Surgical system and method utilizing impulse modeling for controlling an instrument

1. A surgical system for applying an energy applicator to a target tissue, the energy applicator extending from a surgical instrument, the surgical system comprising:

a sensor to measure external forces and torques placed on the surgical instrument;

a surgical manipulator configured to move the energy applicator; and

at least one controller configured to:

control operation of the surgical manipulator in a semi-autonomous mode to advance the energy applicator along a tool path;

control operation of the surgical manipulator in a manual mode to advance the energy applicator in response to the external forces and torques placed on the surgical instrument;

model the surgical instrument and the energy applicator as a virtual rigid body having a virtual mass;

determine a constraining force that is configured to constrain movement of the energy applicator, and to determine the constraining force, the at least one controller is configured to determine an impulse that is to be applied to the virtual rigid body in a direction, determine a scalar force along the direction in which the impulse is to be applied to the virtual rigid body, and convert the scalar force to the constraining force to be applied to the virtual rigid body;

determine total forces and torques based on the external forces and torques and the constraining forces; and

advance the energy applicator in one, or both of, the semi-autonomous mode and the manual mode based on the total forces and torques.

2. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine instrument forces and torques to apply to the virtual rigid body to move the energy applicator along the tool path in the semi-autonomous mode.

3. The surgical system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to set the instrument forces and torques to zero in the manual mode.

4. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein movement of the energy applicator in the manual mode is constrained by a virtual boundary, and wherein the constraining force comprises a boundary constraining force.

5. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the constraining force comprises a workspace constraining force.

6. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the constraining force comprises a joint limit constraining force.

7. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the constraining force comprises an interference angle constraining force.

8. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to calculate the constraining forces based on: a Jacobian matrix; a mass and inertia matrix for the virtual rigid body; and scale factors.

9. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to advance the surgical instrument in the manual mode based on a commanded pose and a commanded velocity for the energy applicator.

10. A method of operating a surgical system for applying an energy applicator to a target tissue, the energy applicator extending from a surgical instrument, the surgical system comprising a sensor for measuring external forces and torques placed on the surgical instrument, a surgical manipulator configured for moving the energy applicator, and at least one controller configured to control operation of the surgical manipulator in a semi-autonomous mode to advance the energy applicator along a tool path, and to control operation of the surgical manipulator in a manual mode to advance the energy applicator in response to the external forces and torques placed on the surgical instrument, the method comprising:

modeling, with the at least one controller, the surgical instrument and the energy applicator as a virtual rigid body having a virtual mass;

determining, with the at least one controller, a constraining force for constraining movement of the energy applicator, and determining the constraining force comprises determining an impulse that is to be applied to the virtual rigid body in a direction, determining a scalar force along the direction in which the impulse is to be applied to the virtual rigid body, and converting the scalar force to the constraining force to be applied to the virtual rigid body;

determining, with the at least one controller, total forces and torques based on the external forces and torques and the constraining force; and

advancing, with the at least one controller, the energy applicator in one, or both of, the semi-autonomous mode and the manual mode based on the total forces and torques.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the at least one controller determining instrument forces and torques for applying to the virtual rigid body for moving the energy applicator along the tool path in the semi-autonomous mode.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the at least one controller setting the instrument forces and torques to zero in the manual mode.

13. The method of claim 10 , comprising constraining movement of the energy applicator in the manual mode with a virtual boundary, and wherein determining the constraining force comprises determining a boundary constraining force.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the constraining force comprises determining a workspace constraining force.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the constraining force comprises determining a joint limit constraining force.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the constraining force comprises determining an interference angle constraining force.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the at least one controller calculating the constraining forces based on: a Jacobian matrix; a mass and inertia matrix for the virtual rigid body; and scale factors.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the at least one controller advancing the surgical instrument in the manual mode based on a commanded pose and a commanded velocity for the energy applicator.