# US 9,039,685 B2 · Robotic surgery system including position sensors using fiber bragg gratings > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,685 B2 - Document ID: US9039685B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/049,028 - Filed: 2011-03-16 - Published: 2011-09-15 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2005-12-30 - Assignees: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Applicants: David Q. Larkin; David C. Shafer - Inventors: David Q. Larkin; David C. Shafer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039685B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 1/009: {with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part} - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 34/71: {Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms} - A61B 90/30: Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure - B25J 9/1635: {flexible-arm control} - B25J 18/06: flexible - B25J 19/025: {including optical fibres} - A61B 90/361: {Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras} - A61B 2017/00057: {Light} - A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)} - A61B 2017/0477: {with pre-tied sutures} - A61B 2017/2906: {Multiple forceps} - A61B 2034/2048: {using an accelerometer or inertia sensor} - A61B 2034/2059: {Mechanical position encoders} - A61B 2034/2061: {using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings} - A61B 2034/2065: {Tracking using image or pattern recognition} - A61B 2034/305: {Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms} - A61B 2090/3614: {using optical fibre} - Y10S 901/09: Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement - Y10S 901/28: Joint - Y10S 901/46: Sensing device - Y10S 901/47: Optical - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - Y10T 74/20305: Robotic arm - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A surgical instrument is provided, including: at least one articulatable arm having a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one joint region disposed between the distal and proximal ends; an optical fiber bend sensor provided in the at least one joint region of the at least one articulatable arm; a detection system coupled to the optical fiber bend sensor, said detection system comprising a light source and a light detector for detecting light reflected by or transmitted through the optical fiber bend sensor to determine a position of at least one joint region of the at least one articulatable arm based on the detected light reflected by or transmitted through the optical fiber bend sensor; and a control system comprising a servo controller for effectuating movement of the arm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: determining a shape of a surgical instrument based on a reflectance spectrum from a first optical fiber sensor in an optical fiber, the first optical fiber sensor being in a first part of a channel, the first part of the channel extending through a first portion of an elongate arm of the surgical instrument; and determining a force applied to the surgical instrument in an axial direction based on a reflectance spectrum from a second optical fiber sensor in the optical fiber, the second optical fiber sensor being in a second part of the channel, the second part of the channel extending through an elongate axially compressible fixed-position region in the elongate arm of the surgical instrument, the elongate axially compressible fixed-position region being coupled to the first portion of the elongate arm, the optical fiber being affixed to the elongate axially compressible fixed-position region distal to the second optical fiber sensor, the optical fiber being affixed to the elongate axially compressible fixed-position region proximal to the second optical fiber sensor, and the force applied to surgical instrument being generated by moving the elongate arm of the surgical instrument to position a distal tip of the surgical instrument to apply a force in the axial direction onto a surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first optical fiber sensor comprises a Fiber Bragg Grating region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second optical fiber sensor comprises a Fiber Bragg Grating region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a temperature based on a reflectance spectrum from a third optical fiber sensor in the optical fiber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the determining a temperature further comprises: determining the temperature in a rigid fixed position region in the elongate arm of the surgical instrument. ### Claim 6 The method of 4, wherein the determining a temperature further comprises looking up a temperature in a pre-calculated look-up table corresponding to a detected signal from the third optical fiber sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: passing illuminating light through the optical fiber and beyond a distal end of the optical fiber, the illuminating light being sufficient to illuminate a site at which the surgical instrument is used. ### Claim 8 An apparatus comprising: a surgical instrument comprising an elongate arm and a distal tip, the elongate arm comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a channel extending through the first portion and the second portion, the second portion of the elongate arm comprising an elongate axially compressible fixed-position region, the elongate axially compressible fixed-position region being coupled to the first portion of the elongate arm, the elongate arm being movable to position a distal tip to apply a force in an axial direction onto a surface; an optical fiber positioned in the channel, the optical fiber comprising a first optical fiber sensor and a second optical fiber sensor, the optical fiber being affixed to the elongate axially compressible fixed-position region distal to the second optical fiber sensor, and the optical fiber being affixed to the elongate axially compressible fixed position region proximal to the second optical fiber sensor; a first interrogator; and a second interrogator; wherein the first interrogator is configured to interrogate the first optical fiber sensor for a first condition; wherein the second interrogator is configured to interrogate the second optical fiber sensor for a second condition; wherein the first and second conditions are each selected from the group consisting of a shape of the surgical instrument, a temperature of the surgical instrument, and an axial force on the surgical instrument; and wherein the first condition is different from the second condition.