Systems and methods for instrument insertion control

Abstract

The present application relates to a system and method for instrument insertion control, and discloses a system and method for controlling insertion force when inserting a medical device through a cannula component. Such a system may include a manipulator and a control system that communicates with the manipulator. The manipulator is configured to be operably coupled to the medical device. The manipulator is suitable for moving the medical device through the cannula component. The control system is operable to determine an insertion distribution associated with at least one of the medical device and the cannula component. And the control system is configured to control the insertion force so as to affect the movement of the medical device during manual insertion of the medical device through the cannula component.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application 201780006657.0, filed on February 16, 2017, and entitled “System and method for instrument insertion control”.

[0002] Related Applications

[0003] This patent application claims the benefit of priority and filing date to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 309,609, filed on March 17, 2016, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSERTION RESISTANCE MODULATION DURING INSTRUMENT INSERTION,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0004] The present disclosure relates to medical systems, such as surgical systems, and methods for medical procedures, including minimally invasive surgery and tele-operated surgery.The present disclosure discusses systems and methods for modulating or otherwise controlling insertion forces associated with manual instrument insertion. Background Art

[0005] Minimally invasive medical technology aims to reduce the number of external tissues damaged during diagnosis or surgical procedures, thereby reducing patient recovery time, discomfort and harmful side effects. Minimally invasive telesurgery systems have been developed to improve the dexterity of surgeons and avoid some limitations on traditional minimally invasive techniques. In telesurgery, surgeons use some form of remote control (e.g., servomechanisms, etc.) to manipulate the movement of surgical instruments, rather than directly holding and moving instruments by hand. In robot-assisted telesurgery, surgeons usually operate a master controller to control the movement of surgical instruments at the surgical site from a position that may be far away from the patient (e.g., across the operating room, in different rooms, or in a building completely different from the patient). Before telesurgery begins, surgical instruments (including endoscopes) are mounted on surgical manipulators, and then introduced into the open surgical site under the manual control of the doctor, or more typically into the body cavity through intubation. During this process, the surgical manipulator enters a control mode designed to facilitate and assist the doctor in smooth and safe manual instrument guidance. The mode may be selected by the master controller, or may be automatically selected as part of a predetermined workflow.

[0006] For minimally invasive surgical procedures, surgical instruments controlled by surgical manipulators may be guided into a body cavity through various types of cannula components (including multiple cannulas), depending on the type of instrument to be inserted and procedure to be performed. The force required to insert a particular surgical instrument through a particular cannula component may depend on qualities such as the material and geometry of the cannula component. For example, inserting a straight but bendable surgical instrument through a straight cannula may require significantly greater amounts of force than inserting the same surgical instrument through a curved cannula. In addition, a single cannula may typically include various geometric features along its length, which may include various combinations of straight and curved portions or linear and nonlinear portions.

[0007] Inserting an instrument (such as a flexible instrument) through such a curved cannula may require uneven amounts of force, making it difficult for a user (such as a surgeon or other operating room staff) to smoothly manage the instrument insertion process. Moreover, inserting different instruments with different diameters through a cannula component including a cannula seal may require different amounts of insertion force, which may be disconcertingly difficult for the operator to manage the instrument insertion process across different instruments. The inability to smoothly manage the process may result in sudden changes in speed, which may result in damage to cannula components (e.g., internal scratches), instrument bending, instruments out of desired instrument tip orientation, user dissatisfaction, etc. Improved systems and methods are needed for mounting and controlling these surgical instruments during insertion through various cannulas to provide a more uniform feel to the user. Summary of the invention

[0008] Embodiments of the invention are outlined by the appended claims.

[0009] In one embodiment, a tele-operated surgical system includes a manipulator and a control system communicatively coupled to the manipulator. The manipulator is configured to be operably coupled to the medical device. The manipulator is also adapted to move the medical device through a cannula component. The control system is operable to determine an insertion profile associated with at least one of the medical device and the cannula component. The control system is configured to control insertion force according to the insertion profile and to affect movement of the medical device during manual insertion of the medical device through the cannula component.

[0010] In one embodiment, a control system is provided. The control system may include a memory storing a plurality of damping profiles and executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions stored in the memory. Execution of the instructions may cause the processor to: identify a cannula through which a medical device is inserted as being associated with a type of the cannula; determine a position of the medical device being inserted through the cannula; and apply a corresponding damping profile from the plurality of damping profiles to impede movement of the medical device when the medical device is inserted through the cannula.

[0011] In another embodiment, a method of controlling a remotely operated surgical system during insertion of a medical device through a cannula component is provided. The method includes: identifying at least one component type; retrieving an insertion profile associated with the at least one component type from a memory; determining an orientation of the medical device relative to the cannula component; and applying an obstructive force or an assisting force to the medical device based on the insertion profile when inserting the medical device through the cannula component. The component type is an instrument type of the medical device or a cannula component type of the cannula component.

[0012] In yet another embodiment, a method of controlling a remotely operated surgical system during insertion of a medical device is provided. The method may include: identifying a cannula type of a cannula through which the medical device is inserted; retrieving a profile associated with the cannula type of the cannula; determining an orientation of a distal tip of the medical device relative to the cannula; and applying a force to the medical device based on the profile associated with the cannula type of the cannula.

[0013] In one embodiment, a system is provided that is capable of adjusting the insertion resistance (also referred to as "resistance to insertion" or "resistance") when inserting a medical device through a cannula. Such a system may include a control system communicatively coupled to a movable input device, and a manipulator configured to be operably coupled to a flexible medical device. The flexible medical device includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a flexible portion between the proximal end and the distal end. The manipulator is adapted to move the flexible medical device through the cannula. The control system is operable to identify the cannula and determine a damping profile associated with the cannula. And the control system is configured to apply a damping profile to adjust the insertion resistance, thereby hindering the movement of the medical device during manual insertion through the cannula.

[0014] These and other embodiments may be better understood by reference to the drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Various aspects of the present disclosure may be best understood by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be emphasized that, in accordance with standard practices of the industry, the various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the sizes of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in various examples. Such repetition is for simplicity and clarity and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a teleoperated surgical system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 is a front elevation view of a patient side cart including three patient side manipulators and an endoscope manipulator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3 is a front elevation view of a surgeon's console in a teleoperated surgical system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a patient-side manipulator arm with a mounted surgical instrument according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5 and Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an instrument shaft advancing by extending from various cannula configurations.

[0021] Fig. 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 7C is shown in its extension through Figure 5 A series of schematic diagrams of the instrument axis in the cannula configuration.

[0022] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B is a graph relating insertion force to insertion length for various cannula configurations.

[0023] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a computing device according to some embodiments.

[0024] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B is a graph relating the damping coefficient to length along various cannula configurations.

[0025] Fig.11 is a flow chart of a method of controlling a tele-operated surgical system during insertion of a medical device through a cannula, according to some embodiments.

