Engagement and / or homing of a surgical tool in a surgical robotic system

Abstract

Engagement and / or homing of motor control for surgical tools in a surgical robotic system is provided. In cases where two or more motors are used to control the same motion, the motors can be used to detect engagement even without a physical stop being provided. The motors operate in opposition to each other or in a manner that does not attempt the same motion, resulting in one of the motors acting as a stop for the other motors in the engagement. Changes in motor operation then indicate the engagement. The engaged motor and a known angle of a transmission linking the motor driver to the surgical tool indicate the original or current position of the surgical tool.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The implementation scheme relates to a control unit for detecting successful engagement and / or homing of a surgical robotic tool with one or more actuators in the surgical robotic arm of a surgical robotic system. Other implementation schemes are also described. Background Technology

[0002] Surgical robotic systems grant operators or users, such as surgeons, the ability to perform one or more actions in a surgical procedure. In such systems, surgical tools or instruments (such as endoscopes, clamps, cutting tools, retractors, needles, energy emitters, etc.) are mechanically coupled to a robotic joint of the surgical robotic arm, such that movement or actuation of the robotic joint directly causes rotation, pivoting, or linear movement of a portion of the tool (e.g., rotation of an endoscope camera, pivoting of a gripper jaw, or translation of a needle). Once the tool is attached (e.g., in contact with) a tool actuator in the arm, operator commands can cause movement and activate the functions of the attached tool, such as closing clamps, adjusting the curvature of the endoscope, extending instruments beyond the cannula wall, applying pressure with clamping tools, and other movements and actions.

[0003] Due to the varying nature of surgical procedures, different surgical tools or instruments can be selectively attached to the same arm of a surgical robotic system before and during surgery. To avoid equipment malfunction during surgery, it is important that the surgical tools or instruments not only attach to the robotic joint of the surgical robotic arm but also engage with it in a mechanosensitive manner. That is, before using the surgical tool during surgery, the activation mechanism (e.g., opening, closing, cutting, pressurizing, etc.) of the surgical tool should mechanically engage with the actuator in the tool driver within the arm of the surgical robotic system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] By way of introduction, the preferred embodiments described below include methods, systems, instructions, and computer-readable media for motor-controlled engagement and / or homing of surgical instruments in a surgical robotic system. In cases where two or more motors are used to control the same movement, the motors can be used to detect engagement even without a physical stop. The motors operate in opposite directions or in a manner that does not attempt the same movement, resulting in one motor acting as a stop for the others in engagement. The change in motor operation then indicates engagement. The known angle of the engaged motors and the transmission linking the motor drivers to the surgical instrument indicates the original or current position of the surgical instrument.

[0005] In a first aspect, a method for motor control of a surgical instrument in a surgical robotic system is provided. A first motor and a second motor, respectively connected to a first drive disk and a second drive disk, are rotated. The first and second drive disks are in contact with a first tool disk and a second tool disk, respectively. Both the first and second tool disks are linked to the surgical instrument. The rotation of the first and second motors causes the first and second drive disks to rotate in opposite directions to move the surgical instrument. The engagement of the first and second motors with the first and second disks, respectively, is detected by changes in the performance of the first and second motors.

[0006] In a second aspect, a motor-controlled, coupled surgical robot system is provided for use in a robotic surgical system. A surgical instrument is connected to a first rotating tool pad and a second rotating tool pad via a transmission mechanism. The surgical instrument is connected such that rotation of the first and second rotating tool pads causes rotation of the surgical instrument. A tool actuator has a first rotary driver and a second rotary driver that can engage with the first and second rotating tool pads; a processor is configured to detect engagement of the first and second rotating tool pads with the first and second rotary drivers by means of changes in signals.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method is provided for homing the rotational position of a surgical instrument in a surgical robotic system. Engagement of a first and a second rotating tool pad with a first and a second rotating actuator is detected. Once engagement is detected, the rotation angle of the surgical instrument linked to the first and second rotating tool pads is determined based on a first and a second rotation angle of the first and second rotating actuators.

[0008] This invention is defined by the following claims, and the content of this section should not be construed as limiting those claims. Other aspects and advantages of the invention are discussed below in conjunction with preferred embodiments, and may subsequently be claimed independently or in combination. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference numerals indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to "an" or "one" embodiment of the invention in this disclosure do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and that they refer to at least one. Furthermore, for the sake of brevity and to reduce the total number of drawings, a given drawing may be used to illustrate features of more than one embodiment of the invention, and not all elements in the drawing may be necessary for a given embodiment.

[0010] Figure 1 This is a drawn view of an exemplary surgical robotic system in a surgical setting;

[0011] Figure 2 This is a diagram of a system for detecting the engagement of surgical instruments with the tool actuators of a surgical robotic arm;

[0012] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing surgical tools, tool drivers, and control units;

[0013] Figures 4A-4C The different states of the tool disk and drive disk are shown during the engagement process;

[0014] Figure 5A This illustrates the process of engaging a surgical tool with a tool driver, performed by a control unit;

[0015] Figure 5B This is a flowchart illustrating another process by which a control unit detects the engagement of the tool disk with the drive disk based on one or more operating parameters of the actuator driving the drive disk;

[0016] Figure 5C This is a flowchart illustrating another process of a control unit used to detect the engagement of a surgical tool with a tool driver of a surgical robot system;

[0017] Figure 6 A block diagram of the feedback loop is shown; and

[0018] Figure 7 A block diagram of the controller used for the feedback loop is shown.

[0019] Figure 8 An example illustrating the rotational angular relationship between the motor and the corresponding drive disc, tool disc, and surgical instrument.

[0020] Figure 9 An embodiment of the drive current used for engagement is shown.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating another process for a control unit used to detect engagement and / or for homing. Detailed Implementation

[0022] This document describes embodiments of apparatus, systems, and methods for detecting engagement of a tool actuator with a surgical robotic arm of a detachable surgical robotic tool and a surgical robotic system. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the techniques described herein can be practiced without one or more specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations have not been shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring certain aspects.

[0023] Throughout this specification, the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment that is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, specific features, structures, or characteristics, such as those shown in the various figures, can be combined in any suitable manner.

[0024] See Figure 1 This is a drawing view of an exemplary surgical robotic system 100 in a surgical setting. The surgical robotic system 100 includes a user console 102, a control tower 103, and one or more surgical robotic arms 104 at a surgical platform 105 (e.g., a table, bed, etc.). The surgical robotic system 100 can be combined with any number of devices, tools, or attachments for performing surgery on a patient 106. For example, the surgical robotic system 100 may include one or more surgical tools 107 for performing surgery. The surgical tool 107 may have an end effector at its distal end (also the distal end of the surgical robotic arm 4 to which the surgical tool 107 is attached) for performing surgical operations such as cutting, grasping, extending, or energy emission.

[0025] Each surgical tool 107 can be manually manipulated, robotically manipulated, or both during surgery. For example, a surgical tool 107 may be a tool for accessing, viewing, or manipulating the internal anatomy of a patient 106. In one embodiment, the surgical tool 106 is a gripper capable of grasping the patient's tissues. The surgical tool 106 may be directly and manually controlled by a bedside operator 108; or it may be robotically controlled via sending electronic commands to actuate the movement of a surgical robotic arm 104 to which the surgical tool 106 is attached. The surgical robotic arm 104 is shown as a tabletop system, but in other configurations, the surgical robotic arm 104 may be mounted on a trolley, ceiling, or sidewall, or in another suitable structural support.

[0026] Generally, a remote operator 109 (such as a surgeon) can use a user console 102 to remotely manipulate the surgical robot arm 104 and attached surgical tools 107, for example, through remote operation. The user console 102 may be located in the same operating room as the rest of the surgical robot system 100, such as... Figure 1As shown. However, in other environments, the user console 102 may be located in an adjacent or nearby room, or it may be located in a remote location, such as in different buildings, cities, or countries. The user console 102 may include a seat 110, foot controls 113, one or more handheld user interface devices (UIDs) 114, and at least one user display 115 configured to display a view of, for example, a surgical site within the body of a patient 106. In the exemplary user console 102, a remote operator 109 sits in the seat 110 and views the user display 115 while manipulating the foot controls 113 and the handheld UID 114 to remotely control the surgical robotic arm 104 and surgical tools 107 (which are mounted on the distal end of the surgical robotic arm).

[0027] In some variations, the bedside operator 108 can also operate the surgical robot system 100 in a "bed" mode, where the bedside operator 108 (the user) is now positioned to one side of the patient 106 and simultaneously manipulates i) robot-driven tools (with end effectors) attached to the surgical robot arm 104, such as a handheld UID 114 held in one hand, and ii) manual laparoscopic tools. For example, the bedside operator's left hand can manipulate the handheld UID to control the surgical robot components, while the bedside operator's right hand can manipulate the manual laparoscopic tools. Thus, in these variations, the bedside operator 108 can perform both robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery and manual laparoscopic surgery on the patient 106.

[0028] During the exemplary procedure (surgical operation), patient 106 is aseptically prepared and covered with a sterile drape for anesthesia. Initial access to the surgical site can be manually performed (to facilitate access to the surgical site) while the arms of the surgical robot system 100 are in a retracted or withdrawn configuration. Once access is complete, initial positioning or preparation of the surgical robot system 100, including its surgical robot arm 104, can be performed. The surgery then continues, with a remote operator 109 at user console 102 using foot controls 113 and UID 114 to manipulate various end effectors and, possibly, imaging systems to perform the surgery. Artificial assistance can also be provided at the operating table or operating table by a bedside person (e.g., bedside operator 108) wearing sterile surgical gowns, who can perform tasks on one or more arms of the surgical robot arm 104, such as tissue retraction, manual repositioning, and tool changes. Non-sterile personnel may also be present to assist remote operator 109 at user console 102. When the procedure or surgery is completed, the surgical robot system 100 and the user console 102 can be configured or set to facilitate the input or printing of postoperative procedures (such as cleaning or disinfection) and health records via the user console 102.

[0029] In one embodiment, a remote operator 109 holds and moves UID 114 to provide input commands, thereby moving the robotic arm actuator 117 in the surgical robot system 100. UID 114 may be communicatively coupled to the rest of the surgical robot system 100, for example, via a console computer system 116. UID 114 may generate spatial state signals corresponding to the movement of UID 114, such as the position and orientation of the UID's handheld housing, and these spatial state signals may be input signals for controlling the movement of the robotic arm actuator 117. The surgical robot system 100 may use control signals derived from the spatial state signals to control the proportional movement of the actuator 117. In one embodiment, a console processor of the console computer system 116 receives the spatial state signals and generates corresponding control signals. Based on these control signals controlling how the actuator 117 is energized to move a segment of the surgical robotic arm 104, the movement of a corresponding surgical tool attached to the arm can simulate the movement of UID 114. Similarly, the interaction between the remote operator 109 and UID 114 can generate, for example, a gripping control signal that causes the jaws of the gripper of the surgical tool 107 to close and grip the tissue of the patient 106.

[0030] The surgical robot system 100 may include a plurality of UIDs 114, wherein a corresponding control signal is generated for each UID that controls the actuators and surgical instruments (end-effectors) of the respective surgical robot arm 104. For example, a remote operator 109 may move a first UID 114 to control the movement of an actuator 117 located in the left robotic arm, wherein the actuator responds by moving links, gears, etc. in the surgical robot arm 104. Similarly, movement of a second UID 114 by the remote operator 109 controls the movement of another actuator 117, which in turn moves other links, gears, etc. of the surgical robot system 100. The surgical robot system 100 may include a right surgical robot arm 104 fixed to a bed or table on the right side of the patient, and a left surgical robot arm 104 located on the left side of the patient. The actuators 117 may include one or more motors, which are controlled such that they drive the joints of the surgical robot arm 104 to rotate, for example, to change the orientation of the endoscope or gripper of the surgical instrument 107 attached to the arm relative to the patient. The movement of several actuators 117 in the same surgical robotic arm 104 can be controlled by spatial state signals generated from specific UIDs 114. UIDs 114 can also control the movement of corresponding surgical tool grippers. For example, each UID 114 can generate a corresponding gripping signal to control the movement of an actuator (e.g., a linear actuator) that opens or closes the jaws of the gripper at the distal end of the surgical tool 107 to grasp tissue within the patient 106.

[0031] In some respects, communication between the surgical platform 105 and the user console 102 can be achieved via a control tower 103, which translates user commands received from the user console 102 (and more specifically from the console computer system 116) into robot control commands transmitted to the surgical robotic arm 104 on the surgical platform 105. The control tower 103 can also transmit status and feedback from the surgical platform 105 back to the user console 102. The communication link between the surgical platform 105, the user console 102, and the control tower 103 can be via wired and / or wireless links, using any suitable data communication protocol from a variety of data communication protocols. Any wired connection can optionally be integrated into the floor and / or walls or ceiling of the operating room. The surgical robotic system 100 can provide video output to one or more displays, including displays within the operating room and remote displays accessible via the Internet or other networks. Video output or feeds can also be encrypted to ensure privacy, and all or part of the video output can be stored on a server or electronic healthcare record system.

[0032] Figure 2 This is an illustration of a subsystem or part of a surgical robot system 100, used to detect engagement between a surgical tool 240 and a tool actuator 230 of a surgical robot arm 220. The surgical robot arm 220 may be related to... Figure 1 The surgical robotic arm 104 of the surgical robotic system 100 shown and discussed is one of the surgical robotic arms. The control unit 201 may be, for example... Figure 1 Part of the control tower. As discussed in more detail herein, engagement can be detected by control unit 210 based on one or more motor operating parameters of one or more actuators (e.g., actuator 238-j) in tool driver 230.

[0033] Different surgical tools (e.g., surgical tool 240, and other detachable surgical tools - not shown) are selectively attached (one at a time) to tool actuators 230. This can be accomplished by, for example, a human user holding the housing of surgical tool 240 in her hand and moving the housing in the direction of the arrow 280 shown until the outer surface of surgical tool 240, in which one or more tool disks (e.g., tool disk 244-i) are located, contacts the outer surface of tool actuator 230, in which one or more drive disks (e.g., drive disk 234-j) are located. In the example shown, tool actuator 230 is a segment of surgical robotic arm 220 at the distal end of surgical robotic arm 220. The proximal portion of arm 220 is fixed to a surgical robotic platform, such as in Figure 2 Not shown in the above Figure 1 The example of the operating table can be seen in the image.

[0034] Control unit 210 is responsible for controlling the movement of various motorized joints in the surgical robot arm 220 (including drive disk 234), thereby enabling the operation of the end effector 246 (its position and orientation, and its surgical function), which simulates the operation of the user input device. This operation is achieved via mechanical transmissions within the surgical tool 240 when the surgical tool 240 has been engaged to transmit force or torque from the tool driver 230. Control unit 210 can be implemented as a programmable processor, for example as... Figure 1 It is part of the control tower 103. It can respond to one or more user commands received via local or remote user input (e.g., joystick, touch control, wearable device, or other user input device communicating via the console computer system 116). Alternatively, the control unit 210 can respond to one or more autonomous commands or controls (e.g., received from a trained surgical machine learning model executed by the control unit 210 or the console computer system 116) or a combination thereof. These commands instruct movement of the robotic arm 220 and operation of its attached end effector 246.

[0035] The end effector 246 can be any surgical instrument, such as jaws, cutting tools, endoscopes, retractors, implantation tools, etc. Different surgical instruments, each with a different end effector, can be selectively attached (one at a time) to the robotic arm 220 for use during surgical or other medical procedures. Figure 2 The end effector 246 shown in the example is a jaw located at the distal end of the surgical tool 240, and the jaw can retract into or extend from the shown cannula (e.g., a thin tube that can be inserted into a patient undergoing surgery).

[0036] The robotic arm 220 includes a tool actuator 230 containing one or more actuators, such as actuators 238-j. Each actuator may be a linear or rotary actuator with one or more corresponding motors (e.g., brushless permanent magnet DC motors), whose drive shafts may be coupled to a corresponding drive disk 234-j via a transmission (e.g., a gear train achieving a given gear reduction ratio - not shown). The tool actuator 230 includes one or more drive disks 234, which may be arranged on a planar or flat surface of the tool actuator 230, wherein the figure illustrates several such drive disks arranged on the same plane of a flat surface. Each drive disk (e.g., drive disk 234-j) is exposed on an outer surface of the tool actuator 230 and is designed to mechanically engage (e.g., securely hold via snap-fit, friction, or other mating features) a mating tool disk 244-j of the surgical tool 240 to achieve direct torque transmission between the two. This can occur, for example, when the planar or flat surface of the surgical tool 240 and the corresponding or mating planar or flat surface of the tool actuator 230 come into contact with each other.

[0037] Furthermore, a motor driver circuit (not shown, but which may be mounted, for example, in tool driver 230 or elsewhere in surgical robot arm 220) is electrically coupled to the input drive terminal of the motor comprising one or more actuators in actuator 238. The motor driver circuit manipulates the electrical power drawn from the motor according to a motor driver circuit input, in order to regulate, for example, the speed of the motor or its torque, which may be set or controlled by control unit 210, thereby causing powered rotation of the associated drive disk (e.g., drive disk 234-j).

[0038] When the drive disc 234-j is mechanically engaged with the corresponding tool disc 244-j, the power rotation of the drive disc 234-j causes the tool disc 244-j to rotate. For example, the two discs can rotate as a single unit, thereby imparting motion to a linkage, gear, cable, chain, or other transmission device within the surgical tool 240 for controlling the movement and operation of the end actuator 246, which can be mechanically coupled to the transmission device.

[0039] Different surgical tools may have different numbers of tool discs based on the type of movement and the number of degrees of freedom of movement (such as rotation, joint movement, opening, closing, extension, retraction, compression, etc.) performed by their end effectors.

[0040] Furthermore, within the surgical tool 240, more than one tool disc 244 can facilitate a single movement of the end effector 246 to achieve a target such as load shared by two or more motors, each driven by a mating drive disc 234.

[0041] On the other hand, within the tool driver 230, there may be two or more motors, whose drive shafts are coupled (via a transmission) to rotate the same output shaft (or drive disk 234) to share the load.

[0042] On another front, within the surgical instrument 240, there is a transmission mechanism that converts the torque from two drive discs 234 (via corresponding tool discs 244) for performing complementary actions with the same degree of freedom. For example, the first drive disc 234-i rotates a roller within the housing of the surgical instrument 230 to receive one end of a cable, and the second drive disc 234-j rotates another roller within the housing of the surgical instrument 230 to receive the other end of a cable. Alternatively, two tool discs 234-i, 234-j can be used to extend and retract the end effector along a single axis, one tool disc for extension and the other for retraction (e.g., via different cables). This contrasts with actuators that also move with one degree of freedom (e.g., extending and retracting longitudinally along a single axis of movement) but require only a single tool disc to control their entire range of motion. Furthermore, actuators that move with multiple degrees of freedom (such as wrist movement, movement along multiple axes, energy emitter activation in addition to end effector movement, etc.) may require the use of several tool discs (each engaged with a corresponding drive disc). In another type of surgical tool 240, a single tool disk 244 is sufficient to perform both extension and retraction movements via direct input (e.g., gears). Alternatively, as discussed in more detail herein, in the case where the end effector 246 is a jaw, two or more tool disks 244 can collaboratively control the movement of the jaw for load sharing.

[0043] In some implementations, when the surgical tool 240 is first attached to or mounted on the tool driver 230 such that the tool disk is substantially coplanar and coaxially aligned with the corresponding drive disk (although the tool disk and drive disk may not have been successfully engaged), the control unit 210 initially detects the type of the surgical tool 240. In one embodiment, the surgical tool 240 has an information storage unit 242, such as a solid-state memory, RFID tag, barcode (including two-dimensional barcodes or matrix barcodes), etc., which identifies tool or end effector information of the surgical tool, such as one or more of the following: tool type or end effector type identification information, unique tool ID or end effector ID, number of tool disks used, positions of those tool disks used (e.g., from a total of six possible tool disks 244-e, 244-f, 244-g, 244-h, 244-i, 244-j), type of drive mechanism of the tool disk (e.g., direct drive, cable drive, etc.), what kind of motion or actuation the tool disk assigns to the end effector, one or more tool calibration values ​​(e.g., the rotational position of the tool disk determined during tool coefficient testing / assembly), whether the motion of the end effector is constrained by maximum or minimum movement, and other tool attributes. In one embodiment, the information storage unit 242 identifies minimal information, such as the tool ID, and its control unit 210 can be used to perform lookups of various tool attributes.

