Patent ID: 8888789

Claim:
A surgical system comprising: a master manipulator; a robotic slave manipulator; a curved cannula coupled to the robotic slave manipulator, a center of motion being defined for the curved cannula, and a straight line instrument insertion and withdrawal axis being defined by a straight line that extends from a longitudinal axis of the curved cannula at a distal end of the curved cannula; a passively flexible instrument shaft that is extendable past the distal end of the curved cannula; and a control system in communication with the master manipulator and the robotic manipulator, wherein the control system determines a motion for the curved cannula based on kinematic control parameters that define the instrument shaft as being positioned along the straight line insertion and withdrawal axis, and wherein the control system commands the robotic manipulator to move the distal end of the curved cannula around the center of motion based on the determined motion of the curved cannula.