IP Library Granted Patent US 12672881
Granted Patent B2
US 12672881 · App. 18/958,814 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Surgical robotics system with automated alignment

Inventors: Jason Otto (Plantation, FL); Radu Iorgulescu (Weston, FL); Chris Lightcap (Davie, FL); Brian Schmitz (Fort Lauderdale, FL); Jason Wojcik (Weston, FL); Carinne Cecile Granchi (Weston, FL)
Assignee: MAKO SURGICAL CORP.
A61B17/15A61B17/142A61B17/1615A61B17/1703A61B34/20A61B34/30A61B34/76A61B2017/00128A61B17/157A61B2034/105A61B2034/2055A61B34/25A61B90/03
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12672881
App. No.
18/958,814
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A surgical robotics system includes a robot, a tool coupled to the robot, and control circuitry programmed to determine a movement of the tool to within a threshold distance relative to a planned path and control, in response to the movement, the robot to automatically move the tool to a target point on the planned path.

Claims (29)

1 . A method of operating a surgical robot for performing an orthopedic procedure, comprising:

providing, using control circuitry, a planned path for a tool coupled to the surgical robot;

determining, using the control circuitry, a movement of the tool coupled to the surgical robot to within a threshold distance of the planned path; and

controlling, in response to the movement and using the control circuitry, the surgical robot to automatically move the tool to a target point on the planned path.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the movement of the tool coupled to the robot to within the threshold distance of the planned path comprises determining crossing of an entry boundary by the tool, the entry boundary defined relative to the planned path.

3 . The method of claim 1 , comprising tracking a position of an anatomical structure, wherein the planned path is correlated with the anatomical structure.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the robot to allow translation along the planned path subsequent to the automatically moving the tool to the target point on the planned path.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein controlling the robot to allow the translation along the planned path comprises causing the robot to provide haptic feedback constraining the tool to the planned path.

6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising allowing, by the robot, manipulation of the tool by a user to provide the movement of the tool from a starting position outside the threshold distance to within the threshold distance.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising planning the planned path relative to an anatomical structure of a patient.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the movement of the tool coupled to the robot to within the threshold distance of the planned path comprises computing a shortest.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the planned path is a line.

10 . The method of claim 1 , automatically moving, by the robot in response to the movement, the tool to the target point on the planned path further comprises rotating the tool to be oriented parallel to the planned path.

11 . The method of claim 1 , controlling, subsequent to the automatically moving the tool to the target point on the planned path, the robot to follow the planned path.

12 . A surgical robotics system for performing an orthopedic procedure, comprising:

a surgical robot;

a tool coupled to the surgical robot; and

control circuitry programmed to:

provide a planned path for the tool;

determine a movement of the tool to within a threshold distance of the planned path; and

control, in response to the movement, the surgical robot to automatically move the tool to a target point on the planned path.

13 . The surgical robotics system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is programmed to determine the movement of the tool to within the threshold distance of the planned path by defining an entry boundary relative to the planned path and determining crossing of the entry boundary by the tool.

14 . The surgical robotics system of claim 12 , wherein the planned path is correlated with an anatomical structure.

15 . The surgical robotics system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is further programmed to control, subsequent to the robot automatically moving the tool to the target point, the robot to provide haptic feedback constraining the tool to the planned path.

16 . The surgical robotics system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is further programmed to control, subsequent to the robot automatically moving the tool to the target point, the robot to cause the tool to follow the planned path.

17 . The surgical robotics system of claim 12 , wherein the planned path is a haptic object or a portion of a haptic object.

18 . The surgical robotics system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is further programmed to control the robot to allow unconstrained manipulation of the tool by a user to enable the movement of the tool to within the threshold distance of the planned path.

19 . The surgical robotics system of claim 12 , wherein the robot comprises a robotic arm.

20 . The surgical robotics system of claim 12 , wherein the tool is a spherical burr configured for burring bone.