[0044] The tool driver 230 may include a communication interface 232 (e.g., a memory writer, near-field communication, NFC, transceiver, RFID scanner, barcode reader, etc.) to read information from the information storage unit 242 and transmit the information to the control unit 210. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the surgical tool 240 may contain more than one information storage unit, such as one information storage unit associated with each tool disk 244. In this embodiment, the tool driver 230 may also include corresponding sensors for each possible information storage unit present in a given tool.

[0045] join

[0046] After the surgical tool 240 is attached to the tool driver 230 such that the tool disk is brought to be aligned with and superimposed on the corresponding drive disk (although not necessarily mechanically engaged), and after obtaining tool disk information, for example, read by the control unit 210, the control unit 210 performs an engagement process to detect when all tool disks intended to be attached to the corresponding drive disks are mechanically engaged with their respective drive disks (e.g., their mechanical engagement has been achieved, or the tool driver is now considered to be engaged with the tool). That is, attaching the surgical tool 240 to the tool driver 230 does not necessarily ensure the correct fit required for the mechanical engagement of the tool disks with the corresponding drive disks (e.g., due to misalignment of the fitting features). The engagement process may include activating one or more motors that drive the actuator (e.g., actuator 238-j) of the corresponding drive disk 234-j. Then, as discussed in more detail below, based on one or more monitored motor operating parameters of actuator 238-j, the mechanical engagement of the tool disk 244-i with the drive disk 234-j can be detected when the actuator is driving the drive disk 234-j. This process can be repeated for each drive disk 234 in the tool driver 230 that is expected to be currently attached (e.g., determined based on tool disk information obtained from the specific surgical tool 240 currently attached).

[0047] When a particular type of surgical tool 240 is detected to be attached to the tool driver 230, the control unit 210 activates one or more actuators (e.g., motors) of the tool driver 230 that were previously associated with that type of surgical tool 240. In some embodiments, each actuator associated with the corresponding drive disk 234 of the surgical tool 240 may be activated simultaneously, sequentially, or in a combination of simultaneous and sequential activation. Figure 3An example of a surgical tool 240 is shown, which utilizes four tool discs, such as tool discs 244-i, arranged coplanarly on mating surfaces of its housing. Each tool disc contributes to at least a portion of the movement and / or activation of the end effector 246. Upon detection of attachment of the surgical tool 240 to the tool driver 230 (e.g., connection of the mating surfaces of the respective housings), the control unit 210 (or its processor 312, while executing instructions stored in the memory 314 such as engagement control 316) determines that only the corresponding four drive discs (such as drive discs 234-j) need to be rotated (the corresponding actuators 238 need to be activated—see [reference]). Figure 2 The process of performing the joining process.

[0048] return Figure 2 During operation of actuator 238-j, after detecting attachment of surgical tool 240 to tool driver 230, one or more sensors 236-j measure one or more motor operating parameters of actuator 238-j when signaling that the actuator's motor has begun to move. In one embodiment, actuator 238-j rotates in the direction that causes tool disk 244-i to attach (but not yet engage), thereby winding a cable within the drive housing of tool 240 for cable-driven surgical tools. See, for example, [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 4A The movement 445 of the tool disk 244 prevents the unwinding of the cable 446, and thereby holds the tool disk 244 in place or begins to rotate in the direction of movement 445 (which winds the cable 446). This rotation of the tool disk 244 continues until engagement is achieved, as described below. Figure 4B and Figure 4C Further explanation.

[0049] In another embodiment, a selected actuator is signaled to rotate, causing its attached tool disk 244 to rotate, thereby moving the end effector 246 connected to the tool disk 244 toward a physical constraint (e.g., jaws opening until they abut against a sleeve wall, achieving maximum range of motion when striking a hard stop in the fully open position, etc.). In yet another embodiment, such as an endoscope embodiment, where both actuators share the load of rotation of the endoscope camera, where there may be no hard stop to prevent camera rotation, the selected actuator causes its attached tool disk 244-i to rotate in the opposite direction to the movement of the other tool disk 244-j, which is also rotatably coupled to the same output shaft in the drive housing of the tool 240. In that case, once one of the tool disks 244-i, 244-j engages, that tool disk acts as a physical constraint on the other tool disk. Other predetermined directions of movement consistent with the discussion herein may also be used.

[0050] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the control unit 210 causes the movement ramp of the actuator to change or gradually increase (e.g., the control unit 210 signals or commands the actuator to start rotating at a low speed at the beginning of movement, then gradually increases the speed, and then gradually decreases the speed when engagement is detected).

[0051] In one implementation, calibration values ​​stored in the information storage unit 242 of the surgical tool 246 can be used to expedite tool engagement. For example, the calibration values ​​may include the factory-defined position (angle) of a specific tool disk 244-j recorded during product assembly or testing. The engagement process may require knowledge of the original position of the corresponding drive disk 234-j. This information can be obtained by the control unit 210 executing a tool driver calibration routine, where the control unit determines when a specific drive disk 234-j has reached its initial position (when the control unit actuates the drive disk 234-j) such that the position of that drive disk 234-j is now known to the control unit 210. It should be noted that the control unit 210 can do this relying solely on the output from the position sensor in the tool driver 230, and the tool 240 itself may be passive, as it does not have electronic sensors.

[0052] Next, the control unit 210 can activate the corresponding actuator of the drive disk 234-j, causing the drive disk 234-j to rotate at high speed until the position variable of the drive disk 234-j approaches the factory-determined position. When the drive disk meets a threshold distance relative to the factory-determined position (e.g., the original position of the tool disk), it means that the mating features of the tool disk and the mating features of the drive disk are nearly aligned, and the speed can be reduced to increase the probability that the mating features will engage each other when they initially meet. This process can be used for both direct drive devices and tool disks using cable-driven actuators (e.g.,... Figure 4A (As shown). For the latter, the calibration value may include a rotation count (e.g., the total number of rotations of the motor drive shaft), which can be used to limit the continued rotation of drive disk 234-j once engagement has been detected, thereby ensuring that the maximum winding length of the cable is not exceeded, or the rotation angle of the engaged tool disk 244-j and drive disk 234-j is not exceeded.

[0053] In some embodiments, motor operating parameters monitored by control unit 210 (via sensor 236) are interpreted as indicating successful mechanical engagement of the tool disk and drive disk. These may include measurements of the torque applied by actuator 238-j, measured by a torque sensor or force sensor; measurements of the current supplied to the actuator by the motor when attempting to drive actuator 238-j at a specific rate (e.g., where sensor 236-j may include a current-sensing resistor connected in series with the motor input drive terminal); measurements of the impedance seen at the motor input drive terminal when attempting to drive the motor at a specific rate (e.g., where sensor 236-j may also include voltage-sensing circuitry to measure the voltage at the motor input drive terminal); the speed of actuator 238-j (e.g., where sensor 236-j may include a position encoder (sensor) on the output shaft of actuator 238-j or on the drive shaft of the motor); and other parameters referred to herein as motor operating parameters. When monitoring the operating parameters of one or more motors in a specific actuator, the detection of such a situation, when one or more of these parameters meet (e.g., conform to or reach) a predetermined condition or threshold, can be interpreted by the control unit 210 as a mechanical engagement event. It should be noted that meeting a predetermined condition can, for example, mean that, according to a threshold, the monitored operating parameter exhibits a specific change relative to the operating parameter of another motor that is simultaneously controlled by the control unit 210 during the engagement detection process and is part of either the same actuator 238-j or another actuator 238-i.

[0054] In some implementations, during operation of actuator 238-j, specific motor operating parameters, such as one or more of the following: i) torque that meets (e.g., rises and reaches) a torque threshold, ii) motor current that meets (e.g., rises and reaches) a current threshold, iii) impedance that decreases below an impedance threshold, iv) motor speed that decreases below a motor rate threshold, or a combination thereof, are detected. Control unit 210 uses these motor operating parameters to determine that mechanical engagement between tool disk 244-j and drive disk 234-j has occurred. The following are some examples of such processes.

[0055] In one implementation, when the tool disk 244-j uses cable 446 to control the movement of its end actuator 246, the actuator 238-j (which drives the corresponding drive disk 234-j) will move in the direction of the cable winding (here, the direction of movement 445 of the control unit 210 is known based on the previously identified type of tool 240). Figure 4AA tool disk 244 is shown, having a pair of coupling features 447a, 447b on its surface, depicted as hollow circles. Each coupling feature 447a, 447b may be a separate cylindrical cavity formed in the disk surface. The direction of movement 445 is to wind a cable 446 around it, wherein, under these initial conditions, the cable 446 has a certain degree of slack, as shown, which disappears as the cable 446 is wound in the direction of movement 445.

[0056] Drive disk 234 and tool disk 244 are concentrically aligned, such as Figure 4B As shown. That is, Figure 4B A drive disc 234 is shown, aligned and superimposed on a tool disc 244 such that their respective disc surfaces are in contact with each other. The drive disc 234 has a pair of coupling features 448a, 448b on its disc surface, indicated as solid circles. Each coupling feature 448a, 448b may be a separate peg formed in the disc surface. In this particular example, the dimensions of each coupling feature 448a are set to easily fit into either of the structures 447 (once the two complementary structures are aligned). Figure 4B Even when the corresponding tool and drive disk surfaces are in contact with each other, structures 447a, 447b and structures 448a, 448b are not aligned. In other words, in Figure 4B In this configuration, one or more mating or complementary structural pairs, such as structures 447a-448a or 447a-448b, are not mechanically engaged with each other. During this condition, the drive disk 234 continues to be driven by its actuator 238, thereby moving (rotating) in the direction of motion 445 until, as... Figure 4C The mechanical connection is achieved under the conditions shown.

[0057] like Figure 4C As shown, the drive disk 234, during rotation, has reached a position where coupling features 447a-448a and coupling features 447b-448b are mechanically engaged with each other, as illustrated, allowing them to now move as a unit (if the drive disk 234 continues to rotate). In this example, each pin-cavity pair is now interlocked, as shown in the figure. Furthermore, at this position, the cable 446 is now coiled and can therefore be used to help hold the tool disk 244 in place (preventing its rotation) as the drive disk 234 continues to rotate in the direction of movement 445. Figure 4C In this case, further rotation of the drive disc 234 can increase the tension of the cable 446, because the cable 446 pulls its end actuator 246 until it reaches the hard stop, which forms a physical constraint that prevents further movement in the direction of the motion 445 of the drive disc 234 in the engaged state.

