Surgical manipulator having a feed rate calculator

1. A surgical manipulator for manipulating a surgical instrument and an energy applicator extending from the surgical instrument, said surgical manipulator comprising:

at least one controller configured to operate said surgical manipulator in a manual mode or a semi-autonomous mode, said at least one controller including a feed rate calculator configured to calculate an instrument feed rate,

wherein said instrument feed rate is a velocity at which a distal end of the energy applicator advances along a path segment of a tool path in said semi-autonomous mode and wherein said feed rate calculator calculates said instrument feed rate by adjusting a defined feed rate based on a plurality of variables,

wherein said at least one controller is configured to model the surgical instrument and the energy applicator as a virtual rigid body and said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on a virtual force applied to said virtual rigid body.

2. The surgical manipulator of claim 1 , wherein said defined feed rate is based on one or more of: a shape of a space to which the energy applicator is applied, a type of energy applicator, patient health, nature of tissue to which the energy applicator is applied, and geometry of said path segment.

3. The surgical manipulator of claim 1 , wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate by multiplying said defined feed rate by a plurality of coefficients associated with said plurality of variables.

4. The surgical manipulator of claim 1 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on user adjustment of said defined feed rate.

5. The surgical manipulator of claim 4 including a pendant having a feed rate adjustment button operable by a user to adjust said defined feed rate.

6. The surgical manipulator of claim 1 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on forces and torques to which the energy applicator is exposed.

7. The surgical manipulator of claim 1 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on curvature of said path segment.

8. The surgical manipulator of claim 1 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on instrument power.

9. The surgical manipulator of claim 1 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on tissue temperature.

10. The surgical manipulator of claim 1 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on a signal from a force overrider module so that said instrument feed rate is zero, said force overrider module configured to be run by said at least one controller to compare forces and torques to one or more limit values and generate said signal when said one or more limit values are exceeded.

11. The surgical manipulator of claim 10 wherein said force overrider module is configured to output said signal to transition said surgical manipulator from said semi-autonomous mode to said manual mode.

12. A surgical manipulator for manipulating a surgical instrument and an energy applicator extending from the surgical instrument, said surgical manipulator comprising:

at least one controller configured to operate said surgical manipulator in a manual mode or a semi-autonomous mode, said at least one controller including a feed rate calculator configured to calculate an instrument feed rate,

wherein said instrument feed rate is a velocity at which a distal end of the energy applicator advances along a path segment of a tool path in said semi-autonomous mode and wherein said feed rate calculator calculates said instrument feed rate by adjusting a defined feed rate based on a plurality of variables,

wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on a signal from a force overrider module so that said instrument feed rate is zero, said force overrider module configured to be run by said at least one controller to compare forces and torques to one or more limit values and generate said signal when said one or more limit values are exceeded,

wherein said force overrider module is configured to output said signal to transition said surgical manipulator from said semi-autonomous mode to said manual mode.

13. The surgical manipulator of claim 12 , wherein said defined feed rate is based on one or more of: a shape of a space to which the energy applicator is applied, a type of energy applicator, patient health, nature of tissue to which the energy applicator is applied, and geometry of said path segment.

14. The surgical manipulator of claim 12 , wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate by multiplying said defined feed rate by a plurality of coefficients associated with said plurality of variables.

15. The surgical manipulator of claim 12 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on user adjustment of said defined feed rate.

16. The surgical manipulator of claim 15 including a pendant having a feed rate adjustment button operable by a user to adjust said defined feed rate.

17. The surgical manipulator of claim 12 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on forces and torques to which the energy applicator is exposed.

18. The surgical manipulator of claim 12 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on curvature of said path segment.

19. The surgical manipulator of claim 12 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on instrument power.

20. The surgical manipulator of claim 12 wherein said feed rate calculator is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on tissue temperature.

21. A method for controlling a surgical manipulator to manipulate a surgical instrument and an energy applicator extending from the surgical instrument, the surgical manipulator comprising at least one controller configured to operate the surgical manipulator in a manual mode or a semi-autonomous mode and the at least one controller including a feed rate calculator, said method comprising the steps of:

calculating an instrument feed rate with the feed rate calculator, wherein the instrument feed rate is a velocity at which a distal end of the energy applicator advances along a path segment of a tool path in the semi-autonomous mode and wherein the feed rate calculator calculates the instrument feed rate by adjusting a defined feed rate based on a plurality of variables;

modeling the surgical instrument and the energy applicator as a virtual rigid body; and

adjusting the feed rate based on a virtual force applied to the virtual rigid body.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the defined feed rate is based on one or more of: a shape of a space to which the energy applicator is applied, a type of energy applicator, patient health, nature of tissue to which the energy applicator is applied, and geometry of the path segment.

23. The method of claim 21 , including adjusting the defined feed rate by multiplying the defined feed rate by a plurality of coefficients associated with the plurality of variables.

24. The method of claim 21 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on user adjustment of the defined feed rate.

25. The method of claim 24 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on operation by a user of a feed rate adjustment button of a pendant.

26. The method of claim 21 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on forces and torques to which the energy applicator is exposed.

27. The method of claim 21 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on curvature of the path segment.

28. The method of claim 21 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on instrument power.

29. The method of claim 21 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on tissue temperature.

30. The method of claim 21 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on a signal from a force overrider module so that the instrument feed rate is zero, the force overrider module configured to be run by the at least one controller to compare forces and torques to one or more limit values and generate the signal when the one or more limit values are exceeded.

31. The method of claim 30 , including outputting the signal to transition the surgical manipulator from the semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode.

32. A method for controlling a surgical manipulator to manipulate a surgical instrument and an energy applicator extending from the surgical instrument, the surgical manipulator comprising at least one controller configured to operate the surgical manipulator in a manual mode or a semi-autonomous mode and the at least one controller including a feed rate calculator, said method comprising the steps of:

calculating an instrument feed rate with the feed rate calculator, wherein the instrument feed rate is a velocity at which a distal end of the energy applicator advances along a path segment of a tool path in the semi-autonomous mode and wherein the feed rate calculator calculates the instrument feed rate by adjusting a defined feed rate based on a plurality of variables;

adjusting the defined feed rate based on a signal from a force overrider module so that the instrument feed rate is zero, the force overrider module configured to be run by the at least one controller to compare forces and torques to one or more limit values and generate the signal when the one or more limit values are exceeded; and

outputting the signal to transition the surgical manipulator from the semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the defined feed rate is based on one or more of: a shape of a space to which the energy applicator is applied, a type of energy applicator, patient health, nature of tissue to which the energy applicator is applied, and geometry of the path segment.

34. The method of claim 32 , including adjusting the defined feed rate by multiplying the defined feed rate by a plurality of coefficients associated with the plurality of variables.

35. The method of claim 32 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on user adjustment of the defined feed rate.

36. The method of claim 35 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on operation by a user of a feed rate adjustment button of a pendant.

37. The method of claim 32 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on forces and torques to which the energy applicator is exposed.

38. The method of claim 32 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on curvature of the path segment.

39. The method of claim 32 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on instrument power.

40. The method of claim 32 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on tissue temperature.