IP Library Granted Patent US 11,771,504
Granted Patent B2
US 11,771,504 · App. 18/101,235 · Granted Oct 3, 2023

Surgical system with base and arm tracking

Inventors: Hyosig Kang (Weston, FL); Dennis Moses (Doral, FL); Arthur Quaid (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
A61B34/20A61B17/1764A61B34/10A61B34/30A61B34/71A61B34/76A61B90/03A61B34/25A61B2017/00119A61B2017/00694A61B2017/00712A61B2017/00725A61B2034/102A61B2034/107A61B2034/108A61B2034/207A61B2034/2055A61B2034/2059A61B2034/2065A61B2034/2068A61B2034/2072A61B2034/305A61B2090/363A61B2090/364A61B2090/3983
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,771,504
App. No.
18/101,235
Granted
Oct 3, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A surgical system includes a base, a robotic arm extending from the base and comprising a plurality of segments, a first tracker secured to the base, a second tracker secured to a segment of the plurality of segments of the robotic arm, and a detection device configured to determine an arrangement of the first tracker and the second tracker.

Claims (30)

1. A surgical system, comprising:

a base;

a robotic arm extending from the base and comprising a plurality of segments, wherein the robotic arm comprises one or more sensors configured to provide first data indicative of an arrangement of the plurality of segments;

a first tracker secured to the base;

a second tracker secured to a segment of the plurality of segments of the robotic arm;

a detection device configured to determine second data by detecting an arrangement of the first tracker and the second tracker; and

circuitry programmed to determine, by performing a comparison based on the first data and the second data, a coordinate transformation between the first data and a position of the first tracker as detected by the detection device.

2. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the first tracker comprises a plurality of first markers and the second tracker comprises a plurality of second markers.

3. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the first tracker is selectively removable from the base.

4. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more joint encoders.

5. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate a fault signal in response to movement of the first tracker violating a condition.

6. A method, comprising:

determining, by a detection device, an arrangement of a first tracker mounted on a base for a robotic arm and a second tracker mounted on an arm segment of a plurality of arm segments of the robotic arm such that the second tracker is at an intermediate position along the robotic arm;

collecting, by one or more sensors of the robotic arm, data indicative of an arrangement of the plurality of segments:

performing, by circuitry, a comparison based on the arrangement of the first tracker and the second tracker and the data from the one or more sensors of the robotic arm; and

determining, by the circuitry and based on the comparison, a coordinate transformation between the data collected by the one or more sensors of the robotic arm and a position of the first tracker as detected by the detection device.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising generating a fault signal in response to a determination that a movement of the first tracker or the second tracker violates a condition and disabling a tool coupled to the robotic arm in response to the fault signal.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a joint encoder positioned at a joint between adjacent arm segments of the plurality of arm segments, the method comprises measuring, by the joint encoder, an angle of the joint.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising controlling the robotic arm by:

constraining movement of the robotic arm based on a virtual boundary;

detecting existence of a condition wherein the detection device is occluded from detecting the first tracker or the second tracker;

maintaining the virtual boundary if the condition ceases to exist before expiration of a predetermined period of time; and

removing the virtual boundary if the condition continues to exist beyond expiration of the predetermined period of time.

10. A method of operating a surgical system comprising circuitry, a base, a robotic arm extending from the base and comprising a plurality of segments, a first tracker secured to the base, and a second tracker secured to a segment of the plurality of segments of the robotic arm, the robotic arm comprising one or more sensors, the method comprising:

providing, by the one or more sensors, first data indicative of an arrangement of the plurality of segments;

determining, with a detection device of an optical tracking system, second data indicative of an arrangement of the first tracker and the second tracker; and

determining, by circuitry and by performing a comparison based on the first data and the second data, a coordinate transformation between the first data and a position of the first tracker as detected by the detection device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first tracker is selectively removable from the base.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising measuring, by the one or more sensors, an angle of a joint of the robotic arm.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising generating a fault signal in response to a movement of a first tracker.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2025
From: KANG, HYOSIG; MOSES, DENNIS; QUAID, ARTHUR
To: MAKO SURGICAL CORP.
Reel/Frame 071345/0308 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17395668 · Aug 6, 2021
Continuation 16509651 · Jul 12, 2019
Continuation 15288769 · Oct 7, 2016
Continuation 11750815 · May 18, 2007
Provisional Application 60801378 · May 19, 2006
Related Publication 20230165641A1 · Jun 1, 2023
Cited By (3)
US 12,343,093 US 12,370,061 US 12,383,344