Surgical method

A medical robotic system, comprising:

• a robotic arm;
• a coupler that pivotally attaches to the arm;
• an endoscopic surgical instrument that is held by said coupler;
• and
• a controller having a handle, the controller in electrical communication with the robotic arm;
• and
• wherein movement at the controller produces a proportional movement of the robotic arm and surgical instrument, and wherein said endoscopic surgical instrument is an articulable endoscopic surgical instrument;
• and
• wherein the articulable surgical instrument comprises a shaft coupled to a surgical instrument tip by a wrist joint, the articulable surgical instrument insertable into a patient via an incision such that a first portion of the shaft is outside the patient and a second portion of the shaft is inside the patient;
• wherein the handle has a sensor and is supported by a linkage, wherein movement of the handle produces rotation of said first portion of the shaft and the second portion of the shaft about an axis of the shaft extending through the incision, translation of said shaft along the axis, and articulation of said wrist joint, and wherein actuation of the sensor of the handle produces operation of the surgical instrument tip.

A system that allows a user to control a movement of a surgical instrument, wherein the surgical instrument is coupled to a display device that displays an object, comprising:

• a mechanism that moves the surgical instrument, said mechanism having an original position and including a first linkage arm coupled to the surgical instrument and a first actuator which can rotate said first linkage arm and the surgical instrument in a plane perpendicular to a first axis, said first actuator being coupled to a linear actuator which can translate said first linkage arm along an axis parallel with the first axis;
• an input device that receives a command to move the surgical instrument in a desired direction relative to the object displayed by the display device, the input device having a handle;
• and,
• a controller that receives said command to move the surgical instrument in the desired direction, computes a movement of said mechanism based on said command and the original position of said mechanism so that the surgical instrument moves in the desired direction, and provides output signals to said mechanism to move said mechanism said computed movement to move the surgical instrument in the desired direction commanded by the suer, movement at the input device producing a proportional movement of the surgical instrument.

A system that allows a user to control a movement of a surgical instrument, wherein the surgical instrument is coupled to a display device that displays an object, comprising:

• a mechanism that moves the surgical instrument, said mechanism having an original position and including a first linkage arm coupled to the surgical instrument and a first actuator which can rotate said first linkage arm and the surgical instrument in a plane perpendicular to a first axis, said first actuator being coupled to a linear actuator which can translate said first linkage arm along an axis parallel with the first axis;
• an input device that receives a command to move the surgical instrument in a desired direction relative to the object displayed by the display device;
• and,
• a controller that receives said command to move the surgical instrument in the desired direction, computes a movement of said mechanism based on said command and the original position of said mechanism so that the surgical instrument moves in the desired direction, and provides output signals to said mechanism to move said mechanism said computed movement to move the surgical instrument in the desired direction commanded by the user;
• wherein said controller comprises a computer which receives input signals from said input device and provides output signals to move the surgical instrument.