Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Arjang M Hourtash

Nitish Swarup

Paul W Mohr

Pushkar Hingwe

Michael Turner

Paul G Griffiths

Bruce M Schena

Nicola Diolaiti

Roman L Devengenzo

Samuel Kwok Wai Au

Amy E Kerdok

Raymond Arthur Bonneau

David W Robinson

John W Zabinski

Mark W Zimmer

Daniel N Miller

Paul Millman

Probal Mitra

Scott Osborne Luke

Brandon D Itkowitz

Daniel H Gomez

Michael Lee Hanuschik

Anthony K McGrogan

Robert E Holop

Jeffrey R Roeder

Thomas Brennan-Marquez

Bram Gilbert Antoon Lambrecht

Goran Adrian Lynch

Niels Smaby

Saleh Tabandeh

Scott O Luke

Daniel Miller

A robotic system includes a manipulator assembly and a processing system. The manipulator assembly includes a first manipulator, a second manipulator, and a drivable structure. The first manipulator and the second manipulator are mechanically coupled to the drivable structure. The processing system is configured to determine a drivable structure motion for effecting a commanded motion for a first end effector of a first tool mechanically coupled to the first manipulator. Performing only the drivable structure motion would cause motion of the first end effector simultaneously with motion of a second end effector, the second end effector being of a second tool mechanically coupled to the second manipulator. The processing system is further configured to determine a movement of the second manipulator and the second tool that, when performed simultaneously with the drivable structure motion, would compensate for the motion of the second end effector.

Method and system for coordinated multiple-tool movement using a drivable assembly

A system and method of breakaway clutching in a device includes a plurality of links coupled by a plurality of joints, a brake coupled to brake a first joint of the plurality of joints, and a control unit operatively coupled to the brake. The control unit includes one or more processors. The control unit switches the first joint from a first state of the first joint to a second state of the first joint in response to a determination that an external stimulus applied to the plurality of links or the plurality of joints meets at least a first criterion and switches the first joint from the second state to the first state in response to a speed associated with the first joint meeting at least a second criterion. The control unit causes more braking with the first brake in the first state than in the second state.

System and method for breakaway clutching in an articulated arm

A system and method of breakaway clutching in a device includes an arm having a first joint and a control unit coupled to the arm. The control unit includes one or more processors. The control unit switches the first joint from a first state of the first joint to a second state of the first joint in response to an external stimulus applied to the arm exceeding a first threshold. Movement of the first joint is more restricted in the first state than in the second state. The control unit further switches the first joint from the second state to the first state in response to a speed associated with the first joint falling below a speed threshold. The first threshold is based on at least one first property of the arm. The speed threshold is based on at least one second property of the arm.

Devices, systems, and methods for positioning an end effector or remote center of a manipulator arm by floating a first set of joints within a null-perpendicular joint velocity sub-space and providing a desired state or movement of a proximal portion of a manipulator arm concurrent with end effector positioning by driving a second set of joints within a null-space orthogonal to the null-perpendicular space. Methods include floating a first set of joints within a null-perpendicular space to allow manual positioning of one or both of a remote center or end effector position within a work space and driving a second set of joints according to an auxiliary movement calculated within a null-space according to a desired state or movement of the manipulator arm during the floating of the joints. Various configurations for devices and systems utilizing such methods are provided herein.

System and methods for positioning a manipulator arm by clutching within a null-perpendicular space concurrent with null-space movement

A system, e.g., a computer-aided medical system, includes a first link, a second link, a joint, and a dual brake assembly. The first link has a first end portion and a second end portion. The second link has a first end portion and a second end portion. The joint is connected to the second end portion of the first link and to the first end portion of the second link. The dual brake assembly is coupled to the first link and to the second link. The dual brake assembly includes a first brake and a second brake. Braking provided by the dual brake assembly reduces relative motion between the first and second links.

Dual brake setup joint

Disclosed herein are apparatus and method for resisting external articulation of one or more joints of a manipulator assembly when the joints are approaching mechanical limits. For example, an articulable system may include a joint mechanism, an actuator coupled to the joint mechanism, a sensor system for sensing a joint state and a controller. The controller can operate the articulable system in an external articulation facilitation mode. The controller can command the actuator to resist movement of the joint in response to the joint state indicating the joint is moving toward a mechanical limit location with a joint velocity meeting a first velocity criterion. The controller can also command the actuator resist movement of the joint at a second joint position when the joint velocity meets a second criterion.

Hard stop protection system and method

A computer-assisted system includes an instrument manipulator assembly including a preload assembly and a motor, an insertion assembly configured to control a position of the instrument manipulator assembly, and a motor controller coupled to the preload assembly. The motor controller is configured to actuate the preload assembly to control an amount of preload applied by the preload assembly to the motor and actuate the preload assembly to apply a low preload in response to detecting that a sterile adapter is mounted to the instrument manipulator assembly.

