Systems and methods for identifying and facilitating an intended interaction with a target object in a surgical space

A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for performing a process comprising:

• detecting, by a processor associated with a computer-assisted surgical system, an intent of a user of the computer-assisted surgical system to use a robotic instrument attached to the computer-assisted surgical system to interact with a target object while the target object is located in a surgical space, wherein the target object is not directly attached to the robotic instrument but is movable within the surgical space by interaction with the robotic instrument, the detecting of the intent of the user including:
• determining a procedural context associated with the surgical space based on at least one of an image of the surgical space, a configuration of the robotic instrument, or kinematics of the robotic instrument;
• and
• detecting the intent of the user of the computer-assisted surgical system to interact with the target object based on the determined procedural context;
• determining, by the processor, a pose of the target object in the surgical space;
• and
• performing, by the processor and based on the detected intent of the user to interact with the target object and the determined pose of the target object in the surgical space, an operation with respect to the target object.

A method comprising:

• detecting, by a processor associated with a computer-assisted surgical system, an intent of a user of the computer-assisted surgical system to use a robotic instrument attached to the computer-assisted surgical system to interact with a target object while the target object is located in a surgical space, wherein the target object is not directly attached to the robotic instrument but is movable within the surgical space by interaction with the robotic instrument, the detecting of the intent of the user including:
• determining a procedural context associated with the surgical space based on at least one of an image of the surgical space, a configuration of the robotic instrument, or kinematics of the robotic instrument;
• and
• detecting the intent of the user of the computer-assisted surgical system to interact with the target object based on the determined procedural context;
• determining, by the processor, a pose of the target object in the surgical space;
• and
• performing, by the processor and based on the detected intent of the user to interact with the target object and the determined pose of the target object in the surgical space, an operation with respect to the target object.