Efficient Vision and Kinematic Data Fusion For Robotic Surgical Instruments and Other Applications
Granted: December 30, 2010
Application Number:
20100331855
Robotic devices, systems, and methods for use in telesurgical therapies through minimally invasive apertures make use of joint-based data throughout much of the robotic kinematic chain, but selectively rely on information from an image capture device to determine location and orientation along the linkage adjacent a pivotal center at which a shaft of the robotic surgical tool enters the patient. A bias offset may be applied to a pose (including both an orientation and a location) at the…
ARM WITH A COMBINED SHAPE AND FORCE SENSOR
Granted: December 30, 2010
Application Number:
20100332030
A bend sensor is used to determine force applied to a robotic arm. The force may be an external force applied to the arm, an internal actuation force, or both. In some aspects, a stiffening element is used to restore the arm to a minimum kinematic energy state. In other aspects, the stiffening element is eliminated, and the arm is fully actuated.
RATCHETING FOR MASTER ALIGNMENT OF A TELEOPERATED MINIMALLY-INVASIVE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT
Granted: December 30, 2010
Application Number:
20100332031
A minimally-invasive surgical system includes a slave surgical instrument having a slave surgical instrument tip and a master grip. The slave surgical instrument tip has an alignment in a common frame of reference and the master grip, which is coupled to the slave surgical instrument, has an alignment in the common frame of reference. An alignment error, in the common frame of reference, is a difference in alignment between the alignment of the slave surgical instrument tip and the…
CONTROL OF MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM MANIPULATOR ABOUT KINEMATIC SINGULARITIES
Granted: December 30, 2010
Application Number:
20100332033
A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulatable instruments extending out of its distal end, an entry guide manipulator providing controllable four degrees-of-freedom movement of the entry guide relative to a remote center, and a controller configured to manage operation of the entry guide manipulator in response to operator manipulation of one or more input devices. As the entry guide manipulator approaches a yaw/roll singularity, the controller modifies its…
COMPLIANT SURGICAL DEVICE
Granted: December 30, 2010
Application Number:
20100331820
A compliant surgical device such as a flexible entry guide employs tendons to operate or steer the device and attaches asymmetric or constant force spring systems to control tension in the tendons. As a result, the surgical device can be compliant and respond to external forces during a surgical procedure without rapidly springing back or otherwise causing a reaction that damages tissue. The compliance also permits manual positioning or shaping of the device during or before insertion…
MODULAR FORCE SENSOR
Granted: December 16, 2010
Application Number:
20100313679
A modular force sensor apparatus, method, and system are provided to improve force and torque sensing and feedback to the surgeon performing a telerobotic surgery. In one embodiment, a modular force sensor includes a tube portion including a plurality of strain gauges, a proximal tube portion for operably coupling to a shaft of a surgical instrument that may be operably coupled to a manipulator arm of a robotic surgical system, and a distal tube portion for proximally coupling to a wrist…
VIRTUAL MEASUREMENT TOOL FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY
Granted: December 16, 2010
Application Number:
20100317965
Robotic and/or measurement devices, systems, and methods for telesurgical and other applications employ input devices operatively coupled to tools so as to allow a system user to manipulate tissues and other structures being measured. The system may make use of three dimensional position information from stereoscopic images. Two or more discrete points can be designated in three dimensions so as to provide a cumulative length along a straight or curving structure, an area measurement, a…
VIRTUAL MEASUREMENT TOOL FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY
Granted: December 16, 2010
Application Number:
20100318099
Robotic and/or measurement devices, systems, and methods for telesurgical and other applications employ input devices operatively coupled to tools so as to allow a system user to manipulate tissues and other structures being measured. The system may make use of three dimensional position information from stereoscopic images. Two or more discrete points can be designated in three dimensions so as to provide a cumulative length along a straight or curving structure, an area measurement, a…
CLEANING OF A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT FORCE SENSOR
Granted: November 25, 2010
Application Number:
20100298843
In one embodiment, a force sensing robotic surgical instrument includes a proximal housing linkable with a surgical robot arm, a shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion operably coupled to the housing, and a force transducer operably coupled to the distal portion of the shaft, the force transducer having a proximal portion, a distal portion, a plurality of radial ribs, and a strain gauge positioned over each of the plurality of radial ribs, the radial…
