METHOD FOR VIDEO PROCESSING USING A BUFFER
Granted: December 8, 2016
Application Number:
20160360159
A method for processing video can include storing input video frame data at a video data buffer and outputting the stored video frame data from the video data buffer at an output video frame rate based on at least an amount of video frame data stored at the video data buffer.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC VIRTUAL COLLISION OBJECTS
Granted: December 1, 2016
Application Number:
20160345929
A system and method of dynamic virtual collision objects includes a control unit for a medical device. The control unit includes one or more processors and an interface coupling the control unit to the medical device. The control unit is configured to determine a position of a first movable segment of the medical device, a volume occupied by the first movable segment being approximated by one or more first virtual collision objects (VCOs); adjust, based on the position and motion goals…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PROVIDE UPDATED PATIENT IMAGES DURING ROBOTIC SURGERY
Granted: November 24, 2016
Application Number:
20160338797
In a method and an apparatus to provide updated images during a robotically-implemented surgical procedure, 3D data are obtained of a volume of a patient, which includes anatomy involved in the procedure. The anatomy is segmented from a reconstructed image of the volume. During the procedure, the surgeon applies forces on the anatomy, causing a geometric change of the anatomy. Force sensors in the surgical robot detect these forces, which are supplied to a processor that controls display…
ADAPTABLE INTEGRATED ENERGY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTROSURGICAL TOOLS IN ROBOTIC SURGICAL SYSTEMS
Granted: November 24, 2016
Application Number:
20160338786
A teleoperated surgical system may comprise a plurality of teleoperated surgical instruments; a user input device; and a controller operably coupled to the user input device and to the plurality of surgical instruments. The user input device may be configured to transmit an activation command to cause activation of a function of a first one of the plurality of surgical instruments in response to input at the user input device, the function being supported by remote-control supply…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ENDOSCOPIC COLECTOMY
Granted: November 17, 2016
Application Number:
20160331376
Apparatus and methods for endoscopic colectomy are described herein. A colectomy device having a first and a second tissue approximation device is mounted on a colonoscope separated from one another. During deployment of the colectomy device, a diseased portion of the colon is positioned inbetween the tissue approximation devices. The tissue approximation devices are radially expanded such that they contact and grasp the colon wall at two sites adjacent to the diseased portion of the…
TELESCOPING BIOPSY NEEDLE
Granted: November 17, 2016
Application Number:
20160331358
What is described is a minimally invasive system comprising an elongate sheath and an elongate instrument slidably disposed within a lumen of the sheath. The sheath includes a flexible tube portion including a plurality of slots, a sheath element, and a rigid tube section, wherein the flexible tube portion is fixedly coupled to a distal end of the sheath element, and the rigid tube section is fixedly coupled to a distal end of the flexible tube. The lumen extends through the sheath…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING THREE-DIMENSIONAL ORIENTATION OF A STEERABLE DISTAL TIP OF AN ENDOSCOPE
Granted: November 17, 2016
Application Number:
20160331331
The present invention relates, generally, to reporting the approximate three-dimensional orientation of the steerable distal portion of an endoscope to the user of the endoscope. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing the endoscope-user a display from which to more easily determine the approximate three-dimensional orientation of the steerable distal portion of the endoscope, thereby facilitating navigation of the endoscope. The present…
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH CONTROL FOR DETECTED FAULT CONDITION
Granted: November 10, 2016
Application Number:
20160324588
A method of controlling a surgical instrument comprising an end effector may comprise detecting a first signal indicating that an end effector component of a surgical instrument is positioned between a first position and a second position; and automatically controlling operation of the end effector component when a second signal is not detected within a predetermined delayed response time period after detecting the first signal, wherein the second signal indicates that the end effector…
INSTRUMENT INTERFACE
Granted: October 27, 2016
Application Number:
20160310115
A mechanical interface for a robotic medical instrument permits engagement of the instrument and a drive system without causing movement of an actuated portion of the instrument. An instrument interface can include a symmetrical, tapered or cylindrical projection on one of a medical instrument or a drive system and a complementary bore in the other of the drive system or the medical instrument. Symmetry of the projection and the bore allows the projection to be compression fit to the…
SIMULATOR SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL PROCEDURE TRAINING
Granted: October 27, 2016
Application Number:
20160314710
Implementations relate to medical simulations for medical procedure training. In some implementations, a system includes a simulation processing component including at least one processor and which generates a virtual environment using position signals that describe at least one of a position and a configuration of a physical surgical instrument relative to a physical surgical site. The simulation processing component updates the virtual environment according to changes in the position…
Catheter Sensor Systems
Granted: October 20, 2016
Application Number:
20160302873
