System and method for variable velocity surgical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12357306-B2
Application number	US-202217684326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2022
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A computer-assisted device include an actuator and one or more processors. The computer-assisted device is configured to support an instrument having an end effector located at a distal end. To perform an operation with the instrument, the one or more processors are configured to operate the end effector according to a state machine having a first state and a second state. In the first state a velocity set point of the actuator is set to a first velocity. In the second state the velocity set point of the actuator is set to a second velocity lower than the first velocity. The state machine transitions from the first state to the second state when a force or torque applied by the actuator is above a first threshold and transitions from the second state to the first state when the force or torque applied by the actuator is below a second threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-assisted device comprising:
an actuator; and
one or more processors;
wherein the computer-assisted device is configured to support an instrument having an end effector located at a distal end of the instrument;
wherein to perform an operation with the instrument, the one or more processors are configured to:
set a velocity set point of the actuator to a first velocity;
monitor a force or torque applied by the actuator;
in response to the applied force or torque being above a first threshold, decrease the velocity set point;
in response to the applied force or torque being below a second threshold, increase the velocity set point; and
drive the actuator based on the velocity set point.

2. The computer-assisted device of claim 1 , wherein in response to the applied force or torque being above a maximum threshold higher than the first threshold and the second threshold, the one or more processors are configured to set the velocity set point to zero.

3. The computer-assisted device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
wait a predetermined period of time after setting the velocity set point to zero; and
after the predetermined period of time, increase the velocity set point.

4. The computer-assisted device of claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine whether the applied force or torque continues to be above the maximum threshold after the velocity set point is increased after the predetermined period of time; and
in response to the applied force or torque continuing to be above the maximum threshold, indicate a failure in the operation.

5. The computer-assisted device of claim 1 , wherein the operation comprises one or more of grasping, stapling, or cutting.

6. The computer-assisted device of claim 1 , wherein the second threshold is equal to or lower than the first threshold.

7. The computer-assisted device of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are determined based on a velocity profile.

8. The computer-assisted device of claim 7 , wherein the velocity profile is monotonic.

9. The computer-assisted device of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold and the second threshold vary based on the velocity set point.

10. The computer-assisted device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to indicate a success when the end effector reaches a goal position is reached.

11. A method of operating an instrument, the method comprising:
setting, by one or more processors of a computer-assisted device, a velocity set point of an actuator of the computer-assisted device to a first velocity, the actuator being configured to actuate an end effector of the instrument;
monitoring, by the one or more processors, a force or torque applied by the actuator;
in response to the applied force or torque being above a first threshold, decreasing, by the one or more processors, the velocity set point;
in response to the applied force or torque being below a second threshold, increasing, by the one or more processors, the velocity set point; and
driving, by the one or more processors, the actuator based on the velocity set point.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
in response to the applied force or torque being above a maximum threshold higher than the first threshold and the second threshold, setting, by the one or more processors the velocity set point to zero.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
waiting, by the one or more processors, a predetermined period of time after setting the velocity set point to zero; and
after the predetermined period of time, increasing, by the one or more processors, the velocity set point.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining, by the one or more processors, whether the applied force or torque continues to be above the maximum threshold after the velocity set point is increased after the predetermined period of time; and
in response to the applied force or torque continuing to be above the maximum threshold, indicating, by the one or more processors, a failure in operating the instrument.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second threshold is equal to or lower than the first threshold.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are determined based on the velocity set point.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which when executed by one or more processors associated with a computer-assisted device are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
setting, by one or more processors of the computer-assisted device, a velocity set point of an actuator of the computer-assisted device to a first velocity, the actuator being configured to actuate an end effector of an instrument supported by the computer-assisted device;
monitoring, by the one or more processors, a force or torque applied by the actuator;
in response to the applied force or torque being above a first threshold, decreasing, by the one or more processors, the velocity set point;
in response to the applied force or torque being below a second threshold, increasing, by the one or more processors, the velocity set point; and
driving, by the one or more processors, the actuator based on the velocity set point.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising:
in response to the applied force or torque being above a maximum threshold higher than the first threshold and the second threshold, setting, by the one or more processors the velocity set point to zero.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising:
waiting, by the one or more processors, a predetermined period of time after setting the velocity set point to zero; and
after the predetermined period of time, increasing, by the one or more processors, the velocity set point.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining, by the one or more processors, whether the applied force or torque continues to be above the maximum threshold after the velocity set point is increased after the predetermined period of time; and
in response to the applied force or torque continuing to be above the maximum threshold, indicating, by the one or more processors, a failure in operating the instrument.

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Wixey Matthew A
• Brisson Gabriel F
• Burbank William A
• Flanagan Patrick
• Hingwe Pushkar
• Weir David W
• Wilson Jr Donald F

Classifications

• A61B2017/07278

  characterised by its sled or its staple holder · CPC title

• A61B2017/07257

  characterised by its anvil · CPC title

• A61B2017/0725

  with settable gap between anvil and cartridge, e.g. for different staple heights at different shots · CPC title

• A61B2017/00367

  Details of actuation of instruments, e.g. relations between pushing buttons, or the like, and activation of the tool, working tip, or the like · CPC title

• A61B2017/00128

  related to intensity or progress of surgical action · CPC title