Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Medical Microinstruments, Inc.

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Giuseppe Maria Prisco

David Q Larkin

Vincent Duindam

Theodore W Rogers

John Ryan Steger

Samuel Kwok Wai Au

Brian David Hoffman

William C Nowlin

Rajesh Kumar

Massimiliano Simi

Stephen J Blumenkranz

David Joseph Rosa

Caitlin Q Donhowe

Katherine D Stoy

Tao Zhao

Catherine J Mohr

Guanghua G Zhang

Yulun Wang

Frederic H Moll

Darrin R Uecker

Gunter D Niemeyer

Craig R Gerbi

James W Wright

Amante A Mangaser

Carolyn M Fenech

Modjtaba Ghodoussi

Myriam J Curet

Ranjan Mauherjee

Dorin Panescu

Simon Peter DiMaio

Anthony K McGrogan

Thomas G Cooper

Paul W Mohr

Nicola Diolaiti

Nitish Swarup

J Kenneth Salisbury, Jr

Paul E Lilagan

Peter M Herzlinger

Daniel H Gomez

Gary S Guthart

David W Bailey

Eugene F Duval

Christopher J Hasser

Samuel Au

Prashant Chopra

Thomas R Nixon

Simon P Dimaio

Paul Millman

Charles E Swinehart

Hubert Stein

Michael Ikeda

Cesare Stefanini

Gregory K Toth

Scott Osborne Luke

Ranjan Mukherjee

Kwok Wai Samuel Au

Tabish Mustafa

Hanifa Dostmohamed

Matteo Bagheri Ghavifekr

Nicola Pineschi

Gregory W Dachs Iii

Gary S Guthar

A system includes a control means for receiving an input from a user, a manipulator means configured to support a tool having a tool frame, and processing means configured to perform a method. The method involves receiving, from an image capturing system with an image frame, one or more images. The tool is visible in the one or more images. The method further involves determining an estimated frame transform based on the one or more images. The estimated frame transform is used in defining an unknown frame transform between the image frame and the tool frame. The method also involves determining, in response to the input received at the control means, an output movement for the tool based on the estimated frame transform, and causing movement of the tool based on the output movement.

Estimation of a position and orientation of a frame used in controlling movement of a tool

A medical instrument system includes a plurality of joints, a plurality of actuators, and a plurality of transmission systems. The transmission systems have proximal ends respectively coupled to the actuators. Each of the transmission systems have a distal end attached to an associated one of the joints to allow the transmission of a force for articulation of the medical instrument system. The system also includes a sensor coupled to measure a configuration of the medical instrument; and a control system coupled to receive configuration data, including a current configuration of a tip of the medical instrument from the sensor and a desired configuration of the tip of the medical instrument. Using the difference between the desired configuration and the current configuration of the tip of the medical instrument, the control system generates control signals for the actuators that cause the actuators to apply a set of tensions to the plurality of transmission systems.

Tension control in actuation of multi-joint medical instruments

A medical instrument including a shaft and an actuated structure mounted at a distal end of the shaft can employ a pair of tendons connected to the actuated structure, extending down the shaft, and respectively wound around a capstan in opposite directions. A passive preload system may maintain minimum tensions in the tendons.

Operating self-antagonistic drives of medical instruments

A method of manufacturing a jointed device of a medical instrument includes providing a machining fixture on a wire electrical discharge machine having an electrical discharge wire. The fixture includes member holes each adapted to accommodate at least one workpiece, the workpiece being adapted to form a portion of the jointed device of the medical instrument. At least two workpieces each include a first workpiece and a second workpiece, accommodated within at least two member holes of the member holes. The fixture is associated with the wire electrical discharge machine so that the electrical discharge wire can cut at most one workpiece at a time. The machining fixture is rotated around a fixture rotation axis at a predetermined angle, which is chosen to provide that the electrical discharge wire can cut only one workpiece at a time. The workpieces are cut by the electrical discharge wire.

Method of manufacturing for a medical instrument

A system includes a control device, a manipulator configured to support a tool having a tool frame; and at least one processor coupled to the control device and the manipulator. The at least one processor configured to perform a method. The method includes receiving one or more images captured by an image-capturing system, the image-capturing system having an image frame. The tool is visible in the one or more images. The method also includes determining an estimated frame transform based on the one or more images. The estimated frame transform is used in defining an unknown frame transform between the image frame and the tool frame. The method also includes determining, in response to an input received at the control device, an output movement for the tool based on the estimated frame transform. The method also includes causing movement of the tool based on the output movement.

A mechanical interface for a robotic medical instrument permits engagement of the instrument and a drive system without causing movement of an actuated portion of the instrument. An instrument interface can include a symmetrical, tapered or cylindrical projection on one of a medical instrument or a drive system and a complementary bore in the other of the drive system or the medical instrument. Symmetry of the projection and the bore allows the projection to be compression fit to the bore regardless of the rotation angle of the drive system relative to the medical instrument.

Medical instrument engagement process

A medical system comprises an elongate instrument including a camera configured to capture at least one real-time image of anatomy within a patient anatomy. The medical system further comprises a processor configured to display, on one or more display screens: a three-dimensional patient computer model of the patient anatomy; a synthetic representation of the elongate instrument registered to the three-dimensional patient computer model; over the patient computer model, a representation of a view angle of the elongate instrument, the representation of the view angle being displayed so as to appear to project from a distal tip of the synthetic representation of the elongate instrument; and in a position based on the registration of the synthetic representation of the elongate instrument to the patient computer model, the at least one captured real-time image so as to appear to project from the distal tip of the synthetic representation of the elongate instrument.

