Multi-component telepresence system and method

#This invention relates to robotically-assisted surgical manipulators and more particularly to systems and methods for performing telerobotic surgical procedures on a patient while providing the surgeon with the sensation of physical presence at the surgical site.

#In robotically-assisted or telerobotic surgery, the surgeon typically operates a master controller to remotely control the motion of surgical instruments at the surgical site from a location that may be remote from the patient (e.g., across the operating room, in a different room or a completely different building from the patient). The master controller usually includes one or more hand input devices, such as joysticks, exoskeletal gloves or the like, which are coupled to the surgical instruments with servo motors for articulating the instruments at the surgical site. The servo motors are typically part of an electromechanical device or surgical manipulator (“the slave”) that supports and controls the surgical instruments that have been introduced directly into an open surgical site or through trocar sleeves into a body cavity, such as the patient's abdomen. During the operation, the surgical manipulator provides mechanical articulation and control of a variety of surgical instruments, such as tissue graspers, needle drivers, electrosurgical cautery probes, etc., that each perform various functions for the surgeon, e.g., holding or driving a needle, grasping a blood vessel, or dissecting, cauterizing or coagulating tissue.

#This new method of performing telerobotic surgery through remote manipulation has, of course, created many new challenges. One such challenge results from the fact that a portion of the electromechanical surgical manipulator will be in direct contact with the surgical instruments, and will also be positioned adjacent the operation site. Accordingly, the surgical manipulator may become contaminated during surgery and is typically disposed of or sterilized between operations. Of course, from a cost perspective, it would be preferable to sterilize the device. However, the servo motors, sensors, encoders and electrical connections that are necessary to robotically control the motors typically cannot be sterilized using conventional methods, e.g., steam, heat and pressure or chemicals, because they would be damaged or destroyed in the sterilization process.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an operating room, illustrating a telerobotic surgical system and method according to the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the operating room of FIG. 1 illustrating a pair of mounting joints coupled to an operating table according to the present invention.

#FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a robotic surgical manipulator according to the present invention that is partially covered by a sterile drape.

#The present invention provides a multi-component system and method for performing robotically-assisted surgical procedures on a patient, particularly including open surgical procedures, neurosurgical procedures, such as stereotaxy, and endoscopic procedures, such as laparoscopy, arthroscopy, thoracoscopy and the like. The system and method of the present invention is particularly useful as part of a telerobotic surgical system that allows the surgeon to manipulate the surgical instruments through a servomechanism from a remote location from the patient. To that end, the manipulator apparatus or slave of the present invention will usually be driven by a kinematically-equivalent master to form a telepresence system with force reflection. A description of a suitable slave-master system can be found in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 08/517,053, filed Aug. 21, 1995, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

#Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, a telerobotic surgical system 2 is illustrated according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, telerobotic system 2 generally includes one or more surgical manipulator assemblies 4 mounted to or near an operating table O, and a control assembly 6 for allowing the surgeon S to view the surgical site and to control the manipulator assemblies 4. The system 2 will also include one or more viewing scope assemblies 19 and a plurality of surgical instrument assemblies 20 adapted for being removably coupled to manipulator assemblies 4 (discussed in detail below). Telerobotic system 2 usually includes at least two manipulator assemblies 4 and preferably three manipulator assemblies 4. Of course, the exact number of manipulator assemblies 4 will depend on the surgical procedure and the space constraints within the operating room among other factors. As discussed in detail below, one of the assemblies 4 will typically operate a viewing scope assembly 19 (in endoscopic procedures) for viewing the surgical site, while the other manipulator assemblies 4 operate surgical instruments 20 for performing various procedures on the patient P.

#Control assembly 6 may be located at a surgeon's console C which is usually located in the same room as operating table O so that the surgeon may speak to his/her assistant(s) A and directly monitor the operating procedure. However, it will be understood that the surgeon S can be located in a different room or a completely different building from the patient P. Control assembly 6 generally includes a support 8, a monitor 10 for displaying an image of the surgical site to the surgeon S, and one or more controller(s) 12 for controlling manipulator assemblies 4. Controller(s) 12 may include a variety of input devices, such as joysticks, gloves, trigger-guns, hand-operated controllers, voice recognition devices or the like. Preferably, controller(s) 12 will be provided with the same degrees of freedom as the associated surgical instrument assemblies 20 to provide the surgeon with telepresence, or the perception that the controller(s) 12 are integral with the instruments 20 so that the surgeon has a strong sense of directly controlling instruments 20. Position, force, and tactile feedback sensors (not shown) may also be employed on instrument assemblies 20 to transmit position, force, and tactile sensations from the surgical instrument back to the surgeon's hands as he/she operates the telerobotic system. One suitable system and method for providing telepresence to the operator is described in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 08/517,053, filed Aug. 21, 1995, which has previously been incorporated herein by reference.