Method and apparatus for determining and guiding the toolpath of an orthopedic surgical robot

1. A method for cutting bone, the method comprising:

providing pre-planned cutting instructions to a surgical robot;

automatically cutting bone with the surgical robot using the pre-planned cutting instructions;

enabling a surgeon to assert manual control of the surgical robot at any time while the surgical robot is automatically cutting bone according to the pre-planned cutting instructions, by: (i) interrupting automatic operation of the surgical robot; (ii) establishing manual cutting boundaries to limit cutting by the surgical robot while the surgical robot is under the manual control of the surgeon; and (iii) manually controlling cutting by the surgical robot using input controls on the surgical robot;

wherein the surgical robot comprises an end effector;

wherein the cutter is attached to the end effector;

wherein the method further comprises providing:

position determining means for determining the position of a bone which is to be cut vis-à-vis the surgical robot;

pre-plan means for storing the pre-planned cutting instructions and instructing the surgical robot to cut bone in accordance with the same;

a display for displaying the pre-planned cutting instructions; and

a video camera attached to the surgical robot for capturing an image of a working portion of the cutter, wherein the display displays the pre-planned cutting instructions and the image captured by the video camera.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the surgical robot controls the feed rate of the cutter even when the surgeon is asserting manual control of the surgical robot.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the surgical robot asserts control of the cutter when the cutter approaches the manual cutting boundaries while under manual control of the surgeon.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the input controls require the surgeon to input the manual cutting boundaries before manual control of the cutter is enabled.

5. A surgical robot system according to claim 4 wherein the surgical robot controls the feed rate of the cutter even when manual control of the cutter is enabled.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the manual cutting boundaries comprise a maximum longitudinal movement, a maximum lateral movement and a maximum depth.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the pre-planned cutting instructions and the image captured by the video camera are synchronized to the same angle of view.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein, even when manual control of the cutter is established, the surgical robot is controlled by the following rules:

(a) if the cutter is turned off and the cutter is out of the bone, then the surgical robot moves the cutter according to the surgeon commands provided by the input controls;

(b) if the cutter is on and the cutter is inside the bone, then the cutter moves according to the surgeon commands provided by the input controls, but cannot go beyond the predefined volume established by the manual cutting boundaries, and the feed rate of the cutter is limited by the software so that cutting is performed smoothly;

(c) if the cutter is on and the cutter is inside the bone, and if there is no command from the surgeon via the input controls, then the surgical robot gradually removes the bone around the current position of the cutter according to the pre-planned cutting instructions; and

(d) if the cutter is on and the cutter is near to the surface of the cutting volume established by the manual cutting boundaries, then the movement of the cutter is snapped to the cutting surface established by the manual cutting boundaries and the cutter moves in alignment with the manual cutting boundaries.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the input controls comprise a joystick.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the input controls comprise a keyboard.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises providing a digitizer for determining the position of a bone which is to be cut vis-à-vis the surgical robot.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cutter comprises a high speed milling burr.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cutter comprises an oscillating saw.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cutter comprises a waterjet.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the cutter comprises an ablation laser.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises providing infra-red trackers for determining the position of a bone which is to be cut vis-à-vis the surgical robot.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises providing a magnetic digitizer for determining the position of a bone which is to be cut vis-à-vis the surgical robot.

18. A method for cutting bone, the method comprising:

providing pre-planned cutting instructions to a surgical robot;

automatically cutting bone with the surgical robot using the pre-planned cutting instructions;

enabling a surgeon to assert manual control of the surgical robot at any time while the surgical robot is automatically cutting bone according to the pre-planned cutting instructions, by: (i) interrupting automatic operation of the surgical robot; (ii) establishing manual cutting boundaries to limit cutting by the surgical robot while the surgical robot is under the manual control of the surgeon; and (iii) manually controlling cutting by the surgical robot using input controls on the surgical robot;

wherein, even when manual control of the cutter is established, the surgical robot is controlled by the following rules:

(a) if the cutter is turned off and the cutter is out of the bone, then the surgical robot moves the cutter according to the surgeon commands provided by the input controls;

(b) if the cutter is on and the cutter is inside the bone, then the cutter moves according to the surgeon commands provided by the input controls, but cannot go beyond the predefined volume established by the manual cutting boundaries, and the feed rate of the cutter is limited by the software so that cutting is performed smoothly;

(c) if the cutter is on and the cutter is inside the bone, and if there is no command from the surgeon via the input controls, then the surgical robot gradually removes the bone around the current position of the cutter according to the pre-planned cutting instructions; and

(d) if the cutter is on and the cutter is near to the surface of the cutting volume established by the manual cutting boundaries, then the movement of the cutter is snapped to the cutting surface established by the manual cutting boundaries and the cutter moves in alignment with the manual cutting boundaries.

19. A method for cutting bone, the method comprising:

providing pre-planned cutting instructions to a surgical robot;

automatically cutting bone with the surgical robot using the pre-planned cutting instructions;

enabling a surgeon to assert manual control of the surgical robot at any time while the surgical robot is automatically cutting bone according to the pre-planned cutting instructions, by: (i) interrupting automatic operation of the surgical robot;

(ii) establishing manual cutting boundaries to limit cutting by the surgical robot while the surgical robot is under the manual control of the surgeon; and (iii) manually controlling cutting by the surgical robot using input controls on the surgical robot; and

wherein if the cutter is on and the cutter is near to the surface of the cutting volume established by the manual cutting boundaries, then the movement of the cutter is snapped to the cutting surface established by the manual cutting boundaries and the cutter moves in alignment with the manual cutting boundaries.