[0026] Fig.12is a flow chart of another method of controlling a tele-operated surgical system during insertion of a medical device through a cannula, according to some embodiments.

[0027] Fig.13 is a plan view of an exemplary cannula assembly according to some embodiments.

[0028] Fig.14 A portion of an exemplary medical device 1400 is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0029] These figures may be better understood by reference to the following detailed description. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the following detailed description of various embodiments of the present invention, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented without these specific details. In other cases, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring various aspects of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0031] The present specific embodiments disclose systems and methods for controlling surgical instruments during insertion through various cannulas or other cannula components (or combinations of various cannulas and cannula components) to provide a uniform feel to the surgeon or other operator inserting the instrument. The systems and methods facilitate instrument insertion by regulating or otherwise controlling the insertion force associated with instrument insertion so that the surgeon or other operator can smoothly manage the insertion. This reduces the likelihood of damaging the cannula, other cannula components, instruments, tissue, or a combination thereof.

[0032] Refer to the attached figure Figure 1 , which shows an exemplary tele-operated surgical system 100. The tele-operated surgical system 100 includes a master manipulator system 102, which is also referred to as a master console 102 or a surgeon's console 102 (when the master manipulator is included in such a console (see Figure 3)). The master manipulator system 102 is configured for inputting surgical procedures and the slave manipulator system 104. The slave manipulator system 104 is also referred to as a patient-side manipulator (PSM) system, which is used for remote manipulation and movement of surgical instruments at a surgical site in a patient's body. "Surgical instruments" are used herein to indicate medical instruments that can be inserted through a cannula during a medical procedure, such as a diagnostic procedure and a surgical procedure. Therefore, the types of surgical instruments include various tissue manipulation tools, such as various tools designed for dissection, fiber bandaging (stapling), cauterization, grasping, and other forms of tissue manipulation or combinations of tissue manipulation. Other exemplary instrument types include instruments designed for functions other than tissue manipulation, such as various instrument types for optical, ultrasonic, radio frequency (RF), fluoroscopy, or other imaging, retrieval of specimens, etc. The geometry, materials, and mechanical properties (such as flexibility) of the instrument may also vary. For example, some instruments are designed to be flexible and easily bend to conform to a curved insertion channel, such as a curved insertion channel provided by a curved cannula. As another example, some instruments are designed to be rigid and not easily bend or conform to a curved insertion channel.

[0033] The tele-operated surgical system 100 is used to perform minimally invasive tele-operated surgical procedures. One example of a tele-operated surgical system that can be used to implement the systems and techniques described in the present disclosure is the da Surgical system. In one embodiment, the slave manipulator system 104 can be independent (see Figure 2 ). In an alternative embodiment, the slave manipulator system 104 can be mounted to other equipment in the surgical field, such as a surgical bed. In yet another alternative embodiment, the slave manipulator system 104 can include a stand-alone component and a bed-mounted component.

[0034] The teleoperated surgical system 100 also includes an image capture system 106, which includes an image capture device (such as an endoscope) and related image processing hardware and software. The teleoperated surgical system 100 also includes a control system 108, which is operably linked to the sensors, motors, actuators and other components of the manipulator systems 102, 104 and to the image capture system 106. In some embodiments, the control system 108 can be integrated into one of the manipulator systems 102 and 104. In other embodiments, the control system 108 can be disposed in a separate housing and coupled to the manipulator systems 102 and 104 through one or more communication links. By reference Fig. 9 More detailed embodiments of the control system 108 are contemplated.

[0035] The surgical system 100 is used by a system operator (typically a surgeon) who performs minimally invasive surgical procedures on a patient. The system operator sees images captured by the image capture system 106 and presented for viewing at the master console 102. In response to the surgeon's input commands, the control system 108 implements servomechanical movement of surgical instruments coupled to the teleoperated slave manipulator system 104.

[0036] The control system 108 includes at least one processor and typically multiple processors for implementing control between the master manipulator system 102, the slave manipulator system 104, and the image capture system 106. The control system 108 also includes software programming instructions for implementing some or all of the methods described herein. Figure 1 102 and / or from the manipulator system 104), wherein at least a portion of the processing is optionally performed near the input device, a portion is performed near the manipulator, etc. Any of a variety of centralized or distributed data processing architectures can be employed. Similarly, the programming code can be implemented as multiple separate programs or subroutines, or can be integrated into multiple other aspects of the remote operation system described herein.

[0037] Figure 2 1 is a front elevation view of a patient-side manipulator 104 according to one embodiment of a tele-operated surgical system 100. The patient-side manipulator 104 includes a base 120 resting on the floor, a support tower 122 mounted on the base 120, and a number of arms that support surgical tools (including a portion of the image capture system 106). Figure 2 As shown, arms 124a, 124b are instrument arms that support and move surgical instruments for manipulating tissue, and arm 126 is a camera arm that supports and moves an endoscope. Figure 2 Also shown is an optional third instrument arm 124c which is supported on the back side of the support tower 122 and can be positioned to the left or right of the patient-side manipulator as needed to perform the surgical procedure. Figure 2Also shown are interchangeable surgical instruments 128a, 128b, 128c mounted on instrument arms 124a, 124b, 124c, respectively, and an endoscope 130 mounted on camera arm 126. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the arms supporting the instruments and cameras may also be supported by a base platform mounted (fixedly or removably) to a ceiling or wall, or in some cases to another piece of equipment in an operating room (e.g., an operating table). Likewise, they will appreciate that two or more separate bases (e.g., one base supporting each arm) may be used. Surgical instruments 128a, 128b include end effectors 129a, 129b, respectively.

[0038] Figure 3 1 is a front elevation view of the main console 102 components according to one embodiment of the teleoperated surgical system 100. The main console 102 can be equipped with left and right multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) master tool manipulators (MTMs) 132a, 132b, which are kinematic chains for controlling surgical tools (which include endoscopes and various cannulas). The MTM 132 can be referred to as the "master", and its associated arm 124 and surgical instruments 128 can be referred to as the "slave". The surgeon typically grips the gripper assembly 134a, 134b on each MTM 132 with the thumb and index finger, and can move the gripper assembly to various positions and orientations. Each MTM 132a, 132b will typically allow movement with multiple degrees of freedom (typically six degrees of freedom, i.e., three rotational degrees of freedom and three translational degrees of freedom) within the main workspace.

[0039] When the tool control mode is selected, each MTM 132 is coupled to control the corresponding instrument arm 124 of the patient-side manipulator 104. For example, the left MTM 132a can be coupled to control the instrument arm 124a and the instrument 128a, and the right MTM 132b can be coupled to control the instrument arm 124b and the instrument 128b. If the third instrument arm 124c is used during the surgical procedure and is located on the left side, the left MTM 132a can switch between controlling the arm 124a and the instrument 128a and controlling the arm 124c and the instrument 128c. Similarly, if the third instrument arm 124c is used during the surgical procedure and is located on the right side, the right MTM 132a can switch between controlling the arm 124b and the instrument 128b and controlling the arm 124c and the instrument 128c. In an alternative embodiment, the third instrument arm can be controlled by the left or right MTM to accommodate surgical convenience. In some cases, the control distribution between MTMs 132a, 132b, and the arm 124a / instrument 128a and arm 124b / instrument 128b combinations may also be swapped. For example, if the endoscope is rotated 180 degrees, this may be done so that the instrument being moved in the endoscope's field of view appears to be on the same side as the MTM being moved by the surgeon.

