Method and system for moving a plurality of articulated instruments in tandem back towards an entry guide

Inventors

Diolaiti, Nicola • Lilagan, Paul E.

Assignees

Intuitive Surgical Inc • Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc

Abstract

A medical robotic system includes articulated instruments extending out of a distal end of an entry guide. Prior to pivoting the entry guide to re-orient it and the instruments, the instruments are moved in tandem back towards the entry guide after a delay. Haptic cues and velocity limits are provided to assist the operator in the retraction of the instruments. After retraction, the entry guide may then be pivoted without concern that the instruments will harm patient anatomy. The movement of the instruments in tandem back towards the entry guide may also occur through coupled control modes while the entry guide is held in a fixed position and orientation.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a medical robotic system and processor-implemented method for retracting an articulated instrument into an entry guide. The instrument includes a plurality of rotational joints and a plurality of links, with each rotational joint coupling an adjacent pair of links, and with a most proximal link at least partially disposed inside the entry guide. A retraction command received from an input device commands translational movement of the most proximal link towards a proximal end of the entry guide, and this movement causes movement of a most proximal rotational joint toward a distal end of the entry guide.

A processor determines, as the most proximal rotational joint, a joint of the plurality of rotational joints that is outside of the entry guide and closest to the distal end. The system determines whether this most proximal rotational joint is within a minimum distance from the distal end of the entry guide, and uses this determination to conditionally command translational movement versus joint actuation. When the minimum distance condition is satisfied, the system determines whether an adjacent pair of the plurality of links coupled by the most proximal rotational joint can be disposed as configured within the entry guide, and conditionally actuates the most proximal rotational joint so that the adjacent pair is reconfigured to allow disposal within the entry guide before continuing retraction.

The invention further supports timing, sequencing, and operator interaction to reduce unsafe retraction behavior. Actuation of the most proximal rotational joint is performed after the most proximal rotational joint reaches a minimum distance, and retraction proceeds only when the adjacent link pair can be disposed as configured within the entry guide. Additional embodiments include determining the minimum distance using movement velocity and/or link angle, delaying joint actuation using a counter or low pass filter, and generating haptic force changes on the input device.

Claims Coverage

The partial document provides two independent claims covering both a processor-implemented retraction method and a corresponding robotic system architecture. Across these independent claims, the core inventive features include selecting a most proximal rotational joint outside the entry guide, applying a minimum-distance condition to choose between straight translation versus conditional joint reconfiguration, and continuing retraction only when the adjacent link pair can be disposed within the entry guide.

The independent claims jointly cover conditional retraction control that first translates a most proximal link toward the proximal end of an entry guide, while selecting a most proximal rotational joint outside the entry guide closest to the distal end. The system uses a minimum-distance condition to decide whether to continue translation immediately or to actuate the rotational joint so that the adjacent pair can be disposed within the entry guide before continuing retraction.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications