The subroutine may also store other information about the state of the first tool or the like, as needed by later computations. Based on the positioning data of the slave recorded in step 562 before tool withdrawal and the dimensions and configuration of the first tool 500, the subroutine 558 typically calculates the coordinates of the distal end 506 of the first tool 500 in relation to a reference point such as the port of entry 509. The calculation may be non-trivial when, for instance, the wrist of the first tool is bent (see Fig. 1), so that different joint angles and positions have to be taken into account. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the insertion path that is calculated for the second tool 510 is the path 520 while the shaft 502 of the first tool 500 prior to withdrawal is aligned with the path 525. In a specific embodiment, the reference point is located at the point of entry 509 into the patient's body, as shown in Figures 1-3. The dimensions and configuration of the first tool 500 will typically be stored in advance in the memory 538 and retrieved by the subroutine 558, or they may alternatively be entered using the user interface 540.
The next step in the guided tool change operation is to recognize and engage the new tool (step 568). The new tool will typically be different from the first tool, although they may be the same tool in some cases. The subroutine may retrieve data on the second tool 510 from the memory 538 via a readable memory chip, which is described in U.S. Application Serial No. 09/418,726 , entitled "Surgical Robotic Tools, Data Architecture, and Use", filed on October 15, 1999
alternatively, the dimensions and other data of the second tool 510 may be entered via the user interface 540. The slave sensors 532 may be used to detect engagement between the second tool 510 and the slave manipulator 530 to ensure proper engagement before the introduction process is performed. The slave manipulator 530 has already been repositioned so that when it is engaged with the proximal end of the second tool 510, the tool is introduced into the surgical site 508 through the port of entry 509 along a predetermined path, for instance, along the IO axis 520. The controller 534 directs the slave manipulator 530 to float the degree of freedom of movement along the IO axis 520 to allow the second tool 510 to move into the surgical site 508, either by a surgeon's assistant or by the controller itself causing the tool to move along the path.
Once the second tool is identified and the system understands the second tool's operating parameters and/or its geometry, the subroutine then sets up the target space 524 and servo wall 526 (Fig. 3) in step 570 based on criteria specified by a user, for instance, as discussed above. The criteria are typically stored internally in the memory 53 8, but they may be specified via the user interface 540 in alternate embodiments.
The present invention may be used with any suitable robotic surgical system. For illustrative purposes, one exemplary system is illustrated in Figures 6A-11E, including an operator station (Figure 6A), a slave manipulator (Figures 6B-7B), a surgical tool (Figures 8-10), and a master manipulator.(Figures 11A-11E).
Figure 6A shows an operator station or surgeon's console 200 of a minimally invasive telesurgical system. The station 200 includes a viewer 202 where an image of a surgical site is displayed in use. A support 204 is provided on which an operator, typically a surgeon, can rest his or her forearms while gripping two master controls (not shown in Figure 6A), one in each hand. The master controls are positioned in a space 206 inwardly beyond the support 204. When using the control station 200, the surgeon typically sits in a chair in front of the control station 200, positions his or her eyes in front of the viewer 202 and grips the master controls one in each hand while resting his or her forearms on the support 204.
Figure 6B shows a cart or surgical station 300 of the telesurgical system. In use, the cart 300 is positioned close to a patient requiring surgery and is then normally caused to remain stationary until a surgical procedure to be performed has been completed. The cart 300 typically has wheels or castors to render it mobile. The station 200 is typically positioned remote from the cart 300 and can be separated from the cart 300 by a great distance, even miles away, but will typically be used within an operating room with the cart 300.
As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, each robotic arm assembly 10 includes an articulated robotic arm 12 and a surgical instrument 14 mounted thereon. As best seen in Figure 8, the surgical instrument 14 includes an elongate shaft 14.1 and a wrist-like mechanism 50 located at a working end of the shaft 14.1. A housing 53, arranged releasably to couple the instrument 14 to the robotic arm 12, is located at an opposed end of the shaft 14.1. The shaft 14.1 is rotatably coupled to the housing 53 at 55 to enable angular displacement of the shaft 14.1 relative to the housing 53 as indicated by arrows H. In Figure 7A, and when the instrument 14 is coupled or mounted on the robotic arm 12, the shaft 14.1 extends along an axis 14.2. The instrument 14 typically is releasably mounted on a carriage 11, which can be driven to translate along a linear guide formation 24 of the arm 12 in the direction of arrows P. This is referred to as the IO and in/out movement. The housing 53 includes spools that are rotatable to control cables to actuate linkages of the end effector 58, as described in U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 09/398,958 , entitled "Surgical Tools for Use in Minimally Invasive Telesurgical Applications", filed on September 17, 1999, which is fully incorporated herein by reference. The robotic arm 12 includes disks for coupling with the spools to drive the spools upon connection of the instrument 14 to the robotic arm 12.
