Tool memory-based software upgrades for robotic surgery
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsGregory K. Toth, Nitish Swarup, Thomas R. Nixon, David Q. Larkin, Steven J. Colton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Robotic devices, systems, and methods for use in robotic surgery and other robotic applications, and/or medical instrument devices, systems, and methods includes both a reusable processor and a limited-use robotic tool or medical treatment probe. A memory the limited-use component includes machine readable code with data and/or programming instructions to be implemented by the processor. Programming of the processor can be updated by shipping of new data once downloaded by the processor from a component, subsequent components can take advantage of the updated processor without repeated downloading.
Claims21
1-30. (canceled)
A surgical robotic tool removably couplable to a robotic system comprising a tool holder configured to receive and move the tool in a plurality of degrees of freedom and a signal interface for reading tool data from the tool, the tool comprising:
- an elongate shaft having distal and proximal ends;
- an end effector supported at the distal end of the elongate shaft by a distal joint so as to facilitate orienting the end effector within an internal surgical workspace:
- a proximal housing coupled to the proximal end of the elongate shaft, the housing adapted to be supported by the tool holder of the robotic system;
- and
- a memory coupled to the proximal housing, the memory adapted to electrically couple to the signal interface of the robotic system, the memory storing tool data comprising:
- an indicator allowing a robotic system to identify that the tool includes additional tool information;
- and
- tool information including a listing of tool parameters sufficient for the robotic system to safely and effectively direct movement of the tool in the surgical procedure.
A method for driving a surgical robotic tool removably couplable to a robotic system comprising a tool holder configured to receive and move the tool in a plurality of degrees of freedom and a signal interface for reading tool data from the tool, the tool comprising an elongate shaft having distal and proximal ends, an end effector supported at the distal end of the elongate shaft by a distal joint so as to facilitate orienting the end effector within an internal surgical workspace, a proximal housing coupled to the proximal end of the elongate shaft, the housing adapted to be supported by the tool holder of the robotic system, and a memory coupled to the proximal housing, the memory adapted to electrically couple to the signal interface of the robotic system, the memory storing tool data, the method comprising:
- transmitting, from the memory to the signal interface, an indicator allowing a robotic system to identify that the tool includes additional tool information;
- and
- transmitting, from the memory to the signal interface, tool information including a listing of tool parameters sufficient for the robotic system to safely and effectively direct movement of the tool in the surgical procedure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.