[0040] The surgeon's console 102 also includes a stereoscopic image display system 136. The left and right images captured by the stereoscopic endoscope 130 are output on respective left and right displays, which the surgeon perceives as three-dimensional images on the display system 136. In one configuration, the MTM 132 is located below the display system 136 so that the images of the surgical tools shown in the display appear to be co-located with the surgeon's hands below the display. This feature allows the surgeon to intuitively control the various surgical tools in the three-dimensional display as if viewing the hands directly. Thus, the MTM servo control of the associated instrument arms and instruments is based on the endoscope image reference frame.

[0041] If the MTM is switched to camera control mode, the endoscope image reference frame is also used. For example, if camera control mode is selected, the surgeon can move the distal end of the endoscope by moving one or both of the MTMs together (the portions of the two MTMs can be servo-mechanically coupled so that the two MTM portions appear to move together as a unit). The surgeon can then intuitively move (e.g., pan, tilt, zoom) the displayed stereoscopic image by moving the MTMs, as if holding the image in his hand.

[0042] The surgeon's console 102 is usually located in the operating room identical with the patient side manipulator 104, although it is positioned so that the surgeon operating the console is outside the sterile field. One or more assistants usually assist the surgeon (e.g., to change the tool on the patient side cart, to perform manual retraction, etc.) by working in the sterile surgical operation area. Therefore, the surgeon operates away from the sterile area, and therefore the console can be located in a room or a building separated from the operating room. In some implementations, the consoles 102 of two surgeons (co-located or away from each other) can be networked together so that two surgeons can simultaneously observe and control the tool at the surgical site.

[0043] Figure 4 1 is a perspective view of a manipulator portion 140 of a control arm 124c with a mounted surgical instrument 128c. For clarity, sterile drapes and associated mechanisms commonly used during surgical procedures are omitted. Manipulator 140 includes a yaw actuator 142, a pitch actuator 144, and an insertion and extraction ("I / O") actuator 146. Surgical instrument 128c is shown mounted at an instrument spar 148 including a mounting bracket 149. An exemplary straight cannula 150 is shown mounted to a cannula mount 152. Other types of cannulas may be used, as discussed in more detail below. The shaft 154 of instrument 128c extends through cannula 150. Manipulator 140 is mechanically constrained so that it moves instrument 128c around a stationary remote motion center 156 (also referred to as "remote center 156") positioned along the instrument axis. The yaw actuator 142 provides yaw motion 158 about the remote center 156, the pitch actuator 144 provides pitch motion 160 about the remote center 156, and the I / O actuator 146 provides insertion and withdrawal motion 162 through the remote center 156. The manipulator 140 may include encoders to track the position and velocity along the insertion axis of the I / O actuator 146. Typically, during surgery, the remote center 156 is locked at the incision in the patient's body wall and allows sufficient yaw and pitch motion to be used to perform the intended surgical task. Alternatively, the remote motion center can be located outside the body to allow a greater range of motion without contacting the patient. A knowledgeable person will understand that motion around the remote motion center may be limited by physical constraints defined by software usage or mechanical components.

[0044] Mating force transfer disks in the mounting bracket 149 and the instrument force transfer assembly 164 couple actuation forces from actuators in the manipulator 140 to move various parts of the instrument 128c to position and orient a tissue probe 166 mounted at the distal end of the curved shaft 154. Such actuation forces can generally rotate the instrument shaft 154 (thereby providing another DOF through the remote center 156). Embodiments of force transfer assemblies are provided in U.S. Patent No. 6,331,191 (filed October 15, 1999; disclosing "Surgical Robotic Tools, Data Architecture, and Use") and U.S. Patent No. 6,491,701 (filed January 12, 2001; disclosing "Mechanical Actuator Interface System for Robotic Surgical Tools"), which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In an alternative embodiment, the instrument 128c can include a wrist located at the distal end of the shaft that provides additional yaw and pitch DOF. For example, tissue probe 166 may be a general purpose tissue manipulator, a tissue dissector, or a tissue retractor. In an alternative embodiment, instrument 128c may include an imaging component.

[0045] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a portion of an exemplary patient-side robotic manipulator that supports and moves a combination of a curved cannula and passive flexible surgical instruments. Figure 5 As depicted, telerobotically operated surgical instrument 502 includes a force transfer mechanism 504, a flexible instrument shaft 506, and an end effector 508. In this example, force transfer mechanism 504 is located at the proximal end of the medical instrument and is configured to extend proximally from the cannula after the medical instrument is moved through the cannula; end effector 508 is located at the distal end of the medical instrument and is configured to extend distally from the cannula after the medical instrument is moved through the cannula; and flexible instrument shaft 506 is a flexible portion between the proximal and distal ends. Instrument 502 is an exemplary medical instrument designed for use in surgical procedures. Other exemplary medical instruments include various imagers and other tools that can be inserted through the cannula during a medical procedure. Instrument 502 is mounted on a manipulator 512 (e.g., Figure 4 The instrument holder 510 (such as the manipulator 140) Figure 4514). For clarity, the previously described components are depicted schematically. The interface disk 514 couples the actuation force from the servo actuator in the manipulator 512 to move components of the instrument 502. Schematically, the end effector 508 operates with a single DOF (e.g., closing the forceps). A wrist for providing one or more end effector DOFs (e.g., pitch, yaw; see, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 6,817,974 (filed June 28, 2002) (disclosing a surgical tool with an actively positionable tendon-actuated multi-disc wrist joint), which is incorporated herein by reference) is optional and not shown. Many instrument implementations do not include such a wrist. Omitting the wrist simplifies the number of actuation force interfaces between the manipulator 512 and the instrument 502, and the omission also reduces the number of force transfer elements required between the proximal force transfer mechanism 504 and the distal actuator (and thereby reduces instrument complexity and size).

[0046] Figure 5 Also shown is a curved cannula 520 having a proximal end 522, a distal end 524, and a central passage 526 extending between the proximal end 522 and the distal end 524. The curved cannula 520 is an exemplary cannula component. The cannula component includes components that physically form a cannula through which a medical device can be inserted during a medical procedure. Other exemplary cannula component types include: cannula seals of various geometries, materials, and sizes that can be placed on the proximal side of the cannula to provide a physical seal; and cannula reducers of various geometries, materials, and sizes that can be inserted into the cannula to reduce the inner diameter of the passage available for the medical device.

