TESTING UNIT FOR TESTING A SURGICAL ROBOT SYSTEM

1 . A surgical robotic testing unit for testing a surgical robotic system, the surgical robotic system comprising a first subsystem configured to generate a first signal having a first characteristic behaviour and a second subsystem configured to receive the first signal and to respond to the received first signal, the testing unit being configured to:

emulate the first subsystem by:

generating an emulated signal representative of the first signal of the first subsystem, the emulated signal having an emulated behaviour that exceeds a boundary of the first characteristic behaviour of the first signal, such that the testing unit is operable to test the second subsystem beyond the capability of the first subsystem;

transmitting the generated emulated signal for receiving at the second subsystem; and

receiving a response signal from the second subsystem indicative of the response of the second subsystem to the emulated signal;

analyse the received response signal; and

determine a state of the second subsystem based on the analysis.

2 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the testing unit is configured to analyse the received response signal by comparing the received response signal with an expected signal.

3 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the boundary of the first characteristic behaviour comprises a maximum signal value, and the testing unit is configured to generate the emulated signal with a value greater than the maximum signal value.

4 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the boundary of the first characteristic behaviour comprises a minimum signal value, and the testing unit is configured to generate the emulated signal with a value less than the minimum signal value.

5 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the testing unit is configured to generate the emulated signal over a range of values that encompasses a first range of values of the first signal.

6 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the boundary of the first characteristic behaviour comprises a repeatability indication of the first signal, and the testing unit is configured to generate the emulated signal with a repeatability greater than the indicated repeatability.

7 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 6 , in which the repeatability indication comprises a standard deviation, and the testing unit is configured to generate the emulated signal with a standard deviation smaller than that of the repeatability indication.

8 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the boundary of the first characteristic behaviour comprises a rate of change of values of the first signal, and the testing unit is configured to generate the emulated signal with a rate of change greater than and/or less than the boundary rate of change.

9 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the testing unit is configured to generate one or more emulated signals from a set of emulated signals, each emulated signal in the set of emulated signals being representative of a signal that can be generated by the first subsystem.

10 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 9 , in which the first subsystem is configured to be operational in one of a group of modes, and the set of emulated signals corresponds to the group of modes.

11 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the testing unit is configured to:

emulate the second subsystem by:

generating a further emulated signal representative of a second signal of the second subsystem for receiving at the first subsystem, the second signal having a second characteristic behaviour, and the further emulated signal having an emulated behaviour that exceeds a further boundary of the second characteristic behaviour of the second signal, such that the testing unit is operable to test the first subsystem beyond the capability of the second subsystem;

transmitting the generated further emulated signal for receiving at the first subsystem; and

receiving a further response signal from the first subsystem indicative of the response of the first subsystem to the further emulated signal;

analyse the received further response signal; and

determine a state of the first subsystem based on the analysis.

12 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the first subsystem comprises one of a control console and a bedside unit and the second subsystem comprises the other of the control console and the bedside unit.

13 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the testing unit is configured to emulate a plurality of control consoles and/or bedside units.

14 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the emulated signal is representative of an arm control signal.

15 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the emulated signal comprises one or more desired joint torques and/or speeds.

16 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the emulated signal is representative of an instrument control signal.

17 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the emulated signal comprises an electrosurgical signal.

18 . A surgical robotic testing unit according to claim 1 , in which the emulated signal comprises a desired range of movement of the arm and/or of the instrument.

19 . A surgical system comprising:

a surgical robotic system having

a first subsystem configured to generate a first signal having a first characteristic behaviour, and

a second subsystem configured to receive the first signal and to respond to the received first signal; and

a surgical robotic testing unit configured to:

emulate the first subsystem by:

generating an emulated signal representative of the first signal of the first subsystem, the emulated signal having an emulated behaviour that exceeds a boundary of the first characteristic behaviour of the first signal, such that the testing unit is operable to test the second subsystem beyond the capability of the first subsystem;

transmitting the generated emulated signal for receiving at the second subsystem; and

receiving a response signal from the second subsystem indicative of the response of the second subsystem to the emulated signal;

analyse the received response signal; and

determine a state of the second subsystem based on the analysis.

20 . A method of testing a surgical robotic system, the surgical robotic system comprising a first subsystem configured to generate a first signal having a first characteristic behaviour and a second subsystem configured to receive the first signal and to respond to the received first signal, the method comprising:

generating an emulated signal representative of the first signal of the first subsystem, the emulated signal having an emulated behaviour that exceeds a boundary of the first characteristic behaviour of the first signal;

transmitting the generated emulated signal for receiving at the second subsystem;

receiving a response signal from the second subsystem indicative of the response of the second subsystem to the emulated signal;

analysing the received response signal; and

determining a state of the second subsystem based on the analysis, thereby to test the second subsystem beyond the capability of the first subsystem.