106674 results about "Robot" patented technology

The present invention provides a robotic surgical tool for use in a robotic surgical system to perform a surgical operation. The robotic surgical tool includes a wrist mechanism disposed near the distal end of a shaft which connects with an end effector. The wrist mechanism includes a distal member configured to support the end effector, and a plurality of rods extending generally along an axial direction within the shaft and movable generally along this axial direction to adjust the orientation of the distal member with respect to the shaft. Advancement or retraction of a first rod generally along the axial direction tips the base through a first angle. The addition of a second angle allows the distal member to direct the end effector in essentially a compound angle. The robotic surgical tool may also include provisions for roll movement.

The present invention provides robotic surgical instruments and systems that include electrosurgical cutting / shearing tools and methods of performing a robotic surgical procedure. The surgical instruments can advantageously be used in robotically controlled minimally invasive surgical operations. A surgical instrument generally comprises an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end. An end effector, for performing a surgical operation such as cutting, shearing, grasping, engaging, or contacting tissue adjacent a surgical site, is coupleable to a distal end of the shaft. Preferably, the end effector comprises a pair of scissor-like blades for cooperatively shearing the tissue. A conductor electrically communicating with at least one blade delivers electrical energy to tissue engaged by the blades. An interface coupled to the proximal end of the shaft and removably connectable to the robotic surgical system is also included.

A robotically controlled surgical instrument includes a first jaw and a second jaw used to grasp an item, and a drive mechanism that increases the force applied to the item grasped. The drive mechanism and the jaws can be provided with an accommodating mechanism that allows continued movement of the drive mechanism towards a locked position even after the jaws contact a larger item so that the drive mechanism can move to the locked position when grasping items of different sizes.

The present invention provides improved electrosurgical instruments and systems having electrocautery energy supply conductors that provide inhibited current leakage and methods of performing a robotically controlled minimally invasive surgical procedure while preventing unintended capacitive coupling. A surgical instrument generally comprises an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and defining an internal longitudinally extending passage. An electrocautery end effector is coupled to or disposed at the distal end of the shaft. An interface or tool base is coupled to or disposed at the proximal end of the shaft and removably connectable to the robotic surgical system. Typically, an independent electrical conductor extends from the interface to the end effector to transmit electrical energy to tissue engaged by the end effector. A sealed insulation tube extends within the passage and over the conductor. A separation is maintained between the sealed insulation tube and the conductor.

A robotic surgical system includes a sterile surgical instrument, a robotic surgical manipulator, and a sterile drape covering at least a portion of the robotic surgical manipulator. The surgical instrument has a proximal interface and a distal end effector. The proximal interface includes a gimbal assembly with two intersecting rotational axes coupled to the distal end effector. The robotic surgical manipulator has a drive plate that bears against the gimbal assembly. The drive plate has two degrees of rotational freedom about a center of motion that is coincident with an intersection of the axes of the gimbal assembly. The sterile drape includes a sterile sheet covers at least a portion of the robotic surgical manipulator, a frame bonded to the sterile sheet, an instrument interface that covers the drive plate of the robotic surgical manipulator, and a diaphragm that connects the instrument interface to the frame.

A surgical grasper is provided. The grasper comprises a handle, two jaws operably connected to the handle, which jaws can be actuated by the handle, and a sensor. A surgical grasper for use in robotic surgery is also provided. The grasper comprises a shaft, two jaws at a distal end of the shaft, which jaws can be actuated in response to a robot command, and a sensor. A method for measuring an amount of force being applied by a jaw of a grasper is also provided. The method comprises the steps of: providing a grasper comprising a handle and two jaws operably connected to the handle, which jaws can be actuated by the handle; providing a sensor on the grasper; and, providing for measuring an amount of force being applied to the sensor. A method for measuring an amount of force being applied by a jaw of a grasper for use in robotic surgery is also provided. The method comprises the steps of: providing a grasper for use in robotic surgery, the grasper comprising a shaft and two jaws at a distal end of the shaft, which jaws can be actuated responsive to a robot command; providing a sensor; and, providing for measuring an amount of force being applied to the sensor. A surgical feedback system is also provided. The surgical feedback system comprises a surgical grasper capable of taking a force measurement and a data concentrator coupled to the grasper via a wired or wireless interface using a first data transmission protocol with internal storage. A method for obtaining surgical feedback is also provided. The method comprises the steps of: providing a surgical grasper capable of taking a force measurement; and, providing a data concentrator coupled to the grasper via a wired or wireless interface using a first data transmission protocol with internal storage.

Telerobotic, telesurgical, and surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods selectively calibrate end effector jaws by bringing the jaw elements into engagement with each other. Commanded torque signals may bring the end effector elements into engagement while monitoring the resulting position of a drive system, optionally using a second derivative of the torque / position relationship so as to identify an end effector engagement position. Calibration can allow the end effector engagement position to correspond to a nominal closed position of an input handle by compensating for wear on the end effector, the end effector drive system, then manipulator, the manipulator drive system, the manipulator / end effector interfacing, and manufacturing tolerances.

In one embodiment of the invention, a control system for a robotic surgical instrument is provided including a torque saturation limiter, a torque to current converter coupled to the torque saturation limiter, and a motor coupled to the torque to current converter. The torque saturation limiter receives a desired torque signal for one or more end effectors and limits the desired torque to a range between an upper torque limit and a lower torque limit generating a bounded torque signal. The torque to current converter transforms a torque signal into a current signal. The motor drives an end effector of one or more end effectors to the bounded torque signal in response to the first current signal.

