Slider control of catheters and wires

1. A user interface configured to receive user input commands for a medical robotics system, the user interface comprising:

a control panel; and

a plurality of sliders slidably carried by the control panel to control actuation of at least one drive motor, for moving a surgical instrument of the medical robotics system;

wherein each of the plurality of sliders controls movement of the surgical instrument along a respective one of a plurality of degrees of freedom, and

wherein the user interface is communicatively coupled to, but physically remote from, the at least one drive motor and the surgical instrument.

2. The user interface of claim 1 , wherein the control panel is a touchscreen device.

3. The user interface of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sliders is coupled to a spring for moving the sliders toward a position.

4. The user interface of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sliders includes a friction hold mechanism.

5. The user interface of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sliders includes at least one force feedback mechanism.

6. The user interface of claim 5 , wherein at least one force feedback mechanism provides one or more detent forces.

7. The user interface of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sliders comprises:

a rolling slider controlling a rolling movement of the surgical instrument within a portion of a body of a patient, the rolling slider being movable along at least one of a circular path and an elliptical path.

8. The user interface of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sliders comprises:

an articulation slider controlling an articulation of the surgical instrument within a portion of a body of a patient, the articulation slider being movable along an arcuate path.

9. The user interface of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sliders comprises at least one of:

an insertion slider controlling at least one of an insertion and a retraction of the surgical instrument into a portion of a body of a patient, the insertion slider being movable along at least one of a linear insertion path and a non-linear path;

an articulation slider controlling an articulation of the surgical instrument within a portion of a body of a patient, the articulation slider being movable along at least one of a linear insertion path and a non-linear path; and

a rolling slider controlling a rolling movement of the surgical movement within a portion of a body of a patient, the rolling slider being movable along at least one of a linear insertion path and a nonlinear path.

10. The user interface of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sliders comprises:

an insertion slider movable along a linear insertion path for controlling an insertion of the surgical instrument into a portion of a body of a patient; and

an articulation slider movable along a linear articulation path for controlling an articulation of the surgical instrument within the portion of the body of the patient,

wherein the linear articulation path is perpendicular to the linear insertion path.

11. A user interface configured to receive user input commands for a medical robotics system, the user interface comprising:

a control panel; and

at least one slider slidably carried by the control panel to control actuation of at least one drive motor, for moving a catheter of the medical robotics system;

wherein the at least one slider controls movement of the catheter along at least one degree of freedom, and

wherein the user interface is communicatively coupled to, but physically remote from, the at least one drive motor and the catheter.

12. The user interface of claim 11 , wherein the control panel includes an arcuate groove, and the at least one slider is movable along the arcuate groove and configured to control an articulation of a tip of the catheter within one bending plane.

13. The user interface of claim 12 , wherein the at least one slider is configured to actuate the at least one drive motor to dispose the catheter at zero degrees of articulation, in response to the at least one slider being moved to a center portion along the arcuate groove.

14. The user interface of claim 13 , wherein the arcuate groove has a pair of ends, and wherein the at least one slider is configured to actuate the at least one drive motor to articulate the catheter in one direction in response to the at least one slider moving from the center portion to one end of the arcuate groove.

15. The user interface of claim 11 , further comprising:

a roller mechanism rotatably carried by the control panel, wherein the roller mechanism is configured to actuate the at least one drive motor to articulate the catheter within a bending plane.

16. The user interface of claim 11 , wherein the control panel is a touchscreen device configured to actuate the at least one drive motor to move the catheter, and wherein the touchscreen device has an activation surface portion configured to activate the touchscreen device and permit operation of the catheter in response to one finger pressing and holding the activation surface portion and another finger simultaneously operating the touchscreen device.

17. The user interface of claim 11 , wherein the control panel is a touchscreen device configured to actuate the at least one drive motor to move the catheter, and wherein the touchscreen device is configured to permit operation of the catheter in response to at least two fingers simultaneously operating the touchscreen device.

18. The user interface of claim 11 , wherein the control panel is a touchscreen device configured to actuate the at least one drive motor to move the catheter, and wherein the touchscreen device is configured to activate the touchscreen device and permit operation of the catheter in response to a double finger tap preceding operation of the touchscreen device.

19. A medical robotics system, comprising:

a surgical instrument;

at least one drive motor physically coupled to the surgical instrument; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to, but physically remote from, the at least one drive motor and the surgical instrument;

wherein the user interface includes a control panel and at least one slider slidably carried by the control panel to control actuation of the at least one drive motor, for moving the surgical instrument along at least one degree of freedom.

20. The medical robotics system of claim 19 , wherein the user interface is a touchscreen device configured to actuate the at least one drive motor in response to at least one of:

one finger pressing and holding an activation surface portion of the touchscreen device and another finger simultaneously operating the touchscreen device;

at least two fingers simultaneously operating the touchscreen device;

a double finger tap preceding operation of the touchscreen device; and

at least two fingers alternating contact with at least two spaced apart portions of the touch screen device.