Methods for performing medical procedures using a surgical robot

1. A method for removing bone with a robot system comprising:

providing an end effectuator to which a drill has been attached;

receiving a defined perimeter on a desired trajectory through the anatomy to be drilled;

retrieving a slice plane from a 3-D CT image scan volume, the retrieved slice plane being a two-dimensional slice lateral to a longitudinal axis of the drill attached to the end effectuator and being near the distal end of the drill; and

controlling the drill to remove bone from the desired trajectory in the intersection of the defined perimeter and the slice plane;

continuously retrieve a slice plane distally down the desired trajectory;

for each retrieved slice plane, performing the following steps:

repositioning the end effectuator such that the each retrieved slice plane is near the distal end of the drill; and

controlling the drill to remove bone from the desired trajectory in the intersection of the defined perimeter and the each retrieved slice plane,

wherein the each retrieved slice plane is a reformatted slice of the 3-D CT image scan volume, and

wherein every one of the each retrieved slice plane is the two-dimensional slice perpendicular to the desired trajectory.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising defining, by a user, a perimeter on a pathway through the anatomy.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying, on a display device, the each retrieved slice plane as the end effectuator is repositioned.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end effectuator includes a tube, further comprising inserting the drill through the end effectuator tube.

5. The method of claim 1 , under the control of the robot system, automatically demarcating drilling area and non-drilling soft tissue area in the intersection of the defined perimeter and the each retrieved slice plane.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of automatically demarcating includes demarcating using grayscale thresholding.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of drilling includes controlling the drill to drill only in the drilling area under the control of the robot system.

8. The method of claim 1 , under the control of the robot system, further comprising:

automatically demarcating drilling area and non-drilling soft tissue area in the intersection of the defined perimeter and the each retrieved slice plane using gray scale thresholding; and

wherein the step of drilling includes controlling the drill to drill only in the drilling area.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a critical structure to avoid in the slice plane; and

placing a second perimeter around the identified critical structure within the first parameter.

10. The method of claim 9 , controlling the drill to remove bone only within the second perimeter.

11. A method for inserting a tubular element into a patient with a robot system comprising:

loading a 3-D computed tomography scan volume onto a control device of the robot system, the robot system further including a tubular element through which a drill is received;

programming a route for the tubular element to travel through the patient to a target anatomical location on a display, wherein the control device is configured to manipulate the tubular element;

controlling the tubular element with the robot system to guide the tubular element along the programmed route through the patient,

wherein the control device calculates a two-dimensional slice plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the drill attached to the tubular element and iteratively recalculates a slice plane distally down the programmed route and distal to the tubular element as the tubular element is advanced,

wherein each calculated slice plane is a two-dimensional slice perpendicular to the programmed route and to the longitudinal axis of the drill, and wherein each calculated slice plane is a reformatted slice of the 3-D computed tomography scan volume.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising altering by a surgeon the programmed route while the robot system is moving the tubular element through the patient.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

continuously sensing neural activity through a neural sensing probe inserted into the tubular element; and

automatically changing the programmed route based upon the neural activity sensed by the neural probe.