System and method for manipulating an anatomy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11083531-B2
Application number	US-202016902360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2020
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A system includes a robotic manipulator and an end effector coupled to the robotic manipulator and being moveable for interacting with a target site in a manual mode and an autonomous mode of operation. A navigation system is configured to track a position of the end effector and the target site. One or more controllers are configured to define a virtual boundary relative to the target site, prevent the end effector from penetrating the virtual boundary in the autonomous mode, and allow the end effector to penetrate the virtual boundary in the manual mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a robotic manipulator;
an end effector coupled to the robotic manipulator and being moveable by the robotic manipulator for interacting with a target site in a manual mode and an autonomous mode of operation;
a navigation system configured to track a position of the end effector and the target site; and
one or more controllers configured to:
define a virtual boundary relative to the target site;
prevent the end effector from penetrating the virtual boundary in the autonomous mode; and
allow the end effector to penetrate the virtual boundary in the manual mode.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual boundary is further defined as a first virtual boundary, and the one or more controllers are further configured to:
define a second virtual boundary relative to the target site, the first virtual boundary being spaced from the target site by a first distance and the second virtual boundary being spaced from the target site by a second distance that is different from the first distance.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to:
define a zone between the first virtual boundary and the second virtual boundary;
prevent the end effector from penetrating the zone in the autonomous mode; and
allow the end effector to penetrate the zone in the manual mode.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more controllers allow the end effector to penetrate the zone in the manual mode by further being configured to deactivate one of the first virtual boundary or the second virtual boundary.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to:
control the robotic manipulator according to a first speed in response to determining that the position of the end effector is outside of the zone; and
control the robotic manipulator according to a second speed that is different from the first speed in response to determining that the position of the end effector is within the zone.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to:
define a third virtual boundary relative to the target site, the third virtual boundary being spaced from the target site by a third distance different from the first distance and second distance; and
define a second zone between the third virtual boundary and one of the first virtual boundary or the second virtual boundary.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to:
prevent the end effector from penetrating the second zone in the autonomous mode; and
allow the end effector to penetrate the second zone in the manual mode.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to:
prevent the end effector from penetrating the second zone in the manual mode; and
allow the end effector to penetrate the second zone in the autonomous mode.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to:
allow the end effector to penetrate the second zone in the manual mode by deactivating one of the first virtual boundary, the second virtual boundary, or the third virtual boundary.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor coupled to the end effector being configured to measure forces and torques applied to the end effector.

11. A method of operating a system comprising a robotic manipulator, an end effector coupled to the robotic manipulator and being moveable by the robotic manipulator for interacting with a target site in a manual mode and an autonomous mode of operation, and a navigation system configured to track a position of the end effector and the target site, and one or more controllers for performing the steps of:
defining a virtual boundary relative to the target site;
preventing the end effector from penetrating the virtual boundary in the autonomous mode; and
allowing the end effector to penetrate the virtual boundary in the manual mode.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the virtual boundary is further defined as a first virtual boundary, and comprising the one or more controllers:
defining a second virtual boundary relative to the target site, the first virtual boundary being spaced from the target site by a first distance and the second virtual boundary being spaced from the target site by a second distance that is different from the first distance.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising the one or more controllers:
defining a zone between the first virtual boundary and the second virtual boundary;
preventing the end effector from penetrating the zone in the autonomous mode; and
allowing the end effector to penetrate the zone in the manual mode.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising the one or more controllers allowing the end effector to penetrate the zone in the manual mode by further deactivating one of the first virtual boundary or the second virtual boundary.

15. The method of claim 13 , comprising the one or more controllers:
controlling the robotic manipulator according to a first speed in response to determining that the position of the end effector is outside of the zone; and
controlling the robotic manipulator according to a second speed that is different from the first speed in response to determining that the position of the end effector is within the zone.

16. The method of claim 13 , comprising the one or more controllers:
defining a third virtual boundary relative to the target site, the third virtual boundary being spaced from the target site by a third distance different from the first distance and second distance; and
defining a second zone between the third virtual boundary and one of the first virtual boundary or the second virtual boundary.

17. The method of claim 16 , comprising the one or more controllers:
preventing the end effector from penetrating the second zone in the autonomous mode; and
allowing the end effector to penetrate the second zone in the manual mode.

18. The method of claim 16 , comprising the one or more controllers:
preventing the end effector from penetrating the second zone in the manual mode; and
allowing the end effector to penetrate the second zone in the autonomous mode.

19. The method of claim 17 , comprising the one or more controllers:
allowing the end effector to penetrate the second zone in the manual mode by deactivating one of the first virtual boundary, the second virtual boundary, or the third virtual boundary.

20. A method of operating a system comprising a robotic manipulator, an end effector coupled to the robotic manipulator and being moveable by the robotic manipulator for interacting with a target site in a manual mode and an autonomous mode of operation, and a navigation system configured to track a position of the end effector and the target site, and one or more controllers for performing the steps of:
defining a first virtual boundary spaced from the target site by a first distance;
defining a second virtual boundary spaced from the target site by a second distance that is different from the first distance;
defining a zone between the first virtual boundary and second virtual boundary;
preventing the end effector from penetrating the zone in the autonomous mode; and
allowing the end effector to penetrate the zone in the manual mode.

Assignees

• Mako Surgical Corp

Inventors

• Bowling David Gene
• Stuart John Michael
• Culp Jerry A
• Malackowski Donald W
• Moctezuma De La Barrera José Luis
• Roessler Patrick
• Beer Joel N

Classifications

• A61B17/32

  Surgical cutting instruments ({A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467;} implements for ligaturing and cutting {A61B17/122, A61B17/12; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133}) · CPC title

• A61B34/74

  Manipulators with manual electric input means · CPC title

• A61B34/10

  Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations · CPC title

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B2090/3937

  Visible markers · CPC title