Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Paul G Griffiths

Nitish Swarup

Brandon D Itkowitz

Paul W Mohr

Goran Adrian Lynch

Daniel N Miller

Michael Lee Hanuschik

Arjang M Hourtash

David W Robinson

Kamyar Ziaei

Thomas G Cooper

David Q Larkin

Michael Turner

Michael R Costa

Mark W Zimmer

Thomas R Nixon

John W Zabinski

Jason W Hemphill

Patrick O'Grady

Roman L Devengenzo

Alan W Petersen

Julio J Santos-Munne

Thomas Moyer

Eric L Faulring

Alexander Makhlin

Tao Zhao

Julie L Berry

Joseph M Arsanious

Ambarish G Goswami

Mohammad Sina Parastegari

Bruce M Schena

Xingchi He

Kam Ziaei

Nitish Swamp

Daniel Miller

David Robinson

Techniques for providing feedback during manual joint positioning include a computer-assisted device comprising an articulated structure comprising a joint and a brake associated with the joint and a control unit coupled to the articulated structure. To provide feedback during manual positioning of the joint due to manual force applied by an operator, the control unit is configured to determine a target position for the joint, determine kinematics of the joint relative to the target position, lock the joint when the joint is at the target position, release the brake when the kinematics of the joint indicate that the joint is moving towards the target position, and apply the brake when the kinematics of the joint indicate that the joint is moving away from the target position.

System and method for providing feedback during manual joint positioning

Techniques for controlling a system include a first structural means supporting a manipulating means, a second structural means supporting the first structural means, and a processing means. The processing means is configured to determine, relative to the first structural means, a first position of a reference location on the system entering into the first mode, the reference location being associated with a linking means of the manipulating means; and while the system in the first mode: detect a manual movement of the reference location that causes a first displacement of the reference location from the first position in a first direction and a second displacement of the reference location from the first position in a second direction,; and, in response, command the second structural means to move relative to the reference location in the first direction so as to reduce the first component while not changing the second component.

Limited movement of a surgical mounting platform controlled by manual motion of robotic arms

Techniques are disclosed for imaging device control in a computer-assisted device that includes a repositionable structure configured to support an imaging device, and a control system coupled to the repositionable structure. The control system is configured to: determine a position of a reference point offset from a display unit, convert the position of the reference point to a target position of another reference point offset from the imaging device, determine a movement command of the first repositionable structure that moves the imaging device such that the another reference point moves toward the target position, and cause actuation of the repositionable structure based on the movement command.

Imaging device control in viewing systems

Embodiments relate to a computer-assisted robotic system, In some embodiments, the system includes a head input device, the head input device comprising a head input sensor configured to provide head input signals indicative of a an operator's head inputs, and a foot input device comprising a foot input sensor configured to provide foot input signals indicative of the operator's foot inputs. The system further includes a controller, configured to process the head input signals and the foot input signals, and identify, based on the processed head and foot input signals, that the operator has provided a combination of head and foot inputs corresponding to a steerable viewer mode activation command. The controller is further configured to cause the robotic system to enter a steerable viewer mode in response to identifying that the operator has provided a combination.

Steerable viewer mode activation and de-activation

A computer-assisted device includes an articulating means configured to support an end effector and a processing means. When coupled to the articulating means and a patient supporting means, the processing means is configured to configure a first joint of the articulating means to a first mode to allow movement of the first joint in response to an external force on the articulating means, detect movement of the first joint, determine a movement of the patient supporting means, and drive a second joint of the articulating means based on the movement of the first joint and the movement of the patient supporting means.

System and method for integrated surgical table motion

Techniques for monitoring a computer-assisted device include a plurality of manipulators, each manipulator being configured to support an instrument, each manipulator having a control point; and a control unit. The control unit is configured to: determine a first spatial configuration of the plurality of control points, the first spatial configuration being prior to a movement of a table separate from the computer-assisted device, and the movement of the table causing motion of at least one control point; determine the movement of the table; determine, based on the movement of the table and the first spatial configuration, an expected spatial configuration of the plurality of control points; determine, based on a comparison of the expected spatial configuration with an actual spatial configuration of the plurality of control points, whether to perform a remedial action; and perform the remedial action in response to a determination to perform the remedial action.

