Dual control of a mechanical surgical arm

Inventors

COHEN, Dvir • Levinson, Yaron

Assignees

Momentis Surgical Ltd

Abstract

A surgical system, comprising an articulated mechanical arm with a plurality of arm joints, first and second user-input devices for controlling the arm, and a surgical end effector at the distal end of the arm, is operated initially in a retroflexing mode with the first user-input device is active to direct flexion and rotation of only a single given arm joints, and with the second user-input device is disabled. While in the retroflexing mode, a distal portion of the arm is retroflected by flexion and rotation of the single given arm joint. With the arm retroflected, the system is transitioned to surgical-operation mode which enables the second user-input device to flex and rotate any or all of the arm joints, to move the surgical end-effector to perform one or more surgical actions.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to operating a surgical system that includes an input-device array of one or more user-input devices and an articulated mechanical arm with a plurality of arm joints and a surgical end effector at a distal end. The system operates with asynchronous operation in a retroflexing mode and a surgical-operation mode.

In the retroflexing mode, the input-device array directs flexion and rotation of only a given one of the arm joints so as to retroflect a distal portion of the arm and bring the end effector to a retroflex operating position. While the system is in the retroflexing mode, the system directs flexion and rotation of only the given one of the arm joints, while at least one of the arm joints other than the given one is not part of the active control set.

After retroflecting, the surgical system transitions from the retroflex mode to the surgical-operation mode to enable the input-device array with respect to flexing and rotating at least one arm joint of the arm other than the given one. In the surgical-operation mode, the method effects flexing and rotating of at least two arm joints in accordance with respective degrees of freedom of each arm joint responsive to electronic control-output from the input-device array so that the surgical end effector performs one or more surgical actions.

Claims Coverage

The partial content provides two independent claims, covering both a method of operating a surgical system and a surgical system configured for asynchronous dual-mode operation. Each independent claim centers on the same mode-handoff concept: a retroflexing mode that activates control for only a given one of the arm joints, followed by a surgical-operation mode that enables control for at least one arm joint other than the given joint, including at least two joints governed by respective degrees of freedom.

Across the independent claims, the core claim coverage is directed to an asynchronous two-mode surgical control scheme where the system first controls only a given arm joint to retroflect the end effector to a retroflex operating position, and then transitions to a surgical-operation mode enabling control of at least one other joint so that at least two joints are controlled according to their degrees of freedom to perform surgical actions.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found