A medical system comprises a catheter having a first section, a second section and a main lumen extending through the first and second sections. The system also includes an imaging probe sized to extend through the main lumen of the catheter. The system also includes a first electromagnetic sensor extending along a longitudinal sensor axis at a proximal end of the first section and a second electromagnetic sensor extending along the longitudinal sensor axis at a distal end of the first…
DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SUPERIMPOSING PATTERNS ON IMAGES IN REAL TIME, PARTICULARLY FOR GUIDANCE BY LOCATION
Granted: October 13, 2016
Application Number:
20160296137
The invention relates to a device for superimposing known patterns, characteristic of a region, on (real) images of said region. The device comprises , a memory in which patterns are stored, which are representative of a selected region, of known position and orientation with relation to a common reference and processing means, for determining a pattern representative of the selected portion in the memory, on receipt of the designation of at least one portion of an observed image of the…
GEOMETRICALLY APPROPRIATE TOOL SELECTION ASSISTANCE FOR DETERMINED WORK SITE DIMENSIONS
Granted: September 29, 2016
Application Number:
20160279801
A robotic system includes a processor that is programmed to determine and cause work site measurements for user specified points in the work site to be graphically displayed in order to provide geometrically appropriate tool selection assistance to the user. The processor is also programmed to determine an optimal one of a plurality of tools of varying geometries for use at the work site and to cause graphical representations of at least the optimal tool to be displayed along with the…
MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM WITH COUPLED CONTROL MODES
Granted: August 25, 2016
Application Number:
20160242860
In a coupled control mode, the surgeon directly controls movement of an associated slave manipulator with an input device while indirectly controlling movement of one or more non-associated slave manipulators, in response to commanded motion of the directly controlled slave manipulator, to achieve a secondary objective. By automatically performing secondary tasks through coupled control modes, the system's usability is enhanced by reducing the surgeon's need to switch to another direct…
TOOL MEMORY-BASED SOFTWARE UPGRADES FOR ROBOTIC SURGERY
Granted: August 25, 2016
Application Number:
20160242859
Robotic devices, systems, and methods for use in robotic surgery and other robotic applications, and/or medical instrument devices, systems, and methods includes both a reusable processor and a limited-use robotic tool or medical treatment probe. A memory the limited-use component includes machine readable code with data and/or programming instructions to be implemented by the processor. Programming of the processor can be updated by shipping of new data once downloaded by the processor…
AUXILIARY IMAGE DISPLAY AND MANIPULATION ON A COMPUTER DISPLAY IN A MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM
Granted: August 18, 2016
Application Number:
20160235496
To assist a surgeon performing a medical procedure, auxiliary images generally indicating internal details of an anatomic structure being treated are displayed and manipulated by the surgeon on a computer display screen to supplement primary images generally of an external view of the anatomic structure. A master input device controlling a robotic arm in a first mode may be switched by the surgeon to a second mode in order to function instead as a mouse-like pointing device to facilitate…
OPTIC FIBER CONNECTION FOR A FORCE SENSING INSTRUMENT
Granted: August 18, 2016
Application Number:
20160235488
In one embodiment, a surgical instrument includes a housing linkable with a manipulator arm of a robotic surgical system, a shaft operably coupled to the housing, a force transducer on a distal end of the shaft, and a plurality of fiber optic strain gauges on the force transducer. In one example, the plurality of strain gauges are operably coupled to a fiber optic splitter or an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer. A fiber optic connector is operably coupled to the fiber optic…
PREVENTING INSTRUMENT/TISSUE COLLISIONS
Granted: August 18, 2016
Application Number:
20160235486
Collisions between a minimally invasive surgical instrument and patient tissue are prevented in various ways. In one aspect, a body cavity is mapped by recording positions of a surgical instrument, and the map is used to insert another surgical instrument. In another aspect, a surgical instrument is inserted into a space vacated by a guide tube. In yet another aspect, a volume is defined in which a control system permits an instrument to move, and the volume is a sum of one volume that…
WRIST MECHANISM FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT
Granted: August 11, 2016
Application Number:
20160228202
A wrist mechanism for a surgical instrument is disclosed. In some implementations, a surgical instrument includes an end effector and a unitary wrist mechanism coupled to the end effector, where the wrist mechanism is formed from a single piece of material. The wrist mechanism provides at least one degree of freedom to the end effector, and includes a plurality of link members linked together as well as one or more flexures, where at least one of the flexures includes a chain of a…
HERMETICALLY SEALED ENDOSCOPE WITH OPTICAL COMPONENT ATTACHED TO INNER PROTECTIVE WINDOW
Granted: August 4, 2016
Application Number:
20160220107
In one embodiment, an endoscopic camera for a robotic surgical system includes a stereo camera module mounted to a robotic arm of a patient side cart. The optical and electro-optic components of the camera module are hermetically sealed within a first housing. Signals from an electro-optic component travel through traces in a ceramic substrate forming one side of the hermetically sealed first housing. A second housing surrounds the first housing and optical fibers are dispersed between…