Controller controlled instrument preload mechanism

A cart for supporting one or more instruments during a computer-assisted remote procedure can comprise a base; a steering interface having a portion configured to be grasped by a user; a sensor mechanism configured to detect a force applied to the steering interface by a user; and a switch operable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The cart may further include a drive system comprising a control module operably coupled to receive an input from the sensor mechanism in response to the force applied to the steering interface and, on the condition that the switch is in the engaged position, to output a movement command based on the received input from the sensor mechanism. A driven wheel mounted to the base of the cart may be configured to impart motion to the cart in response to the movement command.

Surgical patient side cart with drive system and method of moving a patient side cart

A cart for supporting one or more instruments for a computer-assisted, remote procedure can include a base and a support structure extending from the base and adjustable to different configurations, the support structure being configured to support one or more instruments to perform a remote procedure. The cart can further include a steering interface configured to be grasped by a user and a sensor mechanism configured to detect a force applied to the steering interface. The cart also can include a drive system comprising a control module operably coupled to receive an input from the sensor mechanism in response to the force applied to the steering interface and information about a configuration of the support structure, the control module operably coupled to output a movement command based on the received input from the sensor mechanism and the information about the configuration of the support structure. A driven wheel may be mounted to the base and configured to impart wheeled motion to the cart in response to the movement command.

A system and method of breakaway clutching in a device includes an arm including a first joint and a control unit coupled to the arm. The control unit includes one or more processors. The control unit switches the first joint from a first state of the first joint to a second state of the first joint in response to an external stimulus applied to the arm exceeding a first threshold, wherein movement of the first joint is more restricted in the first state of the first joint than in the second state of the first joint, switches the first joint from the second state to the first state in response to a speed associated with the first joint falling below a speed threshold, and prevents the switching of the first joint from the first state to the second state when the arm is in a predetermined mode.

A system includes a manipulator arm configured to support an instrument having an end effector, the manipulator arm including a distal portion, a proximal portion coupled to a base, and a multitude of joints between the distal portion and the base, the multitude of joints providing sufficient degrees of freedom to allow a range of differing joint states of the multitude of joints for a state of the distal portion. The system also includes a processor coupled to the manipulator arm. The processor is configured with a manipulation mode and a clutch mode, the clutch mode selected from the group consisting of: an arm-null-perpendicular-clutch mode, a port-null-perpendicular-clutch mode, and an arm-port-null-perpendicular-clutch mode. The processor is configured to operate the multitude of joints in accordance with at least one of the manipulation mode and the various clutch modes.

A medical system includes a manipulator arm including a movable distal portion, a proximal portion coupled to a base, and joints between the distal portion and the base. A processor coupled to the manipulator arm performs operations including calculating a first movement of the joints in a null-space of a Jacobian of the manipulator arm, the first movement being calculated in accordance with a first objective for arm-to-patient collision avoidance. The operations further include calculating a second movement of the joints in the null-space, the second movement being calculated in accordance with a second objective for arm-to-arm collision avoidance, and combining at least the first and second movements into a combined movement in a manner allowing the first objective to overpower the second objective, and driving the joints to effect the combined movement.

System and methods for managing multiple null-space objectives and SLI behaviors

A computer-assisted teleoperated system includes a pre-load assembly in an instrument manipulator that is under the control of a controller. The controller can automatically cause the preload assembly to engage and disengage a preload. A surgical apparatus includes an instrument manipulator assembly and a sterile adapter assembly. The sterile adapter assembly is mounted in the distal face of the instrument manipulator assembly. When the preload assembly configures the instrument manipulator assembly to apply a preload force on the sterile adapter assembly, the sterile adapter assembly is removable from the distal face of the instrument manipulator. The sterile adapter assembly includes a mechanical sterile adapter assembly removal lockout and a mechanical instrument removal lockout.

Systems and methods of recentering an input control include a control unit configured to suspend teleoperated control of an end effector by the input control in response to a recentering request, determine a recentering move for the input control to provide positional and orientational harmony between the input control and the end effector, execute the recentering move, and reinstate teleoperated control of the end effector by the input control. In some embodiments, to determine the recentering move the control unit is configured to determine one or more first positions associated with the end effector, map the first positions to a view coordinate system, map the first positions from the view coordinate system to a console workspace coordinate system, and determine one or more second positions for one or more control points on the input control, the control points corresponding to the mapped first positions in the console workspace coordinate system.

Systems and methods for recentering input controls

Devices, systems, and methods for providing commanded movement of an end effector of a manipulator while providing a desired movement of one or more joints of the manipulator. Methods include augmenting a Jacobian so that joint movements calculated from the Jacobian perform one or more auxiliary tasks and/or desired joint movements concurrent with commanded end effector movement, the one or more auxiliary tasks and/or desired joint movements extending into a null-space. The auxiliary tasks and desired joint movements include inhibiting movement of one or more joints, inhibiting collisions between adjacent manipulators or between a manipulator and a patient surface, commanded reconfiguration of one or more joints, or various other tasks or combinations thereof. Such joint movements may be provided using joint velocities calculated from the pseudo-inverse solution of the: augmented Jacobian. Various configurations for systems utilizing such methods are provided herein.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Arjang M Hourtash