# US 12,108,998 B2 · Laparoscopic ultrasound robotic surgical system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,108,998 B2 - Document ID: US12108998B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/332,891 - Filed: 2023-06-12 - Published: 2023-10-26 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2005-06-06 - Assignees: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.; The Johns Hopkins University - Applicants: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.; The Johns Hopkins University - Inventors: Christopher J. Hasser; Russell H. Taylor; Joshua Leven; Michael Choti - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12108998B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 1/3132: {for laparoscopy} - A61B 8/12: in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters - A61B 8/4218: {characterised by articulated arms} - A61B 8/4245: {involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient} - A61B 8/461: {Displaying means of special interest} - A61B 34/25: {User interfaces for surgical systems} - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/70: {Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery} - A61B 34/76: {Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback} - A61B 90/361: {Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras} - A61B 90/37: {Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation} - G16H 20/40: relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture - G16H 40/67: for remote operation - A61B 8/00: Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves - A61B 90/03: {Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety} - A61B 2017/00203: {with speech control or speech recognition} - A61B 2034/107: {Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions} - A61B 2034/305: {Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms} - A61B 2090/364: {Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body} - A61B 2090/365: {augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image} - A61B 2090/378: {using ultrasound} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A LUS robotic surgical system is trainable by a surgeon to automatically move a LUS probe in a desired fashion upon command so that the surgeon does not have to do so manually during a minimally invasive surgical procedure. A sequence of 2D ultrasound image slices captured by the LUS probe according to stored instructions are processable into a 3D ultrasound computer model of an anatomic structure, which may be displayed as a 3D or 2D overlay to a camera view or in a PIP as selected by the surgeon or programmed to assist the surgeon in inspecting an anatomic structure for abnormalities. Virtual fixtures are definable so as to assist the surgeon in accurately guiding a tool to a target on the displayed ultrasound image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for robotic assisted laparoscopic ultrasound, comprising: a display showing an ultrasound view of an anatomic structure in a patient as a registered overlay to a camera view of the anatomic structure; a tool configured to travel to a target within the patient marked on the ultrasound view; a slave arm configured to hold the tool; and a processor configured to move the slave arm to kinematically constrain the tool to travel to the target over a predetermined path; the display further, upon determining that a tip of the tool has reached a threshold distance, automatically displaying a right angle view of the ultrasound view and the tip of the tool in a picture-in-picture window. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the target is a lesion marked by a surgeon on the displayed ultrasound view, and the tool is a needle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the processor further configured to: determine when a tip of the tool reaches a threshold distance from a surface of the anatomic structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound view is a three-dimensional image generated from a sequence of two-dimensional ultrasound image slices of the anatomic structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the anatomic structure is cancerous. ### Claim 6 An apparatus for robotic assisted laparoscopic ultrasound, comprising: a display showing an ultrasound view of an anatomic structure in a patient as a registered overlay to a camera view of the anatomic structure; a tool configured to travel to a target within the patient marked on the ultrasound view; a slave arm configured to hold the tool; and a processor configured to move the slave arm to kinematically constrain the tool to travel to the target over a predetermined path; the display further configured to change a color of the target marked on the ultrasound view on the display so as to indicate a determined distance of the tool from the target. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the processor further configured to generate a virtual fixture to assist in electronically constraining the tool to travel over the predetermined path. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the ultrasound view is a three-dimensional image generated from a sequence of two-dimensional ultrasound image slices of the anatomic structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an ultrasound probe capturing the ultrasound view moveable along a defined trajectory of positions and orientations upon receiving a user input command. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the target is a lesion marked by a surgeon on the ultrasound view, and the tool is a needle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ultrasound view is a three-dimensional image generated from a sequence of two-dimensional ultrasound image slices of the anatomic structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the anatomic structure is cancerous. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, the processor further configured to generate a virtual fixture to assist in electronically constraining the tool to travel over the predetermined path. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ultrasound view is a three-dimensional image generated from a sequence of two-dimensional ultrasound image slices of the anatomic structure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an ultrasound probe capturing the ultrasound view moveable along a defined trajectory of positions and orientations upon receiving a user input command.