Surgical robotic system and method for controlling an instrument feed rate

1. A surgical robotic system comprising:

a surgical manipulator comprising an arm including a plurality of links and joints, a surgical instrument is connected to said arm and said surgical manipulator is configured to manipulate said surgical instrument and an energy applicator extending from said 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 configured to calculate an instrument feed rate,

wherein said instrument feed rate is a velocity at which a distal end of said energy applicator advances along path segments of a tool path in said semi-autonomous mode and wherein said at least one controller calculates said instrument feed rate for each individual path segment by being configured to:

assign a defined feed rate for each individual path segment based on one or more variables evaluated by said at least one controller prior to operation of said surgical manipulator in said semi-autonomous mode; and

adjust said defined feed rate for one or more of said individual path segments based on one or more variables evaluated by said at least one controller during operation of said surgical manipulator in said semi-autonomous mode; and

a hand held pendant configured to regulate operation of said surgical manipulator in said semi-autonomous mode, said hand held pendant operable to provide one of said variables evaluated by said at least one controller to adjust said defined feed rate for said one or more of said individual path segments.

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

3. The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one controller is configured to adjust said defined feed rate by multiplying said defined feed rate by a plurality of coefficients associated with said one or more variables.

4. The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one controller is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on forces and torques to which said energy applicator is exposed.

5. The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one controller is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on curvature of said one or more of said individual path segments.

6. The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one controller is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on instrument power.

7. The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one controller is configured to adjust said defined feed rate based on tissue temperature.

8. The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one controller is configured to monitor a force or torque applied to or output by said surgical instrument or said energy applicator, and in response to determining that said force or torque exceeds a limit value, said at least one controller is configured to adjust said defined feed rate so that said instrument feed rate is zero.

9. The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein said hand held pendant includes a shell shaped configured to be held in one hand of a user.

10. The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein said hand held pendant is operable to place said surgical manipulator in said semi-autonomous mode.

11. The surgical robotic system of claim 1 , wherein said hand held pendant is operable to separately increase and decrease said instrument feed rate.

12. 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 an arm including a plurality of links and joints and the surgical instrument connected to the arm and at least one controller configured to operate the surgical manipulator in a manual mode or a semi-autonomous, said method comprising the steps of:

calculating an instrument feed rate with the at least one controller, wherein the instrument feed rate is a velocity at which a distal end of the energy applicator advances along path segments of a tool path in the semi-autonomous mode and wherein the at least one controller calculates the instrument feed rate by:

assigning a defined feed rate for each individual path segment based on one or more variables evaluated by the at least one controller prior to operation of the surgical manipulator in the semi-autonomous mode; and

adjusting the defined feed rate for one or more of the individual path segments based on one or more variables evaluated by the at least one controller during operation of the surgical manipulator in the semi-autonomous mode, wherein one of the variables is provided from operation of a hand held pendant configured to regulate operation of the surgical manipulator in the semi-autonomous mode.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the defined feed rate is based on variables comprising 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.

14. The method of claim 12 , including adjusting the defined feed rate by multiplying the defined feed rate by a plurality of coefficients associated with the one or more variables.

15. The method of claim 12 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on forces and torques to which the energy applicator is exposed.

16. The method of claim 12 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on curvature of the one or more of the individual path segments.

17. The method of claim 12 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on instrument power.

18. The method of claim 12 , including adjusting the defined feed rate based on tissue temperature.

19. The method of claim 12 , including:

monitoring a force or torque applied to or output by the surgical instrument or the energy applicator;

determining that the force or torque exceeds a limit value; and

adjusting the defined feed rate so that the instrument feed rate is zero.

20. The method of claim 12 , including:

monitoring a force or torque applied to or output by the surgical instrument or the energy applicator;

determining that the force or torque exceeds a limit value; and

transitioning the surgical manipulator from the semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode.

21. The method of claim 12 , including placing the surgical manipulator in the semi-autonomous mode based on operation of the hand held pendant.