[0047] The curved cannula 520 is also an exemplary cannula type that includes a linear segment and a curved (non-linear) segment. Other exemplary cannula types include: a straight cannula, a cannula with multiple non-parallel linear segments, a cannula including multiple curved segments with different curvatures, a cannula with other combinations of linear segments and non-linear segments, a cannula with different inner or outer diameters, a cannula with different materials, a multi-piece cannula assembled for a medical procedure, etc.

[0048] In one implementation, the curved cannula 520 is a rigid, one-piece cannula. Figure 5As depicted, the proximal end 522 of the curved cannula 520 is mounted on the cannula mount 516 of the manipulator 512. During initial instrument deployment, the user advances the instrument through the curved cannula 520 by manually applying force to the bracket 510 of the manipulator 512 along the insertion axis. The force may be applied directly to the bracket 510 or the instrument 502. The flexible shaft 506 of the instrument 502 passes through the central channel 526 of the curved cannula 520 so that the distal portion of the flexible shaft 506 and the end effector 508 extend beyond the distal end 524 of the cannula 520 to reach the surgical site 530. During telesurgery, the I / O actuation of the manipulator 512 provided by the bracket 510 inserts and withdraws the flexible shaft 506 of the instrument 502 through the cannula 520 to move the end effector 508 in and out.

[0049] In the above embodiments, the cannula and instrument shaft can be formed of a rigid material such as stainless steel or a glass-epoxy composite. Alternatively, they can be formed of a flexible material such as a high elastic modulus plastic, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), glass or carbon filled polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or a glass-fiber-epoxy or carbon-fiber-epoxy composite structure. For each material selection, the inner and outer diameters of the shaft or cannula and the physical structure are uniquely selected to limit the amount of force that can be applied to the body during use, or to allow the structure to bend sufficiently during use to follow the curved guide path within the instrument or cannula. Additional information about the cannula and instrument shaft, including information about material composition and flexibility, is provided in detail in U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 618,608 (filed on November 13, 2009; disclosure "Curved Cannula Instrument"), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0050] In some embodiments, the tag 532 can be fixed to the mounting accessory at the proximal end 522 or embedded in the mounting accessory. The tag 532 can be a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. Other embodiments may include another machine-readable tag, such as a magnetic tag with a binary pattern. The machine-readable tag 532 can be read by wireless communication, or it can be a visible machine-readable tag, such as a QR code or barcode that can be scanned before surgery. By reading the tag 532, the surgical system 100 can identify the type of cannula 520 from the cannula database. Identifying the type of cannula 520 can retrieve geometric information characterizing the cannula 520 from the memory. For example, by identifying the type of cannula 520, the length and diameter of the first part 528a and the second part 528b can be accessed by the processing device of the control system 108. In some embodiments, the operator of the surgical system 100 can manually select the type of cannula to be used during the surgical procedure before starting the surgical procedure.

[0051] Due to the difference in flexibility, geometry and materials of the instruments and cannulas that can be used with the surgical system 100, the force required for a user to move a given instrument through a given cannula may be substantially different from the force required for moving different instruments through different cannulas or for moving the same instrument through different cannulas. Additionally, when inserting an instrument through a cannula, the force required for a user to move a given instrument through a given cannula may change significantly. Cannula 520 includes a straight first portion 528a and a curved second portion 528b. When a user forces the distal tip of a flexible shaft 506 through the first portion 528a, a first amount of force may be required to move the distal tip at a desired speed. When the distal tip of a flexible shaft 506 passes through the second portion 528b, the distal tip of a flexible shaft 506 may interact with the inner wall of the second portion 528b so that a second amount of force may be required to move the distal tip at a desired speed. The second amount of force may be greater than the first amount of force. Therefore, the user can insert the instrument faster in the first part 528a, and can suddenly slow down when changing from part 528a to part 528b, which can potentially cause damage in the inner wall of the cannula and can also cause the instrument to bend. And when there is a cannula in the instrument, that is, when changing from part 528b to part 528c, the user may tend to insert the instrument faster than when passing through part 528b, and potentially exceed the target tip position and accidentally pierce the tissue. As provided herein, the control system 108 can be configured to adjust the amount of the compensation resistance (that is, damping force) provided by the manipulator 512 through the carriage 510, so that in the whole manual insertion process, the speed of the distal tip of the cannula 520 is kept constant along the length of the cannula 520 and when the distal tip of the flexible shaft 506 leaves the cannula 520. As provided herein, the control system 108 can be configured to adjust the amount of the compensation auxiliary force (that is, negative damping force or auxiliary force) provided by the manipulator 512 through the carriage 510 to achieve the same effect. Thus, various embodiments of the control system 108 can be configured to control the insertion force according to the insertion distribution so as to increase the spatial uniformity of the manual insertion force applied to manually insert the medical device through the cannula component. Control of the insertion force can be accomplished by adjusting the amount of compensating resistance, adjusting the amount of compensating assist force, or adjusting both the amount of compensating resistance and the amount of compensating assist force. For example, the control system 108 can be configured to provide resistance for a first instrument orientation relative to the cannula component and assist force for a second instrument orientation relative to the cannula component (which is a different instrument orientation).

[0052] The materials, diameters, and lengths of various types of instruments and cannula components (including cannulas) that may be used with the surgical system 100 may be stored in one or more databases of the control system 108. For example, the length L1 of the first portion 528a and the length L2 of the second portion 528b may be stored in a database along with other information, such as information characterizing the curvature of the curved portion 528b. Based on this information, the control system 108 may calculate the different amounts of force required to move different flexible instruments through different portions of different cannulas, and the different amounts of regulating or compensating forces that should be applied to resist the movement of different flexible instruments through different portions of different cannulas in response to the speed of the user during manual instrument insertion, thereby preventing damage to the cannula or medical instrument and preventing sudden movement of the instrument.

[0053] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a portion of an exemplary patient-side robotic manipulator that supports and moves another implementation of a curved cannula and a combination of passive flexible surgical instruments. Figure 5 resemblance, Figure 6 A teleoperated surgical instrument 502 is shown, which includes a force transfer mechanism 504, a flexible instrument shaft 506, and an end effector 508. The instrument 502 is mounted on a manipulator 512 (eg, Figure 4 The instrument holder 510 (such as the manipulator 140) Figure 4 on the bracket 149).

[0054] The flexible instrument 506 is shown with its distal tip exiting the cannula 620. The cannula 620 includes a plurality of curves. The length of the cannula 620 can be divided into four sections: a first straight section 622a having a length L3, a first curved section 622b having a length L4, a second straight section 622c having a length L5, and a second curved section 622d having a length L6. During initial manual insertion, in which there is no force applied by the manipulator 512 through the bracket 510 while the distal tip of the flexible shaft 506 is moved through the channel 626, when the distal tip is within the first section 622a, the user can sense a first amount of resistance; when the distal tip is within the second section 622b, the user can sense a second amount of resistance; when the distal tip is within the third section 622c, the user can sense a third amount of resistance; and when the distal tip is within the fourth section 622d, the user can sense a fourth amount of resistance. Additionally, after the distal tip exceeds the fourth section 622d, the user can sense a fifth amount of resistance. The first amount of resistance, the second amount of resistance, the third amount of resistance, the fourth amount of resistance, and the fifth amount of resistance can be different from each other and can also depend on the speed at which the user moves the carriage 510. These amounts of force can define an insertion force profile and can be used to identify a resistance adjustment strategy associated with the cannula type of cannula 620.

[0055] Fig. 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 7C The instrument shaft is shown extending through Figure 5 A series of schematic diagrams of the instrument axis in the cannula configuration. Fig. 7A The distal tip of the flexible instrument shaft is shown residing within the first portion 528a of the cannula 520. Figure 7B The distal tip of the flexible instrument shaft is shown residing within the second portion 528b of the cannula 520. Because the second portion 528b is curved, a user may be able to apply a greater amount of force to push the distal tip of the flexible instrument shaft along the length L2 of the curved portion 528b at a given speed than would be required to push the distal tip along the length L1 of the straight portion 528a. Figure 7C The distal tip of the flexible instrument shaft is shown having exited the cannula 520. Upon exiting the cannula 520, the force required to push the flexible instrument shaft through the cannula 520 may be reduced.

[0056] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B The insertion force distributions associated with cannula 520 and cannula 620 are shown respectively. Fig. 8A As shown, the insertion force required to move the distal tip of the instrument (such as the distal tip of the flexible shaft 506) varies along the length of the cannula 520, as described above in conjunction with Figure 7A-7CWhen the distal tip is within the first portion 528a (associated with the length L1 and as Fig. 7A When the distal tip of the flexible shaft enters the curved portion 528b (as shown in FIG. Figure 7B As the distal tip exceeds the curved portion 528b (as shown in FIG. Figure 7C After the distal tip exceeds the curved portion 528b, the level of force required to move at a constant speed decreases. After the distal tip exceeds the curved portion 528b, the level of force required for a constant speed may be higher than the level of force required to move the distal tip along the first portion 528a. In some embodiments, the level of force required when the distal tip of the flexible shaft 506 is positioned within any given portion can be assigned to categories such as low force level, medium force level, and high force level.

[0057] Figure 8B 620. As cannula 620 includes multiple curves, the insertion force distribution associated with cannula 620 may be, for example, Fig. 8A The insertion force distribution of the cannula 520 shown is more complex. Figure 8B As shown, when the distal tip of the flexible shaft 506 is located within the curved portions (i.e., portions 622b and 622d) defined between L3 and L4 and between L5 and L6 along the length axis, the insertion force required to move the distal tip of the flexible shaft 506 along the channel 626 of the cannula 620 may be higher. In general, the insertion force required to move the distal tip of the flexible shaft increases with the number of curved portions and the degree of curvature.

[0058] Shown in simplified form Fig. 8A and Figure 8B The insertion force distribution is such that the force applied by the user to move the distal tip of the shaft of the flexible instrument at a constant speed is approximately constant within a given portion of the cannula. This is done to clearly present the insertion force distribution. In some implementations, the insertion force distribution can be represented by a force band. For example, along Fig. 8A On the x-axis, 0 to A may indicate that a "low" insertion force is required; between A and B may indicate that a "medium" level of insertion force is required; and forces above B may be considered "high" insertion forces. These levels or bands may then be used to determine an appropriate damping force profile for adjusting the manually applied insertion force. In some insertion force profiles, more or fewer levels may be included.

[0059] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a computing system 900 according to some embodiments, which may correspond to Figure 1The components of the computing system 900 may be included in the master manipulator system 102 and / or the slave manipulator system 104. In addition, the computing system 900 may also be a server or one of a plurality of servers configured to communicate with the master manipulator system 102 and / or the slave manipulator system 104 via a network or communication link to provide the control system 108. Fig. 9 As shown, the computing system 900 includes a network interface controller (NIC) 902 configured to communicate with a network via a network communication link 904, which may represent a wired or wireless connection. According to some embodiments, the NIC 902 includes a wireless communication component, such as a wireless broadband component, a wireless satellite component, or various other types of wireless communication components configured to communicate with other devices via a network, including a radio frequency (RF) component, a microwave frequency (MWF) component, and / or an infrared (IR) component. The NIC 902 is capable of transmitting and receiving information according to one or more wireless network protocols, such as: Wi Fi TM 、3G、4G、HDSPA、LTE、RF、NFC、IrDA、HomeRF、DECT、Wireless telemetry、IEEE 802.11a,b,g,n,ac or ad、 BLE, WiMAX, wait.

[0060] According to some embodiments, the computing system 900 includes a system bus 903 for interconnecting various components within the computing system 900 and transferring information between the various components. Such components include: a processing device 906, which can be one or more processors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), or digital signal processors (DSPs); and a data storage device or memory component 908, which can correspond to a random access memory (RAM), an internal memory component, a read-only memory (ROM), or an external or static optical, magnetic, or solid-state memory. According to some embodiments, the computing system 900 also includes a display component 910 for displaying information to a user 101 of the computing system 900. The display component 910 can be Figure 3 The display component 910 may also be an additional display. The computing system 900 may also include an input component 912 that allows a user of the computing system 900 (such as user 101) to input information to the computing system 900. Such information may include instrument selection and instrument movement instructions. The input component 912 may include multiple components, such as a keyboard or keypad (whether physical or virtual), a mouse, a touch screen, a microphone, an eye tracking system, and combinations thereof.

[0061] The computing system 900 may also include a navigation control component 914 that is configured to allow a user to direct the movement of the manipulator arms 124a, 124b, 124c and / or instruments 128a, 128b, and 128c. According to some embodiments, the navigation control component 914 may be a mouse, trackball, or other such device. The navigation control component 914 may be Figure 3 Master tool manipulators (MTMs) 132a and 132b.

[0062] The computing system 900 may also include a sensor component 918. The sensor component 918 provides sensor functionality and may correspond to a sensor built into the surgical system 100 or a sensor peripheral coupled to the control system 108. The sensor component 918 may include any sensing device that captures information related to the physical configuration and movement of the slave manipulator system 104 and the master manipulator system 102. The sensor component 918 may include: cameras and imaging components, accelerometers, linear encoders, angular encoders, biometric readers, motion capture devices, and other devices capable of providing information about the slave manipulator system 104.

[0063] The computing system 900 may perform specific operations by executing one or more sequences of instructions contained in the memory component 908 by the processing device 906. In other embodiments, hard-wired circuits may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the present disclosure. Logic may be encoded in a computer-readable medium or machine-readable medium, which may refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to the processing device 906 for execution, including the memory component 908. According to some embodiments, the computer-readable medium is tangible and non-transitory.