Method and system for assisting an operator in endoscopic navigation

Methods and system perform tool tracking during minimally invasive robotic surgery. Tool states are determined using triangulation techniques or a Bayesian filter from either or both non-endoscopically derived and endoscopically derived tool state information, or from either or both non-visually derived and visually derived tool state information. The non-endoscopically derived tool state information is derived from sensor data provided either by sensors associated with a mechanism for manipulating the tool, or sensors capable of detecting identifiable signals emanating or reflecting from the tool and indicative of its position, or external cameras viewing an end of the tool extending out of the body. The endoscopically derived tool state information is derived from image data provided by an endoscope inserted in the body so as to view the tool.

Methods and system for performing 3-D tool tracking by fusion of sensor and/or camera derived data during minimally invasive robotic surgery

A minimally invasive system comprises an elongate medical instrument including a flexible body. The flexible body includes a wall including a channel, and the channel includes a groove. The flexible body further includes a lumen defined by an interior surface of the wall and a curved distal tip portion. The elongate medical instrument further includes a shape sensor coupled to the flexible body. The shape sensor is at least partially positioned within the groove, and the shape sensor is configured to detect shape characteristics of at least a portion of the flexible body. The system further includes an actuator for manipulating the elongate medical instrument.

Steerable flexible needle with embedded shape sensing

An instrument system comprising a flexible shaft having proximal and distal portions, a backend mechanism coupled to the proximal portion, and a plurality of tendons including first and second tendons. The backend mechanism comprises a plurality of capstans including first and second capstans. Each capstan includes a bore for engagement with a drive shaft, and a capstan coupling member adapted to engage a drive shaft coupling member such that rotation of the drive shaft causes rotation of the capstan, and adapted to disengage from the drive shaft coupling member so rotation of the drive shaft does not cause rotation of the capstan. The first tendon is configured to wrap around the first capstan and the second tendon is configured to wrap around the second capstan. The first and second tendons are coupled to a member disposed at the distal portion and are configured to move the member in opposing directions.

Passive preload and capstan drive for surgical instruments

Vision systems on catheters, cannulas, or similar devices with guiding lumens include receptors distributed in annular areas around respective lumens. Each of the receptors has a field of view covering only a portion of an object environment, and the field of view of each of the receptors overlaps with at least one of the fields of view of the other receptors. A processing system can receive image data from the receptors of the vision systems and combine the image data to construct a visual representation of the object environment.

Processing images from annular receptor arrays

A medical system includes a medical instrument, at least one actuator, and a controller. The medical instrument defines a central axis and includes a steerable tip. The controller is configured to command the at least one actuator to cause active steering control of the medical instrument according to an insertion control mode after movement of the medical instrument is detected and exceeds a first threshold value in an insertion direction and to deactivate the at least one actuator to cause the steerable tip of the medical instrument to move freely, without the active steering control, in reaction to forces exerted against the medical instrument by a wall of the anatomic passageway after axial movement of the medical instrument is detected by the medical system and exceeds a second threshold value in a retraction direction. At least one of the first or second threshold values comprises a velocity threshold value.

Medical system with multiple operating modes for steering a medical instrument through linked body passages

Methods and system perform tool tracking during minimally invasive robotic surgery. Tool states are determined. using triangulation techniques or a Bayesian filter from either or both non-endoscopically derived and endoscopically derived tool state information, or from either or both non-visually derived and visually derived tool state information. The non-endoscopically derived tool state information is derived from sensor data provided either by sensors associated with a mechanism for manipulating the tool, or sensors capable of detecting identifiable signals emanating or reflecting from the tool and indicative of its position, of external cameras viewing an end of the tool extending out of the body. The endoscopically derived tool state information is derived from image data provided by an endoscope inserted in the body so as to view the tool.

A slave manipulator manipulates a medical device in response to operator manipulation of an input device through joint control systems. The stiffness and strength of the slave manipulator are adjustable according to criteria such as the mode of operation of the slave manipulator, the functional type of the medical device currently being held by the slave manipulator, and the current phase of a medical procedure being performed using the slave manipulator by changing corresponding parameters of the control system. For safety purposes, such changes are not made until it is determined that it can be done in a smooth manner without causing jerking of the medical device. Further, an excessive force warning may be provided to surgery staff when excessive forces are being commanded on the slave manipulator for more than a specified period of time.

Medical robotic system with dynamically adjustable slave manipulator characteristics

A medical device includes a tube, a plurality of tensions elements, a plurality of routing members, and an actuation mechanism. The tube includes a wall with a plurality of slits oriented generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tube. The tube includes a proximal portion and a distal portion. The plurality of tension elements are coupled to the tube and actuatable to alter the tube between a bendable state and a rigid state. The plurality of routing members are configured to receive and route the plurality of tension elements along the tube while permitting the tube to flex and compress. The actuation mechanism is configured to simultaneously apply a first tension force to a first tension element and a second tension force equal to the first tension force to a second tension element to compress the tube, shortening a length of the tube and creating the rigid state.

Flexible surgical devices

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Giuseppe Maria Prisco