Positioning indicator system for a remotely controllable arm and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11076925-B2
Application number	US-201716327986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2017
Priority date	Sep 19, 2016
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A robotic system includes a base movable relative to a floor surface and a controllable arm extending from the base. The arm is configured to support and move a tool. The arm has a powered joint operable to position and/or orient the tool. The robotic system further includes a positioning indicator. A processor operates the positioning indicator to direct a manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface while the processor is operating the powered joint to maintain the position and/or orientation of the tool during the manual repositioning.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic system comprising:
a base movable relative to a floor surface;
a remotely controllable arm extending from the base and configured to support a tool, the remotely controllable arm having a powered joint operable to move the tool when the tool is supported by the remotely controllable arm;
a positioning indicator; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the positioning indicator and the remotely controllable arm, the processor configured to:
operate the positioning indicator to direct a manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface; and
operate the powered joint to maintain a position of a distal portion of the remotely controllable arm during the manual repositioning.

2. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
operate the powered joint to maintain an orientation of the distal portion of the remotely controllable arm during the manual repositioning.

3. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to operate the powered joint to maintain the position of the distal portion of the remotely controllable arm during the manual repositioning by:
operating the powered joint to maintain the position of the distal portion relative to a location of an access port on a patient through which the tool is to be inserted; or
operating the powered joint to maintain a position of a cannula held by the distal portion; or
operating the powered joint to maintain a position of the tool.

4. The robotic system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cart supported on the floor surface; and
a setup assembly comprising a passive joint, the setup assembly connecting the base to the cart,
wherein the processor is configured to operate the positioning indicator to direct the manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface by:
directing the manual repositioning while the cart is movable relative to the floor surface and the base is movable relative to the cart.

5. The robotic system of claim 1 , further comprising a braking mechanism communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to operate the braking mechanism to inhibit movement of the base away from an optimal base location envelope.

6. The robotic system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a setup assembly for attaching the base to a table, wherein the processor is configured to operate the positioning indicator to direct the manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface by:
directing the manual repositioning while the base is movable relative to the table.

7. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein:
the remotely controllable arm further comprises a second powered joint connected to the powered joint by one or more links,
the second powered joint is operable to move the tool when the tool is supported by the remotely controllable arm, and
the processor is configured to operate the powered joint to maintain the position of the distal portion of the remotely controllable arm during the manual repositioning by:
operating the powered joint and the second powered joint.

8. The robotic system of claim 1 , further comprising a selectively releasable passive joint connected to the base by one or more links and supporting the base above the floor surface,
wherein the processor is configured to operate the powered joint to maintain the position of the distal portion of the remotely controllable arm during the manual repositioning by:
operating the powered joint and the selectively releasable passive joint to maintain the position of the tool.

9. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to operate the positioning indicator to direct the manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface by:
directing the manual repositioning of the base based on a target range of joint states determined by the processor; or
directing the manual repositioning of the base based on an optimal base location envelope above the floor surface determined by the processor.

10. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein:
the positioning indicator comprises indicator lights selectively activatable by the processor, each of the indicator lights positioned to indicate a corresponding repositioning direction of the manual repositioning of the base; or
the positioning indicator comprises a light projector, and the processor is configured to operate the positioning indicator to direct the manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface by: projecting light from the light projector toward the floor surface, the light indicative of a repositioning direction of the manual repositioning of the base.

11. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein:
the positioning indicator comprises an actuator or a braking mechanism, and
the processor is configured to operate the positioning indicator to direct the manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface by:
controlling the positioning indicator to inhibit movement of the powered joint, or to provide a tactile indication to direct the manual repositioning of the base, during the manual repositioning of the base.

12. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
operate the positioning indicator to alert an operator during the manual repositioning of the base that the base is within an optimal base location envelope; or
operate the positioning indicator to alert the operator during the manual repositioning of the base that the base is outside of the optimal base location envelope.

13. The robotic system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor to generate a signal indicative of a manual demonstration of a desired range of motion of the remotely controllable arm,
wherein the processor is configured to operate the positioning indicator to direct the manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface by:
directing the manual repositioning of the base based on the signal indicative of the manual demonstration.

14. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to operate the positioning indicator to direct the manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface by:
directing the manual repositioning of the base based on a location of an obstacle on the floor surface relative to the base; or
directing the manual repositioning of the base based on a location of an end of a rail relative to the base, wherein the base is movable along the rail.

15. The robotic system of claim 1 , further comprising a second remotely controllable arm communicatively coupled to the processor, the second remotely controllable arm configured to support and position a second tool, the second remotely controllable arm having a second powered joint operable to move the second tool,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
operate the second powered joint to maintain a position of a distal portion of the second remotely controllable arm during the manual repositioning.

16. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to operate the positioning indicator to direct the manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface by:
directing the manual repositioning of the base based on a pose of the remotely controllable arm relative to a pose of a second remotely controllable arm.

17. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to operate the positioning indicator to direct the manual repositioning of the base relative to the floor surface by:
directing

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Dimaio Simon Peter
• Bernstein Nicholas Leo
• Millman Paul
• Rabindran Dinesh
• Robertson Alec Paul

Classifications

• A61B2034/306

  Wrists with multiple vertebrae · CPC title

• A61B2034/305

  Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms · CPC title

• A61B2034/2072

  Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient · CPC title

• A61B2034/2055

  Optical tracking systems · CPC title

• A61B2034/2048

  using an accelerometer or inertia sensor · CPC title