[0064] like Fig. 9 As shown, the memory component 908 can store the insertion force distribution 920, such as Fig. 8A and Figure 8B The memory component 908 may also store a damping profile 922, a medical device database 924, and an intubation database 926. The insertion force profile 920 may be stored as an array of values ​​describing the insertion force relative to the insertion force required to move the distal tip of the flexible shaft of the device at a desired velocity. The memory component 908 may store many different insertion force profiles 920. For example, Fig. 8A The insertion force distribution can represent the insertion force distribution associated with a particular medical device and a particular cannula. Fig. 8A The insertion force profile of the device may include this information for a particular desired speed, so that different desired speeds for the same medical device and cannula may have unique insertion force profiles.

[0065] The processing device 906 can receive the insertion force profile and calculate the insertion force profile based on the movement and speed of the instrument through the cannula. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The bracket 510 includes an array of damping coefficients applied by the actuators.

[0066] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B Graphs of exemplary damping coefficients forming the damping coefficient profiles associated with cannulas 520 and 620 are shown, respectively. Fig. 10A As shown, when the distal tip of the flexible shaft 506 is located in the first part 528a of the cannula 520, a higher damping coefficient can be applied. When the distal tip of the flexible shaft 506 is located in the second part 528b of the cannula 520, a relatively low damping coefficient can be applied. When the force required to move at a given speed is small, applying a higher damping coefficient can effectively slow down the process of the distal tip of the flexible shaft 506 through the first part 528a. When the force demand rises in the second part 528b due to the curvature of the part 528b, the damping coefficient applied should be lower. By applying a higher damping coefficient when a lower force is required, and applying a lower damping coefficient when a higher force is required, the control system 108 can provide a uniform speed along the entire length of the cannula 520 and even when extending beyond the cannula 520. In the case of not applying a damping coefficient, the change in the force demand caused by the curves in the cannula 520 and 620 can cause a change in speed during the introduction of a manual instrument. In some embodiments, the damping coefficient can be a homogeneous term or otherwise associated with the class level of the damping force. Damping forces or damping force coefficients below A along the x-axis may be considered or assigned to a "low" force category; damping forces or damping force coefficients between A and B may be assigned to a "medium" force category; and damping forces or damping force coefficients above B may be assigned to a "high" damping force category. Accordingly, some damping profiles may store lengths and associated categories or levels. In other embodiments, more or fewer damping force levels or associated damping force coefficients may be provided.

[0067] Fig.11 is a flow chart of a method 1100 of controlling a remotely operated surgical system during insertion of a medical device through a cannula. The method 1100 is illustrated as a plurality of enumerated steps or operations. Additional operations may be performed before, after, between, or as part of the enumerated operations. Additionally, some embodiments of the method 1100 may omit one or more of the enumerated operations. The operations of the method 1100 may be performed by Figure 1 Executed by the control system 108 of the surgical system 100.

[0068] like Fig.11 As shown, method 1100 may begin at step 1102, where a cannula is identified as being associated with a particular cannula type. As an example, control system 108 ( Figure 1) can identify the cannula 520 by reading the tag 532 provided on the cannula 520 ( Figure 5 ). Tag 532 may include information present in cannula database 926 ( Fig. 9 ). The cannula database 926 may include geometric information about the cannula 520, such as the length L1 of the first portion 528a and the length L2 of the second portion 528b. The geometric information may also include the curvature of the second portion 528b. In some embodiments, material information may also be included in the cannula database 926. In addition, the tag 532 may be used to select an insertion force distribution from the insertion force distribution 920, or a damping distribution from the damping distribution 922 ( Fig. 9 ) in the Damp Distribution dialog box.

[0069] At step 1104, the position of the medical device being inserted through the cannula can be determined. For example, the control system 108 can access one or more encoders associated with the manipulator 140 and the bracket 510 to determine the position of the bracket 510. By accessing the information about the medical device in the medical device database 924, information such as the length of the medical device can be obtained from the instrument profile stored in the database 924. The control system 108 can use the position of the bracket 510 and the length of the medical device to determine the position or orientation of the distal tip of the medical device. In addition, information from the cannula database 926 can also be used to determine the position of the distal tip of the medical device. In some embodiments, the medical device may include a tracking device located at or near the distal tip of the flexible shaft of the medical device. For example, the distal tip of the medical device may include an electromagnetic tracker or other suitable device for determining the orientation of the distal tip of the medical device in the surgical area.

[0070] At step 1106, one of a plurality of damping profiles is applied to resist movement of the medical device as it is inserted through the cannula. For example, a user may mount the medical device and manually insert the medical device through the cannula 520 by pushing the medical device at a particular speed. The control system 108 may apply a damping profile having a plurality of damping coefficients associated with an identifiable insertion length. Accordingly, as described herein, the control system 108 may apply a lower damping coefficient during the curved portion of the cannula than the damping coefficient applied during the straight portion of the cannula. In this way, the control system 108 may adjust the insertion resistance (via the damping profile) so as to allow the user to move the medical device through the cannula at a more consistent speed, requiring different amounts of force at different locations within the cannula.

[0071] In some implementations, a damping profile having multiple damping coefficients may be calculated based on the insertion force profile. The insertion force profile may be associated with a specific cannula and a specific medical device. After the medical device is properly connected to the slave manipulator system 104 and after the cannula has been identified to the control system 108, the insertion force profile may be retrieved from a memory component (e.g., Fig. 9 The memory component 908) obtains the insertion force distribution.

[0072] Fig.12 1 is a flow chart of a method 1200 of controlling a remotely operated surgical system during insertion of a medical device through a cannula. The method 1200 is illustrated as a plurality of enumerated steps or operations and may include other operations before, after, between, or as part of the enumerated operations. The operations of the method 1100 may be performed by Figure 1 Executed by the control system 108 of the surgical system 100.

[0073] Embodiments of method 1200 may begin at step 1202, where a cannula type of a cannula through which a medical device is inserted is identified. This identification may include querying a cannula database 926 ( Fig. 9 At step 1204, a profile associated with the cannula may be retrieved from memory. For example, the insertion force profile may be obtained from the insertion force profile 920 and / or the damping profile may be obtained from the damping profile 922 using the cannula type or an identifier obtained from the cannula database 926.

[0074] At step 1206, the position of the distal tip of the medical device inserted through the cannula can be determined. The position can be determined relative to the cannula itself. For example, the control system 108 can determine that the distal tip of the flexible shaft 506 of the medical device 502 is positioned within a portion 622c of the cannula 620. By reference to the retrieved damping profile or the retrieved insertion force profile, a damping force coefficient associated with the portion 622c of the cannula 620 can be determined. For example, the damping force coefficient can be included in an array of damping force coefficients, where each value in the array is associated with a particular position along the cannula 620 or a portion of the cannula 620.

