System and method of controlling a surgical tool during autonomous movement of the surgical tool

1. A robotic system comprising:

a surgical tool being moveable along a path;

a manipulator supporting said surgical tool and being configured to move said surgical tool along the path;

a path generator being configured to determine the path;

an orientation generator being configured to determine at least one acceptable orientation for said surgical tool with respect to the path;

a manipulator controller in communication with said path generator and said orientation generator and being configured to instruct said manipulator to autonomously move said surgical tool in the at least one acceptable orientation along the path as determined;

a sensor being configured to sense forces applied to said surgical tool; and

wherein said manipulator controller is configured to identify an altered orientation based on forces sensed by said sensor and to instruct movement of said surgical tool to the altered orientation along the path in response to comparing the altered orientation to the at least one acceptable orientation.

2. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein said manipulator controller is configured to maintain said surgical tool in the at least one acceptable orientation in response to comparing the altered orientation to the at least one acceptable orientation.

3. The robotic system of claim 2 wherein said manipulator controller is configured to maintain said surgical tool in the at least one acceptable orientation in response to determining that the altered orientation does not correspond to the at least one acceptable orientation.

4. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein said manipulator controller is configured to instruct movement of said surgical tool to the altered orientation in response to determining that altered orientation corresponds to the at least one acceptable orientation.

5. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein said manipulator controller is configured to allow movement of said surgical tool temporarily to the altered orientation in response to determining that the altered orientation does not correspond to the at least one acceptable orientation.

6. The robotic system of claim 5 wherein said manipulator controller is configured to automatically re-orient said surgical tool from the altered orientation back to the at least one acceptable orientation after occurrence of a predetermined event.

7. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein the at least one acceptable orientation includes a plurality of acceptable orientations.

8. The robotic system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of acceptable orientations are defined within a range.

9. The robotic system of claim 7 wherein at least one preferred orientation is defined among the plurality of acceptable orientations.

10. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein the path includes a plurality of path segments and wherein said orientation generator is configured to determine the at least one acceptable orientation with respect to each of the plurality of path segments.

11. A method of controlling a surgical tool of a robotic system during autonomous movement of the surgical tool, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a path of movement for the surgical tool;

determining at least one acceptable orientation of the surgical tool with respect to the path;

autonomously moving the surgical tool along the path in the at least one acceptable orientation;

sensing forces applied to the surgical tool;

identifying an altered orientation based on the sensed forces; and

autonomously moving the surgical tool to the altered orientation along the path in response to comparing the altered orientation to the at least one acceptable orientation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein autonomously moving the surgical tool along the path in response to comparing the altered orientation to the at least one acceptable orientation includes maintaining the surgical tool in the at least one acceptable orientation.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein maintaining the surgical tool in the at least one acceptable orientation occurs in response to determining that the altered orientation does not correspond to the at least one acceptable orientation.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein autonomously moving the surgical tool to the altered orientation occurs in response to determining that the altered orientation corresponds to the at least one acceptable orientation.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein autonomously moving the surgical tool to the altered orientation occurs temporarily if the altered orientation does not correspond to the at least one acceptable orientation.

16. The method claim 15 further including automatically re-orienting the surgical tool from the altered orientation back to the at least one acceptable orientation after occurrence of a predetermined event.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the at least one acceptable orientation includes determining the at least one acceptable orientation with respect to each of a plurality of path segments defined along the path.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein sensing forces applied to the surgical tool occurs in response to attempting to place the surgical tool in the altered orientation.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the at least one acceptable orientation with respect to the path includes determining the at least one acceptable orientation for allowing the surgical tool to avoid an obstacle along the path.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the at least one acceptable orientation with respect to the path includes determining the at least one acceptable orientation for optimizing cutting efficiency of the surgical tool along the path.

21. A method of controlling a surgical tool of a robotic system during autonomous movement of the surgical tool, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a path of movement for the surgical tool;

determining at least one acceptable orientation of the surgical tool with respect to the path;

autonomously moving the surgical tool along the path in the at least one acceptable orientation;

sensing forces applied to the surgical tool in response to attempting to place the surgical tool in an altered orientation;

identifying the altered orientation based on the sensed forces; and

autonomously moving the surgical tool along the path in response to comparing the altered orientation to the at least one acceptable orientation.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein autonomously moving the surgical tool along the path in response to comparing the altered orientation to the at least one acceptable orientation includes maintaining the surgical tool in the at least one acceptable orientation in response to determining that the altered orientation does not correspond to the at least one acceptable orientation.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein autonomously moving the surgical tool along the path in response to comparing the altered orientation to the at least one acceptable orientation includes moving the surgical tool to the altered orientation in response to determining that the altered orientation corresponds to the at least one acceptable orientation.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein autonomously moving the surgical tool along the path in response to comparing the altered orientation to the at least one acceptable orientation includes moving the surgical tool to the altered orientation temporarily if the altered orientation does not correspond to the at least one acceptable orientation.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein determining the at least one acceptable orientation includes determining the at least one acceptable orientation with respect to each of a plurality of path segments defined along the path.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein determining the at least one acceptable orientation with respect to the path includes one or more of:

determining the at least one acceptable orientation for allowing the surgical tool to avoid an obstacle along the path; and

determining the at least one acceptable orientation for optimizing cutting efficiency of the surgical tool along the path.