The robotic arm 12 is typically mounted on a base or platform at an end of its associated setup joint arm 95 by a bracket or mounting plate 16. The robotic arm 12 includes a cradle 18, an upper arm portion 20, a forearm portion 22, and the guide formation 24. The cradle 18 is pivotally mounted on the plate 16 in a gimbaled fashion to permit rocking movement of the cradle 18 in the direction of arrows 26 about a pivot axis 28 (Figure 7B). The upper arm portion 20 includes link members 30, 32 and the forearm portion 22 includes link members 34, 36. The link members 30, 32 are pivotally mounted on the cradle 18 and are pivotally connected to the link members 34, 36. The link members 34, 36 are pivotally connected to the guide formation 24. The pivotal connections between the link members 30, 32, 34, 36, the cradle 18, and the guide formation 24 are arranged to constrain the robotic arm 12 to move in a specific manner.
The movements of the robotic arm 12 are illustrated schematically in Figure 9. The solid lines schematically indicate one position of the robotic arm and the dashed lines indicate another possible position into which the arm can be displaced from the position indicated in solid lines.
As can best be seen in Figure 9, the robotic arm 12 provides three degrees of freedom of movement to the surgical instrument 14 when mounted thereon. These degrees of freedom of movement are firstly the gimbaled motion indicated by arrows 26, pivoting or pitching movement as indicated by arrows 27 and the linear displacement in the direction of arrows P. Movement of the arm as indicated by arrows 26, 27 and P is controlled by appropriately positioned actuators, e.g., electrical motors or the like, which respond to inputs from its associated master control to drive the arm 12 to a desired position as dictated by movement of the master control. Appropriately positioned sensors, e.g., potentiometers, encoders, or the like, are provided on the arm and its associated setup joint arm 95 to enable a control system of the minimally invasive telesurgical system to determine joint positions, as described in greater detail below. The term "sensors" as used herein is to be interpreted widely to include any appropriate sensors such as positional sensors, velocity sensors, or the like. By causing the robotic arm 12 selectively to displace from one position to another, the general position of the wrist-like mechanism 50 at the surgical site can be varied during the performance of a surgical procedure.
Referring now to the wrist-like mechanism 50 of Figure 10, the working end of the shaft 14.1 is indicated at 14.3. The wrist-like mechanism 50 includes a wrist member 52. One end portion of the wrist member 52 is pivotally mounted in a clevis 17 on the end 14.3 of the shaft 14.1 by means of a pivotal connection 54. The wrist member 52 can pivot in the direction of arrows 56 about the pivotal connection 54. An end effector 58 is pivotally mounted on an opposed end of the wrist member 52. The end effector 58 has two parts 58.1, 58.2 together defining a jaw-like arrangement.
In Figure 10, the end effector 58 is a gripper. The end effector 58 is pivotally mounted in a clevis 19 on an opposed end of the wrist member 52, by means of a pivotal connection 60. The free ends 11, 13 of the parts 58.1, 58.2 are angularly displaceable about the pivotal connection 60 toward and away from each other as indicated by arrows 62, 63. The members 58.1, 58.2 can be displaced angularly about the pivotal connection 60 to change the orientation of the end effector 58 as a whole, relative to the wrist member 52. Thus, each part 58.1, 58.2 is angularly displaceable about the pivotal connection 60 independently of the other, so that the end effector 58, as a whole, is angularly displaceable about the pivotal connection 60 as indicated in dashed lines in Figure 10. Furthermore, the shaft 14.1 is rotatably mounted on the housing 53 for rotation as indicated by the arrows 59. Thus, the end effector 58 has three degrees of freedom of movement relative to the arm 12 in addition to actuation of the end effector members to, e.g., grip tissue, namely, rotation about the axis 14.2 as indicated by arrows 59, angular displacement as a whole about the pivot 60 and angular displacement about the pivot 54 as indicated by arrows 56. By moving the end effector within its three degrees of freedom of movement, its orientation relative to the end 14.3 of the shaft 14.1 can selectively be varied. The movement of the end effector relative to the end 14.3 of the shaft 14.1 is controlled by appropriately positioned actuators, e.g., electrical motors, or the like, which respond to inputs from the associated master control to drive the end effector 58 to a desired orientation as dictated by movement of the master control. Furthermore, appropriately positioned sensors, e.g., encoders, or potentiometers, or the like, are provided to permit the control system of the minimally invasive telesurgical system to determine joint positions.