System and method for monitoring control points during reactive motion

A computer-assisted device includes a first repositionable arm configured to support a first end effector, a second repositionable arm configured to support a second end effector, and a control unit. The control unit configured to monitor an actual motion of at least one structure selected from the group consisting of the first repositionable arm and the first end effector; determine a deviation between the actual motion and a desired motion of the at least one structure; and in response to determining that the deviation is greater than a deviation threshold, select whether to halt motion of the first repositionable arm and the first end effector or the second repositionable arm and the second end effector based on a mode of operation of the first repositionable arm the first end effector, the second repositionable arm, or a mode of operation of the second end effector.

System and method for rapid halt and recovery of motion deviations in repositionable arms

User-initiated break-away clutching includes a robotic system having a joint, a brake or drive unit coupled to the joint, and a control system coupled with the brake or drive unit. The control system is configured to determine a first manual effort applied to the joint; inhibit, using the brake or drive unit, manual articulation of the joint in response to the first manual effort being below an articulation threshold; facilitate, using the brake or drive unit, the manual articulation of the joint in response to the first manual effort exceeding the articulation threshold; and inhibit, using the brake or drive unit, further manual articulation of the joint in response to a determination that a speed of the manual articulation of the joint is below a speed threshold.

User initiated break-away clutching of a robotic system

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

Integrated table motion includes a computer-assisted device. The computer-assisted device includes articulating means; means for receiving, via a means for communicatively coupling the computer-assisted device with a table means, a table movement request from a table command means, the table means being separate from the computer-assisted device; means for determining whether the table movement request should be allowed; and means for allowing the table means to perform the table movement request based on determining that the table movement request should be allowed.

System and method for integrated surgical table

A robotic system comprises an input device movable by an operator and a processing unit. An operator reference frame is defined relative to the operator. The processing unit is configured to present, to the operator, a first image of a first tool captured by an imaging device, receive, from the operator, a first indication that a first axis of the input device is aligned with a corresponding axis of the first tool in the first image, and in response to the first indication, determine a first alignment relationship between the imaging device and the first tool based on a second alignment relationship between the operator reference frame and the input device.

Systems and methods for master/tool registration and control for intuitive motion

Techniques for maintaining instrument position and orientation include a computer-assisted device having an articulated structure and a control unit. The articulated structure includes a plurality of joints and is configured to support an instrument. The control unit is configured to determine a reference frame based on a type of a disturbance that causes a movement of a first joint of the plurality of joints; determine, in the reference frame, a first change to the instrument due to the disturbance; and rive at least a second joint of the plurality of joints to reduce the first change. The first change comprises: a change in a position of the instrument, or a change in an orientation of the instrument, or a change in both the position of the instrument and the orientation of the instrument.

System and method for maintaining a tool position and orientation

Techniques for registering a computer-assisted device to a table include a computer-assisted device having an articulated arm and a control unit. The control unit is configured to receive information of a first motion of a table, the first motion comprising a first rotation about a first axis and causing a second motion of a point associated with the articulated arm; receive information of the second motion; receive information of a third motion of the table, the third motion of the table comprising a second rotation about a second axis different from the first axis and causing a fourth motion of the point; receive information of the fourth motion; determine a relationship between the computer-assisted device and the table based on a position of the point, the first rotation, the second motion, the second rotation, and the fourth motion; and control motion of the articulated arm based on the relationship.

System and method for registering to a table

Disturbance compensation in computer-assisted devices include an articulated arm comprising one or more first joints and one or more second joints and one or more processors coupled to the articulated arm. The articulated arm is configured to support an end effector. The one or more processors when executing instructions are configured to: detect a disturbance to the one or more first joints, the disturbance causing a point of interest associated with the end effector to move; determine a predicted motion of the point of interest based on the detected disturbance; and drive the one or more second joints to move the point of interest based on an error in a position of the point of interest indicated by the predicted motion.

Disturbance compensation in computer-assisted devices

A system and method of assisting tool exchange includes a computer-assisted device having a manipulator configured to have at least one tool of multiple tools mounted thereon and a control unit coupled to the manipulator. The control unit is configured to detect initiation of a tool exchange, locate a source of a replacement tool to be mounted to the manipulator, determine, based on the located source, a configuration of the manipulator that facilitates mounting of the replacement tool to the manipulator, and command movement of the manipulator into the configuration. In some embodiments, the control unit is configured to determine the configuration further based on a type of the source of the replacement tool. In some embodiments, to locate the source of the replacement tool, the control unit is configured to locate at least a part of an assistant or locate a tool holding device.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Paul G Griffiths