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US 12,727,957 B2Granted
Control and feedback based on insertion force
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsSamuel B. Schorr, Nicola Diolaiti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine is configured to access force data generated by a force sensor, where the force sensor is communicatively coupled to a proximal portion of a flexible elongate device that has a distal portion configured to travel within an environment, and where the force sensor is configured to detect forces and generate the force data therefrom. The machine, based on the force data, identifies an insertion force encountered by the distal portion of the flexible elongate device from among the forces detected by the force sensor. The machine then, based on the identified insertion force, initiates a responsive operation performed by a control system communicatively coupled to the flexible elongate device.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a flexible elongate device including a distal portion configured to travel within an environment and a proximal portion configured to remain external to the environment;
- a force sensor coupled to the proximal portion of the flexible elongate device and configured to detect forces and generate force data based on the detected forces;
- and
- a control system communicatively coupled to the flexible elongate device and the force sensor, the control system being configured to perform operations comprising:
- based on the force data, identifying an insertion force encountered by the distal portion of the flexible elongate device from among the forces detected by the force sensor, the identifying of the insertion force including modifying a current value of the insertion force based on a spatial rate of change in magnitude of the insertion force across a distance traveled by the distal portion within the environment or a temporal rate of change in the magnitude of the insertion force over a time period during which the distal portion traveled the distance within the environment;
- and
- based on the identified insertion force encountered by the distal portion, initiating one or more responsive operations performed by the control system, the one or more responsive operations including performing a comparison of a current value of the identified insertion force to a threshold value of the insertion force and then causing a controller of the flexible elongate device to provide haptic feedback based on the current value exceeding the threshold value, the controller being configured to provide the haptic feedback caused by the control system.
4 more elements
A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising
- instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
- accessing force data generated by a force sensor communicatively coupled to a proximal portion of a flexible elongate device that has a distal portion configured to travel within an environment, the force sensor being configured to detect forces and generate the force data therefrom;
- based on the force data, identifying an insertion force encountered by the distal portion of the flexible elongate device from among the forces detected by the force sensor, the identifying of the insertion force including modifying a current value of the insertion force based on a spatial rate of change in magnitude of the insertion force across a distance traveled by the distal portion within the environment or a temporal rate of change in the magnitude of the insertion force over a time period during which the distal portion traveled the distance within the environment;
- and
- based on the identified insertion force, initiating one or more responsive operations performed by a control system communicatively coupled to the flexible elongate device, the one or more responsive operations including performing a comparison of a current value of the identified insertion force to a threshold value of the insertion force and then causing a controller of the flexible elongate device to provide haptic feedback based on the current value exceeding the threshold value, the controller being configured to provide the haptic feedback caused by the control system.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- accessing, by one or more processors, force data generated by a force sensor communicatively coupled to a proximal portion of a flexible elongate device that has a distal portion configured to travel within an environment, the force sensor being configured to detect forces and generate the force data therefrom;
- based on the force data, and by one or more of the processors, identifying an insertion force encountered by the distal portion of the flexible elongate device from among the forces detected by the force sensor, the identifying of the insertion force including modifying a current value of the insertion force based on a spatial rate of change in magnitude of the insertion force across a distance traveled by the distal portion within the environment or a temporal rate of change in the magnitude of the insertion force over a time period during which the distal portion traveled the distance within the environment;
- and
- based on the identified insertion force, and by one or more of the processors, initiating one or more responsive operations performed by a control system communicatively coupled to the flexible elongate device, the one or more responsive operations including performing a comparison of a current value of the identified insertion force to a threshold value of the insertion force and then causing a controller of the flexible elongate device to provide haptic feedback based on the current value exceeding the threshold value, the controller being configured to provide the haptic feedback caused by the control system.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.