[0058] The physical constraint on further rotation of the drive disc 234 can be detected by the control unit 210, which measures motor operating parameters and compares them to one or more thresholds that may have been predetermined as engagement indications. For example, a drop in motor speed / rate below one or more thresholds indicates engagement because further movement of the motor in the winding direction is restricted. Engagement also occurs when the torque applied by the motor increases to a value greater than that of the freely moving motor and / or greater than the value of friction generated by the tool disc and drive disc and / or due to friction or sliding between the attachment structures before engagement. Similarly, in other embodiments, when engagement occurs and as power continues to be supplied to the motor to attempt to continue movement of the drive disc in the predetermined direction, the measured current and / or impedance approach and can reach a maximum predetermined value. When one or more of these thresholds are met, the control unit 210 can infer that engagement has occurred between the tool disc and the drive disc.

[0059] Control unit 210 may use other forms of physical constraints to detect successful engagement of the drive disc and tool disc. For example, motion constraints such as mechanical limitations on the range of motion imposed by the end effector's connector (e.g., a connector that can rotate only about an axis from -45 degrees to 45 degrees) or physical barriers that prevent movement (e.g., a sleeve wall that impedes movement of the end effector) may also be used as physical constraints / hard stops as described above for cable-driven or non-cable-driven tools.

[0060] In some embodiments, the surgical tool 240 may not have physical constraints / hard stops in at least one degree of movement, from which motor operating parameters can be measured. For example, the tool disk 244-j may be responsible for imparting unconstrained rotation of the end effector 246 element about an axis. However, even with such unconstrained movement, the control unit 210 can detect engagement between the drive disk 234-j and the tool disk 244-j during the engagement detection process by detecting changes in one or more motor operating parameters. For example, a pattern of motor operating parameters, such as repetitive torque spikes caused by the rotation of structure 447 through structure 488 (and therefore not engaging with each other), indicates that engagement has not occurred. Therefore, the cessation or absence of the torque spike pattern (while the drive disk 234-j continues to rotate) means that the control unit 210 has detected engagement between the tool disk and the drive disk.

[0061] In some implementations, physical constraints can be created by using coordinated movement of multiple drive discs and / or by engaging a single drive disc before engaging a second drive disc. For example, consider a situation where two or more tool discs (within the same housing of surgical tool 240) are connected by a transmission within the housing of tool 240 to share a load (end actuator 246) when rotating in the same direction, such as when a cutting or clamping tool may require applying a force exceeding what a single actuator 238-j can provide. In such implementations, two or more actuators rotating in the same direction (their respective drive discs rotating in the same direction) are driving the same output shaft within surgical tool 240 (due to the transmissions connected to the corresponding tool discs in surgical tool 240). Now, if two actuators are signaled to move in opposite directions, once one drive disc engages its corresponding tool disc, that drive disc becomes a physical constraint on the other drive disc (when the other drive disc has already engaged its corresponding tool disc). When one of two or more actuators engages (its drive disc engages its corresponding tool disc), control unit 210 creates a constraint on the other actuator by signaling the engaged actuator, for example, to enter a position-holding state. That is, control unit 210 commands the first actuator 238-j to hold its position, while continuing to signal the other, unengaged actuator 238-i to drive and thus rotate or move (towards engagement between its drive disc 234-i and tool disc 244-i). In this embodiment, one or both motor operating parameters of the actuators can be monitored to detect engagement between the tool disc and drive disc pair. Furthermore, if a hard stop is indeed present (which control unit 210 anticipates or knows is present in the particular tool 240), the actuator of the engaged drive disc can be signaled to continue driving or rotating in the same direction until the hard stop is detected. The other actuator can continue to rotate in the opposite direction and attempt engagement, while the already engaged actuator holds its position at the hard stop.

[0062] return Figure 2As described above, the tool identification performed by control unit 210 enables the control unit to obtain characteristics of the end effector 246 of the surgical tool 240. For example, control unit 210 can use this identification process to determine whether two (or more) tool disks in tool 240 cooperate to impart movement to the end effector, whether the movement of one or more end effectors is limited by hard stops or physical constraints, what the range of movement of the end effector is, which actuators will be used by tool 240, and factory-defined calibration values ​​such as the original position of the tool disks. It should be noted that the calibration values ​​can cover a range, for example, 290 degrees + / - 4 degrees. Based on such calibration values, for example, the original position of tool disk 244-i, and based on the current position of the corresponding drive disk 234-i (determined using a position encoder in tool driver 230), control unit 210 can track the difference during the engagement process (when signaling to the actuator to rotate). If the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold, the actuator is signaled to rotate rapidly (rapid rotation), and then, in response to the difference becoming less than the threshold (meaning the drive disk is approaching its original calibration position), the actuator is signaled to rotate slowly (slow rotation). This is expected to increase the chance of detecting reliable engagement.

[0063] In some embodiments, after the control unit 210 detects engagement, it may take one or more additional actions relative to the end effector 246 to confirm engagement. For example, the control unit 210 may cause the end effector to perform a predetermined set of movements (one or more movements) to test engagement, such as signaling the drive disc to reverse direction, causing the end effector to move in the opposite direction (the direction in which the end effector moved during engagement), moving the end effector to achieve the desired maximum degree of movement, etc. Such movement allows the control unit 210 to, for example, reach the hard stop or physical constraint again, as detected based on one or more operating parameters as described herein, thereby confirming the mechanical engagement between the tool disc and the drive disc.

[0064] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the control unit 210 can use a hard stop or physical constraint to set the reference position of the end effector. For example, if it is known that the end effector reaches the hard stop when it rotates 270° in a certain direction, the control unit 210 can set a calibration value for the position of the corresponding actuator or drive disk. Then, the movement of the actuator or drive disk can be tracked based on the number of rotations of the drive disk, the motor shaft, the gear ratio, the drive disk / motor index, etc.

[0065] Furthermore, in some implementations, when attempting to engage the tool disk and drive disk, the control unit 210 can signal actuation of one or more motors for a specified number of times, a specified number of rotations, or a combination thereof. If engagement is not achieved within a threshold amount of time, number of rotations, etc., the control unit 210 can signal the operator of the surgical robot system (e.g., ...). Figure 1 The operator of system 100 issues a warning to remove and subsequently reattach surgical tool 240, thereby restarting the engagement process.

[0066] After the control unit 210 detects the mechanical engagement between the drive disk and the tool disk, the operator can command the movement of one or more joints of the surgical robot arm 220. As described above, the command is received from or originates from one or more UIDs (e.g., UID 114), which, as a spatial state signal from the UID, is converted into a corresponding control signal. The control unit 210 provides this control signal (e.g., desired motor speed or current and direction of rotation) to energize one or more actuators of the tool driver 230, which will change the pose, position, or other state of the end effector. In one embodiment, where two or more actuators coordinately control the movement of the end effector, for example when two or more tool disks impart movement to the end effector with the same degrees of freedom, the control unit 210 further implements cooperative control techniques to ensure that the actuators operate in a complementary manner when the end effector is moved, share the load associated with the movement of the end effector, do not antagonize each other when imparting such movement, maintain a balance among the actuators so that one actuator does not perform more or less work discontinuously than other actuators, etc. For example, when two or more actuators are used to control the opening, closing, and application of clamping force of the jaws of the end effector 246, the control unit utilizes multi-actuator operation control technology, which identifies the first of the two or more actuators as the master actuator and the remaining one or more actuators as slave actuators. A position command is then provided, which is used to signal the master actuator to move the end effector 246 to a commanded position, and this command is used to signal the slave actuators to move the end effector 246 to the same commanded position. For example, if the master and slave actuators are duplicated, the same polarity and current value can also be provided to each slave actuator if the master actuator receives a certain polarity (the direction of rotation of its motor) and a certain motor current value to satisfy a given end effector position command. However, in some implementations, there may be some compensation for the motion of the actuators that are complementary to each other, such as reversing the polarity of the driven actuator when the rotation directions of the master actuator and the driven actuator are different, adjusting the gain (e.g., the gain of the commanded motor current) when the properties of the motor are different, etc., as discussed in more detail herein.

[0067] Figure 3This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a surgical tool 240, a tool actuator 230, and a control unit 210. The surgical tool 240 can be attached to the tool actuator 230 by bringing complementary or mating surfaces of their respective housings into contact with each other. Attachment may also include securing the housings together. Furthermore, one or more sensors (not shown) of the tool actuator 230 can be used by the control unit 210 to detect attachment, including reading data from the surgical tool 240 to identify the surgical tool 240, indicating which tool disk (e.g., tool disks 244-j) is used to control the movement of the end effector 246, including calibration values, indicating whether the tool has a hard stop, or indicating which tool disk contributes to the movement of the surgical tool 240 or is connected to other tool disks in the surgical tool via a transmission. Data can be transmitted to the control unit 210 via a communication link (e.g., a wired or wireless link) established between the control unit 210's communication interface 318 and sensor reading circuitry (not shown) in the tool actuator 230. The data can then be stored in memory 314 as part of the engagement control program (engagement control 316) and can be associated with a specific surgical tool 240, as long as the latter remains attached to the tool driver 230.

[0068] The control unit 210, including its programming processor 312, can be integrated into the surgical robot system 100. Figure 1 In, for example, as a shared microprocessor and program memory within control tower 103. Alternatively, it can be in a remote computer (such as...) Figure 1 The control unit 210 is implemented in a room different from the operating room or in a building different from the surgical site, as shown. Furthermore, the control unit 210 may also include (though not shown) user interface hardware (e.g., keyboard, touchscreen, microphone, speaker) that enables manual control of the robotic arm and its attached tools 240, power supply (e.g., battery), and other components typically associated with electronics for controlling the surgical robotic system.

