Methods for determining if teleoperation should be disengaged based on the user's gaze

A method for disengaging a surgical instrument of a surgical robotic system, the method comprising:

• receiving a gaze input from an eye tracker that tracks a gaze of a user relative to a display associated with the surgical robotic system;
• determining, by one or more processors communicatively coupled to the eye tracker, whether the gaze input indicates the gaze of the user is outside or inside of the display, wherein determining the gaze input indicates the gaze is outside of the display comprises:
• receiving a valid gaze input indicating that a gaze for both eyes of the user are detected by the eye tracker, and
• determining a distance between the gaze for both eyes is outside of a maximum distance associated with a size of the display;
• in response to determining the gaze input indicates the gaze of the user is outside of the maximum distance, determining the gaze of the user is outside of the display and an amount of time the gaze of the user is outside of the display;
• and
• in response to determining the gaze of the user is outside of the display for less than a maximum amount of time, pause the surgical robotic system from a teleoperation mode such that a user interface device of the surgical robotic system is prevented from controlling the surgical instrument until a gaze input indicating the gaze of the user is inside of the display is received.