Patent ID: 7725214

Claim:
A distributed control system for a minimally invasive surgical system, comprising: a control and transform processor; a master arm controller that is associated with a master arm, wherein the master arm controller is coupled to send master arm following data to the control and transform processor; an instrument controller that is associated with an instrument slave arm, wherein the instrument controller is coupled to send instrument following data to the control and transform processor; an imaging system controller that is associated with an imaging system slave arm, wherein the imaging system controller is coupled to send imaging system following data to the control and transform processor; and a guide tube controller that is associated with a guide tube slave arm, wherein the guide tube controller is coupled to send guide tube following data to the control and transform processor; wherein the control and transform processor is coupled to send the following data received from the instrument controller to the imaging system and guide tube controllers, the following data received from the imaging system controller to the instrument and guide tube controllers, and the following data received from the guide tube controller to the instrument and imaging system controllers.