Abstract:
A telesurgical mentoring platform with a wheeled base, a lower rack mounted on the base, an upper rack extending vertically from the lower rack, a compactly foldable articulated arm that is configured to extend horizontally outward away from the upper rack and configured to connect to a connector piece holding an end effectuator at its distal end, a tablet personal computer; the console configured to be readily mobilized on the floor of an existing operating room and is capable of providing a connectivity point for communication, audiovisual, and data transfer services in an operating room.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/328,366, filed Apr. 27, 2016, entitled as “System, Apparatus and Methods for Telesurgical Mentoring Platform”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates to the field of telesurgical mentoring platforms for surgeons and/or medical device representatives. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Telesurgical mentoring platforms have evolved as an important subset of telemedicine, yet has remained an underutilized technique in the operating room. 
         [0004]    Telesurgical mentoring typically allows a more experienced surgeon to assist or direct another less experienced surgeon while is operating at a remote location. The benefit is that the more experienced surgeon can assist in a morning surgery in Miami and an afternoon surgery in Los Angeles, while never leaving his practice in New York. 
         [0005]    Doctors can also benefit from the advice of device manufacturers representatives during surgery. For example, a doctor that is installing a new type of stent may need some installation guidance from the manufacturer. The manufacturer&#39;s representative can provide this guidance without having to travel to the medical room. 
         [0006]    One of the primary requirements for conferring telesurgical mentoring is the availability of a clear view of the site of incision on the patient&#39;s body for a remote surgeon. When the local surgeon is working, the camera should be easy to adjust and the platform on which it sits must be very mobile to remotely position the camera in various position via controlling the articulated arms. 
         [0007]    The art in this field demonstrates a need for the continuous improvement on systems that can provide telesurgical mentoring. For example, U.S. Pat No. 4,753,473 issued to Arnett describes about a telesurgical gripper for robotic apparatus used for various applications. Also, U.S. Pat No. 5,872,892 issued to Brown et al. describes a process and apparatus for imparting linear motion to tooling. The tooling is attached to a manipulator device having two different length arms. U.S. Pat No. 6,343,601 issued to Kiske et al. describes a mobile medical supply device with an anesthesia apparatus, with a plurality of supply and drain lines. U.S. Pat No. 4,778,329 issued to Phillips describes a robot with an arm and the movement of the arm defined in XY plane. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat No. 5,971,572 issued to Rouchan a device for the angular positioning of a mass with respect to a horizontal support axis which includes a support arm intended to carry the mass and mounted such that it can be angularly displaced about the support axis. 
         [0009]    Most of the articulated arms described in the prior art may be able to do the job of positioning the camera at various positions. But none of the above described articulated arms can move the camera dexterously by infinitely incremental positions. Even if they do so, they would require repeated manual adjustment which would become a labor-intensive task and would be cumbersome. 
         [0010]    Accordingly, there exists a need for an articulated arm for a medical mobile cart which can be easily maneuvered to infinitival location displacements and controlled efficiently from a remote location. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    The present invention describes an articulated arm connected to a telesurgical mentoring platform which includes a wheeled base, a lower rack mounted on the base, an upper rack extending vertically upwards from the lower rack, display screens attached to the upper rack and a articulated arm extending from the upper portion of the upper rack. 
         [0012]    The telesurgical mentoring platform with an articulated arm as disclosed provides a number of advantages, including perioperative medical device support in the operating room, improved viewing angles and better image quality for doctors and others who are viewing remotely via the electronic display. 
         [0013]    In addition, the articulated arm would help in fine controlling of the position of the end effectuator (for example the end effectuator could be a pan tilt zoom camera, special surgery lighting device or the like) 
         [0014]    Since the portable platform can be maneuvered around the operating table there is no need for the use of ceiling booms to suspend equipment or the ceiling booms can be reserved for larger equipment that is otherwise too heavy to be supported by a floor standing unit. 
         [0015]    Another advantage includes gesture-based control of the pan-tilt-zoom camera for both the users in the operating room and the remote users can manipulate through the use of the tablet device. In addition, the platform provides the ability for users in the operating room and remote user to manipulate the flow of video, audio and data by toggling of video sources, selection of audio output source and selection of data sources. 
         [0016]    Further, the stand portion of the unit can be used to store electronic equipment and it provides a centralized-on board computer that can be readily accessed by the surgeon and medical staff. The floor standing console can also be configured to deliver power and electronic connectivity to equipment. 
