# US 2019/0314005 A1 · Remote control apparatus, surgical system, and method of identifying target pedal > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0314005 A1 - Document ID: US20190314005A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/358,653 - Filed: 2019-03-19 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-13 - Assignees: Medicaroid Corporation - Applicants: Medicaroid Corporation - Inventors: Kazuki ISHIHARA; Shiro HORITA; Syuuichi NAGASE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190314005A1 ## CPC - A61B 17/00: Surgical instruments, devices or methods (A61B18/00 takes precedence; dental tools A61C3/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/20) - A61B 34/35: for telesurgery - A61B 18/00: Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body (eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00) - A61B 34/25: {User interfaces for surgical systems} - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 34/74: {Manipulators with manual electric input means} - A61B 90/361: {Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras} - A61B 90/37: {Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation} - A61B 90/60: Supports for surgeons, e.g. chairs or hand supports (seats for dentists or surgeons associated with dental chairs or operating chairs A61G15/08) - G01V 8/20: using multiple transmitters or receivers - A61B 18/1402: {Probes for open surgery} - A61B 2017/00207: {with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition} - A61B 2017/00212: {using remote controls} - A61B 2017/00225: {Systems for controlling multiple different instruments, e.g. microsurgical systems} - A61B 2017/00973: {pedal-operated} - A61B 2018/00589: {Coagulation} - A61B 2018/00601: {Cutting} - A61B 2090/065: {for measuring contact or contact pressure} - A61B 2560/0487: Special user inputs or interfaces - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) ## Abstract A remote control apparatus according to one or more embodiments may include: an operating handle for remotely operating medical equipment; an operation pedal unit including a plurality of pedals each of which is operated when pressed downward by a foot to perform a function related to the medical equipment, and a sensor unit detecting a presence of the foot operating any one of the plurality of pedals; and a control unit which receives detection information from the sensor unit. The sensor unit comprises two or more sensors provided in the vicinity of a first pedal among the plurality of pedals. When the control unit receives detection information from the two or more sensors provided in the vicinity of the first pedal, the control unit determines that the foot operating the first pedal is present. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A remote control apparatus, comprising: an operating handle for remotely operating medical equipment; an operation pedal unit including a plurality of pedals each of which is operated when pressed downward by a foot to perform a function related to the medical equipment, and a sensor unit detecting a presence of the foot operating any one of the plurality of pedals; and a control unit which receives detection information from the sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit comprises two or more sensors provided in the vicinity of a first pedal among the plurality of pedals, and when the control unit receives detection information from the two or more sensors provided in the vicinity of the first pedal, the control unit determines that the foot operating the first pedal is present. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pedals are arranged in a width direction of the operation pedal unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The remote control apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the two or more sensors is arranged between the first pedal and a pedal adjacent to the first pedal, and the control unit uses the detection information sent from the at least one of the two or more sensors arranged between the first pedal and the pedal adjacent to the first pedal in order to determine whether the foot operating the first pedal is present or not, and whether the foot operating the pedal adjacent to the first pedal is present or not. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The remote control apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least two of the two or more sensors provided in the vicinity of the first pedal are disposed on both sides of the first pedal in the width direction, respectively. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operation pedal unit further includes a base portion on which the plurality of pedals are provided, and a wall portion standing upright from the base portion, the sensor unit includes a light emitter and a light receiver, and one of the light emitter and the light receiver is provided at the base portion, and the other one of the light emitter and the light receiver is provided at the wall portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pedals include a coagulation pedal for coagulating a surgical site, and a cutting pedal for cutting the surgical site, and the first pedal is one of the coagulation pedal and the cutting pedal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pedals include a plurality of coagulation pedals for coagulating a surgical site and a plurality of cutting pedals for cutting the surgical site, and the plurality of coagulation pedals and the plurality of cutting pedals are alternatingly arranged in a width direction of the operation pedal unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The remote control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of coagulation pedals and the plurality of cutting pedals are arranged on one side of the operation pedal unit with respect to a center of the operation pedal unit in the width direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The remote control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of coagulation pedals comprise two coagulation pedals, and the plurality of cutting pedals comprise two cutting pedals, a first pedal includes a plurality of first pedals comprising the two coagulation pedals and the two cutting pedals, and the number of sensors that detect the presence of the foot operating the two coagulation pedals and the two cutting pedals is five. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The remote control apparatus of claim 6, wherein a top end of one of the coagulation pedal and the cutting pedal is located at a first vertical position, and a top end of the other one of the coagulation pedal and the cutting pedal is located at a second vertical position different from the first vertical position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises a single sensor provided in the vicinity of a second pedal, which is different from the first pedal, among the plurality of pedals, and when the control unit receives detection information from the single sensor provided in the vicinity of the second pedal, the control unit determines that the foot operating the second pedal is present. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The remote control apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of pedals are arranged in a width direction of the operation pedal unit, and a first distance between the first pedal and a pedal adjacent to the first pedal is smaller than a second distance between the second pedal and a pedal adjacent to the second pedal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The remote control apparatus of claim 12, wherein the distance between the first pedal and the pedal adjacent to the first pedal is less than 40 mm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The remote control apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of pedals includes a camera pedal for operating an imaging unit which takes an image of a surgical site, and a clutch pedal which temporarily blocks connection for operation between the medical equipment and the operating handle, and the second pedal is one of the camera pedal and the clutch pedal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The remote control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of pedals are arranged at different positions in the width direction, and at least portions of the plurality of pedals are located at the same vertical position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The remote control apparatus of claim 2, wherein top ends of adjacent two of the plurality of pedals are located at different vertical positions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The remote control apparatus of claim 16, wherein bottom ends of the plurality of pedals are located substantially at the same vertical position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) The remote control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of pedals are arranged in a fan-shaped pattern in a plan view of the remote control apparatus. ### Claim 19 A surgical system, comprising: a remote control apparatus including an operating handle for remotely operating medical equipment, and an operation pedal unit including a plurality of pedals each of which is operated when pressed downward by a foot to perform a function related to the medical equipment, and a sensor unit detecting a presence of the foot operating any one of the plurality of pedals; a patient-side apparatus including the medical equipment operated by the remote control apparatus; and a control unit, wherein the sensor unit comprises two or more sensors arranged near a first pedal among the plurality of pedals, and when the control unit receives detection information from the two or more sensors provided in the vicinity of the first pedal, the control unit determines that the foot operating the first pedal is present. ### Claim 20 A method for identifying a pedal being operated or about to be operated among a plurality of pedals, each of which is operated when pressed downward by a foot to perform a function related to medical equipment, the method comprising: determining whether two or more sensors provided in the vicinity of any one of the plurality of pedals have detected the foot; and identifying, when two or more sensors in the vicinity of one of the plurality of pedals have detected a presence of the foot, the one of the plurality of pedals as the pedal being operated or about to be operated by the foot.