[0069] Memory 314 is coupled to one or more processors 312 (generally referred to herein as a "processor" for simplicity) to store instructions for execution by processor 312. In some embodiments, the memory is non-transitory and may store one or more program modules, including tool control 320 and engagement control 316, whose instructions configure processor 312 to perform the engagement process described herein. In other words, processor 312 may operate under the control of the execution of programs, routines, or instructions stored in memory 314 as part of tool control 320 and engagement control 316 to perform methods or processes according to the aspects and features described herein.

[0070] In response to the detection of attachment of the surgical tool 240 to the tool driver 230, engagement control 316 executes (or more precisely, configures processor 312 to execute) a process for detecting mechanical engagement of the tool disk with its corresponding drive disk (which is driven by an actuator), such as engagement of tool disk 344-i with corresponding drive disk 334-i. Engagement control 316 may signal (via tool control 320) one or more actuators of the tool driver 230 to impart movement to their respective drive disks. In some embodiments, these instructions or signals include instructions to energize, activate, or otherwise supply power to a motor, causing the motor to generate or apply a specific amount of torque, or to rotate the drive disk at a specific speed and direction by applying a specific voltage command, current command, etc. Furthermore, during the engagement detection process, the movement of each drive disk can be controlled to begin rapidly initially and then gradually decrease once engagement is approached, or a mating feature is detected to be close to alignment, or a predetermined time limit is reached without engagement being detected. For example, based on the relative position of the drive disk to the tool disk (which may be based on a known calibration value), the actuator speed is ramped down to a predetermined speed (e.g., until the drive disk is within a threshold distance where the mating features become aligned).

[0071] Engagement control 316 monitors one or more motor operating parameters of the motor of the actuator of tool driver 230. As discussed herein, motor operating parameters may include torque supplied by the motor, voltage supplied to the motor, impedance observed at the input drive terminal of the motor when attempting to drive the motor at a specific rate, motor speed, and other motor operating parameters. One or more of these parameters can be monitored by comparing them to thresholds such that when a threshold is reached, a mechanical engagement event is considered to have occurred (e.g., between tool disk 344-i and drive disk 334-i). As discussed herein, mechanical engagement is expected to be detected when the corresponding mating features of the tool disk and the corresponding mating features of the drive disk are aligned and secured such that rotation of the drive disk will cause an immediate and proportional rotation of the tool disk (integral with the drive disk) in mechanical engagement, for example. Such engagement is expected to be detected when one or more motor operating parameters meet a threshold (e.g., reaching or exceeding a threshold indicating that a hard stop has been reached, maximum torque, voltage, or impedance value, where the torque, voltage, or impedance value is greater than the value required to overcome the initial friction that occurs when tool 240 is first attached to tool driver 230). Therefore, engagement control 316 infers or deduces that tool disk 344-i and drive disk 334-j have engaged with each other (e.g., the corresponding disk mating features are fastened to each other).

[0072] It should be noted that engagement control 316 does not need to monitor sensor readings of all motor parameters obtained from tool driver 230. Instead, engagement control 316 may monitor only one or more features of interest based on, for example, whether surgical tool 240 is restricted by any hard stop or physical movement constraint, whether one or more tool disks cooperate (cooperate with each other) to impart movement to surgical tool 240, whether the tool disks impart movement to surgical tool 240 via cable or directly (e.g., through a gearbox), or a combination thereof, in order to determine when engagement-related thresholds are met.

[0073] In some implementations, engagement control 316 monitors patterns of motor operating parameters, such as torque, voltage, motor speed, and impedance, as a result of the drive disc 234-j rotating through the tool disc 244-j without mechanical engagement. That is, specific amounts of torque, force, voltage, etc., can be measured that are greater than those exhibited by a freely moving drive disc (where the surgical tool 240 is not attached to the tool driver 230) and less than those exhibited by a mechanically engaged drive disc (e.g., when the tool's mating features and the drive disc's mating features are mutually transmitted, while the tool housing and the tool driver housing are in contact but not engaged). When a change in this motor parameter pattern is detected, such as due to a hard stop or physical motion constraint, engagement control 316 considers that mechanical engagement has been detected. Monitoring and interpreting the pattern-based motor operating pattern also enables engagement control 316 to detect engagement (between the tool disc 344-j and the drive disc 334-j) even when no hard stop or motion constraint is available, or when it is not necessary to drive the drive disc to a hard stop or other motion constraint of the tool.

[0074] In some implementations, when engagement control 316 detects mechanical engagement between the tool disk and the drive disk, it can also initiate a verification process or engagement check, wherein the actuators of tool drive 230 are signaled to undergo a predetermined set of one or more movements to verify the detected engagement. For example, the actuators may be instructed to rotate their respective drive disks in a direction opposite to the engagement direction (the engagement direction is the direction in which the drive disk rotates when engagement is initially detected, e.g., in…) Figure 4A (The direction of motion 445 shown). Then, the drive disk can rotate in the opposite direction to the engagement direction until a second engagement is detected (e.g., when a certain motor parameter reaches a threshold that meets the condition that the tool disk reaches a hard stop or motion constraint, when a certain motor parameter reaches a threshold that meets the condition that there is resistance against the rotation of the tool disk not only caused by friction, or a combination thereof).

[0075] Based on whether engagement between the tool disk and the drive disk has been detected, or based on whether a countdown timer has expired if engagement has not been detected, the engagement control 316 generates a notification to the operator of the surgical robot system. This notification may indicate that engagement has occurred, making the surgical tool 240 ready for use, or that engagement has not yet occurred, and therefore the surgical tool 240 should be reattached.

[0076] Figure 5A This is a flowchart illustrating a process 500 for engaging a surgical tool with a tool actuator of a surgical robot system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Process 500 can be executed by a programmed processor (also referred to herein as processing logic), configured according to software stored in memory (e.g., Figure 3 The processor 312 and memory 314, wherein the processor 312 is configured according to instructions from the tool control 320 and the engagement control 316.

[0077] See Figure 5A The processing logic is initiated by activating the actuator of the tool driver to rotate the drive disk of the tool driver (processing module 502). For example, the processing logic may activate a linear or rotary actuator of the tool driver (e.g., tool driver 230) to rotate or turn the drive disk (e.g., drive disk 234-j). Furthermore, as discussed herein, when mechanically engaged, rotation of the drive disk (e.g., disk 234-j) will cause the corresponding tool disk (e.g., disk 244-j) of the surgical tool (e.g., surgical tool 240) to rotate immediately or directly.

[0078] The processing logic monitors one or more motor operating parameters of the actuator, which causes the drive disk to rotate when the motor is activated (processing module 504). In some embodiments, the monitored motor operating parameters may include torque, motor current, motor speed, or a combination thereof.

[0079] Based on one or more monitored motor operating parameters, processing logic detects when the drive disc mechanically engages with the tool disc (processing module 506). In one embodiment, detection is performed when at least one of the monitored motor operating parameters meets a corresponding condition or threshold, or in response to such conditions. For example, the condition may be associated with a motor operating parameter that arises in response to the motor reaching a physical constraint that prevents further rotation of the tool disc (e.g., reaching a mechanical limit on the range of motion when encountering a moving physical obstacle, reaching the maximum extent of movement of the tool's end effector, or experiencing opposite motion to another activated motor actuator, etc.). Alternatively, the condition may be a motor operating parameter exhibited when friction is present during rotation, caused by the drive disc contacting and sliding against the tool disc, but without mechanical latching or fastening between the drive disc and the tool disc. In the embodiments described herein, when mechanical engagement between the drive disc and the tool disc is detected, the processing logic may perform one or more additional actions, such as generating a system or operator notification, initiating one or more engagement verification operations, storing reference values, etc.

[0080] Figure 5B This is a flowchart illustrating a process 550 for detecting engagement between a tool disk and a drive disk based on one or more motor operating parameters of an actuator that drives the drive disk. Process 550 is executed by processing logic, which may include any combination of hardwired circuitry and a programmed processor, wherein, for example, process 550 may be executed by processor 312, which is programmed according to the aforementioned tool control 320 and engagement control 316. The process may begin by detecting that a detachable surgical tool has been attached to the tool driver (processing module 552) of the robotic arm of the surgical robot system. This attachment may be detected based on whether a sensor on the tool driver is within wireless detection range or electrically connected to an information storage unit in the detachable surgical tool. As discussed herein, the information storage unit may include a tool identifier and may also include additional tool attributes such as which of the available tool discs in the tool housing are actually connected to the end effector in the detachable surgical tool via a drive in the housing, what type of drive in the tool controls the movement of the end effector (e.g., cable-driven, direct-driven, etc.), which direction of movement or rotation is permitted (if any range of such movement or rotation exists), calibration values ​​(e.g., cable length, current cable length, maximum winding, rotational position of the tool disc, or original position of the tool disc, etc.), and other tool attributes discussed herein.

[0081] Then, at least one motor of the tool driver is activated, causing it to rotate an associated drive disc corresponding to the tool disc (connected via a transmission in the surgical tool to control the movement of the end effector) (processing module 554). In one embodiment, the current supplied to the motor, the torque obtained by the motor, or the direction of movement is signaled to the tool control 320, causing the motor to cause the drive disc to rotate at a predetermined speed in a predetermined direction. In other words, the processing logic sends a signal to the motor driver circuit, commanding the motor driver circuit to supply power or energy to the motor. In some embodiments, upon detection of attachment of the tool driver to the detachable surgical tool, the predetermined speed is set based on determinations such as the type of tool, the type of tool drive transmission (e.g., cable drive, direct drive, etc.), the type of constraints to be encountered (e.g., hard stops, physical constraints, relative motion constraints), or a combination of such factors. One or more motor operating parameters of at least one motor of the tool driver are then monitored (processing module 556). The monitored motor operating parameters may correspond to those controlled by the processing logic to cause motor movement (e.g., torque, speed).