         [0017]    It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of examples that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of any claimed subject matter that may later claim priority to the present description. Furthermore, the scope of any such claimed subject matter would not be limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or contained herein. 
         [0018]    These and other embodiments are described in more detail in the following detailed descriptions and the figures. The foregoing is not intended to be an exhaustive list of embodiments and features of the present invention. Persons skilled in the art are capable of appreciating other embodiments and features from the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    Many aspects of the present invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views. 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a front side, isometric view of a telesurgical mentoring platform with an articulated arm, according to embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the unit shown in  FIG. 1 , according to embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a left side view of the unit shown in  FIG. 1 , the right-side view being a mirror image thereof, according to embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a left side view of the unit shown in  FIG. 1  and the articulated arm in a folded configuration. 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a system diagram of the unit shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     SELECTED REFERENCE CHARACTERS 
       [0000]    
       
           100  Illustrates a perspective view of the telesurgical mentoring platform. 
           110  Wheeled Base 
           112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118  Lockable swivel caster wheels 
           120  Lower rack 
           130  Upper rack 
           145  Electronic display 
           150  Articulated arm base 
           155  Electronic display with control capabilities 
           160  Articulated arm 
           170  Articulated head 
           175  Stationary Camera 
           180  Connecting piece 
           185  Control handle 
           190  End effectuator 
           200  Illustrates a top view of the telesurgical mentoring platform. 
           300  Illustrates a side view of the telesurgical mentoring platform. 
           400  Illustrates a side view of the telesurgical mentoring platform with a compactly folded articulated arm. 
           500  Illustrates a system diagram for the telesurgical mentoring platform. 
           510 A and B Imaging Systems 
           520  Video Mixer 
           530 A and B Cameras 
           540  Video Frame Grabber 
           550  Computer 
           560 A and B Blue Tooth headsets 
           570  Monitor 
           580  Power Supply 
           590  Power mains 
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0052]    The embodiments in this disclosure, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4  and described in the text below, are adapted for telesurgical mentoring of operating room surgical procedures, including, but not limited to, orthopedic, spinal, interventional cardiology, peripheral vascular, Neuromodulation, orthopedic, urology and cardiac rhythm management procedures. The different components described in the invention may be made with tube metal or any other suitable material that can be used in a sterile environment such as an operating room. 
         [0053]    The term electronic display shall mean an electronic visual display, informally a screen, and a display device for presentation of images, text, or video transmitted electronically, without producing a permanent record. Electronic visual displays may include television sets, computer monitors, tablet computers, smartphones, and information appliances. 
         [0054]    The term on-board computer shall mean and represent practically any type of computer, computer system or other programmable electronic device having mobile computing capabilities, including a personal computer, a tablet computer, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), Personal Information Manager (PIM), cellular telephone, smartphone, and the like. 
         [0055]    In a preferred embodiment, referring to  FIG. 1 , reference numeral label  100  designates a telesurgical mentoring platform with an articulated arm. Unit  100  has a wheeled base  110  with lockable swivel caster-wheels  112 ,  114 ,  116 , and  118 , a lower rack  120 , an upper rack  130 , electronic display  145 , electronic display with control capabilities  155 , articulated arm base  150 , articulated arm  160 , articulated head  170 , a first camera  175 , connector piece  180 , a handle  185  on the articulated arm and an end effectuator  190 . 
         [0056]    Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIGS. 3, 200 and 300  represent the top plan view and side view respectively of the telesurgical platform. Referring to  FIG. 4, 400  represents a side view of the telesurgical platform with a compactly folded articulated arm. Referring to  FIG. 5, 500  represents a network diagram overview of the components of the telesurgical platform including various components. Imaging systems  510 A and  510 B are connected to a video mixer  520 . The two medical imaging inputs  510 A and  510 B allows for the ability to directly include the inputs from one or more medical imaging systems in the operating room (e.g., Fluoroscopy, Echocardiogram, Endoscope), encrypt their real-time view and transmit the view out to the remote user. The connection inputs can be DVI, HDMI or SDI. Cameras  530 A and  530 B also input their recordings into the video mixer  520  which is in turn is connected to a Video Frame Grabber  540 . The video mixer  520  allows the unit to toggle various video sources and provide multi-screen functionality (like full screen, split screen, tri-view, quad-view). 
         [0057]    A computer  550  takes input from video frame grabber  540  and the videos can be processed on a monitor  570  or a tablet  590 . The output of monitor  570  can be in the form of a HDMI monitor output, which allows for the monitor of the unit to be mirrored to existing monitors in the operating room. 
