Robotic cutting systems and methods for surgical saw blade cutting on hard tissue

A method of operating a surgical system, the surgical system comprising a manipulator including a base and a robotic arm coupled to the base, a saw tool coupled to the robotic arm and configured to perform a cut of a bone, and a control system coupled to the manipulator and the saw tool, the method comprising the control system:

• obtaining data defining a cutting plane for the bone and a pre-determined depth of the bone to be cut by the saw tool along the cutting plane;
• associating a virtual planar boundary with the bone along the cutting plane;
• controlling the manipulator for autonomously aligning the saw tool to the cutting plane;
• activating the saw tool;
• controlling the manipulator to autonomously move the saw tool to create a notch in the bone relative to the cutting plane;
• and
• controlling the manipulator for autonomously moving the saw tool along the cutting plane for performing the cut of the bone, wherein controlling the manipulator for autonomously moving the saw tool includes:
• controlling the manipulator for autonomously moving the saw tool into engagement with the notch, wherein the notch is configured to reduce skiving of the saw tool;
• and
• controlling the manipulator for autonomously moving the saw tool along the cutting plane, such that the saw tool is constrained to remain within the virtual planar boundary and to not exceed the pre-determined depth of the bone to be cut.

A surgical system configured to prepare a femur for a total knee arthroplasty procedure, the surgical system comprising:

• a manipulator comprising a base and a robotic arm coupled to the base;
• a saw tool coupled to the robotic arm;
• and
• a control system configured to control the manipulator to move the saw tool to perform a plurality of respective cuts of the femur along a plurality of respective cutting planes, and for each of the respective cuts, the control system is configured to:
• associate a virtual planar boundary with the femur along the respective cutting plane, wherein the virtual planar boundary defines a pre-determined depth of the femur to be cut by the saw tool along the respective cutting plane;
• control the manipulator to autonomously align the saw tool to the respective cutting plane;
• activate the saw tool;
• control the manipulator to autonomously move the saw tool to create a notch in the femur relative to the respective cutting plane;
• and
• control the manipulator to autonomously move the saw tool along the respective cutting plane to perform the respective cut of the femur, wherein autonomous movement of the saw tool by the manipulator comprises:
• autonomous movement of the saw tool into engagement with the notch, wherein the notch is configured to reduce skiving of the saw tool;
• and
• autonomous movement of the saw tool along the respective cutting plane, such that the saw tool is constrained to remain within the virtual planar boundary and to not exceed the pre-determined depth of the femur to be cut.