International Business Machines Corporation

University of California

Bela L Musits

Russell H Taylor

Brent D Mittelstadt

William A Hanson

Howard A Paul

Edward Glassman

Peter Kazanzides

Bayard G Gardineer

Stanley A Manning

Ralph L Hollis, Jr

William O Druschel

Peter Kazanides

Theodore W Leverett

Arthur E Meeks

A robotic surgical system (10) includes a multiple degree of freedom manipulator arm (14) having a surgical tool (22). The arm is coupled to a controller (24) for controllably positioning the surgical tool within a three dimensional coordinate system. The system further includes a safety monitoring processor (38) for determining the position of the surgical tool in the three dimensional coordinate system relative to a volumetric model. The volumetric model may be represented as a constructive solid geometry (CSG) tree data structure. The system further includes an optical tracking camera system (28,32) disposed for imaging a region of space that includes at least a portion of the manipulator arm. An output of the camera system is coupled to the processor (38) that processes the volumetric model for determining if the surgical tool is positioned outside of the volumetric model. The system further includes a strain gage (40) for detecting slippage in three dimensions between an immobilized tissue, such as bone, and a reference point (44). The system also includes multiple and redundant safety features for suspending a motion of the surgical tool to prevent the tool from operating outside of the predetermined volume of space.

Image-directed robotic system for precise robotic surgery including

A robotic surgical system includes a multiple degree of freedom manipulator arm having a surgical tool. The arm is coupled to a controller for controllably positioning the surgical tool within a three dimensional coordinate system. The system further includes a safety monitoring processor for determining the position of the surgical tool in the three dimensional coordinate system relative to a volumetric model. The volumetric model may be represented as a constructive solid geometry (CSG) tree data structure. The system further includes an optical tracking camera system disposed for imaging a region of space that includes at least a portion of the manipulator arm. An output of the camera system is coupled to the processor that processes the volumetric model for determining if the surgical tool is positioned outside of the volumetric model. The system further includes a strain gage for detecting slippage in three dimensions between an immobilized tissue, such as bone, and a reference point. The system also includes multiple and redundant safety features for suspending a motion of the surgical tool to prevent the tool from operating outside of the predetermined volume of space.

A robotic surgical system (10) includes a multiple degree of freedom manipulator arm (14) having a surgical tool (22). The arm is coupled to a controller (24) for controllably positioning the surgical tool within a three dimensional coordinate system. The system further includes a safety monitoring processor (38) for determining the position of the surgical tool in the three dimensional coordinate system relative to a volumetric model. The volumetric model may be represented as a constructive solid geometry (CSG) tree data structure. The system further includes an optical tracking camera system (28, 32) disposed for imaging a region of space that includes at least a portion of the manipulator arm. An output of the camera system is coupled to the processor (38) that processes the volumetric model for determining if the surgical tool is positioned outside of the volumetric model. The system further includes a strain gage (40) for detecting slippage in three dimensions between an immobilized tissue, such as bone, and a reference point (44). The system also includes multiple and redundant safety features for suspending a motion of the surgical tool to prevent the tool from operating outside of the predetermined volume of space.

Changeable finger tools for the gripper of an object manipulator are held in place by a self-releasing detent supplemented by frictional forces produced by the gripper. The retention technique enables fast, efficient automatic changing of the finger tools.

Robot manipulator with automatically changeable finger tools

Mounting a position sensor equipped planar armature, in operative juxtaposition to a stator, by a spring colonnade basket of flexure columns, provides a low-friction precision X-Y-Theta positioner which has computer control of operations with feedback of actual position for closed loop servo operation. The spring colonnade basket provides freedom of motion in the X, Y and Theta (rotation about an axis mutually perpendicular to X and Y) dimensions without static friction present in sliding or rolling motions. The armature, which carries a gripper or other end effector and is free to move only within its own plane, is positioned by a motor made up of the armature and a stator mounted on a support platform. The stator is made up of a pair of U-shaped permanent magnets, each having U-shaped pole pieces mounted orthogonally to each other, at 45 degree angles to the axis of the magnet, so that each electromagnet controls motive power in both X and Y dimensions. Imbalances in the vector sums of the motive power of the electromagnets produces torque which provides Theta motion. Position sensors are mounted on the armature and stator. Position sensing signals are fed back to a computer for use in operations including repositioning The computer can vary the compliance of the flexure columns by adjusting the motor control currents as a function of a compliance variable.

Electromagnetic X-Y-Theta precision positioner

Static free fluid bearing track system

A portable carrier for a semiconductor wafer is detachably connected to an air slide so that the wafer can be propelled from the carrier to the air slide and vice versa by air from the air slide. The carrier has a chamber with an air slide base on which the wafer is supported by air from the air slide when the wafer is to be propelled into or out of the chamber. The carrier has a single wafer port, which is sealed except when the carrier is connected to the air slide, through which the wafer enters or exits when propelled by air from the air slide. When the carrier chamber is sealed, the wafer is retained in position within the chamber by retaining means, which are rendered ineffective when the wafer is to be propelled into or out of the chamber.

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Hopewell Junction, NY, United States of America

Bela L Musits