# US 12,213,756 B2 · Interlock mechanisms to disengage and engage a teleoperation mode > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,213,756 B2 - Document ID: US12213756B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/470,252 - Filed: 2023-09-19 - Published: 2024-03-14 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-17 - Assignees: Verb Surgical Inc. - Applicants: Verb Surgical Inc. - Inventors: Joan Savall; Denise Ann Miller; Anette Lia Freiin von Kapri; Paolo Invernizzi; John Magnasco - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12213756B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/35: for telesurgery - A61B 34/25: {User interfaces for surgical systems} - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - B25J 9/0009: {Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases} - B25J 9/1689: {Teleoperation} - G06F 3/012: {Head tracking input arrangements} - G06F 3/013: {Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence)} - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - A61B 34/74: {Manipulators with manual electric input means} - A61B 90/03: {Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety} - A61B 2017/00212: {using remote controls} - A61B 2017/00216: {with eye tracking or head position tracking control} - A61B 2034/305: {Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms} - 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}) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method for engaging and disengaging a surgical instrument of a surgical robotic system comprising: receiving a plurality of interlock inputs from one or more interlock detection components of the surgical robotic system; determining, by one or more processors communicatively coupled to the interlock detection components, whether the plurality of interlock inputs indicate each of the following interlock requirements are satisfied: (1) a user is looking toward a display, (2) at least one or more user interface devices of the surgical robotic system are configured in a usable manner, and (3) a surgical workspace of the surgical robotic system is configured in a usable manner; in response to determining each of the interlock requirements are satisfied, transition the surgical robotic system into a teleoperation mode; and in response to determining less than all of the interlock requirements are satisfied, transition the surgical robotic system out of a teleoperation mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for disengaging a surgical instrument of a surgical robotic system, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of interlock inputs from one or more interlock detection components of the surgical robotic system; determining, by one or more processors communicatively coupled to the interlock detection components, whether the plurality of interlock inputs indicate the following interlock conditions are satisfied: (1) at least one or more user interface devices of the surgical robotic system having a tracker that indicates the at least one or more user interface devices are outside a trackable workspace of the surgical robotic system or the at least one or more user interface devices are in a stored configuration, and (2) a user's gaze is outside a display of the surgical robotic system; and in response to determining the interlock conditions are satisfied, transition the surgical robotic system out of a teleoperation mode such that the at least one or more user interface devices is prevented from controlling the surgical instrument. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one or more user interface devices comprise at least one of a handheld user input device and a foot pedal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the display is an open display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the interlock detection component for determining the user's gaze is outside the display comprises an eye tracker that indicates the user gaze is outside of the display. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the interlock detection component for determining the user's gaze is outside the display comprises a tracking marker on a pair of glasses or a face mask of the user, and the tracking marker indicates a head of the user is rotated away from the display. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the interlock detection component for determining the user's gaze is outside the display comprises a chair sensor coupled to a chair, and the chair sensor indicates at least one of the chair is facing away from the display, the user is not seated in the chair, or a head of the user is not resting on a headrest of the chair. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the tracker indicates the at least one of the user interface devices are outside of a trackable workspace. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the interlock detection component comprises a transport sensor and at least one of the plurality of interlock inputs further indicates the surgical workspace of the surgical robotic system is not configured in a usable manner by detecting the surgical robotic system is not in a transportation configuration. ### Claim 9 A method for disengaging a surgical instrument of a surgical robotic system, the method comprising: determining, by one or more processors communicatively coupled to the surgical robotic system, that at least one of a plurality of interlock inputs received from one or more interlock detection components comprising a headrest pressure sensor or a display deployment sensor of the surgical robotic system indicates a user's gaze is outside a display of the surgical robotic system; and in response to determining that the user's gaze is outside of the display, transition the surgical robotic system out of a teleoperation mode such that a user interface device of the surgical robotic system is prevented from controlling a surgical instrument. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the interlock detection component further comprises an eye tracker coupled to a display of the surgical robotic system, and the eye tracker comprises a projector that projects a pattern of near-infrared light on the eye of the user, and a camera that takes an image of the user's eye relative to the pattern to determine the gazes is outside the display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the interlock detection component further comprises a tracking marker on a user's glasses or a user's face mask, and the tracking marker tracks a user's head rotated away from the display to determine the gaze is outside the display. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 further comprises determining the surgical robotic system is configured in a non-usable manner by detecting at least one of the following: at least one user interface device is outside a surgical workspace; a received user interface device location is inaccurate; and at least one user interface device is dropped by the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 further comprising determining a surgical workspace of the surgical robotic system is configured in a non-usable manner by detecting the surgical robotic system is in a transportation configuration. ### Claim 14 A surgical robotic system, comprising: a surgical instrument; a user console comprising a display, an interlock detecting component, and a user interface device; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the interlock detecting component, the processors configured to: receive a plurality of interlock inputs from the interlock detecting component, wherein all of the plurality of interlock inputs are required for engagement of a teleoperation mode in which the surgical instrument is controlled by the user interface device, determine at least one of the plurality of interlock inputs received from the interlock detecting component is no longer present and a user's gaze is outside of a display based on at least one interlock input received from a headrest pressure sensor or a display deployment sensor, and transition the surgical robotic system out of a teleoperation mode such that the user interface device is prevented from controlling the surgical instrument. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of interlock inputs indicate each of the following interlock requirements are satisfied: (1) a user is looking toward a display of the surgical robotic system, (2) at least one or more user interfaces device of the surgical robotic system is configured in a usable manner, and (3) a surgical workspace of the surgical robotic system is configured in a usable manner. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the interlock detecting component for detecting the user's gaze is outside of the display further comprises an eye and/or a head tracker. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the interlock detecting component for detecting the user's gaze is outside of the display further comprises a tracking marker on a user's glasses, or a tracking marker on a user's face mask. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the interlock detecting component for detecting the user's gaze is outside the display further comprises a chair swivel sensor, or a chair pressure sensor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the interlock detecting component further comprises an eye tracker for tracking the user's gaze, and further comprises a transport sensor for detecting an interlock indicating a surgical workspace is not configured in a usable manner. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19 wherein the transport sensor indicates the surgical robotic system is not in a transportation mode.