[0075] At step 1208, a damping coefficient may be applied to provide a damping force for the current insertion speed. The control system 108 may determine the insertion speed based on the difference in the position of the bracket 510 over a certain period of time. Applying the damping coefficient may result in a reduction in the insertion speed along one of these straight portions 622a and 622c. Because the insertion speed of the medical device may naturally decrease in the curved portions 622b and 622d, the damping coefficient may not result in a reduction in the insertion speed or may result in a smaller reduction. Because the application and size of the damping coefficient may vary with the position along the cannula, the insertion speed may be made more uniform, which may reduce the possibility of damaging the inner wall of the cannula and causing the device to bend when the device transitions from a straight portion to a curved portion (such as from 622a to 622b).

[0076] Embodiments of method 1200 may also include a step of monitoring the insertion speed of the medical device. Applying a damping factor to the insertion speed of the medical device may determine whether the insertion speed of the medical device exceeds a threshold speed. For example, it may be easier to consistently maintain a low insertion speed regardless of the curve of the cannula. In such cases, applying a damping factor may slow down the procedure without providing a significant benefit to the user. The threshold speed may depend on the cannula and the medical device being inserted through the cannula. For example, different threshold speeds may be applied to the first portion 528a of the cannula 520, and then the threshold speed may be applied to the second portion 528b of the cannula 520. Additionally, applying a damping factor to the insertion speed of the medical device may include: applying a first damping factor associated with the first portion of the cannula type when the medical device passes through the cannula, and then applying a second damping factor associated with the second portion of the cannula type.

[0077] Most of the previous discussion is associated with flexible medical devices and curved cannulas. However, the described techniques can also be used with rigid medical devices, straight cannulas and other cannula components, etc. Fig.13An exemplary cannula assembly 1300 according to an embodiment is shown. The cannula assembly 1300 includes two cannula components: a straight cannula 1320 and a cannula seal 1310. The cannula seal 1310 includes a proximal opening 1312 and a distal opening 1314, the diameter of the distal opening 1314 being smaller than the diameter of the proximal opening 1312. During a medical procedure, a medical instrument (such as a surgical instrument 502 or a rigid surgical instrument) can be inserted through the cannula seal 1310. The cannula seal can provide different resistances when the instrument is inserted through the seal and the instrument interacts with the seal. The above-mentioned techniques can also be used to increase the uniformity of the manual insertion force required when inserting the instrument through the seal. For example, the above-mentioned techniques can be used to reduce the change in the manual insertion force required when inserting more parts of the instrument through the seal 1310 and inserting it into the cannula assembly 1300. The increase in uniformity or the reduction in the change in the required manual insertion force may be sufficient to meet any appropriate standard. Some exemplary criteria include: the resulting change in required manual insertion force is not noticeable by an average human operator, is not sufficient to cause an average human operator to mis-insert the medical device, is within 10%, or any other appropriate criteria.

[0078] Fig.14 A portion of an exemplary medical device 1400 is shown in accordance with an embodiment. The medical device 1400 includes a shaft 1405 connected to an end effector 1410 via a wrist 1420. Although the end effector 1410 and the wrist 1420 have different geometries, the end effector 1410 and the wrist 1420 have substantially the same diameter d. 1 The device 1400 also includes a first portion 1430 and a second portion 1450, wherein the first portion 1430 is covered by a sheath 1440. The sheath 1440 is shown in cross-section so that Fig.14 The portion of the medical device 1400 that is blocked by the sheath 1440 can be seen in FIG. The first portion 1430 and the second portion 1450 have different diameters, but the sheath 1440 increases the diameter of the device at the first portion 1430 so that it is the same diameter d as the second portion 1450. 2 Same. Diameter d 2 Greater than diameter d 1 Thus, when instrument 1400 is inserted into a cannula assembly, such as cannula assembly 1300, and traverses cannula seal 1310, instrument 1400 deflects distal opening 1314 by different amounts and causes distal opening 1314 to contact different materials. Specifically, when instrument 1400 has a diameter d 2 When a portion of the distal opening 1314 contacts and moves against the distal opening 1314, the instrument 1400 has a diameter d 1 Compared to the portion of the device 1400 having a diameter d 2The portion of the cannula seal 1310 deforms to a greater extent. 2 The greater deformation of the cannula seal 1310 caused by the portion of the cannula seal 1310 resulting from the deformation of the instrument 1400 and the cannula seal 1310 results in greater contact forces due to the deformation between the instrument 1400 and the cannula seal 1310. These greater contact forces can increase the resistance provided by the cannula seal 1310 to the insertion of the instrument 1400 through the cannula assembly 1300. Even when a portion of the instrument 1400 having the same diameter (e.g., the first portion 1430 having the sheath 1440, and the second portion 1450 having the diameter d ) is inserted through the cannula seal 1310 at a constant speed, the second portion 1450 having the same diameter (e.g., the first portion 1430 having the sheath 1440, and the second portion 1450 having the diameter d ) is inserted through the can 2 ), the resistance provided by the cannula seal 1310 may also change. For example, the sheath 1440 may have a first frictional response to the cannula seal 1310, and the second portion 1450 may have a second frictional response to the cannula seal 1310, the second frictional response being different from the first frictional response. Thus, the frictional component of the resistance provided by the cannula seal 1310 to the insertion instrument 1400 may change.

[0079] The techniques described herein can be used to provide a control system (such as control system 108) communicatively coupled to a manipulator supporting instrument 1400. The control system can be operative to determine an insertion profile associated with at least one of instrument 1400 and cannula seal 1310, and control insertion force and motion affecting instrument 1400 during manual insertion of the medical instrument through cannula seal 1310 based on the insertion profile. Control of the insertion force can be used to account for differences in diameter, material, and other forces affecting characteristics of instrument 1400, cannula seal 1310, or both.

[0080] Embodiments of the present systems and methods may provide a more uniform insertion force or speed when inserting a medical device through a cannula component, such as inserting a flexible device through a curved cannula having one or more curved portions. The systems and methods may compensate for differences in required insertion force.

[0081] In some embodiments, the tele-operated surgical system includes a manipulator and a control system. The manipulator is configured to be operably coupled to the medical device. The manipulator is adapted to move the medical device through a cannula component. The control system is communicatively coupled to the manipulator. The control system is operable to determine an insertion profile associated with at least one of the medical device and the cannula component. The control system is configured to control an insertion force according to the insertion profile and to affect movement of the medical device during manual insertion of the medical device through the cannula component.

[0082] In some embodiments of the remotely operated surgical system, the insertion profile includes: a first portion configured to assist movement of the medical device during manual insertion of the medical device through the cannula component; and a second portion configured to hinder movement of the medical device during manual insertion of the medical device through the cannula component.

[0083] In some embodiments of such a remotely operated surgical system, the medical device includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a flexible portion therebetween, the cannula component is a curved cannula, manual insertion of the medical device through the cannula component includes manually moving the distal end and at least a portion of the flexible portion into the curved cannula, and the insertion distribution is configured to increase the spatial uniformity of the manual insertion force applied to manually insert the medical device through the cannula component.