[0082] return Figure 5B The processing logic repeatedly checks to see if engagement conditions have been met, for example, whether the monitored motor operating parameters have reached a threshold (processing module 558). If so, it is marked as a mechanical engagement event, indicating that the drive disc has mechanically engaged with its corresponding tool disc (processing module 564). As discussed herein, the threshold indicates the conditions associated with the mechanical engagement of the drive disc. For example, mechanical engagement is expected to occur when the torque, current, or impedance associated with a predetermined speed or rate of the motor exceeds the value associated with the value generated by the motor when the tool drive and tool disc rub against each other individually. The threshold can be a value greater than the torque, voltage, impedance, etc., required to overcome such friction. As another example, the movement of the end effector can be subject to physical constraints, such as the maximum range of motion of the joint, hard stops (e.g., applied by the sleeve wall), the opposite movement of another drive disc, and other physical constraints. In that case, the motor's speed and direction of movement are selected to advance the end effector or tool disc toward the physical constraints. Then, when the physical constraints are reached, the monitored torque, current, and impedance will increase to their maximum values, while the speed will drop to zero. In this example, one threshold could refer to a torque or motor current set close to its maximum value, and another threshold could refer to a speed below the motor's nominal speed setting during drive disc rotation, for example, essentially zero. Thus, the two thresholds serve as a means of cross-checking to make the detection of engagement more robust.

[0083] In response to the detected engagement of the drive disc with the corresponding tool disc, the movement of the drive disc is stopped (processing module 566). In one embodiment, when movement stops, one or more reference values ​​associated with the position or state of the end effector can be stored for later reference and use. For example, when physical constraints are used to detect engagement, motor index values, rotation counts, etc., can be stored and later used to reposition the end effector at or near the physical constraint. Physical constraints can be, for example, maximum cable length, sleeve wall height, maximum range of motion, etc. Furthermore, to prevent over-tensioning of the cable in the case of a cable-driven tool, the movement of the drive disc can be stopped, or the motor can be stopped simultaneously or nearly simultaneously with the detection performed at module 558.

[0084] Once engagement of all relevant drive disks (corresponding to the tool disks for a specific surgical tool) has been detected in processing module 567 (where the processes described above in modules 554-556-558-564-566 may have been performed for each respective drive disk), a tool engagement notification is subsequently generated (processing module 568). The notification may be a visual notification (e.g., a graphical user interface notification), an auditory notification (e.g., tone, sound, etc.), a sensory notification (e.g., a tactile notification), or a combination of such notifications generated by the user interface hardware of the surgical robot system.

[0085] The process temporarily returns to processing module 558, where, if engagement conditions are not met (e.g., monitored motor operating parameters do not meet thresholds, preventing mechanical engagement between the tool disk and the corresponding drive disk), it is determined whether a time or rotation limit has been reached (processing module 560). (Engagement failure could be due to a broken cable, the tool disk and drive disk not being close enough to engage with each other, etc.) The time limit can be a predetermined maximum time interval (countdown value) that allows the drive disk to rotate without detecting mechanical engagement with the tool disk. Similarly, the rotation limit can be the number of motor rotations required to apply one or more complete rotations of its corresponding drive disk. For example, if the rotation limit is related to one complete rotation of the drive disk, it is assumed that engagement should occur within a single rotation of the drive disk. If the time limit, rotation limit, or a combination of limits is not reached (processing module 560), monitoring of one or more motor operating parameter values ​​continues (returning to processing module 556). However, if one or more limits are reached (processing module 560), a notification (processing module 562) is generated indicating that an error has occurred and tool engagement has failed, similar to the notification from processing module 568. In this situation, the operator of the surgical system can be instructed to remove the surgical instruments from the tool drive and then reattach them to restart. Figure 5B The joining process.

[0086] Turn now Figure 5CThis is a diagram illustrating the process executed by the control unit for engaging surgical robotic tools with tool actuators as part of a surgical robotic system. The system includes, for example... Figure 2 The surgical robotic tool 240 shown has one or more tool disks at its proximal end and an end effector at its distal end. A tool actuator (e.g., tool actuator 230) is mounted at the distal end of the surgical robotic arm 220, as shown, wherein the tool actuator 230 has one or more drive disks 234, each drive disk being driven by a rotary motor within the housing of the tool actuator. Each drive disk 234 is attached to the tool disk 244 of the surgical tool 240 to impart motion to the end effector 246.

[0087] See also Figure 5C The process of engaging the tool disk with the drive disk is performed by a control unit, specifically by one or more processors configured (or programmed) to perform the process. Operation may begin with detecting the attachment of the surgical tool to the tool driver (module 582); this can be accomplished by the processor wirelessly or via a wired connection reading the tool's identification information or other attributes, indicating that the tool has made contact with the tool driver, thus engaging the tool disk with the corresponding or appropriate drive disk. The control unit can then actuate each drive disk via a rotary motor (module 584) and detect engagement of the drive disk with the corresponding tool disk during actuation (module 586); the drive disk is said to engage with the tool disk when a pair of coupling features of the drive disk are coupled to the tool disk (there may be more than one pair, e.g., two pairs, such as...). Figures 4A-4C (As shown) Engagement with the tool disk during interlocking. To detect engagement, the control unit identifies sensed changes in motor state (actuator state or its motor operating parameters), including a decrease in the speed of the rotary motor below a predetermined speed threshold and an increase in the torque of the rotary motor above a predetermined torque threshold. The speed threshold may correspond to a speed at which the motor substantially stops, and the torque threshold is a value between: i) the minimum torque required for the motor to overcome friction between the drive disk and the tool disk before engagement, and ii) the maximum torque produced by the motor. Changes in motor state may be caused by at least one of the following: the end effector reaching the joint limit, an external force on the end effector, motion constraints due to activation of another motor in the tool driver, and combinations thereof. Depending on the specific surgical tool, there may be more than one tool disk for operating the end effector. In this case, the above engagement process is also performed for each additional tool disk (with a corresponding drive disk in the tool driver). The process then continues to module 588, where the control unit signals, for example, the user interface subsystem of a surgical robot system to report the engagement of the surgical tool, but only if all tool disks for a particular tool have been detected to be engaged with their corresponding drive disks.

[0088] In one implementation, the feedback loop can be used to monitor one or more motor operating parameters and detect when a threshold has been reached. Figure 6 A block diagram is shown for a feedback loop used to control the speed of a motor driven by a speed feedback control tool. The feedback loop can be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Controller 602 receives speed commands. Controller 602 can be, for example, a proportional-integral-derivative controller (e.g., Figure 7 The controller 602 provides a PID controller (702) that provides a loop / feedback mechanism to provide an appropriate motor current (e.g., controller output, ctrlr output) for driving the motor / actuator 604 at that speed and in the direction of the speed command (also referred to as the speed setpoint). For example, the direction can be the winding direction of the cable-driven tool disk 244-j. Alternatively, the direction can be the opposite direction of motion to that of another motor, to which the attached tool disk 244-i should mate with tool disk 244-j. Or, the direction can be the direction that propels the motor toward a hard stop (such as a physical obstacle or a mechanical limitation on the range of motion) of the end effector. In one embodiment, the controller 602 can use various values, such as the desired torque to achieve the speed, the current to achieve the speed, the impedance indicating the speed, etc., as measures of the current used to generate the controller output to the motor / actuator 604.

[0089] Sensors (such as torque sensors, speed sensors, or a combination of sensors) measure the actual speed of the motor / actuator. This actual speed is then fed back as feedback to controller 602, which can calculate an error based on the difference between the motor's actual speed and the commanded speed. Controller 602 responds to this difference by adjusting its controller output, for example, the motor current command to motor / actuator 604, the torque achieved by motor / actuator 604, impedance values, etc., which will cause motor / actuator 604 to move toward the speed command or setpoint. In some embodiments, controller 602 may output motor operating parameters, such as torque, current, impedance, speed, etc., calculated due to the execution of the feedback loop.

[0090] In another embodiment, controller 602 may include a saturation module (not shown) to ensure that the controller output (e.g., a value controlling the motor current) does not exceed a threshold, such as a current threshold, torque threshold, or impedance threshold. Values ​​used by or input to the saturation module can be dual-purpose, i.e., also used as motor operating parameter values ​​provided to the processor (for monitoring during engagement).

[0091] Figure 7A block diagram of a feedback loop is shown, which includes a controller 702 for controlling the speed of a motor driving a tool. In one embodiment, controller 702 is a proportional-integral (PI) controller and may be used in controller 602, which may be implemented in part as hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0092] Controller 702 receives a speed command (e.g., a control variable setpoint). Controller 702 provides a loop / feedback mechanism to regulate and provide appropriate current (e.g., controller output) to drive motor / actuator 704 at that speed and in the direction of the speed command / setpoint. For example, the direction could be the winding direction of the tool disc of a cable-driven surgical tool. Alternatively, the direction could be the opposite direction to the movement of another motor driving the tool. Or, the direction could be the direction that propels the motor toward a hard stop (such as a physical barrier or a mechanical limitation on the range of motion) to the end effector. In one embodiment, controller 702 can use various values, such as the desired torque to achieve the speed, the current to achieve the speed, the impedance indicating the speed, etc., as measures of the current used to generate the controller output to motor / actuator 704.

[0093] Adjust the original speed command, such as by proportional adjustment (e.g., module k). p ): Speed ​​is adjusted proportionally to the error (e.g., as determined by feedback); and integral adjustment (e.g., module k) i The speed is adjusted by considering the integral of past errors over time. This can be achieved using module k located in the feedback loop used for anti-wrap. b The generated recovery term is used to further adjust the integral adjustment to further adjust the value of the integral adjustment. The integral adjustment value can also be adjusted via module 1 / s (e.g., before being added to the proportional setting adjustment value). In one implementation, as shown, a saturation module can be used in controller 702 to ensure that the value of the current supplied to the motor by control does not exceed a threshold, such as a current threshold, torque threshold, impedance threshold, etc. After adjustment via the boxes discussed above, and after the resulting current command value does not exceed the value set in the saturation box, the current command (e.g., the adjusted command already corrected based on feedback and PI regulation) is fed into a current amplifier, such that the current of the command entering motor / actuator 704 is amplified by a factor. Therefore, this factor can be fixed based on the characteristics of motor / actuator 704, based on feedback from motor / actuator 704, etc. Motor / actuator 704 is activated by the amplified current and provides feedback on the speed response of motor / actuator 704 (e.g., speed, torque, rate, etc. determined by sensors coupled to the motor) to the feedback loop implemented by controller 702, as shown.

[0094] As described above, the values ​​used by the saturation module (or input to the saturation module) can be used as motor operating parameter values ​​provided to the processor for monitoring during the engagement process, for example, displaying the current motor current or the current motor impedance.

[0095] In another embodiment, feedback can be used as motor operating parameter values ​​provided to the processor for monitoring during engagement. Other variables calculated in controller 702 (e.g., regulated and unregulated) can be used as monitored motor operating parameters.

