Systems and methods for defining and modifying range of motion of probe used in patient treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11771512-B2
Application number	US-202117304572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2021
Priority date	Jun 26, 2020
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A system for treating a target tissue of a patient comprises a first robotic arm coupled to a treatment probe for treating the target tissue of the patient, and a second robotic arm coupled to an imaging probe for imaging the target tissue of the patient. The system further comprises one or more computing devices operably coupled with the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm, the one or more computing devices configured to execute instructions for controlling movement of one or more of the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm. The treatment probe and/or imaging probe may be constrained to be moved only within an allowable range of motion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for treating or imaging tissue of a patient, said system comprising:
a probe sized for insertion into the patient;
a robotic arm configured to couple to the probe;
one or more computing devices operatively coupled to the robotic arm and configured with instructions for:
establishing an allowable range of motion for the probe, the allowable range of motion stored on a memory of the one or more computing devices, wherein establishing the allowable range of motion further comprises;
defining a possible range of motion for a distal end of the probe; and
modifying the possible range of motion of the distal end of the probe to define the allowable range of motion for the distal end of the probe;

treating or imaging a target tissue of the patient with the probe; and
moving the robotic arm to affect movement of the probe within the allowable range of motion for the probe.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein defining the possible range of motion for the distal end of the probe further comprises defining a region within which the distal end of the probe is capable of moving.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the region is defined by a mathematical representation of the region.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the region is defined by an image of the region, the image including dimensions of the probe and a possible angular movement of the distal end of the probe.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the probe is an imaging probe and the system further comprises a treatment probe sized for insertion into the patient.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein modifying the possible range of motion of the distal end of the probe to define the allowable range of motion further comprises activating and performing a training or teaching mode for the system, the training or teaching mode comprising a user manipulating one or both of the imaging or treatment probes to define a limit on the possible range of motion of the distal end of one or both of the imaging or treatment probes.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the training or teaching mode is conducted when both probes are outside of the patient.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the training or teaching mode is conducted when both probes are inside of the patient.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising operating the imaging probe to obtain an image of the treatment probe, and in response to the image, constraining the allowable range of motion of the distal end of the treatment probe.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising operating the imaging probe to obtain an image of the treatment probe, and in response to the image, constraining the allowable range of motion of the distal end of the imaging probe.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising operating the imaging probe to obtain an image of the treatment probe, and in response to the image, automatically moving the distal end of the imaging probe within a predetermined area to avoid collision with the treatment probe.

12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising operating the imaging probe to obtain an image of a patient's anatomy, and in response to the image, constraining the allowable range of motion of the distal end of the imaging probe.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying the possible range of motion of the distal end of the probe comprises comparing the possible range of motion to a scan of the patient showing an area of the patient's anatomy near a treatment site and modifying the possible range of motion to avoid harm to the patient from the distal end of the probe in a region around the treatment site.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising processing the obtained image using an image recognition application to identify an organ or region of tissue of the patient.

15. A method of treating target tissue at a target site of a patient, said method comprising:
manually inserting a probe into the patient;
coupling the probe to a robotic arm;
establishing an allowable range of motion for the probe, the allowable range of motion stored on a memory of one or more computing devices operably coupled with the robotic arm, wherein establishing the allowable range of motion further comprises;
defining a possible range of motion for a distal end of the probe; and
modifying the possible range of motion of the distal end of the probe to define the allowable range of motion for the distal end of the probe;

treating or imaging the target tissue of the patient with the probe; and
moving the robotic arm under control of the one or more computing devices operably coupled with the probe, to affect movement of the probe within the allowable range of motion for the probe.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein defining the possible range of motion for the distal end of the probe further comprises defining a region within which the distal end of the probe is capable of moving.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the region is defined by a mathematical representation of the region.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the region is defined by an image of the region, the image including dimensions of the probe and the possible angular movement of the distal end of the probe.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the probe is an imaging probe and the method further comprises a treatment probe sized for insertion into the patient.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein modifying the possible range of motion of the distal end of the probe to define the allowable range of motion further comprises activating and performing a training or teaching mode for the method, the training or teaching mode comprising a user manipulating one or both of the imaging or treatment probes to define a limit on the possible range of motion of the distal end of one or both of the imaging or treatment probes.

Assignees

• Procept Biorobotics Corp

Inventors

• Mantri Surag
• Staid Kevin Patrick
• Hemphill Jason
• Hudelson Kevin Louis

Classifications

• A61B34/70 Primary

  Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery · CPC title

• A61B34/25

  User interfaces for surgical systems · CPC title

• A61B34/37

  Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B90/03

  Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety · CPC title

• A61B90/361

  Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras · CPC title