Integrated medical imaging and surgical robotic system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10959783-B2
Application number	US-201615130258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2015
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

Methods and systems for performing robotically-assisted surgery in conjunction with intra-operative imaging. A method includes moving a robotic arm with respect to a patient and an imaging device to move an end effector of the robotic arm to a pre-determined position and orientation with respect to the patient based on imaging data of the patient obtained by the imaging device. The robotic arm maintains the end effector in the pre-determined position and orientation with respect to the patient and does not collide with the imaging device or with the patient when the imaging device moves with respect to the patient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of performing robotically-assisted surgery, comprising:
moving an end effector and a robotic arm operatively attached with an imaging device with respect to a patient and the imaging device to a pre-determined position and orientation with respect to the patient based on imaging data of the patient obtained by the imaging device;
moving the imaging device and the robotic arm relative to the patient by effecting linear translation along a base of the imaging device, moving the imaging device and the robotic arm linearly relative to the patient;
detecting a movement of the imaging device relative to the patient; and
obtaining an intraoperative image of the patient while concurrently moving the robotic arm to maintain the end effector in the pre-determined position and orientation with respect to the patient while avoiding collisions with the imaging device and with the patient in response to detecting a movement of the imaging device relative to the patient.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm is moved using inverse kinematics.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm comprises a multijoint arm.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the end effector comprises a hollow tube or cannula for defining a trajectory between an entrance point on the exterior of the patient and a target point inside the patient.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the end effector is configured to receive and guide an invasive surgical tool.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the end effector comprises a radiolucent material.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined position and orientation of the end effector with respect to the patient is determined based on a user selection of an entrance point and a target point in a display of the imaging data of the patient obtained by the imaging device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging device comprises a gantry containing at least one imaging component and defining a bore.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the imaging device comprises an x-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning device.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein a support column extends above the base, and a patient support is mounted to the support column, wherein the gantry is located above the base.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the gantry translates relative to the base.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the gantry tilts relative to the base.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the patient support translates and/or rotates with respect to the base.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
tracking a position of at least one of the robotic arm and the imaging device using a motion tracking apparatus.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the motion tracking apparatus comprises at least one marker fixed to the robotic arm and/or the imaging device and a sensing device that detects radiation emitted or reflected by the at least one marker.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one marker comprises an active or passive optical marker and the sensing device comprises a camera.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the camera is attached to the imaging device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the camera moves independently of the movement of the imaging device to maintain a surgical area of the patient within the field of view of the camera.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the camera is attached to a patient support.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one marker is fixed to at least one surgical tool, and the motion tracking apparatus tracks the position of the at least one surgical tool within the surgical area.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the motion tracking apparatus tracks the depth of insertion of a surgical tool into the patient.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising displaying the depth of insertion of the surgical tool overlaying a display of the imaging data obtained by the imaging device.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the motion tracking apparatus is configured to detect a movement of the end effector from the pre-determined position and orientation with respect to the patient.

24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the motion tracking apparatus is configured to detect a movement of the end effector from the pre-determined position and orientation with respect to the patient.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising at least one of notifying a user and stopping the motion of the imaging device in response to detecting a movement of the end effector from the pre-determined position and orientation with respect to the patient.

26. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one marker is fixed to the patient, and the motion tracking apparatus tracks the motion of the patient.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising:
moving the end effector of the robotic arm to compensate for a detected movement of the patient.

28. The method of claim 14 , wherein the position of the robotic arm with respect to the patient and the imaging device is determined based on position data received from at least one of the motion tracking apparatus and the imaging device.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the robotic arm, the imaging device and the motion tracking apparatus operate in a common coordinate system.

30. The method of claim 14 , further comprising generating a boundary surface encompassing at least a portion of the patient, wherein movements of the robotic arm are controlled such that no portion of the robotic arm may enter the boundary surface.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the boundary surface is generated based on a freehand tracing of the at least a portion of the patient using the robotic arm.

32. The method of claim 30 , wherein the boundary surface is generated by tracking a plurality of markers on the patient using the motion tracking apparatus.

33. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that there are no movements of the robotic arm that would not result in either changing the position or orientation of the end effector with respect to the patient or colliding with the imaging device or the patient, and based on this determination, performing operations comprising at least one of:
issuing an alert to a user; and
stopping the motion of the imaging device with respect to the patient.

34. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm is removably attached to the imaging device.

35. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm comprises a first robotic arm having a first end effector that is moved to a first position and orientation with respect to the patient, the method further comprising moving a second robotic arm with respect to the patient and the imaging device to move a second end effector of the second robotic arm to a second pre-determined position and orientation with respect to the patient based on imaging data of the patient obtained by the imaging device, wherein the second robotic arm does not collide with the imaging device or with the patient when the imaging device moves with respect to the patient.

36. A system for performing robotically-assisted surgery, comprising:
a robotic arm having an arm base and an end

Assignees

• Mobius Imaging Llc

Inventors

• Gregerson Eugene A
• Sebring Paul
• Stanton Russell
• Coppen Scott
• Harris Adeline
• Furlong Todd
• Baker Jeff

Classifications

• A61B5/704

  Tables · CPC title

• A61B2505/05

  Surgical care · CPC title

• A61B2090/3937

  Visible markers · CPC title

• A61B2090/3762

  using computed tomography systems [CT] · CPC title

• A61B2090/376

  using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy · CPC title