IP Library Granted Patent US 12,213,756
Granted Patent B2
US 12,213,756 · App. 18/470,252 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

Interlock mechanisms to disengage and engage a teleoperation mode

Inventors: Joan Savall (Palo Alto, CA); Denise Ann Miller (Scotts Valley, CA); Anette Lia Freiin von Kapri (Mountain View, CA); Paolo Invernizzi (Milan, IT); John Magnasco (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Verb Surgical Inc.
A61B34/35A61B34/25B25J9/0009B25J9/1689G06F3/012G06F3/013G06F3/017A61B2034/305
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,213,756
App. No.
18/470,252
Granted
Feb 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for engaging and disengaging a surgical instrument of a surgical robotic system comprising: receiving a plurality of interlock inputs from one or more interlock detection components of the surgical robotic system; determining, by one or more processors communicatively coupled to the interlock detection components, whether the plurality of interlock inputs indicate each of the following interlock requirements are satisfied: (1) a user is looking toward a display, (2) at least one or more user interface devices of the surgical robotic system are configured in a usable manner, and (3) a surgical workspace of the surgical robotic system is configured in a usable manner; in response to determining each of the interlock requirements are satisfied, transition the surgical robotic system into a teleoperation mode; and in response to determining less than all of the interlock requirements are satisfied, transition the surgical robotic system out of a teleoperation mode.

Claims (35)

1. A method for disengaging a surgical instrument of a surgical robotic system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of interlock inputs from one or more interlock detection components of the surgical robotic system;

determining, by one or more processors communicatively coupled to the interlock detection components, whether the plurality of interlock inputs indicate the following interlock conditions are satisfied: (1) at least one or more user interface devices of the surgical robotic system having a tracker that indicates the at least one or more user interface devices are outside a trackable workspace of the surgical robotic system or the at least one or more user interface devices are in a stored configuration, and (2) a user's gaze is outside a display of the surgical robotic system; and

in response to determining the interlock conditions are satisfied, transition the surgical robotic system out of a teleoperation mode such that the at least one or more user interface devices is prevented from controlling the surgical instrument.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one or more user interface devices comprise at least one of a handheld user input device and a foot pedal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the display is an open display.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the interlock detection component for determining the user's gaze is outside the display comprises an eye tracker that indicates the user gaze is outside of the display.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the interlock detection component for determining the user's gaze is outside the display comprises a tracking marker on a pair of glasses or a face mask of the user, and the tracking marker indicates a head of the user is rotated away from the display.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the interlock detection component for determining the user's gaze is outside the display comprises a chair sensor coupled to a chair, and the chair sensor indicates at least one of the chair is facing away from the display, the user is not seated in the chair, or a head of the user is not resting on a headrest of the chair.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the tracker indicates the at least one of the user interface devices are outside of a trackable workspace.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the interlock detection component comprises a transport sensor and at least one of the plurality of interlock inputs further indicates the surgical workspace of the surgical robotic system is not configured in a usable manner by

detecting the surgical robotic system is not in a transportation configuration.

9. A method for disengaging a surgical instrument of a surgical robotic system, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors communicatively coupled to the surgical robotic system, that at least one of a plurality of interlock inputs received from one or more interlock detection components comprising a headrest pressure sensor or a display deployment sensor of the surgical robotic system indicates a user's gaze is outside a display of the surgical robotic system; and

in response to determining that the user's gaze is outside of the display, transition the surgical robotic system out of a teleoperation mode such that a user interface device of the surgical robotic system is prevented from controlling a surgical instrument.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the interlock detection component further comprises an eye tracker coupled to a display of the surgical robotic system, and the eye tracker comprises a projector that projects a pattern of near-infrared light on the eye of the user, and a camera that takes an image of the user's eye relative to the pattern to determine the gazes is outside the display.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the interlock detection component further comprises a tracking marker on a user's glasses or a user's face mask, and the tracking marker tracks a user's head rotated away from the display to determine the gaze is outside the display.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprises determining the surgical robotic system is configured in a non-usable manner by detecting at least one of the following:

at least one user interface device is outside a surgical workspace;

a received user interface device location is inaccurate; and

at least one user interface device is dropped by the user.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining a surgical workspace of the surgical robotic system is configured in a non-usable manner by detecting the surgical robotic system is in a transportation configuration.

14. A surgical robotic system, comprising:

a surgical instrument;

a user console comprising a display, an interlock detecting component, and a user interface device; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the interlock detecting component, the processors configured to:

receive a plurality of interlock inputs from the interlock detecting component, wherein all of the plurality of interlock inputs are required for engagement of a teleoperation mode in which the surgical instrument is controlled by the user interface device,

determine at least one of the plurality of interlock inputs received from the interlock detecting component is no longer present and a user's gaze is outside of a display based on at least one interlock input received from a headrest pressure sensor or a display deployment sensor, and

transition the surgical robotic system out of a teleoperation mode such that the user interface device is prevented from controlling the surgical instrument.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of interlock inputs indicate each of the following interlock requirements are satisfied: (1) a user is looking toward a display of the surgical robotic system, (2) at least one or more user interfaces device of the surgical robotic system is configured in a usable manner, and (3) a surgical workspace of the surgical robotic system is configured in a usable manner.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the interlock detecting component for detecting the user's gaze is outside of the display further comprises an eye and/or a head tracker.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the interlock detecting component for detecting the user's gaze is outside of the display further comprises a tracking marker on a user's glasses, or a tracking marker on a user's face mask.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the interlock detecting component for detecting the user's gaze is outside the display further comprises a chair swivel sensor, or a chair pressure sensor.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the interlock detecting component further comprises an eye tracker for tracking the user's gaze, and further comprises a transport sensor for detecting an interlock indicating a surgical workspace is not configured in a usable manner.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the transport sensor indicates the surgical robotic system is not in a transportation mode.

Assignments (1)
MERGER Recorded Jan 26, 2026
From: VERB SURGICAL INC.
To: AURIS HEALTH, INC.
Reel/Frame 073583/0948 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17725351 · Apr 20, 2022
Continuation 16415992 · May 17, 2019
Related Publication 20240081929A1 · Mar 14, 2024
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