One of the master controls 700 is shown in Figure 11C. As seen in Figure 11A, a hand held part or wrist gimbal 699 of the master control device 700 has an articulated arm portion including a plurality of members or links 702 connected together by pivotal connections or joints 704. The surgeon grips the part 699 by positioning his or her thumb and index finger over a pincher formation 706. The surgeon's thumb and index finger are typically held on the pincher formation 706 by straps (not shown) threaded through slots 710. When the pincher formation 706 is squeezed between the thumb and index finger, the fingers or end effector elements of the end effector 58 close. When the thumb and index finger are moved apart the fingers of the end effector 58 move apart in sympathy with the moving apart of the pincher formation 706. The joints of the part 699 are operatively connected to actuators, e.g., electric motors, or the like, to provide for, e.g., force feedback, gravity compensation, and/or the like. Furthermore, appropriately positioned sensors, e.g., encoders, or potentiometers, or the like, are positioned on each joint 704 of the part 699, so as to enable joint positions of the part 699 to be determined by the control system.
The part 699 is typically mounted on an articulated arm 712 as indicated in Figure 11B. Reference numeral 4 in Figures 11A and 11B indicates the positions at which the part 699 and the articulated arm 712 are connected together. When connected together, the part 699 can displace angularly about an axis at 4.
The master control devices 700, 700 are typically mounted on the station 200 through pivotal connections at 717 as indicated in Figure 11B. As mentioned above, to manipulate each master control device 700, the surgeon positions his or her thumb and index finger over the pincher formation 706. The pincher formation 706 is positioned at a free end of the part 699 which in turn is mounted on a free end of the articulated arm portion 712.
The electric motors and sensors associated with the robotic arms 12 and the surgical instruments 14 mounted thereon, and the electric motors and sensors associated with the master control devices 700 are operatively linked in the control system. The control system typically includes at least one processor, typically a plurality of processors, for effecting control between master control device input and responsive robotic arm and surgical instrument output and for effecting control between robotic arm and surgical instrument input and responsive master control output in the case of, e.g., force feedback. An example of a suitable control system is described in U.S. Application Serial No. 09/373,678 , entitled "Camera Referenced Control in a Minimally Invasive Surgical Apparatus", filed on August 13,1999.
The above-described arrangements of apparatus and methods are merely illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention and many other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. For instance, other telesurgical systems, e.g., without a remote center of motion, can be used. Moreover, the present invention may be used for reintroducing the same tool after its removal from the surgical site without a tool change to return the tool to the original operating position. The determination of the target space and insertion depth may be varied. For instance, the operator may specify that the insertion of the new tool after a tool change into the surgical space to stop short by a preset amount on the insertion path to provide a safety zone. Although the target space is defined with reference to the instrument tip in the examples described above, it is understood that another portion of the tool may be used as a point of reference in other embodiments. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.
A surgical robotic system comprising:
a slave manipulator (530) for coupling with and actuating a robotic surgical tool (500) inside a body cavity (508) of a patient;
a controller (534) configured to control movement of the slave manipulator (530) and the robotic tool (500);
at least one sensor (532) coupled with the slave manipulator (530) and the controller (534) for sensing an operating position of the robotic surgical tool (500) coupled with the slave manipulator (530);
wherein said controller (534) comprises a computer having a first set of computer instructions for:
i) determining a virtual wall (526) corresponding to the sensed operating position; and
ii) controlling the movement of the slave manipulator (530), after the first robotic surgical tool (500) is removed from the body cavity and decoupled from the slave manipulator (530), so as to constrain movement in one or more degrees of freedom so that a second robotic surgical tool (510) can be guided to a location in close proximity to the sensed operating position without extending beyond the determined virtual wall (526).
The surgical robotic system of claim 1 wherein said slave manipulator (530) is automatically positioned before the second robotic surgical tool (510) is coupled with the slave manipulator (530).
The surgical robotic system of claim 1 wherein the computer comprises a second set of computer instructions for deriving a target space (524) to place the second robotic surgical tool (510) based on the sensed operating position of the first robotic surgical tool (500).
The surgical robotic system of claim 1 wherein the virtual wall defines a maximum allowable limiting depth of insertion of the distal end of the second robotic surgical tool (510) into the cavity from a port of entry of the cavity.
The surgical robotic system of claim 1 wherein the first set of computer instructions additionally controls the slave manipulator (530) to automatically guide the second robotic surgical tool (510) along a preset insertion path to a location in close proximity to the sensed operating position.