Interface assemblies for controlling an orientation of a working instrument of a robotic medical instrument system. A base member is coupled to a distal end of an instrument such as a robotically controllable catheter. A spacer element is retained between the base member and a platform member, which is movable relative to the base member about the spacer element. One or more control elements extending through a base member aperture can be used to control an orientation of the platform member and working instrument.

In one embodiment of the invention, a control system for a robotic surgical instrument is provided including a torque saturation limiter, a torque to current converter coupled to the torque saturation limiter, and a motor coupled to the torque to current converter. The torque saturation limiter receives a desired torque signal for one or more end effectors and limits the desired torque to a range between an upper torque limit and a lower torque limit generating a bounded torque signal. The torque to current converter transforms a torque signal into a current signal. The motor drives an end effector of one or more end effectors to the bounded torque signal in response to the first current signal.

A method of laparoscopic (or robotic) surgery, using a hand-port, comprising providing a trocar port operably disposed within a first abdominal incision opening of a patient, providing a hand-port operably disposed within a second abdominal incision opening, introducing an elongate positioner dimensioned to extend through the trocar, introducing a spatulate element through the hand port and joining the spatulate element to the positioner. The procedure further comprises removing an internal organ or other tissue from the operating area in order to make room and add visibility for the laparoscopic intervention, detaching the spatulate element from the positioner, and withdrawing the positioner through the trocar port and the spatulate through the hand port.

A hyperdexterous surgical system is provided. The system can include one or more surgical arms coupleable to a fixture and configured to support one or more surgical tools. The system can include an electronic control system configured to communicate electronically with the one or more robotic surgical tools. The control system can electronically control the operation of the one or more surgical tools. The system can include one or more portable handheld controllers actuatable by a surgeon to communicate one or more control signals to the one or more surgical tools via the electronic control system to operate the one or more surgical tools. The one or more portable handheld controllers can provide said one or more control signals from a plurality of locations of an operating arena, allowing a surgeon to be mobile during a surgical procedure and to remotely operate the one or more surgical tools from different locations of the operating arena.

Methods and systems are described for controlling movement of a continuum robot that includes a plurality of independently controlled segments along the length of the continuum robot. The continuum robot is inserted into a cavity of unknown dimensions or shape. A plurality of forces acting upon the continuum robot by the surrounding cavity are estimated. A positioning command indicating a desired movement of the distal end of the continuum robot is received from a manipulator control. The desired movement is augmented based, at least in part, on the estimated plurality of forces acting on the continuum robot such that movement is restricted to within safe boundaries of the surrounding cavity. The positioning of the continuum robot is then adjusted based on the augmented desired movement.

In one implementation, a method is disclosed in which a lock sensing mode is entered for a robotic surgical instrument. In the lock sensing mode, the degrees of freedom of movement in the robotic surgical instrument are switchably reduced. Further in the lock sensing mode, one or more end effectors of the robotic surgical instrument are switchably clamped together in the robotic surgical instrument. An increased level of torque may also be applied to the end effectors to increase a gripping force applied by the one or more end effectors in response to the reduced degrees of freedom of movement in the robotic surgical instrument.

A mobile inventory robot system generates an inventory map of a store and a product database when a mobile inventory robot is manually navigated through the store to identify items on shelves, a location for each of the items on the shelves, and a barcode for each of the items. The system performs inventory of the items by navigating through the store via the inventory map, capturing a shelf image, decoding a product barcode from the captured shelf image, retrieving a product image for the decoded product barcode from the product database, segmenting the captured shelf image to detect an image of an item on the shelves, determining whether the detected image matches the retrieved image and, if not, setting an out-of-stock flag for an the item.

A robotic medical system comprises a catheter having an elongated shaft with a plurality of flexible segments spaced apart along the catheter, and a drive unit coupled to the catheter. The catheter may have a plurality of cables respectively terminating at the flexible segments, in which case, the drive unit will be coupled to the plurality of cables. The robotic medical system further comprises a user interface remote from the drive unit and configured for generating at least one command, and an electric controller configured, in response to the command(s), for directing the drive unit to independently bend the flexible segments (e.g., three flexible segments).

A telerobotic surgery system for remote surgeon training includes a robotic surgery station at a first location in a first structure at a first geographic point. Harvested animal tissue is at the robotic surgery station. A remote surgeon station at a second location in a second structure is at a second geographic point remote from the first geographic point. A remote party conferencing station at a third location in a third structure is at a third geographic point remote from the first and second geographic points. A communications network couples the robotic surgery station, the remote surgeon station, and the remote party conferencing station so that a surgeon at the remote surgeon station is able to remotely train using the harvested animal tissue at the robotic surgery station and while conferencing with a party at the remote party conferencing station.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method for using a remote control to control an electrosurgical instrument, where the remote controlled (RC) electrosurgical instrument has a universal coupling mechanism to allow switching between an interchangeable catalog of diagnostic tools. A controller within the base of the RC electrosurgical instrument identifies the type of disposable tip attached to the base. The controller, then, activates necessary features for use with the identified tip and deactivates any unnecessary features. A surgeon uses a remote with at least one momementum sensor to control the RC electrosurgical instrument 10. The surgeon rotates his hand mimicking movements of a handheld electrosurgical instrument, the movements of which are translated and sent to the RC electrosurgical instrument. The surgeon may use an augmented reality (AR) vision system to assist the surgeon in viewing the surgical site.