Surgical system and methods for mimicked motion
The present invention generally provides methods and devices for controlling movement of an end effector, and in particular for causing mimicked motion between an input tool and an end effector during a surgical procedure. In an exemplary embodiment, a surgical system is provided having a master assembly with an input tool and a slave assembly with an end effector. The master assembly and the slave assembly can be coupled together by a mechanical assembly that is configured to mechanically transfer mimicked, rather than mirrored, motion from the input tool to the end effector. A floating frame is also provided and can be utilized with the surgical system. The floating frame can have a counterbalance that allows the surgical system to “float” above a patient and provide a weightless feel to movement of the surgical system. In addition, the floating frame can provide a number of additional degrees of freedom for ease of movement of the surgical system around the patient and/or the operating room.
1. A surgical system, comprising:
a slave assembly configured to receive user input to an input tool that causes movement of the input tool;
a master assembly configured to couple to a surgical instrument having an end effector; and
a mechanical assembly including a first movement assembly coupled to the slave assembly, the first movement assembly including a first plurality of actuators, the mechanical assembly including a second movement assembly coupled to the master assembly, the second movement assembly including a second plurality of actuators each operatively associated with one of the first plurality of actuators, a subset of the first plurality of actuators being configured to move in response to the user input to the input tool and thereby cause movement of a subset of the second plurality of actuators such that the end effector mimics the movement of the input tool, the subset of the first plurality of actuators being different based on which one or more of a plurality of degrees of freedom the input tool moves in response to the user input, the mechanical assembly including a plurality of rods, each of the rods being configured to transfer the movement of the subject of the first plurality of actuators to the subject of the second plurality of actuators.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the slave assembly includes a first housing having the first plurality of actuators disposed therein, the slave assembly includes a first elongate arm extending distally from the first housing, and a distal end of the first elongate arm is configured to couple to the input tool; and
the master assembly includes a second housing having the second plurality of actuators disposed therein, the master assembly includes a second elongate arm extending distally from the second housing, and a distal end of the second elongate arm is configured to couple to the surgical instrument.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first elongate arm is substantially parallel to the second elongate arm.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of actuators includes a first plurality of pulleys, and the second plurality of actuators includes a second plurality of pulleys.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the mechanical assembly includes a plurality of rods, each of the rods coupling together one of the first plurality of pulleys with one of the second plurality of pulleys.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling assembly that couples the slave and master assemblies together at a fixed orientation relative to one another.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the slave and master assemblies are substantially parallel to one another in the fixed orientation relative to one another.
8. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a frame coupled to the coupling assembly and configured to allow movement of the slave and master assemblies in three of the plurality of degrees of freedom while the slave and master assemblies are at the fixed orientation relative to one another, the three degrees of freedom being surge, heave, and sway.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the frame is coupled to the coupling assembly at a joint that allows movement of the slave and master assemblies in two of the plurality of degrees of freedom while the slave and master assemblies are at the fixed orientation relative to one another, the two degrees of freedom being pitch and yaw.
10. A surgical method, comprising:
receiving a user input at an input tool that moves the input tool in one or more degrees of freedom, wherein:
the input tool is coupled to a slave assembly and is located outside a body of a patient,
the user input causes movement of a subset of a first plurality of actuators of the slave assembly,
the movement of the subset of the first plurality of actuators causes movement of a subset of a second plurality of actuators of a master assembly as a result of a plurality of rods in the master assembly transferring the movement of the subset of the first plurality of actuators to the subset of the second plurality of actuators,
a surgical instrument is coupled to the master assembly and has an end effector located within the body of the patient,
the movement of the subset of the second plurality of actuators causes the end effector to mimic the movement of the input tool, and
the subset of the first plurality of actuators is different for different user inputs to the input tool based on which one or more of a plurality of degrees of freedom the input tool moves in response to the user input.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving a second user input at the input tool that moves the input tool in a different one or more of the degrees of freedom, wherein:
the second user input causes movement of a different subset of the first plurality of actuators,
the movement of the different subset of the first plurality of actuators causes movement of a different subset of the second plurality of actuators, and
the movement of the subset of the second plurality of actuators causes the end effector to mimic the movement of the input tool due to the second user input.
12. A surgical system, comprising:
a slave assembly configured to be advanced through a surgical access point in a tissue surface into a body cavity such than an end effector on a forward end of the slave assembly is within the body cavity, the end effector being disposed forward of a pivot plane that extends through the access point and has a first axis that is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the slave assembly and a second axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the slave assembly about which the slave assembly yaws;
a master assembly extending substantially parallel to the slave assembly, the master assembly configured to have an input tool coupled to a forward end of the master assembly disposed external to the body cavity with the input tool being disposed forward of the pivot plane; and
a plurality of rods, each of the rods being configured to transfer surging of the master assembly to cause mimicked surging of the slave assembly through the surgical access point.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the master assembly is configured to move to cause the slave assembly to pivot about the surgical access point to define a conical volume within the body cavity accessible by the end effector.
14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a frame coupled to both the master assembly and the slave assembly, wherein the frame is configured to move and thereby simultaneously allow movement of the master and slave assemblies together in parallel with three translational degrees of freedom.
15. The system of claim 12 , further comprising the input tool, wherein the input tool coupled to the forward end of the master assembly is configured to be actuated to cause mimicked movement of the end effector within the body cavity.
16. The system of claim 12 , further comprising the input tool, wherein the input tool coupled to the forward end of the master assembly is configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the master assembly to cause corresponding rotation of the end effector about the longitudinal axis of the slave assembly.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the rotation of the input tool is configured to cause rotation of a drive rod coupled to both the master assembly and the slave assembly to cause the corresponding rotation of the end effector.
18. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a mechanical linkage coupled to both the master assembly and the slave assembly, wherein the mechanical linkage is configured to transfer therethrough mimicked movement of the input tool coupled to the forward end of the master assembly to the end effector on the slave assembly.
19. The system of claim 12 , wherein a dual-axis swivel joint coupled between the master and slave assemblies is configured to allow simultaneous movement of the master and slave assemblies together in parallel with two rotational degrees of freedom, and the dual-axis swivel joint defines a plane that is parallel with the pivot plane.