Arm cart for telerobotic surgical system

A robotic surgical system comprising:

• a first linkage assembly having a first base coupled to a first surgical end effector by a first robotic linkage;
• a second linkage assembly having a second base coupled to a second surgical end effector by a second robotic linkage, the second base being independent of the first base;
• a master controller having at least one handle manipulatable by a hand of an operator;
• a processor transmitting movement commands to the first and second linkage assemblies, the processor deriving the movement commands at least in part from manipulation of the handle, and at least in part from a relative orientation signal indicating an orientation of the first base relative to the second base;
• wherein the first and second bases rest on a floor, the relative orientation signal indicating a horizontal angle of the second base relative to the first base along the floor;
• an orientation input device supported by the second base, the input device generating the relative orientation signal;
• wherein the orientation input device comprises indicia of alignment manually alignable with the first base;
• and
• wherein the orientation input device comprises an electrical component, the indicia of alignment rotatably coupled to the electrical component into horizontal alignment with the first base, the relative orientation signal comprising an electrical characteristic of the component.

A robotic surgical system comprising:

• a first linkage assembly having a first base coupled to a first surgical end effector by a first robotic linkage;
• a second linkage assembly having a second base coupled to a second surgical end effector by a second robotic linkage, the second base supporting the second end effector independently of the first base;
• a relative orientation indicating system transmitting a relative orientation signal indicating a relative orientation between the first base and the second base to a processor;
• the relative orientation signal indicating a horizontal angle of the second base relative to the first base along a flat surface to which the first and second bases are disposed;
• a display having an image of a surgical worksite;
• a master controller adjacent the display and having at least one input manipulatable by a hand of an operator;
• the processor transmitting movement commands to the first and second linkage assemblies so that images of the first and second surgical end effectors shown in the display appear substantially connected to the at least one input, the processor deriving the movement commands in response to the relative orientation signal received from the relative orientation indicating system.

A robotic arm system for use with a robotic surgical system having a processor generating movement command signals, the processor coupled to a first robotic linkage having a first base and at least one input of a master controller disposed adjacent to a display, the arm system comprising:

• a second robotic linkage supporting a surgical end effector relative to a second base independent of the first base, the second linkage coupled to the processor and moving robotically in response to the command signals, the second robotic linkage manually movable in a first degree of freedom so as to change an orientation of the end effector, the base of the second robotic linkage manually movable in a second degree of freedom so as to effect translation of the end effector without changing an orientation of the end effector;
• an orientation indicating system supported by the second base and couplable to the processor, the orientation indicating system transmitting an orientation signal indicating an orientation of the second base relative to the first base sufficient for use by the processor in deriving the movement commands for the second linkage so that an image of the surgical end effector shown in the display appears substantially connected to the at least one input, wherein no signal is transmitted to the processor from the orientation indicating system indicating a position of the second base along the second degree of freedom for use by the processor in deriving the movement commands.

A surgical robotic method comprising:

• moving a first base of a first robotic linkage, the first base supporting a first surgical end effector independently of a second base of a second robotic linkage supporting a second surgical end effector;
• transmitting a relative orientation signal to a processor, the signal indicating an orientation of the first base relative to the second base, wherein the first and second bases are disposed on a flat surface, the relative orientation signal indicating a horizontal angle of the second base relative to the first base along the flat surface;
• deriving movement command signal with the processor by manipulating at least one input device coupled to the processor and with reference to the relative orientation signal;
• and
• moving the first and second surgical end effectors with the first and second robotic linkages in response to the movement command signals.