Medical robotic system with image referenced camera control using partitionable orientational and translational modes
A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulatable instruments such as surgical tools and a camera extending out of its distal end. The camera instrument is manipulatable by a camera manipulator, which has a first mechanism for pivoting a focal point of the camera instrument about a pivot of the camera instrument and a second mechanism for positioning the pivot within a three-dimensional space in response to translational commands received from one or a coupled pair of input devices. The system also includes a controller which is configured to receive sensed movement of the input devices, and cause actuation of the first mechanism in response to the sensed movement if the system is in an orientational mode and cause actuation of the second mechanism in response to the sensed movement if the system is in a translational mode.
1. A medical system comprising:
a control system coupled to an input device of the medical system and to a camera of the medical system, the control system being configured to:
constrain movement of a focal point of the camera to only motion on a curved virtual surface as the camera is moved in response to commanded movement from the input device, the control system, and the input device including orientational and translational degrees of freedom;
detect an operator commanded release of constrained movement of the focal point of the camera; and
release the constrained movement in response to detecting an operator commanded release of the constrained movement of the focal point of the camera.
2. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the control system being configured to constrain movement of the focal point of the camera comprises:
the control system being configured to:
actuate at least one actuator of a camera manipulator of the medical system in response to the commanded movement from the input device so that a tip of the camera is rotated about a virtual pivot of the camera.
3. The medical system of claim 1 , the control system being further configured to:
allow translational movement of the camera in a three-dimensional space following the release of the constrained movement.
4. The medical system of claim 3 , wherein the control system being further configured to allow translational movement of the camera in a three-dimensional space following the release of the constrained movement comprises:
the control system further being configured to:
allow actuation of a plurality of actuators of a camera manipulator in response to the commanded movement from the input device so that a virtual pivot of the camera is positionable in the three-dimensional space.
5. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the control system being configured to detect the operator commanded release of the constrained movement comprises:
the control system being configured to:
detect operator interaction with the medical system.
6. The medical system of claim 5 , wherein the control system being configured to detect operator interaction with the medical system comprises:
the control system further being configured to:
detect operator manipulation of the input device.
7. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the control system being configured to detect the operator commanded release of the constrained movement comprises:
the control system being configured to:
determine that a force exerted by an operator while manipulating the input device exceeds a threshold value.
8. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the control system being configured to detect the operator commanded release of the constrained movement comprises:
the control system being configured to:
determine that a velocity of operator manipulated movement of the input device exceeds a threshold value.
9. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the control system being configured to detect the operator commanded release of the constrained movement comprises:
the control system being configured to:
determine that a magnitude of operator manipulated movement of the input device exceeds a threshold value.
10. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the control system being configured to detect the operator commanded release of the constrained movement comprises:
the control system being configured to:
detect a voice command provided by an operator of the medical system.
11. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the control system being configured to detect the operator commanded release of the constrained movement comprises:
the control system being configured to:
detect operator interaction with a graphical user interface of the medical system.
12. A medical system comprising:
an input device;
a camera; and
a control unit coupled to the input device and to the camera;
wherein the control unit is configured to:
receive a commanded movement from the input device;
move the camera, based on the commanded movement, so that a focal point of the camera is constrained to motion only on a curved virtual surface;
detect a command to release constrained movement of the focal point of the camera; and
stop, in response to detecting the command to release constrained movement of the focal point of the camera, the constrained movement of the focal point of the camera.
13. The medical system of claim 12 , wherein to constrain movement of the focal point of the camera, the control unit is configured to actuate at least one actuator of a camera manipulator of the medical system in response to the commanded movement from the input device so that a tip of the camera is rotated about a virtual pivot of the camera.
14. The medical system of claim 12 , wherein the control unit is further configured to allow translational movement of the camera in a three-dimensional space following the stopping of the constrained movement.
15. The medical system of claim 14 , wherein to allow translational movement of the camera in a three-dimensional space, the control unit is configured to allow actuation of a plurality of actuators of the camera manipulator in response to the commanded movement from the input device so that a virtual pivot of the camera is positionable in the three-dimensional space.
16. The medical system of claim 12 , wherein to detect the command to release constrained movement of the focal point of the camera, the control unit is configured to:
detect interaction with the medical system by an operator;
detect manipulation of the input device by the operator;
detect a force that exceeds a force threshold being exerted by the operator on the input device;
detect a speed of movement of the input device that exceeds a speed threshold;
detect a voice command from the operator; or
detect interaction with a graphical user interface of the medical system by the operator.