Optimized semi-robotic alignment workflow

1. A computer implemented method comprising executing, on at least one processor of at least one computer, the steps of:

acquiring image data describing an image of an anatomical structure of a patient;

determining planned position data, based on the image data, describing at least one planned position of a tool operatively associated with a robotic system and relative to the anatomical structure of the patient;

acquiring status change data describing a change of a status of the robotic system from at least a first status to at least a second status, wherein in the first status a manual movement of at least one part of the robotic system is allowed and in the second status the manual movement of the at least one part of the robotic system is inhibited;

acquiring actual position data describing an actual position of an element of the robotic system relative to the anatomical structure;

determining, based on the planned position data and the status change data and the actual position data, control data for controlling, in the second status of the robotic system, at least one actuator to move the tool;

transmitting the control data to the at least one actuator to control the at least one actuator in at least one of the first status or the second status;

wherein determining the control data comprises selecting the planned position of the tool out of a plurality of planned positions based on a proximity to the actual position of the element of the robotic system.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the robotic system comprises a holding arm and a robotic fine-adjustment unit comprising the at least one actuator, the holding arm being manually moved for a coarse-adjustment.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the first status is an un-locked status of the holding arm in which the manual movement of the holding arm is allowed, and the second status is a locked status of the holding arm in which the manual movement of the holding arm is inhibited.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the planned position is associated with a trajectory comprising an entry point and a target point of the tool relative to the anatomical structure of the patient.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control data describes instructions for controlling the at least one actuator to move the tool from the actual position to the planned position.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control data is associated with information describing a minimum distance between the tool and a part of the anatomical structure of the patient.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control data is associated with information describing a maximum time for moving the tool in the second status of the robotic system.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control data is associated with information describing an accuracy of movement of the robotic system.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising executing, on the at least one processor of the at least one computer:

acquiring atlas data describing an image-based model of the anatomical structure, wherein determining the planned position data is further based on the atlas data by comparing the atlas data to the image data, wherein the comparing is implemented by applying an image fusion algorithm to the image data and the atlas data.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control data comprises instructions for controlling the at least one actuator to move to a predetermined position, when the status of the robotic system changes from the second status to the first status.

11. A computer implemented method comprising executing, on at least one processor of at least one computer, the steps of:

acquiring image data describing an image of an anatomical structure of a patient;

determining planned position data, based on the image data, describing at least one planned position of a tool operatively associated with a robotic system and relative to the anatomical structure of the patient;

acquiring status change data describing a change of a status of the robotic system from at least a first status to at least a second status, wherein in the first status a manual movement of at least one part of the robotic system is allowed and in the second status the manual movement of the at least one part of the robotic system is inhibited;

acquiring actual position data describing an actual position of an element of the robotic system relative to the anatomical structure;

determining, based on the planned position data and the status change data and the actual position data, control data for controlling, in the second status of the robotic system, at least one actuator to move the tool;

transmitting the control data to the at least one actuator to control the at least one actuator in at least one of the first status or the second status;

wherein the control data is associated with information describing a maximum time for moving the tool in the second status of the robotic system.

12. A computer implemented method comprising executing, on at least one processor of at least one computer, the steps of:

acquiring image data describing an image of an anatomical structure of a patient;

determining planned position data, based on the image data, describing at least one planned position of a tool operatively associated with a robotic system and relative to the anatomical structure of the patient;

acquiring status change data describing the change of a status of the robotic system from at least a first status to at least a second status, wherein in the first status a manual movement of at least one part of the robotic system is allowed and in the second status the manual movement of the at least one part of the robotic system is inhibited;

acquiring actual position data describing an actual position of an element of the robotic system relative to the anatomical structure;

determining, based on the planned position data and the status change data and the actual position data, control data for controlling, in the second status of the robotic system, at least one actuator to move the tool;

transmitting the control data to the at least one actuator to control the at least one actuator in at least one of the first status or the second status;

wherein the control data comprises instructions for controlling the at least one actuator to move to a predetermined position, when the status of the robotic system changes from the second status to the first status.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computing device instructions executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

acquiring image data describing an image of an anatomical structure of a patient;

determining planned position data, based on the image data, describing at least one planned position of a tool operatively associated with a robotic system and relative to the anatomical structure of the patient;

acquiring status change data describing a change of a status of the robotic system from at least a first status to at least a second status, wherein in the first status a manual movement of at least one part of the robotic system is allowed and in the second status the manual movement of the at least one part of the robotic system is inhibited;

acquiring actual position data describing an actual position of an element of the robotic system relative to the anatomical structure;

determining, based on the planned position data and the status change data and the actual position data, control data for controlling, in the second status of the robotic system, at least one actuator to move the tool;

wherein determining the control data comprises selecting a planned position of the tool out of a plurality of planned positions based on a proximity to an actual position of the element of the robotic system.

14. A robotic system to control automated movement of a tool associated with the robotic system, the robotic system comprising:

at least one holding arm;

at least one robotic fine-adjustment unit comprising at least one actuator; and

at least one computer having at least one processor;

wherein the at least one computer is operatively associated with the at least one actuator; and

the at least one processor having associated memory with instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to: acquire image data describing an image of an anatomical structure of a patient;

determine planned position data, based on the image data, describing at least one planned position of a tool operatively associated with the robotic system and relative to the anatomical structure of the patient;

acquire status change data describing the change of a status of the robotic system from a first status to a second status, wherein in the first status a manual movement of at least one part of the robotic system is allowed and in the second status a manual movement of the at least one part of the robotic system is inhibited;

acquire actual position data describing the actual position of at least one of the tool or an element of the robotic system, relative to the anatomical structure; and,

determine, based on the planned position data and the status change data and the actual position data, control data for controlling, in the second status of the robotic system, at least one actuator to move the tool;

wherein determining the control data comprises selecting a planned position of the tool out of a plurality of planned positions based on a proximity to an actual position of the element of the robotic system.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the control data is associated with information describing a minimum distance between the tool and a part of the anatomical structure of the patient.