Systems and methods for constrained surgical instrument alignment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023074495-A1
Application number	US-202217988859-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 17, 2022
Priority date	Dec 29, 2011
Publication date	Mar 9, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for robotically-assisted surgery includes robotically providing a constraint on movement of an instrument and removing the constraint in response to the instrument moving into alignment with a target axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for robotically-assisted surgery, comprising:
robotically providing a constraint on movement of an instrument; and removing the constraint in response to the instrument moving into alignment with a target axis.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein robotically providing the constraint comprises preventing the instrument from crossing a virtual surface between the instrument and a patient, and wherein removing the constraint enables the instrument to reach the patient.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the target axis is based on a target point defined relative to the patient, wherein the virtual surface is between the instrument and the target point until the constraint is removed.

4 . The method of claim 1 , comprising determining that the instrument is in alignment with the target axis in response to a reference point of the instrument being on the target axis and an axis of the instrument being parallel with the target axis.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein robotically providing the constraint on the movement of the instrument comprises controlling a robotic arm coupled to the instrument.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
robotically providing an additional constraint on the movement of the instrument; and maintaining the additional constraint when removing the constraint.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the additional constraint is based on a Y-shaped or funnel-shaped boundary.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising defining the additional constraint based on the target axis.

9 . A method for guiding an instrument, comprising:
establishing a target axis and a virtual surface relative to a patient; determining, a position and orientation of the instrument relative to the target axis; determining a misalignment of the position or the orientation of the instrument from the target axis; and in response to determining the misalignment, preventing the instrument from moving across the virtual surface toward the patient.

10 . The method of claim 9 , in response to the position and the orientation of the instrument aligning with the target axis, allowing the instrument to move across the virtual surface toward the patient.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein preventing the instrument from moving across the virtual surface comprises exerting, by a robot, a force on the instrument.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
establishing a virtual volume relative to the patient; and constraining the instrument inside the virtual volume using a robot.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the virtual volume is Y-shaped.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising robotically preventing the instrument from rotating away from the target axis.

15 . A medical system, comprising:
a robot; an instrument interfacing with the robot; one or more processors; and computer hardware programmed to:
provide a constraint on movement of the instrument by controlling the robot; and
remove the constraint in response to the instrument moving into alignment with a target axis.

16 . The medical system of claim 15 , wherein the computer hardware is programed to:
establish a virtual surface between the instrument and a patient; and provide the constraint by preventing the instrument from crossing the virtual surface by controlling the robot.

17 . The medical system of claim 15 , wherein the computer hardware is programmed to determine that the instrument is in alignment with the target axis based on a reference point of the instrument being on the target axis and an instrument axis of the instrument being parallel to the target axis.

18 . The medical system of claim 15 , wherein the constraint prevents the instrument from reaching a target point defined relative to a patient, the target axis associated with the target point.

19 . The medical system of claim 15 , wherein the computer hardware is further programmed to provide an additional constraint by defining a virtual volume based on the target axis.

20 . The medical system of claim 15 , wherein the robot is configured such that a user can manipulate the instrument to provide the movement of the instrument.

Assignees

• Mako Surgical Corp

Inventors

• Iorgulescu Radu
• Moses Dennis

Classifications

• A61B34/76

  Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback · CPC title

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B34/20 Primary

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

• A61B17/17

  Guides {or aligning means} for drills {, mills, pins or wires} · CPC title