Robotic surgical system

A robotic surgical system, comprising:

• a track;
• a carriage mounted on said track;
• a translation servo mechanism operatively coupled to said carriage and adapted to control movement of said carriage relative to said track;
• a catheter holding device including a catheter deflection mechanism and a rotatable catheter receiving portion, wherein said catheter holding device is mounted on said carriage such that said catheter holding device moves relative to said track with said carriage;
• a rotation servo mechanism operatively coupled to said catheter holding device and adapted to control rotation of said catheter receiving portion;
• a deflection servo mechanism operatively coupled to said catheter deflection mechanism and adapted to control deflection of a catheter that may be received in said catheter receiving portion;
• a controller coupled to at least said rotation servo mechanism and said deflection servo mechanism, wherein said controller simultaneously controls said deflection servo mechanism and said rotation servo mechanism to maintain a substantially constant catheter deflection during rotation of said catheter receiving portion;
• an introducer designed to extend into a patient such that a distal end of said introducer is proximate a target site;
• and
• a telescoping tube for creating a sterile field between said catheter holding device and a proximal end of said introducer.

A method of manufacturing a surgical system, the method comprising:

• translatably associating a catheter holding device with a track, the catheter holding device including a rotatable catheter receiving portion;
• operatively coupling a translation servo mechanism to the catheter holding device to control translation of the catheter holding device relative to the track;
• operatively coupling a rotation servo mechanism to the catheter holding device for controlling rotation of the catheter receiving portion about its axis;
• providing a catheter deflection control mechanism;
• operatively coupling a deflection servo mechanism to the catheter deflection control mechanism to control the catheter deflection control mechanism;
• and
• coupling a controller to at least the deflection servo mechanism and the rotation servo mechanism, wherein the controller controls at least one of the deflection servo mechanism and the rotation servo mechanism in order to maintain a substantially constant catheter deflection as the catheter receiving portion rotates.

A method of controlling a catheter to treat tissue, the method comprising:

• providing a robotic catheter control system, the robotic catheter control system comprising:
• a translatable catheter holding device including a catheter receiving portion;
• a translation mechanism adapted to control translation of the catheter holding device;
• a deflection mechanism adapted to control deflection of the catheter;
• and
• a robotic controller operatively coupled to the translation mechanism and the deflection mechanism and adapted to control the translation mechanism and the deflection mechanism;
• receiving the catheter in the catheter receiving portion such that the catheter translates with the catheter holding device;
• operatively coupling the catheter to the deflection mechanism such that actuation of the deflection control mechanism causes deflection of the catheter;
• and
• robotically navigating the catheter to one or more locations within a patient by actuating one or more of the translation mechanism and the deflection mechanism.

A robotic surgical system to control a first medical device in at least two degrees of freedom and a second medical device in at least two degrees of freedom, said robotic surgical system comprising:

• a first holding device adapted to receive the first medical device therein;
• a second holding device adapted to receive the second medical device therein;
• a first robotic control system including at least two servo mechanisms, wherein said first robotic control system is operatively coupled to said first holding device and adapted to control the first medical device in at least two degrees of freedom;
• a second robotic control system including at least two servo mechanisms, wherein said second robotic control system is operatively coupled to said second holding device and adapted to control the second medical device in at least two degrees of freedom;
• and
• at least one controller operatively coupled to said first robotic control system and said second robotic control system, wherein said at least one controller is adapted to cooperatively control the first and second medical devices in at least two degrees of freedom each.

A method of calibrating a robotically controlled catheter, the catheter having a distal end capable of deflection, comprising:

• providing a robotic control input to the catheter to deflect the distal end of the catheter;
• measuring a deflection of the distal end of the catheter;
• associating the measured deflection of the distal end of the catheter with the robotic control input;
• and
• generating a calibration data set, the calibration data set comprising a plurality of associated measured deflections and robotic control inputs.