Methods and systems for controlling a surgical robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11896318-B2
Application number	US-201917048736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2019
Priority date	Apr 19, 2018
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

Methods and systems for controlling a robotic arm include tracking a motion of a handheld device using a motion tracking system, and controlling a robotic arm to adjust at least one of a position and an orientation of an end effector of the robotic arm based on the tracked motion of the handheld device. Further embodiments include methods and systems for transferring a robotic arm from a mounting surface to a mobile cart that include tracking the location of the mobile cart relative to the robotic arm using a motion tracking system, and controlling the robotic arm to move the arm into a pose that facilitates transferring the robotic arm from the mounting surface to the mobile cart based on the tracked location of the mobile cart.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transferring a robotic arm from a mounting surface to which the robotic arm is attached during use to a mobile cart for storage and/or transport of the robotic arm, the method comprising:
tracking the location of the mobile cart relative to the robotic arm using a motion tracking system comprising an optical sensor device;
determining the arrangement of a joint disposed between linkages of the robotic arm based on signals from an encoder associated with the joint; and
controlling the robotic arm to move at least one linkage of the robotic arm to place the robotic arm into a pose that facilitates transferring the robotic arm from the mounting surface to the mobile cart based on the tracked location of the mobile cart determined with the optical sensor device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile cart comprises a marker device that enables the mobile cart to be tracked in three-dimensional space by the optical sensor device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the robotic arm includes controlling the robotic arm to move at least one linkage of the robotic arm to arrange a distal end of the robotic arm at a target location based on the tracked location of the mobile cart.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the target location is aligned with an entrance to a housing in the mobile cart configured to receive the robotic arm within the housing.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the mobile cart includes a platform disposed within the housing; and
wherein the method further comprises supporting the robotic arm on the platform within the housing.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising raising the platform within the housing to at least partially lift the robotic arm from the housing.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising providing user feedback with an indicator when the target location is at a location for transferring the robotic arm to the mobile cart.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein controlling the robotic arm to move the distal end of the robotic arm to the target location occurs in response to a user input event occurring based on user engagement with a user input device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mounting surface is located on a carriage that is moveable along a support element of an imaging device; and
wherein the method further comprises moving the carriage and the robotic arm together along the support element of the imaging device to a pre-determined loading/unloading position.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm comprises a marker device that enables the robotic arm to be tracked in three-dimensional space by the optical sensor device.

11. A system for robot-assisted surgery, comprising:
a robotic arm including a joint arranged between linkages, and an encoder associated with the joint;
a mounting surface to which the robotic arm is attached during use;
a mobile cart arranged to receive the robotic arm for storage and/or transport;
a motion tracking system configured to track the location of the mobile cart relative to the robotic arm, the motion tracking system comprising an optical sensor device; and
a controller coupled to the robotic arm and to the motion tracking system, the controller comprising a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
tracking the location of the mobile cart relative to the robotic arm using the motion tracking system;
determining the arrangement of the joint of the robotic arm based on signals from the encoder; and
controlling the robotic arm to move at least one linkage of the robotic arm to place the robotic arm into a pose that facilitates transferring the robotic arm from the mounting surface to the mobile cart based on the tracked location of the mobile cart determined with the optical sensor device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the mobile cart comprises a marker device that enables the mobile cart to be tracked in three-dimensional space by the optical sensor device.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the robotic arm to move at least one linkage of the robotic arm to arrange a distal end of the robotic arm at a target location based on the tracked location of the mobile cart.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising an indicator coupled to the controller; and
wherein the controller is further configured to activate the indicator to provide user feedback when the target location is at a location for transferring the robotic arm to the mobile cart.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the indicator is configured to provide user feedback as an audio and/or visual alert.

16. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a user input device coupled to the controller; and
wherein the controller is further configured to move the distal end of the robotic arm to the target location in response to a user input event occurring based on user engagement with the user input device.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the mobile cart includes a housing configured to receive the robotic arm within the housing for storage and/or transport; and
wherein the target location is aligned with an entrance to the housing in the mobile cart.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the mobile cart further includes a platform disposed within the housing for supporting the robotic arm.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the platform is movable within the housing to at least partially lift the robotic arm from the housing when the platform is raised.

20. The system of claim 11 , further comprising an imaging device configured to obtain diagnostic images of a patient, the imaging device including a base, an O-shaped gantry movably coupled to the base, and a support element extending over an outer surface of the O-shaped gantry; and
wherein the mounting surface is located on a carriage that is movable along the support element of the imaging device, with the carriage and the robotic arm being movable together along the support element to a pre-determined loading/unloading position.

Assignees

• Mobius Imaging Llc

Inventors

• Stanton Russell
• Row Gordon
• Daley Edward

Classifications

• A61B34/20 Primary

  Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis · CPC title

• A61B34/10

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

• A61B34/74

  Manipulators with manual electric input means · CPC title

• A61B90/39

  Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers · CPC title

• B25J5/00

  Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages (B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 {; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00}) · CPC title