Articulate and swapable endoscope for a surgical robot
The present invention is directed to an articulate minimally invasive surgical endoscope with a flexible wrist having at least one degree of freedom. When used with a surgical robot having a plurality of robot arms, the endoscope can be used with any of the plurality of arms thereby allowing the use a universal arm design. The endoscope in accordance to the present invention is made more intuitive a to a user by attaching a reference frame used for controlling the at least one degree of freedom motion to the flexible wrist for wrist motion associated with the at least one degree of freedom. The endoscope in accordance to the present invention attenuates undesirable motion at its back/proximal end by acquiring the image of the object in association with the at least one degree of freedom based on a reference frame rotating around a point of rotation located proximal to the flexible wrist.
1 . A minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope coupled to a surgical robotic system having a plurality of arms, the endoscope comprising:
an elongate shaft having a working end, a proximal end, and a shaft axis between the working end and the proximal end;
a flexible wrist having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end of the wrist connected to the working end of the elongate shaft;
an endoscopic camera lens installed at the distal end of the wrist, the camera lens acquiring an image of an object; and
a plurality of actuation links connecting the wrist to the proximal end of the elongate shaft such that the links are actuatable to provide the wrist with at least one degree of freedom;
wherein a reference frame used for controlling the at least one degree of freedom motion is attached to the flexible wrist for wrist motion associated with the at least one degree of freedom.
2 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the at least one degree of freedom involving a pitching motion and a yawing motion of the wrist.
3 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 2 , wherein a reference frame used for controlling other degrees of freedom associated with the endoscope is attached to the object.
4 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 1 , wherein an image of the object acquired by the endoscope in association with the at least one degree of freedom is based on the reference frame rotating around a point of rotation located proximal to the flexible wrist.
5 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 4 , where in the image of the object is an orbital view.
6 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the endoscope is releaseably coupled to any of the plurality of arms and is designed to be swapped between the plurality of arms such that one standard arm design is used for the surgical robotic system.
7 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the at-least one degree of freedom is position or velocity controlled.
8 . A minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope coupled to a surgical robotic system having a plurality of arms, the endoscope comprising:
an elongate shaft having a working end, a proximal end, and a shaft axis between the working end and the proximal end;
a flexible wrist having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end of the wrist connected to the working end of the elongate shaft;
an endoscopic camera lens installed at the distal end of the wrist, the camera lens acquiring an image of an object; and
a plurality of actuation links connecting the wrist to the proximal end of the elongate shaft such that the links are actuatable to provide the wrist with at least one degree of freedom;
wherein an image of the object acquired by the endoscope in association with the at least one degree of freedom is based on a reference frame rotating around a point of rotation located proximal to the flexible wrist.
9 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 8 , where the image of the object is an orbital view.
10 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 8 , wherein the reference frame used for controlling the at least one degree of freedom motion is attached to the flexible wrist for wrist motion associated with the at least one degree of freedom.
11 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 10 , wherein the at least one degree of freedom involving a pitching motion and a yawing motion of the wrist.
12 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 11 , wherein a reference frame used for controlling other degrees of freedom associated with the endoscope is attached to the object.
13 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 8 , wherein the endoscope is releaseably coupled to any of the plurality of arms and is designed to be swapped between the plurality of arms such that one standard arm design is used for the surgical robotic system.
14 . The minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope of claim 8 , wherein the at-least one degree of freedom is position or velocity controlled.
15 . A method to provide more intuitiveness to a user for a minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope having a flexible wrist with at least one degree of motion comprising attaching a reference frame used for controlling the at least one degree of freedom motion to the flexible wrist for wrist motion associated with the at least one degree of freedom.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one degree of freedom involving a pitching motion and a yawing motion of the wrist.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a reference frame used for controlling other degrees of freedom associated with the endoscope is attached to the object.
18 . A method to attenuate motion of a proximal end of an articulate surgical endoscope having a flexible wrist at a distal end with at least one degree of motion when acquiring an image of an object in association with the at least one degree of freedom comprising:
acquiring the image of the object in association with the at least one degree of freedom based on a reference frame rotating around a point of rotation located proximal to the flexible wrist.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the image of the object is an orbital view.
20 . A master-slave robotic system comprising:
a master controller comprising:
a platform;
at least one master input device rotatable about three axes relative to the platform and translatable along three axes relative to the platform;
a linkage supporting the input device relative to the platform;
a sensor system coupled to the linkage to measure motion about a plurality of locations on the linkage;
a drive system drivingly engaging the driven joint; and
a processor coupling to the sensor system to the drive system so that the drive system actuates the linkage while the at least one master input device is repositioned; and
at least one slave linkage coupled to the master, the at least one slave linkage articulating with 6 degrees of freedom in response to the repositioning of the at least one master input device, the slave linkage comprising a minimally invasive articulate surgical endoscope, the endoscope comprising:
an elongate shaft having a working end, a proximal end, and a shaft axis between the working end and the proximal end;
a flexible wrist having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end of the wrist connected to the working end of the elongate shaft;
an endoscopic camera lens installed at the distal end of the wrist, the camera lens acquiring an image of an object; and
a plurality of actuation links connecting the wrist to the proximal end of the elongate shaft such that the links are actuatable to provide the wrist with at least one degree of freedom;
wherein a reference frame used for controlling the at least one degree of freedom motion is attached to the flexible wrist for wrist motion associated with the at least one degree of freedom.
21 . The master-slave robotic system of claim 20 , wherein the at least one degree of freedom involving a pitching motion and a yawing motion of the wrist.
22 . The master-slave robotic system of claim 21 , wherein a reference frame used for controlling other degrees of freedom associated with the endoscope is attached to the object.
23 . The master-slave robotic system of claim 20 , wherein an image of the object acquired by the endoscope in association with the at least one degree of freedom is based on the reference frame rotating around a point of rotation located proximal to the flexible wrist.
24 . The master-slave robotic system of claim 23 , where in the image of the object is an orbital view.
25 . The master-slave robotic system of claim 20 , wherein the endoscope is releaseably coupled to any of the plurality of arms and is designed to be swapped between the plurality of arms such that one standard arm design is used for the surgical robotic system.
26 . The master-slave robotic system of claim 20 , wherein the at least one master input device is further used to control functions of the endoscopic camera lens including focus or aperture.
27 . The master-slave robotic system of claim 20 , wherein a master alignment compensation is carried out continuously and incrementally by adjusting the master transform to match the slave transform during a movement of the endoscopic camera lens to maintain master-slave intuitiveness.
28 . The master-slave robotic system of claim 20 , wherein the at-least one degree of freedom is position or velocity controlled.