Articulated Surgical Instrument for Performing Minimally Invasive Surgery with Enhanced Dexterity and Sensitivity
Granted: November 18, 2010
Application Number:
20100292708
An articulated surgical instrument for enhancing the performance of minimally invasive surgical procedures. The instrument has a high degree of dexterity, low friction, low inertia and good force reflection. A unique cable and pulley drive system operates to reduce friction and enhance force reflection. A unique wrist mechanism operates to enhance surgical dexterity compared to standard laparoscopic instruments. The system is optimized to reduce the number of actuators required and thus…
CUT AND SEAL INSTRUMENT
Granted: November 18, 2010
Application Number:
20100292691
A combined electrical tissue sealing and mechanical tissue cutting instrument. The instrument has two opposing jaw members. A removable cartridge is positioned in one of the jaw members. The cartridge includes a tissue sealing electrode and a tissue cutter. As either the tissue sealing electrode or the cutter deteriorates with use, the cartridge is replaced with a new cartridge. Cartridges are configured with various electrode geometries to accommodate various associated electro-surgical…
MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM WITH COUPLED CONTROL MODES
Granted: October 28, 2010
Application Number:
20100274087
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…
HERMETICALLY SEALED DISTAL SENSOR ENDOSCOPE
Granted: October 14, 2010
Application Number:
20100261961
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…
CASTER
Granted: October 7, 2010
Application Number:
20100251514
A caster assembly includes a primary wheel and a secondary wheel. As the caster assembly is rolled against and over an obstacle threshold, the secondary wheel is positioned to contact the obstacle threshold first. As the caster assembly begins to roll over the threshold, the secondary wheel lifts the caster assembly part way. As the caster assembly continues to roll over the threshold, the primary wheel contacts the threshold and lifts the caster assembly over the obstacle threshold. One…
TARGETS, FIXTURES, AND WORKFLOWS FOR CALIBRATING AN ENDOSCOPIC CAMERA
Granted: September 30, 2010
Application Number:
20100245541
The present disclosure relates to calibration assemblies and methods for use with an imaging system, such as an endoscopic imaging system. A calibration assembly includes: an interface for constraining engagement with an endoscopic imaging system; a target coupled with the interface so as to be within the field of view of the imaging system, the target including multiple of markers having calibration features that include identification features; and a processor configured to identify…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ASSISTING AN OPERATOR IN ENDOSCOPIC NAVIGATION
Granted: September 30, 2010
Application Number:
20100249506
Navigation guidance is provided to an operator of an endoscope by determining a current position and shape of the endoscope relative to a reference frame, generating an endoscope computer model according to the determined position and shape, and displaying the endoscope computer model along with a patient computer model referenced to the reference frame so as to be viewable by the operator while steering the endoscope within the patient.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING VISUAL GUIDANCE TO AN OPERATOR FOR STEERING A TIP OF AN ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE TOWARD ONE OR MORE LANDMARKS IN A PATIENT
Granted: September 30, 2010
Application Number:
20100249507
Landmark directional guidance is provided to an operator of an endoscopic device by displaying graphical representations of vectors adjacent a current image captured by an image capturing device disposed at a tip of the endoscopic device and being displayed at the time on a display screen, wherein the graphical representations of the vectors point in directions that the endoscope tip is to be steered in order to move towards associated landmarks such as anatomic structures in a patient.
OPTIC FIBER CONNECTION FOR A FORCE SENSING INSTRUMENT
Granted: September 30, 2010
Application Number:
20100250000
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…
SURGICAL SYSTEM WITH ELECTRO-MECHANICAL INTERFACES TO MOUNT ROBOTIC SURGICAL ARMS
Granted: September 23, 2010
Application Number:
20100241138
In one embodiment of the invention, a method of mounting a surgical robotic arm to a set-up arm of a robotic surgical system is provided that includes sliding a pair of guide slots of the surgical robotic arm over a pair of guide tabs in the set-up arm; aligning electrical connectors in the set-up arm to electrical connectors of the surgical robotic arm; and coincidentally mating male electrical connectors to female electrical connectors while finally mating the guide tabs in the set-up…
ERGONOMIC SURGEON CONTROL CONSOLE IN ROBOTIC SURGICAL SYSTEMS
Granted: September 9, 2010
Application Number:
20100225209
A control console to remotely control medical equipment is disclosed having a base with an ergonomically adjustable pedal system. The base further has an opening to receive the pedal system. The pedal system includes a moveable pedal tray with a pedal base. The tray includes a first left pedal assembly and a first right pedal assembly, and an upper tier having a second left pedal assembly and a second right pedal assembly respectively in alignment with and elevated above the first left…
