# US 11,896,318 B2 · Methods and systems for controlling a surgical robot > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,896,318 B2 - Document ID: US11896318B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/048,736 - Filed: 2019-04-19 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-19 - Assignees: Mobius Imaging, LLC - Applicants: Mobius Imaging, LLC - Inventors: Russell Stanton; Gordon Row; Edward Daley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896318B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 34/10: Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/74: {Manipulators with manual electric input means} - A61B 90/39: {Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers} - B25J 5/00: Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages (B25J1/00 takes precedence; program-controlled manipulators B25J9/00) - A61B 34/25: {User interfaces for surgical systems} - A61B 50/13: Trolleys{, e.g. carts} - A61B 2017/00203: {with speech control or speech recognition} - A61B 2017/00207: {with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition} - A61B 2017/00221: {with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves} - A61B 2017/00725: {Calibration or performance testing} - A61B 2034/107: {Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions} - A61B 2034/2048: {using an accelerometer or inertia sensor} - A61B 2034/2055: {Optical tracking systems} - A61B 2034/2059: {Mechanical position encoders} - A61B 2034/2068: {using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points} - A61B 2090/372: {Details of monitor hardware} - A61B 2090/376: {using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy} - A61B 2090/3762: {using computed tomography systems [CT]} - 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 Methods and systems for controlling a robotic arm include tracking a motion of a handheld device using a motion tracking system, and controlling a robotic arm to adjust at least one of a position and an orientation of an end effector of the robotic arm based on the tracked motion of the handheld device. Further embodiments include methods and systems for transferring a robotic arm from a mounting surface to a mobile cart that include tracking the location of the mobile cart relative to the robotic arm using a motion tracking system, and controlling the robotic arm to move the arm into a pose that facilitates transferring the robotic arm from the mounting surface to the mobile cart based on the tracked location of the mobile cart. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for transferring a robotic arm from a mounting surface to which the robotic arm is attached during use to a mobile cart for storage and/or transport of the robotic arm, the method comprising: tracking the location of the mobile cart relative to the robotic arm using a motion tracking system comprising an optical sensor device; determining the arrangement of a joint disposed between linkages of the robotic arm based on signals from an encoder associated with the joint; and controlling the robotic arm to move at least one linkage of the robotic arm to place the robotic arm into a pose that facilitates transferring the robotic arm from the mounting surface to the mobile cart based on the tracked location of the mobile cart determined with the optical sensor device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile cart comprises a marker device that enables the mobile cart to be tracked in three-dimensional space by the optical sensor device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the robotic arm includes controlling the robotic arm to move at least one linkage of the robotic arm to arrange a distal end of the robotic arm at a target location based on the tracked location of the mobile cart. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the target location is aligned with an entrance to a housing in the mobile cart configured to receive the robotic arm within the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the mobile cart includes a platform disposed within the housing; and wherein the method further comprises supporting the robotic arm on the platform within the housing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising raising the platform within the housing to at least partially lift the robotic arm from the housing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising providing user feedback with an indicator when the target location is at a location for transferring the robotic arm to the mobile cart. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein controlling the robotic arm to move the distal end of the robotic arm to the target location occurs in response to a user input event occurring based on user engagement with a user input device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the mounting surface is located on a carriage that is moveable along a support element of an imaging device; and wherein the method further comprises moving the carriage and the robotic arm together along the support element of the imaging device to a pre-determined loading/unloading position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the robotic arm comprises a marker device that enables the robotic arm to be tracked in three-dimensional space by the optical sensor device. ### Claim 11 A system for robot-assisted surgery, comprising: a robotic arm including a joint arranged between linkages, and an encoder associated with the joint; a mounting surface to which the robotic arm is attached during use; a mobile cart arranged to receive the robotic arm for storage and/or transport; a motion tracking system configured to track the location of the mobile cart relative to the robotic arm, the motion tracking system comprising an optical sensor device; and a controller coupled to the robotic arm and to the motion tracking system, the controller comprising a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising: tracking the location of the mobile cart relative to the robotic arm using the motion tracking system; determining the arrangement of the joint of the robotic arm based on signals from the encoder; and controlling the robotic arm to move at least one linkage of the robotic arm to place the robotic arm into a pose that facilitates transferring the robotic arm from the mounting surface to the mobile cart based on the tracked location of the mobile cart determined with the optical sensor device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile cart comprises a marker device that enables the mobile cart to be tracked in three-dimensional space by the optical sensor device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to control the robotic arm to move at least one linkage of the robotic arm to arrange a distal end of the robotic arm at a target location based on the tracked location of the mobile cart. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising an indicator coupled to the controller; and wherein the controller is further configured to activate the indicator to provide user feedback when the target location is at a location for transferring the robotic arm to the mobile cart. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the indicator is configured to provide user feedback as an audio and/or visual alert. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising a user input device coupled to the controller; and wherein the controller is further configured to move the distal end of the robotic arm to the target location in response to a user input event occurring based on user engagement with the user input device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile cart includes a housing configured to receive the robotic arm within the housing for storage and/or transport; and wherein the target location is aligned with an entrance to the housing in the mobile cart. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile cart further includes a platform disposed within the housing for supporting the robotic arm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the platform is movable within the housing to at least partially lift the robotic arm from the housing when the platform is raised. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising an imaging device configured to obtain diagnostic images of a patient, the imaging device including a base, an O-shaped gantry movably coupled to the base, and a support element extending over an outer surface of the O-shaped gantry; and wherein the mounting surface is located on a carriage that is movable along the support element of the imaging device, with the carriage and the robotic arm being movable together along the support element to a pre-determined loading/unloading position.