The surgical robotic system of claim 1 further comprising a master manipulator (542), wherein the computer includes a third set of computer instructions for operatively disconnecting the slave manipulator (530) from the master manipulator (542) during introducing and guiding of the second robotic surgical tool (510) and for operatively connecting the slave manipulator (530) with the master manipulator (542) when the second robotic surgical tool (510) reaches the location in close proximity to the operating position so that movement of the slave manipulator (530) is mapped to movement of the master manipulator (542).
The robotic system of claim 1, wherein the controller (534) is programmed to record a position of the first tool (500) upon receiving a start indication to do so.
The robotic system according to claim 7, wherein the controller (534) is programmed to control the movement of the slave manipulator (530) until the controller (534) receives a stop indication which indicates that it is no longer required to do so.
The robotic system according to claim 8, wherein the controller (534) is programmed to define a target space (524) surrounding the sensed operating position and the stop indication is generated by a distal end (516) of the second tool (510) moving into the target space (524).
The robotic system according to claim 8, further comprising a stop input device (540), wherein the stop indication is received from the stop input device (540).
The robotic system according to claim 8, further comprising a master manipulator (542), wherein said computer instructions define a tool change mode and further comprising a second set of instructions defining a mapping mode wherein the controller (534) is programmed to operate in the mapping mode during time periods before receiving the start indication and after receiving the stop indication, in which mode, the controller (534) is programmed to control movement of the slave manipulator (530) so as to be mapped to movement of the master manipulator (542).
The robotic system according to claim 11, wherein the controller (534) is programmed to operate in a tool change mode during a time period between receiving the start and stop indications, in which mode, the controller (534) is programmed to command movement of the slave manipulator (530) so as to be mapped to movement of the master manipulator (542) while constraining movement of the slave manipulator (530) in the one or more degrees of freedom so that the second surgical tool (510) does not move beyond the virtual wall (526).
The robotic system according to claim 11, wherein the controller (534) is programmed to operate in the tool change mode during a time period between receiving the start and stop indications, in which mode, the controller (534) is programmed to command movement of the slave manipulator (530) so that the second tool (510) is moved along a preset insertion path (520) towards the recorded position but not beyond the virtual wall (526).
The robotic system according to claim 13, further comprising:
an endoscope (518) adapted to capture images of the second tool (510) as it moves along at least a portion of the preset insertion path (520);
a viewer (202) for displaying views of the captured images; and
an over-ride switch, wherein the controller (534) is programmed to command movement of the slave manipulator (530) so as to be mapped to movement of the master manipulator (542) during the tool change mode after receiving an indication to do so from the over-ride switch.
The robotic system according to claim 13, wherein the controller (534) is programmed to determine the preset insertion path using information generated by using pre-operative data prior to the controller (534) receiving the start indication.
The robotic system according to claim 13, wherein the controller (534) accesses information indicating the preset insertion path from a memory (538) storing the information.
EP01950310.1A 2000-06-16 2001-06-15 Guided tool change Active EP1294285B1 (en)
US09/595,777 US6645196B1 (en) 2000-06-16 2000-06-16 Guided tool change
US595777 2000-06-16
EP12162128.8A EP2471484A3 (en) 2000-06-16 2001-06-15 Guided tool change
EP12162128.8A Division-Into EP2471484A3 (en) 2000-06-16 2001-06-15 Guided tool change
EP12162128.8A Division EP2471484A3 (en) 2000-06-16 2001-06-15 Guided tool change
EP1294285A1 EP1294285A1 (en) 2003-03-26
EP1294285A4 EP1294285A4 (en) 2009-09-30
EP1294285B1 true EP1294285B1 (en) 2014-08-06
EP12162128.8A Pending EP2471484A3 (en) 2000-06-16 2001-06-15 Guided tool change
EP01950310.1A Active EP1294285B1 (en) 2000-06-16 2001-06-15 Guided tool change
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2000-06-16 US US09/595,777 patent/US6645196B1/en active Active
2001-06-15 WO PCT/US2001/019276 patent/WO2001097694A1/en active Application Filing
2001-06-15 EP EP12162128.8A patent/EP2471484A3/en active Pending
2001-06-15 EP EP01950310.1A patent/EP1294285B1/en active Active
WO2001097694A1 (en) 2001-12-27
EP2471484A3 (en) 2015-03-25
EP1294285A4 (en) 2009-09-30
EP2471484A2 (en) 2012-07-04
EP1294285A1 (en) 2003-03-26
US6645196B1 (en) 2003-11-11
2003-06-04 RIN1 Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected)
Inventor name: NIXON, TOM
Inventor name: NOWLIN, WILLIAM, C.
Inventor name: NIEMEYER, GUNTER, D.
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