Surgical robotics system with tool axis registration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025041012-A1
Application number	US-202418921203-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2024
Priority date	Dec 29, 2011
Publication date	Feb 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A surgical robotics method includes capturing points along a surface of a cutting tool by tracking a probe, deriving a tool axis from relative locations of the points, and controlling, using the tool axis, a robot that interfaces with the cutting tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A surgical robotics method, comprising:
capturing points along a surface of a cutting tool by tracking a probe; deriving a tool axis from relative locations of the points; and controlling, using the tool axis, a robot that interfaces with the cutting tool.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the robot comprises:
tracking orientation of the tool axis; and restricting, by the robot based on the orientation, the tool axis from rotating away from a target axis.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein restricting, by the robot based on the orientation, the tool axis from rotating away from the target axis comprises collapsing a haptic boundary based on change in the orientation of the tool axis.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the robot comprises controlling the robot to constrain the tool axis to a virtual geometry.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein controlling the robot to constrain the tool axis to the virtual geometry comprises causing the robot to provide a feedback force in response to the tool axis interacting with the virtual geometry.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the robot comprises:
determining a target axis relative to a patient from a surgical plan; and controlling the robot based on an angle between the tool axis and the target axis.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein controlling the robot based on the angle between the tool axis and the target axis comprises constraining the cutting tool from crossing a plane if the tool axis is not aligned with the target axis.

8 . The method of claim 1 , comprising selecting a stage from a plurality of stages of a surgical procedure based on a characteristic of the tool axis, wherein controlling, using the tool axis, the robot is based on the selected stage.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutting tool is a rotary burr.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutting tool is a sagittal saw.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein deriving the tool axis comprises projecting the tool axis to a center of the cutting tool.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the robot comprises modifying a location of a boundary surface based on a location of the tool axis and causing the robot to provide force feedback based on an interaction between the cutting tool and the boundary surface.

13 . The method of claim 1 , comprising selecting the cutting tool from a set comprising a saw, a reamer, and a burr.

14 . A surgical robotics system, comprising:
a robot; a cutting tool configured to interface with the robot; a probe; and a tracking system configured to capture points along a surface of the cutting tool by tracking the probe; a computer system programmed to:
derive a tool axis from relative locations of the points; and
control the robot using the tool axis.

15 . The surgical robotics system of claim 14 , wherein the computer system is programmed to control the robot by causing the robot to restrict an orientation of the tool axis such that the cutting tool is constrained from rotating away from a target axis.

16 . The surgical robotics system of claim 14 , wherein the computer system is programmed to control the robot by causing the robot to provide a feedback force in response to the tool axis interacting with a virtual geometry.

17 . The surgical robotics system of claim 14 , wherein the computer system is programmed to determine determining a target axis relative to a patient from a surgical plan and to control the robot based on an angle between the tool axis and the target axis.

18 . The surgical robotics system of claim 14 , wherein the computer system is programmed to control the robot by modifying a location of a boundary surface based on a location of the tool axis and causing the robot to provide force feedback based on an interaction between the cutting tool and the boundary surface.

19 . The surgical robotics system of claim 14 , wherein the cutting tool is a saw.

20 . The surgical robotics system of claim 14 , wherein the tracking system comprises a camera.

Assignees

• Mako Surgical Corp

Inventors

• Iorgulescu Radu
• Granchi Carinne Cecile
• Moses Dennis
• Wojcik Jason Robert

Classifications

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• A61B2034/2055

  Optical tracking systems · CPC title

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title