公开/公告号

US6905491B1

申请日

1997-05-16

发明名称

Apparatus for performing minimally invasive cardiac procedures with a robotic arm that has a passive joint and system which can decouple the robotic arm from the input device

解决的技术问题

There have been attempts to perform CABG procedures without opening the chest cavity. Minimally invasive procedures are conducted by inserting surgical instruments and an endoscope through small incision in the skin of the patient. Manipulating such instruments can be awkward, particularly when suturing a graft to a artery. It has been found that a high level of dexterity is required to accurately control the instruments. Additionally, human hands typically have at least a minimal amount of tremor. The tremor further increases the difficulty of performing minimal invasive cardiac procedures. It would be desirable to provide a system for effectively performing minimally invasive coronary artery bypass graft procedures..

技术方案

A system for performing minimally invasive cardiac procedures. The system includes a pair of surgical instruments that are coupled to a pair of robotic arms. The instruments have end effectors that can be manipulated to hold and suture tissue. The robotic arms are coupled to a pair of master handles by a controller. The handles can be moved by the surgeon to produce a corresponding movement of the end effectors. The movement of the handles is scaled so that the end effectors have a corresponding movement that is different, typically smaller, than the movement performed by the hands of the surgeon. The scale factor is adjustable so that the surgeon can control the resolution of the end effector movement. The movement of the end effector can be controlled by an input button, so that the end effector only moves when the button is depressed by the surgeon. The input button allows the surgeon to adjust the position of the handles without moving the end effector, so that the handles can be moved to a more comfortable position. The robotic arm may contain a passive joint that provides an additional degree of freedom. Additionally, the system may include a disconnect input device that decouples the arm from an input device such as the handles.

相关附图

公开/公告号

US6783524B2

申请日

2002-04-18

发明名称

Robotic surgical tool with ultrasound cauterizing and cutting instrument

解决的技术问题

Surgical ultrasound instruments are generally capable of treating tissue with use of frictional heat produced by ultrasonic vibrations. For example, the heat may be use to cut and/or cauterize tissue. With many currently available instruments, tissue may first be grasped by an ultrasound surgical device and then ultrasound energy may be delivered to the tissue to cut, cauterize or the like. Ultrasound instruments provide advantages over other cutting and cauterizing systems, such as reduced collateral tissue damage, reduced risk of unwanted burns, and the like. Currently, however, ultrasound instruments for use with a robotic surgical system are not available.

技术方案

A surgical instrument for enhancing robotic surgery generally includes an elongate shaft with an ultrasound probe, an end effector at the distal end of the shaft, and a base at the proximal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasound probe tip and the surgical instrument is generally configured for convenient positioning of the probe tip within a surgical site by a robotic surgical system. Ultrasound energy delivered by the probe tip may be used to cut, cauterize, or achieve various other desired effects on tissue at a surgical site. In various embodiments, the end effector also includes a gripper, for gripping tissue in cooperation with the ultrasound probe tip. The base is generally configured to removably couple the surgical instrument to a robotic surgical system and to transmit forces from the surgical system to the end effector, through the elongate shaft. A method for enhancing robotic surgery generally includes coupling the surgical instrument to a robotic surgical system, positioning the probe tip in contact with tissue at a surgical site, and delivering ultrasound energy to the tissue.

相关附图

公开/公告号

US8100133B2

申请日

2006-06-28

发明名称

Indicator for tool state and communication in multi-arm robotic telesurgery and method of use

解决的技术问题

While the new telesurgical systems, devices and methods have proven highly effective and advantageous, still further improvements would be desirable. In general, it would be desirable to provide improved robotic and/or surgical devices, systems and methods, particularly for performing telesurgical procedures. It may also be desirable to provide improved techniques for communication among the members of a telesurgical team, and for interfacing with the telesurgical apparatus so as to more fully take advantage of the capabilities of telesurgery to provide enhanced patient outcomes with improved efficiencies. It may be particularly beneficial to avoid unnecessary interruptions and distractions of a surgeon or other system operator, and to avoid delays and/or mistakes in the coordinated activities of a telesurgical team.

技术方案

Medical and/or robotic devices, systems and methods can provide an indicator associated with each manipulator assembly of a multi-arm telerobotic or telesurgical system. The exemplary indicator comprises a multi-color light emitting diode (LED) mounted to a manipulator moving an associated surgical instrument, allowing the indicator to display any of a wide variety of signals. The invention may provide an additional user interface to facilitate communications between the telesurgical system and/or members of a telesurgical team.

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公开/公告号

US8545515B2

申请日

2009-11-13

发明名称

Curved cannula surgical system

解决的技术问题

To further reduce patient trauma and to retain the benefits of robotic surgical systems, surgeons have begun to carry out a surgical procedure to investigate or treat a patient's condition through a single incision through the skin. In some instances, such “single port access” surgeries have been performed with manual instruments or with existing surgical robotic systems. What is desired, therefore, are improved equipment and methods that enable surgeons to more effectively perform single port access surgeries, as compared with the use of existing equipment and methods. It is also desired to be able to easily modify existing robotic surgical systems that are typically used for multiple incision (multi-port) surgeries to perform such single port access surgeries.

技术方案

A robotic surgical system is configured with rigid, curved cannulas that extend through the same opening into a patient's body. Surgical instruments with passively flexible shafts extend through the curved cannulas. The cannulas are oriented to direct the instruments towards a surgical site. Various port features that support the curved cannulas within the single opening are disclosed. Cannula support fixtures that support the cannulas during insertion into the single opening and mounting to robotic manipulators are disclosed. A teleoperation control system that moves the curved cannulas and their associated instruments in a manner that allows a surgeon to experience intuitive control is disclosed.

相关附图

公开/公告号

US9358074B2

申请日

2013-05-31

发明名称

Multi-port surgical robotic system architecture

解决的技术问题

A robotic surgery system includes an orienting platform, a support linkage movably supporting the orienting platform, a plurality of surgical instrument manipulators, and a plurality of set-up linkages. Each of the manipulators includes an instrument holder and is operable to rotate the instrument holder around a remote center of manipulation (RC). At least one of the manipulators includes a reorientation mechanism that when actuated moves the attached manipulator through a motion that maintains the associated RC in a fixed position.

技术方案

While the new telesurgical systems and devices have proven highly effective and advantageous, still further improvements are desirable. In general, improved minimally invasive robotic surgery systems are desirable. It would be particularly beneficial if these improved technologies enhanced the efficiency and ease of use of robotic surgical systems. For example, it would be particularly beneficial to increase maneuverability, improve space utilization in an operating room, provide a faster and easier set-up, inhibit collisions between robotic devices during use, and/or reduce the mechanical complexity and size of these new surgical systems.

相关附图