Movable Surgical Mounting Platform Controlled By Manual Motion of Robotic Arms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016199142-A1
Application number	US-201614995523-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Aug 15, 2012
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Robotic and/or surgical devices, systems, and methods include kinematic linkage structures and associated control systems configured to facilitate preparation of the system for use. One or more kinematic linkage sub-systems may include joints that are actively driven, passive, or a mix of both, and may employ a set-up mode in which one or more of the joints are actively driven in response to manual articulation of one or more other joints of the kinematic chain. In an exemplary embodiment, the actively driven joints will move a platform structure that supports multiple manipulators in response to movement of one of the manipulators, facilitating and expediting the arrangement of the overall system by moving those multiple manipulators as a unit into alignment with the workspace. Manual independent positioning of the manipulator can be provided through passive set-up joint systems supporting the manipulators relative to the platform.

First claim

1 . A method of preparing a surgical system for surgery, wherein the surgical system includes at least a platform, a manipulator, a first kinematic structure supporting the platform, a second kinematic structure coupled with the platform and supporting the manipulator, and a first link of the second kinematic structure, the method comprising:
entering a set-up mode of the surgical system in response to sensing an input associated with the set-up mode of the surgical system; after entering the set-up mode of the surgical system, sensing an input displacement of the first link from an initial positional relationship relative to the platform to a displaced positional relationship relative to the platform, the input displacement resulting from a manual articulation of the second kinematic structure so that the first link moves toward a desired position relative to a surgical site; in response to the input displacement, calculating a movement of the first kinematic structure that returns the first link toward the initial positional relationship relative to the platform; and actively driving the first kinematic structure in accordance with the calculated movement.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the input comprises an activation of a dedicated input button associated with the set-up mode of the surgical system.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the input comprises a detection of a joint operation of the second kinematic structure, wherein the joint operation is performed when the surgical system is in a port clutching mode.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the joint operation comprises movement of a joint of the second kinematic structure to within a threshold of a range of motion limit of the joint.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the joint operation comprises movement of a joint of the second kinematic structure to a range of motion limit of the joint.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to entering the set-up mode of the surgical system, entering a port clutching mode of the surgical system by releasing one or more joints of the second kinematic structure.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to sensing the input displacement, moving the platform away from a range of motion limit relative to a joint of the second kinematic structure.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein moving the platform away from the range of motion limit comprises computing a virtual force acting on the platform that mimics a spring installed at the range of motion limit and applying the virtual force to back the platform away from the range of motion limit.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising exiting the set-up mode of the surgical system in response to sensing a cannula attachment to the manipulator.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein sensing the input displacement comprises establishing a desired remote center of motion location of the manipulator relative to the platform.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising altering the desired remote center of motion location of the manipulator during driving of the first kinematic structure.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the desired remote center of motion location of the manipulator is altered based on an anchor velocity command used for driving the first kinematic structure.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the desired remote center of motion location of the manipulator is altered by moving the desired remote center of motion location relative to the platform to keep the anchor velocity command at a saturation limit.

14 . A method of preparing a surgical system for surgery, the surgical system having a kinematic structure supporting a manipulator, the method comprising:
entering a set-up mode of the surgical system in response to sensing an input associated with the set-up mode of the surgical system; establishing a desired remote center of motion location of the manipulator relative to a platform of the kinematic structure; detecting an error between an actual remote center of motion location of the manipulator and the desired remote center of motion location of the manipulator, the error being due to manual movement of a link of the kinematic structure between the platform and the manipulator; and driving a link of the kinematic structure supporting the platform so as to decrease the error and to return the actual remote center location of the manipulator toward the desired remote center location of the manipulator.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising altering the desired remote center of motion location of the manipulator during driving of the link of the kinematic structure supporting the platform.

16 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the desired remote center of motion location of the manipulator is altered based on an anchor velocity command used for driving the link of the kinematic structure supporting the platform.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the desired remote center of motion location of the manipulator is altered by moving the desired remote center of motion location relative to the platform to keep the anchor velocity command at a saturation limit.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising, prior to detecting the error, moving the platform away from a range of motion limit relative to a joint of the kinematic structure supporting the manipulator relative to the platform by computing a virtual force acting on the platform that mimics a spring installed at the range of motion limit and applying the virtual force to back the platform away from the range of motion limit.

19 . A method of preparing a surgical system for surgery, the surgical system having a kinematic structure supporting a manipulator, the method comprising:
in the event a user input to enter a set-up mode of the surgical system is detected during a time that a cannula mounted to a manipulator is sensed, preventing the surgical system from entering the set-up mode.

20 . The method of claim 19 ,
wherein the input comprises a detection of a set-up joint operation associated with the set-up mode of the surgical system; wherein the set-up joint operation is performed when the surgical system is in a port clutching mode; and wherein the set-up joint operation comprises movement of a joint of the kinematic structure supporting the manipulator relative to a platform to within a threshold of a range of motion limit of the joint or to the range of motion limit of the joint.

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Griffiths Paul
• Mohr Paul
• Swarup Nitish
• Costa Michael
• Larkin David
• Cooper Thomas
• Hanuschik Michael

Classifications

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B90/50

  Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms · CPC title

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title

• A61B34/70 Primary

  Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery · CPC title

• A61B34/32

  operating autonomously · CPC title