[0096] In one embodiment described above, two actuators share a load when moving a surgical tool, for example, sharing a load to rotate an endoscope. The surgical tool (e.g., an endoscope) may have a rotary joint without an encoder, thus determining its position based on the angle of the motor or actuator. Without engagement, the rotation angle of the surgical tool cannot be determined. There are no mechanical hard stops on the rotary joint, so hard stops are not required for homing. The rotary joint is coupled to two motors on the tool driver. In normal operation, these two motors work together to drive the rotary joint. For example, in remote operation after engagement and homing, one motor is the primary motor and controlled in position mode, and the other motor is the secondary motor and controlled in either position mode or current (torque) mode. Both motors drive the surgical tool to move in the same direction. Before the two motors drive the endoscope rotary joint, the motors must engage with the rotary joint, and the endoscope engagement angle is calculated (i.e., homing) based on the motor joint position upon completion of engagement.

[0097] Figure 2 An exemplary surgical robotic system is shown for engagement and / or homing of motor control in a surgical robotic system. Typically, two or more drive disks 234 engage with corresponding two or more tool pads or disks 244. The pads may have other shapes than the disks, such as a plus sign ("+") shape. The examples herein use disks.

[0098] Surgical tool 240 is a surgical instrument, such as any surgical instrument used in medicine or discussed herein. In one embodiment, surgical tool 240 is an endoscope. Surgical tool 240 has a camera at its distal end as an end effector 246, rather than scissors, clamps, or other tools. The endoscope axis is capable of rotating 360 degrees without hard stops. Because there are no hard stops or physical limitations on the rotation, any number of rotations is possible. Other tools for rotation or other movements can be used.

[0099] The robotic surgical tool 240 includes a housing, a shaft, and an end effector 246 extending from a proximal end to a distal end. A tool disk 244 is positioned within the housing and linked to the end effector 246 (e.g., via a cable, rod, and / or other drive mechanism), which is driven by a drive disk 234 through the tool disk 244 and is driven after proper engagement.

[0100] A rotating tool disk 244 is connected to the shaft of the surgical tool 240 for rotating the surgical tool 240. Two or more rotating tool disks 244 are connected by a transmission mechanism to link the tool disks 244 to the surgical tool 240. Gears, clutches, cables, belts, and / or other linkages are subjected to forces, such as rotational forces, from the two or more tool disks 244 to rotate the surgical tool 240. Electricity for rotating the surgical tool is shared. In one embodiment, two tool disks 244 rotating in the same direction contribute to rotating the surgical tool 240 in the same or opposite directions. In another embodiment, the transmission linkage causes two tool disks 244 rotating in opposite directions to rotate the surgical tool 240 in one of the directions.

[0101] The tool driver 230 includes an actuator 238 (e.g., a motor) directly connected or connected via a transmission to the drive disk 234. The actuator 238 and the drive disk 234 form a rotary motor driver that can engage with the tool disk 244 (e.g., engaging coupling features 447 and 448). The drive disk 234 engages with the tool disk 244. Engagement or mating occurs once the surgical tool 240 is connected to the tool driver 230.

[0102] Sensor 236 can be one or more different sensors. For example, sensor 236 is an encoder for detecting the position (such as angular position) of the motor shaft and / or drive disk 234. The encoder can output position information, allowing the processor to determine the speed from the time derivative of the position. As another example, sensor 236 can be a current sensor (e.g., a current-sensing resistor connected in series with the motor input drive terminal) for detecting the amplitude of the current supplied to and / or generated by the actuator 238. Additional, different, or fewer sensors 236 may be provided for each actuator 238, such as current sensors and encoders.

[0103] like Figure 9 As shown, a current source 901 can be provided. Current source 901 outputs current to actuator 238. Based on a control signal, current source 901 provides current to move actuator 238 in position mode, torque (e.g., current) mode, or other control modes. Powering actuator 238 causes rotation, allowing it to rotate to a given angular position (position mode) or move at a given speed (e.g., current mode). Other control modes can be used.

[0104] In such Figure 9 In one embodiment shown, current source 901 applies a jitter current 902, such as a high-frequency (e.g., 60Hz or higher, e.g., 100Hz) sinusoidal current. The jitter current 902 has a low amplitude, for example, 10% or less of the maximum current 908. The jitter current 902 is applied to the ramp current 900 supplied to actuator 238. The jitter current 902 is applied at the initial portion of the ramp current and removed to complete the ramp. In other embodiments, the jitter current 902 is applied at other intervals, such as after the ramp current is initiated and / or removed after the steady-state current 904 is reached. The jitter current 902 can help reduce static friction during contact between tool disk 244 and drive disk 234 for engagement.

[0105] The processor 312 of the control unit 210 is configured to detect engagement between the rotary tool disk 244 and a corresponding rotary driver (e.g., rotary drive disk 234) by means of signal changes. The engagement of the drive disk 234 with the tool disk 244 is detected. Powered by the motor or actuator 238, the drive disk 234 can slide relative to the tool disk 244 until engagement occurs, at which point the tool disk 244 and the drive disk 234 rotate together.

[0106] Processor 312 is configured to detect engagement based on changes in signals or performance from actuator 238. Signals (such as current and / or speed) from sensor 236 are used to detect engagement. Once engagement occurs, the signals change. For example, the speed drops to zero or below a threshold speed. Or, the current spikes up or exceed a threshold current. Or, both low speed and current spikes are detected as indicating engagement or mating.

[0107] Since two or more actuators 238 work together to drive the surgical tool 240, changes in signals for detecting engagement can be performed on both motor drivers. For example, the current and / or speed of each actuator 238 can be monitored to detect engagement. The engagement of each actuator 238 with the surgical tool 240 is detected.

[0108] Without a hard stop, actuators 238 can be driven in opposite directions. The motor drivers can attempt to rotate the surgical tool 240 in opposite directions and / or at different speeds, rather than attempting to rotate together. Each actuator 238 is used to drive the surgical tool 240. By operating in opposite directions, actuators 238 can attempt to rotate the surgical tool 240 in opposite directions and / or at different speeds. Driving is performed in a position-controlled mode, but a current-controlled mode or other modes can be used.

[0109] When the initial drive disc 234 engages with the corresponding tool disc 244, the signal of the actuator or drive motor may not change significantly because this initial drive disc 234 is the sole driver for rotating the tool. Current and / or speed may vary due to the resistance of the rotating surgical tool 240, but the speed may not change below a speed threshold and / or the current may not spike above a current threshold. Once another or subsequent drive disc 235 engages with the corresponding tool disc 244, both motor drivers are engaged and attempt to rotate the surgical tool 240 in opposite directions and / or at different speeds. Therefore, the speeds of both motors drop below thresholds and / or the currents of both motors spike. The motor drivers counteract each other, acting as hard or soft stops. If the motors have the same strength or power and rotate at the same speed in opposite directions, the speed drops to zero, and the current spikes to its maximum value. In cases where the motors have different powers due to design or tolerances and / or different speeds, larger speed and / or smaller current spikes can be provided, while still remaining below the speed threshold and / or above the current threshold, respectively.

[0110] Processor 312 is configured to verify engagement. Engagement can be verified after engagement is detected. Once engaged, the encoder indicates the rotational position of tool disk 244. Since tool disk 244 is linked to the same surgical tool 240, the tool disks have a known relative rotation with each other. For example, tool disk 244 is designed to have the same angle as any given rotational position of surgical tool 240, but with the opposite sign. In other examples, any relative combination of angles can be used. Due to engagement, the position of drive disk 234 corresponds to the position of tool disk 244. Engagement is verified if the engagement angle matches the design angle.

[0111] Processor 312 is configured to primalize the rotation angle of surgical tool 240. Once engaged, the current rotation angle of surgical tool 240 is determined. Surgical tool 240 is calibrated such that the angle of the rotating tool disk 244 for each rotation angle of surgical tool 240 is known. At engagement, processor 312 determines the rotation angle of the surgical tool based on the rotation angle of the engaged rotary actuator (e.g., actuator 238, drive disk 234, and / or tool disk 244). Calibration correlates the angle of the engaged rotary actuator with the angle of surgical tool 240. See also Figure 8 Upon completion of the engagement, with the surgical instrument (e.g., endoscope) in its original (zero) position θT, the joint (e.g., tool tray) angles are α1 and α2, respectively. Both α1 and α2 are pre-calibrated and measured from encoder-based angles θ1 and θ2 of the two motors M1 and M2.

[0112] Figure 8 and Figure 9Another embodiment for detecting engagement of two motor drives used to control the same movement of a surgical tool 240 is shown. A combination of position control mode and current control mode is used to detect engagement from changes in the signal.

[0113] The equation of motion for the motion after engagement can be expressed as:

[0114] θ = γ, (θ1-a1)θ1-α1 = -(θ2-α2) where θ, θ1, θ2 - the angle of endoscope engagement, motor M1 connector, motor M2 connector; γ - gear ratio; α1, a2 - the angle of M1 and M2 connectors when the endoscope is in the zero position.

[0115] This equation of motion can be used for engagement detection and / or homing.

[0116] In the first step, motor M2 is set to operate in position control mode. The target position is set to the current position, so motor M2 remains stable or in the current position.

[0117] In the second step, motor M1 is set to operate in current control mode. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the current 900 increases gradually until the speed reaches a threshold, denoted by the horizontal portion 904 of the current 900. The maximum current 908 of the horizontal portion 904 and the offset of the ramp rate can be determined experimentally.

[0118] A jitter current 902 is added to the current 900. For example, a high-frequency (e.g., 100Hz) sinusoidal current provides low-amplitude jitter and is superimposed on the ramp current. This high-frequency current helps overcome static friction between disks 234 and 244. The angular velocity 906 of the actuator 238 and the drive disk 234 ramps up and is then maintained stable based on this current control. The direction of the current command (i.e., the direction of rotation) is arbitrary. The maximum current limit 908 is set between the maximum current used to drive the motor alone and the minimum current used to drive the coupled motor and endoscope. This limit can be determined experimentally.