         [0058]    The computer  550  is also connected to a blue tooth headsets  560 A and  560 B. An ethernet connection  555  is linked to the computer, which allows for connecting to the internet. All the above components are powered by a power supply  580  connected to a main power supply  590 . The medical power supply  580  and  590  allows the unit to operate without being plugged in for a specified period of time without disruption. 
         [0059]    In a non-limiting embodiment, four rolling lockable caster wheels are used with the base  110 . Three wheels  112 ,  114 , and  116  are shown in  FIG. 1 , while the fourth wheel  118  can be visualized in  FIG. 2 . It should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill that the specific structural and material configurations of the base  110  and caster wheels  112 ,  114 ,  116 , and  118  are exemplary only. Other design configurations and any number of caster wheels may be used that generally fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0060]    With continuing reference to  FIG. 1-4 , base  110  is connected to lower rack  120  which is in turn connected to the upper rack  130 . In a non-limiting embodiment, an articulated arm  160  is attached to the upper rack of the telesurgical platform as shown in shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . The lower rack  120  can be of hollow construction resembling a lockable cabinet to accommodate a medical power supply, a quad core computer or a video input converter. Optionally the lower rack  120  may also host accessories required for Bluetooth technology headsets ( 560 A and  560 B), keyboards, mouse and the like. A handle or hook can be attached to the lower rack  120  for holding on to single use sterile covers for the different electronic accessories. 
         [0061]    It should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill that the specific structural and material configurations of articulated arm  160  is exemplary only. Other design configurations and any number of arms may be used that generally fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0062]    The articulated arm  160  is capable of swinging in a horizontal plane extending from the articulated arm base  150  at the top portion of the upper rack. The articulated arm head  170  is connected to a connector piece  180  of varying length which has an end effectuator  190  connected at the distal end. The articulated arm head  170  is also equipped with the capability of swinging the articulated arm  160  and the connector piece  180  in a horizontal plane extending from the articulated head. The freedom for swinging the articulated arm and the connector piece in a horizontal plane makes way for the compact folding feature of the articulated arm as shown in  FIG. 4 . The end effectuator can be a pan tilt zoom camera or a special surgery lighting device or the like. By controlling the position of the articulated arm and articulated head the position of the end effectuator can be maneuvered easily to infinitival incremental desired positions for focusing the end effectutor to the area of interest. 
         [0063]    In a non-limiting embodiment, the lower rack hosts the control unit, which includes an on-board computer, power supply and control lines junction, with the control lines further connecting the electronic display with control capabilities to the articulated arm and articulated head components. Venting interfaces are provided on specific areas to allow airflow, circulation and prevent overheating. The fixed camera  175  on the unit directly below  150  assists in a 360-degree visualization of the operating room and camera  190  on an articulating arm  180  allows for a direct view of the surgical site and/or procedural back-table of medical instruments. 
         [0064]    In another embodiment, the telesurgical platform includes an electronic display  145  and electronic display with control capabilities  155 . In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic display  145  and  155  is a tablet computer with a mobile application installed for connection to the Internet over Wi-Fi or 4G, allowing operating room personnel to communicate securely with personnel who are in a remote location. 
         [0065]    In another preferred embodiment, referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the electronic display  145  or  155  may have touch-screen control or joy stick or any other form of controlling technique which falls in the scope of the invention. 
         [0066]    The on-board computer also typically receives a number of inputs and outputs for communicating information externally. For interface with a user or operator, including doctors and medical staff, the on-board computer typically includes one or more user-input devices (e.g.; a keyboard (not shown), a mouse (not shown), a microphone, or a tablet and an output unit or display (e.g.; an LCD display panel). 
         [0067]    In a preferred embodiment, with respect to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , a setup for the telesurgical mentoring platform can be described as follows. The end effectuator camera  190  can be connected to the on-board computer for transmitting a video stream to the on-board computer. In addition, the on-board computer can be capable of converting the video stream to an encrypted stream that may consist of, for example, 128-bit advanced encryption standard. The video stream may be communicated from the on-board computer through the Internet to a remote user via the electronic display  145  or  155 . 
         [0068]    The many aspects and benefits of the invention are apparent from the detailed description, and thus, it is intended for the following claims to cover all such aspects and benefits of the invention which fall within the scope and spirit of the invention. In addition, because numerous modifications and variations will be obvious and readily occur to those skilled in the art, the claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described herein. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents should be understood to fall within the scope of the invention as claimed herein.