Robotic arm with five-bar spherical linkage

1. A method for posing a robotic arm in a minimally invasive surgical system, the method comprising:

coupling a robotic surgical tool to a parallel five-bar spherical linkage of the robotic arm;

moving the robotic surgical tool about a remote center of spherical rotation; and

posing the five-bar spherical linkage in only a range of compact poses in which the parallel five-bar spherical linkage maintain a first pair of links and a second pair of links in the parallel five-bar spherical linkage to have only a same handedness.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

rotating a first joint in the parallel five-bar spherical linkage with a first motor;

rotating a second joint in the parallel five-bar spherical linkage with a second motor; and

controlling the first and second motors to pose the five-bar spherical linkage in only the range of compact poses.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling a mechanical stop to a joint in the parallel five-bar spherical linkage to limit the parallel five-bar spherical linkage to only the range of compact poses.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling a mechanical stop on each of two parallel rotary motion inputs to limit the parallel five-bar spherical linkage to only the range of compact poses.

5. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the parallel five-bar spherical linkage includes

a ground link having a first end and an opposing second end,

a first pair of links pivotally coupled at a first intermediate joint and coupled at a first end of the first pair of links to the first end of the ground link, and

a second pair of links pivotally coupled at a second intermediate joint, coupled at a first end of the second pair of links to the second end of the ground link, and coupled at a second end of the second pair of links to a second end of the first pair of links to form an outboard joint; and

wherein the range of compact poses of the parallel five-bar spherical linkage maintain the first intermediate joint and the second intermediate joint are on a same side of a plane that includes the outboard joint, one end of the ground link, and the remote center of spherical rotation.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling a ground link of the parallel five-bar spherical linkage to a table to support the robotic arm over a patient.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling a ground link of the parallel five-bar spherical linkage to a set-up arm to support the robotic arm over a patient.

8. A method for posing a robotic arm that includes a parallel five-bar spherical linkage to spherically rotationally move a robotic surgical tool coupled to the parallel five-bar spherical linkage about a remote center of spherical rotation in a minimally invasive surgical system, the method comprising:

pivotally coupling a first pair of links in the five-bar spherical linkage at a first intermediate joint;

coupling a first end of the first pair of links to a first end of a ground link in the five-bar spherical linkage;

pivotally coupling a second pair of links in the five-bar spherical linkage at a second intermediate joint;

coupling a first end of the second pair of links to a second end of the ground link;

pivotally coupling a second end of the first pair of links to a second end of the second pair of links to form an outboard joint; and

posing the five-bar spherical linkage with the first intermediate joint on a predetermined side of a first plane that includes the remote center, the outboard joint, and the first end of the ground link, and with the second intermediate joint on the predetermined side of a second plane that includes the remote center, the outboard joint, and the second end of the ground link.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

rotating the first end of the first pair of links such that the first intermediate joint is only on the predetermined side of the first plane; and

rotating the first end of the second pair of links such that the second intermediate joint is only on the predetermined side of the second plane.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

fixing a first motor to the first end of the ground link;

coupling the first motor to the first end of the first pair of links;

rotating the first end of the first pair of links with the first motor such that the first intermediate joint is only on the predetermined side of the first plane;

fixing a second motor to the second end of the ground link;

coupling the second motor to the first end of the second pair of links; and

rotating the first end of the second pair of links with the second motor such that the second intermediate joint is only on the predetermined side of the second plane.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising coupling the ground link to a table to support the robotic arm over a patient.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising coupling the ground link to a table with a set-up arm to support the robotic arm over a patient.