User-interface control using master controller

A method of interactive control of a teleoperated surgical system, the method comprising:

• in a first mode,
• displaying at a teleoperated surgical system, a three-dimensional perspective image of a slave surgical instrument within a three-dimensional surgical site;
• receiving at the teleoperated surgical system sensor input indicating three-dimensional movement of a master controller, the sensor input to control three-dimensional movement of the slave surgical instrument to move correspondingly, with the three-dimensional movement of the master controller;
• within the three-dimensional surgical site;
• in a second mode,
• displaying at the teleoperated surgical system a graphical user interface image in a two-dimensional viewing plane having a position orientation and, wherein the graphical user interface includes a graphical pointer that is moveable in two dimensions within the two-dimensional viewing plane;
• constraining movement of the first master controller to a two-dimensional haptic plane;
• and
• receiving at the teleoperated surgical system, sensor input indicating two-dimensional movement of the first master controller constrained to the two-dimensional haptic plane, the sensor input to control movement of the graphical image of the pointer within the viewing plane, to move correspondingly with movement of the master controller within the haptic plane.

A system to interactively control a teleoperated surgical system comprising:

• a first master controller communicatively coupled to the teleoperated surgical system;
• a display device communicatively coupled to the teleoperated surgical system;
• wherein an interface controller is configured to,
• in a first mode,
• display at the display device, a three-dimensional perspective image of a slave surgical instrument within a three-dimensional surgical site;
• receive a sensor input from the master controller indicating three dimensional movement of the master controller, the sensor input to control three-dimensional movement of the slave surgical instrument to move correspondingly, with the three dimensional movement of the master controller within boundaries of the three-dimensional surgical site;
• wherein the interface controller is further configured to,
• in a second mode,
• display at the display device a graphical user interface image in a two-dimensional viewing plane having a position orientation, wherein the graphical user interface includes a graphical pointer that is moveable in two dimensions within the two-dimensional viewing plane;
• constrain movement of the first master controller to a two-dimensional haptic plane having a position orientation parallel to the position orientation of the viewing plane;
• and
• receive sensor input indicating two-dimensional movement of the first master controller constrained to the two-dimensional haptic plane, the sensor input to control movement of the graphical image of the pointer within the viewing plane, to move correspondingly with movement of the master controller within the haptic plane.

A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for interactive control of a teleoperated surgical system, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

• in a first mode,
• displaying at a teleoperated surgical system, a three-dimensional perspective image of a slave surgical instrument within a three-dimensional surgical site;
• receiving at the teleoperated surgical system, sensor input indicating three-dimensional movement of a master controller, the sensor input to control three-dimensional movement of the slave surgical instrument to move correspondingly, with the three-dimensional movement of the master controller;
• within the three-dimensional surgical site;
• in a second mode,
• displaying at the teleoperated surgical system a graphical user interface image in a two-dimensional viewing plane having a position orientation and, wherein the graphical user interface includes a graphical pointer that is moveable in two dimensions within the two-dimensional viewing plane;
• constraining movement of the first master controller to a two-dimensional haptic plane having a position orientation parallel to the position orientation of the viewing plane;
• and
• receiving at the teleoperated surgical system, sensor input indicating two-dimensional movement of the first master controller constrained to the two-dimensional haptic plane, the sensor input to control movement of the graphical image of the pointer within the viewing plane, to move correspondingly with movement of the master controller within the haptic plane.