Movable surgical mounting platform controlled by manual motion of robotic arms

A method for preparing for robotic surgery, the method comprising:

• sensing an input displacement of a first link of a first robotic manipulator from an initial positional relationship relative to an orienting platform to a displaced positional relationship relative to the orienting platform, the input displacement resulting from a manual articulation of a set-up joint linkage supporting the first manipulator so that the first link moves toward a desired position with a surgical site;
• calculating a movement of a set-up structure linkage in response to the input displacement so that the first link of the first manipulator returns toward the initial positional relationship relative to orienting platform, the set-up structure linkage supporting the orienting platform and the orienting platform supporting the first manipulator via the set-up joint linkage and a second manipulator;
• driving the set-up structure linkage per the calculated movement;
• wherein each of the manipulators includes an instrument holder and is configured to support an associated surgical instrument mounted to the instrument holder relative to a manipulator base, insert the associated surgical instrument along an insertion axis into a patient through an associated remote center of manipulation (RC), rotate the instrument holder around a first manipulator axis that intersects the associated RC, and rotate the instrument holder around a second manipulator axis that intersects the associated RC, each of the first and second manipulator axes being transverse to the insertion axis, the second manipulator axis being transverse to the first manipulator axis;
• wherein the set-up structure linkage comprises:
• a mounting base;
• a column selectively positionable relative to the mounting base along a first support axis that is vertically oriented;
• a member rotationally coupled to the column to selectively orient the member relative to the column around a second support axis that is vertically oriented;
• an extendable boom slideably coupled with the member to selectively position the extendable boom relative to the member along a third support axis that is horizontally oriented, the orienting platform being rotationally coupled to the extendable boom member;
• and
• wherein the first link comprises or is adjacent the holder, wherein the calculated movement comprises a movement of a plurality of joints of the set-up structure linkage, and wherein the plurality of joints are driven per the calculated movement.

A method for preparing for robotic surgery, the method comprising:

• sensing a movement of a set-up joint linkage supporting a first manipulator to within a threshold of a range of motion limit of the set-up joint linkage, the threshold of the range of motion limit of the set-up joint linkage being less than a total range of motion of the set-up joint linkage;
• entering a platform movement mode after sensing movement of the set-up joint linkage to within the threshold of the range of motion limit of the set-up joint linkage;
• after entering the platform movement mode, sensing a manual movement of a first manipulator so that a first link of the manipulator moves toward a desired position with a surgical site;
• sensing an input displacement of the first link from an initial positional relationship relative to a platform to a displaced positional relationship relative to the platform, the input displacement resulting from the manual movement of the first manipulator;
• calculating a movement of a linkage in response to the input displacement so that the first link of the first manipulator returns toward the initial positional relationship relative to the platform, the linkage supporting the platform and the platform supporting the first manipulator;
• driving the linkage per the calculated movement so that the platform follows the first link;
• and
• treating tissue at the surgical site by driving the first manipulator.

A system for robotic surgery, the system comprising:

• a platform supporting a base of a first manipulator and a base of a second manipulator;
• the first and second manipulators supported by the platform, each manipulator having a manipulator linkage including a first link and a drive system operatively coupled to the manipulator linkage so as to drive the first link during surgery;
• a support structure supporting the platform, the support structure including a support linkage including a base and a drive system operatively coupled to the support linkage so as to drive the platform relative to support structure base;
• a processor coupling the manipulators to the support structure, the processor having a platform movement mode, the processor in the platform movement mode configured to calculate a set-up command in response to a manual movement of the first link of the first manipulator relative to the platform and to transmit a platform movement command to the support structure so as to move the platform and the manipulators, the processor configured to enter the platform movement mode after sensing a movement of a set-up joint linkage supporting the first manipulator or second manipulator to within a threshold of a range of motion limit of the set-up joint linkage, the threshold of the range of motion limit of the set-up joint linkage being less than a total range of motion of the set-up joint linkage.

A system for robotic surgery, the system comprising:

• a platform supporting a base of a first manipulator and a base of a second manipulator;
• the first and second robotic manipulators supported by the platform, each manipulator having a manipulator linkage including a first link and a drive system operatively coupled to the manipulator linkage so as to drive the first link during surgery;
• a support structure supporting the platform, the support structure including a support linkage including a base and a drive system operatively coupled to the support linkage so as to drive the platform relative to support structure base;
• a processor coupling the manipulators to the support structure, the processor having a platform movement mode, the processor in the platform movement mode configured to calculate a set-up command in response to a manual movement of the first link of the first manipulator relative to the platform and to transmit a platform movement command to the support structure so as to move the platform and the manipulators;
• wherein each of the manipulators includes an instrument holder and is configured to support an associated surgical instrument mounted to the instrument holder relative to a manipulator base, insert the associated surgical instrument along an insertion axis into a patient through an associated remote center of manipulation (RC), rotate the instrument holder around a first manipulator axis that intersects the associated RC, and rotate the instrument holder around a second manipulator axis that intersects the associated RC, each of the first and second manipulator axes being transverse to the insertion axis, the second manipulator axis being transverse to the first manipulator axis;
• wherein the set-up structure linkage comprises:
• a mounting base;
• a column slideably coupled with the mounting base and selectively positionable relative to the mounting base along a first support axis that is vertically oriented;
• a boom base member rotationally coupled to the column through a shoulder joint operable to selectively orient the boom base member relative to the column member around a second support axis that is vertically oriented;
• an extendable boom member slideably coupled with the boom base member through a boom joint operable to selectively position the extendable boom member relative to the boom base member along a third support axis that is horizontally oriented, the orienting platform being rotationally coupled to the extendable boom member;
• and
• wherein the first link comprises or is adjacent to the instrument holder, wherein the calculated movement comprises a movement of a plurality of joints of the set-up structure linkage, and wherein the plurality of joints are driven per the calculated movement so that the first link of the first manipulator has the preferred positional relationship relative to the manipulator base.