IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,806,530
Granted Patent B2
US 10,806,530 · App. 15/580,629 · Granted Oct 20, 2020

System and method for patient-side instrument control

Inventors: Hsien-Hsin Liao (Sunnyvale, CA); Julie L. Berry (San Jose, CA); Pushkar Hingwe (Los Altos, CA); Brandon D. Itkowitz (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
A61B34/35A61B34/30A61B34/70A61B2090/064A61B2090/066
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,806,530
App. No.
15/580,629
Granted
Oct 20, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A surgical instrument is configured to be installed for use on a teleoperated surgical system. A surgeon or other medical person controls the surgical instrument by manipulating one or more control inputs. Computer-assisted teleoperated actuators of the teleoperated surgical system move one or more surgical instrument mechanical degrees of freedom in response to movements of the one or more control inputs. A teleoperated surgical system is provided to enable a surgeon or medical person to manually control one or more surgical instrument mechanical degrees of freedom, while the surgical instrument is installed for use on the teleoperated surgical system.

Claims (45)

1. A method comprising:

detecting, at a first teleoperated actuator being commanded to maintain its current position, an application of an external force that is in excess of a first force threshold;

detecting, at a second teleoperated actuator being commanded to maintain its current position, no application of external force that is in excess of a second force threshold; and

in response to the detecting that the application of the external force at the first teleoperated actuator is in excess of the first force threshold, terminating the command to the first teleoperated actuator to maintain its current position,

wherein the first teleoperated actuator is configured to actuate a first mechanical degree of freedom of an instrument and the second teleoperated actuator is configured to actuate a second mechanical degree of freedom of the instrument.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting, at the first teleoperated actuator being commanded to maintain its current position, the application of the external force that is in excess of the first force threshold, comprises determining an electrical current supplied to the first teleoperated actuator.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external force that is in excess of the first force threshold is caused by a user manually applying a force to a component of the instrument.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting, at the first teleoperated actuator being commanded to maintain its current position, the application of the external force that is in excess of the first force threshold comprises:

determining a reference state position of a drive shaft of the first teleoperated actuator;

determining a reference state torque for the first teleoperated actuator; and

detecting that the first teleoperated actuator cannot maintain its drive shaft reference state position without applying a torque greater than the reference state torque.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

permitting a movement of a drive shaft of the first teleoperated actuator from a reference state position to a second position, the movement resulting from the application of the external force; and

commanding the first teleoperated actuator to maintain the drive shaft at the second position when the application of the external force ceases.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising discontinuing a supply of electrical power to the first teleoperated actuator.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising commanding the first teleoperated actuator to apply a force to slow down, but not prevent, a movement of the first teleoperated actuator resulting from the application of the external force.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting a notification that a manual actuation of the instrument from a patient side is being attempted.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising terminating the command to the second teleoperated actuator to maintain its current position.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a movement of a drive shaft of the first teleoperated actuator from a reference state position to a second position, the movement resulting from the application of external force; and

commanding a corresponding movement of the second teleoperated actuator.

11. A teleoperated device comprising:

a control input;

an instrument manipulator configured to receive an instrument, the instrument manipulator including a first teleoperated actuator and a second teleoperated actuator, the first teleoperated actuator being configured to actuate a first mechanical degree of freedom of the instrument and the second teleoperated actuator being configured to actuate a second mechanical degree of freedom of the instrument; and

a controller configured to control movement of the instrument installed for use on the instrument manipulator, in response to movement of the control input,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect, while the first teleoperated actuator is being commanded to maintain its current position, an application of an external force to the first teleoperated actuator that is in excess of a first force threshold,

detect, while the second teleoperated actuator is being commanded to maintain its current position, no application of external force to the second teleoperated actuator that is in excess of a second force threshold, and

in response to the detecting that the application of the external force to the first teleoperated actuator is in excess of the first force threshold, terminate the command to the first teleoperated actuator to maintain its current position.

12. The teleoperated device of claim 11 , wherein the detecting, while the first teleoperated actuator is being commanded to maintain its current position, the application of the external force to the first teleoperated actuator that is in excess of the first force threshold, comprises determining an electrical current supplied to the first teleoperated actuator.

13. The teleoperated device of claim 11 , wherein the external force that is in excess of the first force threshold is caused by a user manually applying a force to a component of the instrument.

14. The teleoperated device of claim 11 , wherein the detecting, at the first teleoperated actuator being commanded to maintain its current position, the application of the external force that is in excess of the first force threshold comprises:

determining a reference state position of a drive shaft of the first teleoperated actuator;

determining a reference state torque for the first teleoperated actuator; and

detecting that the first teleoperated actuator cannot maintain its drive shaft reference state position without applying a torque greater than the reference state torque.

15. The teleoperated device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

permit a movement of a drive shaft of the first teleoperated actuator from a reference state position to a second position, the movement resulting from the application of the external force; and

command the first teleoperated actuator to maintain the drive shaft at the second position when the application of the external force ceases.

16. The teleoperated device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to discontinue a supply of electrical power to the first teleoperated actuator.

17. The teleoperated device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to command the first teleoperated actuator to apply a force to slow down, but not prevent, a movement of a drive shaft of the first teleoperated actuator from a reference state position to a second position, the movement resulting from the application of the external force.

18. The teleoperated device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to present a notification that a manual actuation of the instrument from a patient side is being attempted.

19. The teleoperated device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to terminate the command to the second teleoperated actuator to maintain its current position.

20. The teleoperated device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect a movement of a drive shaft of the first teleoperated actuator from a reference state position to a second position, the movement resulting from the application of the external force; and

command a corresponding movement of the second teleoperated actuator.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2018
From: BERRY, JULIE L.
To: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 045255/0835 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2018
From: LIAO, HSIEN-HSIN; ITKOWITZ, BRANDON D.; HINGWE, PUSHKAR
To: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 045056/0194 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62173856 · Jun 10, 2015
Related Publication 20180168756A1 · Jun 21, 2018
Cited By (13)
US 12,213,668 US 12,239,394 US 12,297,894 US 12,303,225 US 12,310,691 US 12,329,472 US 12,383,357 US 12,419,707 US 12,433,701 US 12,458,348 US 12,544,171 US 12,629,220 US 12,721,624