Co-manipulation surgical system for bedside robotic laparoscopic surgery using surgical instruments

Inventors

Noonan, David Paul • FAYAD, Jad • WU, Victoria Cheng-Ten • ALVAREZ, Jeffery Byron • Basafa, Ehsan • Linard, Nicolas

Assignees

Moon Surgical SAS

Abstract

Co-manipulation robotic systems are described herein that may be used for assisting with laparoscopic surgical procedures. The co-manipulation robotic systems allow a surgeon to use commercially-available surgical tools while providing benefits associated with surgical robotics. Advantageously, the surgical tools may be seamlessly coupled to the robot arms using a disposable coupler while the reusable portions of the robot arm remain in a sterile drape. Further, the co-manipulation robotic system may operate in multiple modes to enhance usability and safety, while allowing the surgeon to position the instrument directly with the instrument handle and further maintain the desired position of the instrument using the robot arm.

Core Innovation

A bedside co-manipulation robotic laparoscopic system is described in which laparoscopic surgery is performed bedside adjacent to a bed holding a patient, with the surgery assisted using a robot arm positioned bedside for performing the laparoscopic surgery. Off-the-shelf surgical instruments having a handle, an operating end, and an elongated shaft are removably coupled to the robot arm at a distal end via a coupler body, and the coupler body is transitioned from an open state to a closed state. In the open state the elongated shaft is slidably moveable within a lumen of the coupler body, while in the closed state the robot arm is freely moved by moving the handle of the surgical instrument coupled thereto.

The system includes multiple operator-responsive modes, including a passive mode for static hold, a co-manipulation mode in which impedance is applied to account for weight of the surgical instrument and the robot arm, and a haptic mode in which increased impedance is applied when movement is within a predefined barrier so that robot arm movement feels more viscous to the operator. Motion is also described in terms of handle-driven movement and threshold force behavior.

The robot arm includes a plurality of links and joints between a proximal end and the distal end, with a base rotatable about an axis, motors and encoders for sensing 3D positioning, and force estimation from motor current. An optical scanner supports instrument, trocar, and scene tracking for collision avoidance, and user interaction and safety are supported using a graphical user interface and indicators and alerts including lights, vibration, and audible alerts, along with calibration and instrument identification using a database and sensing including RFID/NFC/barcode and magnetic sensing.

Claims Coverage

The claim coverage centers on bedside laparoscopic surgery using a robot arm removably coupled to a surgical instrument through a coupler body that transitions from an open state to a closed state. Five inventive features are consistently supported across the input items, with additional refinements describing closed-state motion constraints, impedance-based mode switching, and bedside logistics.

Overall, the claim set emphasizes a bedside laparoscopic assistance method where a surgical instrument is removably coupled through an open-to-closed coupler state transition, enabling handle-driven free movement under closed-state constraints. It further provides impedance-based co-manipulation and haptic behavior triggered by a force threshold and by crossing a predefined haptic barrier, with refinement for coupler disposal after a single surgery.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications