# US 11,304,764 B2 · Indicator for tool state and communication in multi-arm robotic telesurgery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,304,764 B2 - Document ID: US11304764B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/290,239 - Filed: 2019-03-01 - Published: 2019-06-27 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2005-06-30 - Assignees: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Applicants: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Inventors: David S. Mintz; Tracey Ann Morley; Theodore C. Walker; David Q. Larkin; Michael L. Hanuschik - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304764B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/25: {User interfaces for surgical systems} - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 34/74: {Manipulators with manual electric input means} - B25J 3/04: involving servo mechanisms (servo-actuated heads B25J15/02) - B25J 9/0084: {comprising a plurality of manipulators} - B25J 9/1689: {Teleoperation} - A61B 90/361: {Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras} - A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)} - A61B 2017/00734: {battery operated} - A61B 2034/252: {indicating steps of a surgical procedure} - A61B 2034/305: {Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms} - A61B 2090/0807: {Indication means} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medical system comprising: a first indicator associated with a first manipulator coupleable to a first tool; a second indicator associated with a second manipulator coupleable to a second tool; and means for activating one of the first indicator and the second indicator to output a first identifiable signal; wherein on the condition that the first indicator is activated to output the first identifiable signal, the first identifiable signal indicates at least one of a first state and a first action, the first state being a state of one of the first tool and the first manipulator, and the first action being an action to be taken regarding one of the first tool and the first manipulator; and wherein on the condition that the second indicator is activated to output the first identifiable signal, the first identifiable signal indicates at least one of a second state and a second action, the second state being a state of one of the second tool and the second manipulator, and the second action being an action to be taken regarding one of the second tool and the second manipulator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, further comprising: a first input device operatively coupled to one of the first manipulator and the second manipulator; wherein the means for activating activates one of the first indicator and the second indicator according to a selection provided by an operator of the first input device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, wherein the first indicator comprises a visual indicator, and wherein the first identifiable signal comprises at least one of a visual pattern and a color. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The medical system of claim 3, wherein the first indicator comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, wherein the state of the first manipulator indicates an operative association of the first manipulator with a first input device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, wherein: the first identifiable signal comprises a visual signal comprising one of a first color and a second color; the first color indicates a warning that the first tool is one of at, near, and beyond its useful life, and the second color indicates an operative failure of the first manipulator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, wherein: the first identifiable signal comprises a visual signal comprising one of a first visual pattern and a second visual pattern; the first visual pattern indicates a warning that the first tool is one of at, near, and beyond its useful life; and the second visual pattern indicates an operative failure of the first manipulator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, further comprising: means for activating a third indicator associated with an alternative tool; wherein on the conditions that the first indicator is activated to output the first identifiable signal, the third indicator is activated, and the first identifiable signal indicates an action to be taken regarding the first tool, the action to be taken is for a person sensing the first identifiable signal to decouple the first tool from the first manipulator and couple the alternative tool to the first manipulator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, further comprising: a tool rack supporting a plurality of alternate tools comprising a first alternate tool; a plurality of alternate tool indicators comprising a first alternate tool indicator associated with the first alternate tool; and means for activating the first alternate tool indicator; wherein on the conditions that the first indicator is activated to output the first identifiable signal, the first alternate tool indicator is activated, and the first identifiable signal indicates an action to be taken regarding the first tool, the action to be taken is an action adapted to be taken by a person sensing the first identifiable signal to decouple the first tool from the first manipulator and couple the first alternate tool to the first manipulator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, wherein the first state indicates that the first tool is not coupled to the first manipulator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, wherein: the first state indicates that the first tool is improperly coupled to the first manipulator; and the first action is an action adapted to be taken by a person sensing the first identifiable signal to properly couple the first tool to the first manipulator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, wherein: the first state indicates that the first manipulator is in a clutch mode; and the first action is an action adapted to be taken by a person sensing the first identifiable signal to manually reposition the first manipulator.