Robotically controlling remote center of motion with software and guide tube
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorWilliam Peine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A robotic surgical system includes a surgical robot and a guide tube. The surgical robot includes a robot arm and a controller. The controller is configured to establish a software-based remote center of motion of a surgical instrument attached to the robot arm based on a location of a surgical portal in a patient through which the surgical instrument is inserted. The guide tube having a trailing end supported by the robot arm of the surgical robot, a leading end inserted in the surgical portal and maintaining alignment between the robotic arm and the surgical portal during a surgical instrument exchange, and an elongated tubular body through which an elongated shaft of the surgical instrument is inserted or removed during the surgical instrument exchange.
Claims12
A robotic surgical system, comprising:
- a surgical robot including a robot arm and a controller, the controller configured to establish a software-based remote center of motion of a surgical instrument attached to the robot arm based on a location of a surgical portal in a patient through which the surgical instrument is inserted;
- and
- a guide tube having a trailing end supported by the robot arm of the surgical robot, a leading end inserted in the surgical portal and maintaining alignment between the robotic arm and the surgical portal during a surgical instrument exchange, and an elongated tubular body through which an elongated shaft of the surgical instrument is inserted or removed during the surgical instrument exchange.
A method comprising:
- setting a software-based remote center of motion (RCM) of a robot arm of a surgical robot after the robot arm is moved into a position in which a leading end of a guide tube supported by the robot arm is inserted in a surgical portal in a patient, the guide tube having an elongated tubular body through which an elongated shaft of the surgical instrument passes through as a surgical instrument controlled by the robot arm is inserted in or removed from the surgical portal;
- robotically moving the robot arm and the surgical instrument about a set software-based RCM;
- maintaining an alignment between the robotic arm and the surgical portal during a surgical instrument exchange when the surgical instrument is not in the surgical portal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.