Mako Surgical Corporation

Chris Lightcap

Hyosig Kang

Jason Karl Otto

Carinne Cecile Granchi

Radu Iorgulescu

Brian D Schmitz

Jason Robert Wojcik

Rony Abovitz

Arthur E Quaid, Iii

Robert Van Vorhis

Benny Hagag

A method of operating a surgical system includes controlling a robotic arm in a first control mode in which the robotic arm constrains movement of a surgical tool coupled to the robotic arm to a virtual geometry correlated with an anatomical feature, switching, responsive to the surgical tool crossing an exit boundary, from the first control mode to a second control mode, and controlling the robotic arm in the second control mode in which movement of the surgical tool is unconstrained by the virtual geometry.

Surgical guidance with exit boundary

A surgical system includes a robotic arm, an end effector held by the robotic arm, a tracking system configured to detect a patient position and an end effector position, and a processor and non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to define a planned trajectory relative to the patient position, obtain the patient position and the end effector position from the tracking system during manual movement of the end effector by a user, determine whether the end effector position is within a threshold of the planned trajectory based on the patient position and the end effector position obtained during the manual movement of the end effector, and upon determination that the end effector position is within the threshold of the planned trajectory, take over and control the robotic arm to automatically align the end effector with the planned trajectory.

Automated alignment of a surgical tool

A system includes a surgical tool, a robot holding the surgical tool, and non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the robot to perform operations including automatically moving the surgical tool to a virtual geometry correlated with an anatomical structure and forcing, following arrival of the surgical tool at the virtual geometry, the surgical tool to stay at the virtual geometry while allowing manual repositioning of the surgical tool along the virtual geometry.

Surgical system with automated alignment

A surgical system includes a surgical tool and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to provide a plurality of virtual haptic interaction points where each virtual haptic interaction point is associated with a portion of the surgical tool such that movement of the surgical tool corresponds to movement of the plurality of virtual haptic interaction points, establish a haptic object that defines a working boundary for the surgical tool, and constrain at least one of the portions of the surgical tool based on a relationship between at least one of the plurality of virtual haptic interaction points and the haptic object.

Systems and methods for haptic control of a surgical tool

A surgical system includes a surgical tool associated with a virtual haptic interaction point such that movement of the virtual haptic interaction point corresponds to movement of the surgical tool. The surgical system further includes a processing circuit to establish a virtual entry boundary and activate a haptic object, which constrains the surgical tool after the haptic interaction point crosses the virtual entry boundary.

A surgical system includes a robotic device, and a surgical tool coupled to the robotic device and comprising a distal end. The system further includes a neural monitor configured to generate an electrical signal and apply the electrical signal to the distal end of the surgical tool, wherein the electrical signal causes innervation of a first portion of a patient's anatomy which generates an electromyographic signal, and a sensor configured to measure the electromyographic signal. The neural monitor is configured to determine a distance between the distal end of the surgical tool and a portion of nervous tissue based on the electrical signal and the electromyographic signal, and cause feedback to be provided to a user based on the distance.

Neural monitor-based dynamic haptics

A computer-assisted surgery system may have a robotic arm including a surgical tool and a processor communicatively connected to the robotic aim. The processor may be configured to receive, from a neural monitor, a signal indicative of a distance between the surgical tool and a portion of a patient's anatomy including nervous tissue. The processor may be further configured to generate a command for altering a degree to which the robotic aim resists movement based on the signal received from the neural monitor; and send the command to the robotic arm.

Neural monitor-based dynamic boundaries

A computer-assisted surgery system may have a robotic arm including a surgical tool and a processor communicatively connected to the robotic arm. The processor may be configured to receive, from a neural monitor, a signal indicative of a distance between the surgical tool and a portion of a patient's anatomy including nervous tissue. The processor may be further configured to generate a command for altering a degree to which the robotic arm resists movement based on the signal received from the neural monitor; and send the command to the robotic arm.

Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for inertially tracked objects with a kinematic coupling. A tracked pose of a first inertial measurement unit (IMU) is determined, wherein the first IMU is mounted to a first object. The tracked pose of the first IMU is reset while the first object is in a first reproducible reference pose with a second object.

Inertially tracked objects

A fiber optic tracking system for tracking substantially rigid object(s) is described. The fiber optic tracking system includes a light source, an optical fiber having a sensing component configured to modify optical signals from the light source, the optical fiber being configured to attach to the substantially rigid object, a detection unit arranged to receive the modified optical signals from the sensing component, and a calculation unit configured to determine a pose of the substantially rigid object in six degrees of freedom based on the modified optical signals.

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Davie, FL, United States of America

Chris Lightcap