[0084] In some embodiments of such a tele-operated surgical system, the medical device includes a shaft having a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion configured to be manually inserted through the cannula component. The first shaft portion has a first friction response to the cannula component, and the second shaft portion has a second friction response to the cannula component, the second friction response being different from the first friction response. The insertion profile is configured to increase spatial uniformity of manual insertion force when the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion are manually inserted through the cannula component.

[0085] In some embodiments of the teleoperated surgical system, the cannula component includes a cannula seal. The control system is operable to determine an insertion profile associated with at least one of the medical device and the cannula component by determining an insertion profile associated with the medical device, the insertion profile being based on a diameter of the medical device.

[0086] In some embodiments of such a tele-operated surgical system, the medical device is a flexible medical device including a proximal end, a distal end, and a flexible portion therebetween, the cannula component is a curved cannula, and the insertion profile is a damping profile configured to impede movement of the medical device during manual insertion of the flexible medical device through the curved cannula. The control system is operable to determine the insertion profile associated with at least one of the medical device and the cannula component by identifying the cannula component (or the medical device, or both) and determining the insertion profile associated with at least the cannula component (or at least the medical device, or both).

[0087] In some embodiments, a method of controlling a remotely operated surgical system is used during insertion of a medical device through a cannula component. The method includes identifying at least one component type and retrieving an insertion profile from a memory. The component type is an instrument type of the medical device or a cannula component type of the cannula component. The insertion profile is associated with the at least one component type. The method also includes determining an orientation of the medical device relative to the cannula component; and applying an obstructive force or an assisting force to the medical device based on the insertion profile when inserting the medical device through the cannula component.

[0088] In some embodiments of this method, the insertion profile includes: a first portion configured to assist movement of the medical device during manual insertion through the cannula component; and a second portion configured to hinder movement of the medical device during manual insertion through the cannula component.

[0089] In some embodiments of this method, determining the orientation of the medical device relative to the cannula component includes determining the orientation of the distal tip of the medical device relative to the cannula component. The at least one element type includes the cannula component type. The medical device is a flexible medical device including a proximal end, a distal end, and a flexible portion between the proximal end and the distal end. The cannula component is a curved cannula. The insertion profile is associated with at least the cannula component type and is a damping profile configured to hinder movement of the medical device when the medical device is inserted through the cannula component.

[0090] In various embodiments of this method, the at least one element type includes the cannula component type, includes the instrument type, or includes both the instrument type and the cannula component type.

[0091] One or more elements in the embodiments of the present invention may be used for software implementation executed on a processor of a computer system (such as control system 108). When implemented in software, the elements of the embodiments of the present invention are essentially code segments for performing the necessary tasks. The program or code segment may be stored in a processor-readable storage medium or device, which may be downloaded via a computer data signal contained in a carrier wave on a transmission medium or communication link. The processor-readable storage device may include any medium that can store information, including optical media, semiconductor media, and magnetic media. Examples of processor-readable storage devices include: electronic circuits; semiconductor devices, semiconductor memory devices, read-only memories (ROMs), flash memories, erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs); floppy disks, CD-ROMs, optical disks, hard disks, or other storage devices. The code segments may be downloaded via a computer network (such as the Internet, an intranet, etc.).

[0092] It should be noted that the processes and displays presented may not inherently involve any particular computer or other device. Various general purpose systems may be used with the program in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to build more specialized equipment to perform the described operations. The structures required for various of these systems will appear as elements in the claims. In addition, embodiments of the present invention are described without reference to any particular programming language. It should be understood that various programming languages ​​may be used to implement the teachings of the present invention as described herein.

[0093] Although certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of the broad invention and not restrictive, and that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific construction and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may be made by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A manipulator system comprising: a manipulator configured to be operably coupled to the instrument, the manipulator being adapted to move the instrument; as well as a control system communicatively coupled to the manipulator; The control system is configured to: determining an insertion profile associated with the instrument and / or associated with a channel through which the instrument is inserted, wherein the insertion profile comprises: an array of values ​​describing an insertion force that can be used to move a distal tip of the instrument at a desired velocity at corresponding locations along the channel; as well as According to the insertion profile, the manipulator is configured to assist movement of the instrument during manual insertion of the instrument when the instrument is in a first orientation relative to the channel, or to resist movement of the instrument during the manual insertion of the instrument when the instrument is in a second orientation relative to the channel.

2. The manipulator system of claim 1 , wherein in order for the manipulator to assist or resist manual insertion of the instrument through the channel according to the insertion profile, the control system is configured to: The manipulator is caused to control an insertion force according to the insertion profile.

3. The manipulator system of claim 1 , wherein in order for the manipulator to assist or resist manual insertion of the instrument through the channel according to the insertion profile, the control system is configured to: The manipulator is enabled to affect movement of the instrument during manual insertion of the instrument through the passage.

4. The manipulator system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The instrument comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and a flexible portion between the proximal end and the distal end; The passage is curved; The manually inserting the instrument through the passage comprises manually moving the distal end and at least a portion of the flexible portion into the passage; and The insertion profile is configured to provide a more uniform insertion force or velocity when inserting the instrument through the passageway.

5. The manipulator system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The instrument includes a shaft configured to be manually inserted through the passageway having a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion; the first shaft portion having a first frictional response to the passage; the second shaft portion having a second friction response to the passage, the second friction response being different than the first friction response; and The insertion profile is configured to provide a more uniform insertion force or speed when manually inserting the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion through the passageway.

6. The manipulator system of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the insertion profile is configured to increase the uniformity of the velocity of the distal tip along the length of the channel as the instrument is inserted through the channel.

7. The manipulator system of claim 6, wherein the insertion profile is further configured to increase the uniformity of the velocity of the distal tip of the instrument as the distal tip of the instrument is inserted beyond the distal end of the channel.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors associated with a manipulator system, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising: determining an insertion profile associated with an instrument and / or associated with a channel through which the instrument is inserted, wherein the insertion profile comprises: an array of values ​​describing an insertion force that can be used to move a distal tip of the instrument at a desired velocity at corresponding locations along the channel; and According to the insertion profile, the manipulator of the manipulator system assists the movement of the instrument during manual insertion of the instrument when the instrument is in a first orientation relative to the channel, or resists the movement of the instrument during the manual insertion of the instrument when the instrument is in a second orientation relative to the channel.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein causing the manipulator to assist or resist manual insertion of the instrument through the channel according to the insertion profile comprises causing the manipulator to control an insertion force according to the insertion profile.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein causing the manipulator to assist or resist manual insertion of the instrument through the channel according to the insertion profile comprises causing the manipulator to affect movement of the instrument during manual insertion of the instrument through the channel.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of any one of claims 8-10, wherein the insertion profile is configured to increase uniformity of a velocity of a distal tip of the instrument as the instrument is inserted through the passage.

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