[0119] During this second step, engagement of motor M1 is detected. Engagement is detected if motor M1 has never moved – the current command ramps up to the maximum current. This may occur when tool disk 244 engages with drive disk 234 during connection or placement of contacts. Engagement is detected if motor M1 stops before or after reaching the desired speed. If motor M1 does not stop after a full rotation is detected by the encoder, the speed limit can be reduced (e.g., reduced to...). Then repeat step two. If the second step fails to detect engagement again, report an error and stop the process.

[0120] In the third step, motor M1 is set to position mode, and the target position is set to the current position θ1 to keep motor M1 in place. In the fourth step, motor M2 is set to current control mode. The same current distribution used in the second step (see...) Figure 9 The direction of current rotation is set to be shorter than -(θ1-α1)+α2. The same speed and / or motion conditions are used to determine whether motor M2 engages.

[0121] In steps two and four, engagement can be detected using speed variation instead of checking for a stop. Once engagement is confirmed, the current command is set to zero and the next step is immediately performed.

[0122] The current ramp control in steps two and four can be replaced by speed closed-loop control with current saturation. In step two, motor M1 is set to speed control mode, and the target speed is set to a predetermined value. The direction of the speed is arbitrarily chosen. Engagement is detected if motor M1 stops or if there is a sudden jump in the motor current measurement. In step four, motor M2 is set to speed control mode, and the target speed is set to a predetermined value. The direction of the speed is the direction with a shorter distance than -(θ1-α1)+α2.

[0123] In step five, motor M1 remains in position control mode, and motor M2 remains in current control mode. The engagement angles of motors M1 and M2 are checked to verify that the motion equations are satisfied. If the angles match the design angles, full engagement is confirmed. If engagement fails twice consecutively and / or engagement is verified to have failed, the engagement process can be stopped and an error reported.

[0124] After successful engagement, homing can be determined. The endoscope engagement angle relative to the zero position can be calculated from the motor M1 engagement angle using the equation of motion.

[0125] Figure 10 One embodiment of a method for motor control of a surgical instrument in a surgical robotic system is shown. The method also includes homing the rotational position of the surgical instrument within the surgical robotic system. For example, engagement and / or homing of an endoscope with an instrument drive motor (M1, M2) is provided. The drive motors are engaged until the motor connector shaft is securely coupled to the endoscope shaft via a key and / or keyhole or another coupling element. Homing locates the engagement angle between the zero position of the endoscope rotary connector and the position of the main connector encoder.

[0126] This method is by Figure 2 and Figure 3The method is performed by a surgical robotic system or another surgical robotic system. It is performed when two motors drive the same movement of a surgical tool, such as rotation of an endoscope in the same direction. The processor of a control unit or other controller performs the method when the surgical tool 240 is connected to the tool driver 230. Once the identification information of the surgical tool 240 is determined to be that it is a tool with two or more motors (combining their power or movement to drive the same movement), the processor performs engagement detection and / or homing.

[0127] The actions are performed in the order shown or a different order. For example, actions 1002 and 1004 are performed simultaneously. Alternatively, actions 1002 and 1004 are repeated to detect engagement of different motors. Additional, different, or fewer actions may be provided. For example, actions 1006 and / or 1008 for detecting engagement are not provided. Alternatively, actions 1002 and 1004 are not provided when using other engagement detection methods. Alternatively, action 1006 is not provided. In other examples, actions for remote operation or surgical use of an endoscope or other surgical instrument for engagement and homing are provided. In one embodiment, the attachment of a surgical instrument to an instrument driver is detected (see...). Figure 5B Action 552 and Figure 5C Action 582) to trigger engagement of the detection disk later.

[0128] In action 1000, a processor (e.g., a controller or control unit) detects engagement of two or more rotary tool pads or disks 244 with corresponding two or more rotary drives (e.g., actuators 238 and drive pads or disks 234). The drive disks 234 engage with the tool disks 244 using a releasable engagement (e.g., spring-loaded, physical barrier, or friction engagement).

[0129] In action 1002, a motor (e.g., actuator 238) rotates. The rotation of the motor is performed under position control, but other control modes may be used. During remote operation, to rotate or translate a surgical instrument in one direction, two motors rotate in a specific direction (e.g., both motors rotate in the same direction, or one motor rotates in one direction while the other rotates in a different direction), relying on a transmission or other linkage from the tool tray 244 to the surgical instrument 240. To engage, the motors rotate in opposite directions. For example, an endoscope is rotated clockwise by rotating one motor clockwise and the other counterclockwise. To rotate in opposite directions, the motors rotate in the same direction, such that one motor attempts to rotate the endoscope clockwise and the other attempts to rotate it counterclockwise. Because the endoscope does not have a hard stop or physical limiter for rotation, the opposing rotations of the motors sharing the motion load counteract each other and act as stops once engaged.

[0130] As the motor rotates, the drive disk 234, connected to the motor, rotates directly or via gears. The drive disk 234 comes into frictional contact with the tool disk 244. The rotation has sufficient force to overcome static friction, thus causing the drive disk 234 to rotate relative to the tool disk 244, which is linked to a surgical instrument (e.g., surgical instrument 240 or endoscope). The rotation should ultimately result in the engagement of the physical engagement mechanisms on the instrument (e.g., protrusions and recesses, shaped extensions and slots, protrusions and stops, and / or snap-fit ​​retainers and extensions) with the drive disks 234 and 244.

[0131] Jitter can be applied using current control mode, position control mode, and / or other control modes. Static friction can be more easily overcome by using a jitter command signal, allowing the drive disc 234 to rotate at a greater rate than the tool disc 244 for engagement.

[0132] Once two or more pairs of tool discs 244 and drive discs 234 are engaged or linked, the opposing rotations act as a stop. Once engaged, the rotational force from each motor is transmitted through the linkage or transmission connecting the tool discs 234, resulting in resistance to movement.

[0133] In an alternative implementation, one motor is controlled in a position mode to not rotate, while the other motor rotates to engage. Once one motor engages, the driver of that engaged motor stops rotating, while the other motor engages. For example, as described above... Figure 9 The steps are shown.

[0134] In action 1004, the processor (e.g., control unit or controller) monitors and detects engagement of the motor (e.g., actuator 238) with the corresponding tool disk 244. Detection is based on monitoring changes in the motor's performance. This change can be represented as a difference, such as a performance difference exceeding a threshold (e.g., current doubling or increasing by more than X times). The change can also be represented as an absolute value relative to a threshold, such as a speed transitioning to a speed below the threshold (e.g., speed returning to zero) and / or a current transitioning to a speed above the threshold (e.g., current spike).

[0135] Engagement is detected once a performance change occurs in one or more parameters (e.g., both current and speed) of each motor in the motor group. Engagement can be detected as engagement of all motors or motor subgroups. Engagement of the surgical tool is detected once a performance characteristic of each motor or each motor subgroup changes. Alternatively, engagement is detected individually for each motor. The engagement process ends once all the required motors have engaged.

[0136] In action 1006, the processor (e.g., controller or control unit) checks or verifies engagement. Once engagement is detected, a check is performed to verify that the engagement is good. This check relies on the transmission or linkage between the tool disk 244 and the surgical tool 240. Since both tool disks 244 drive the same motion, the angles of the tool disks 244 relative to each other are fixed or within tolerance. The mechanism for engagement has a fixed orientation on the tool disks 244 and the drive disk 234, so the engaged tool disk 244 has this fixed orientation when both are engaged. The angle between the drive disk 234 and the corresponding motor shaft is measured by a sensor 236 (e.g., encoder). Due to engagement, the angle corresponds to the angle of the tool disk 244.

[0137] Compare the rotation angles. Engagement is verified if the expected angle or rotation angle is detected within a threshold. For example, the drive mechanism or linkage between the tool disks 244 is designed to have the same angle as any rotational position of the surgical tool 240 (e.g., an endoscope), but with the opposite sign. Once engaged, the rotational positions of the motor and drive disk 234 have the same angle (e.g., the same absolute angle, but with different signs). Other angle combinations may be used.

[0138] In action 1008, the processor (e.g., controller or control unit) determines the current rotation angle of the surgical instrument once engaged. This homing determines the rotation angle of the medical instrument at engagement.

[0139] The rotation angle is determined by the motor angle and the corresponding drive disk 234 angle. Once engaged, the angle between the drive disk 234 and the sensor 236 is the angle of the tool disk 244. A lookup table or other function from calibration maps the angle of the tool disk 244 (and / or drive disk 234) to the angle of the surgical tool. The transmission correlates the angle of the tool disk 244 with the angle or position of the surgical tool, and calibration measures this relationship. Once the angles of the disks 234, 244 for each motor drive are determined, calibration is used to find the angle of the surgical tool 240.

[0140] The engagement and / or homing process then terminates. If engagement is not detected in action 1000, engagement is not verified in the check of action 1006, and / or homing fails in action 1008, the process for engagement is repeated or a different engagement process may be performed. If multiple failures occur, an error message is sent. In the case of successful engagement and / or homing, the surgical tool 240 and motor driver are ready for remote operation during surgery.

[0141] The foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, including those described below in the summary, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed. While specific embodiments and examples of the invention have been described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. For example, although Figures 4A-4C A surgical tool 240 is shown with a cable-driven transmission that connects a tool disc 244 to an end effector (not shown). The aforementioned engagement process is also applicable to other types of surgical tools with different transmissions (not necessarily cable-driven). These modifications can be made to the invention based on the detailed description above. The terminology used in the following claims should not be construed as limiting the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification. Rather, the scope of the invention is fully defined by the following claims, which will be interpreted according to the claims.

Claims

1. A method for tool engagement in a surgical robotic system, the method comprising: The detection method involves the mechanical attachment of a surgical instrument to a tool driver, the tool having a first tool disk and a second tool disk respectively engaged with a first drive disk and a second drive disk of the tool driver, the first tool disk and the second tool disk being linked to an end effector of the surgical instrument. The first drive disk is actuated by the first motor of the tool driver and the second drive disk is actuated by the second motor of the tool driver, so that the first drive disk and the second drive disk rotate relative to each other in opposite directions; Monitor the performance of the first motor and the second motor; as well as By causing the surgical tools to rotate in opposite directions, the engagement of the first and second tool disks with the first and second drive disks is detected based on the performance changes of the first and second motors.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Actuation includes actuating the first motor and the second motor using a position control mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The movement of the surgical instrument includes the rotation of an endoscope without rigid stops.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The detection includes detecting current spikes in the first motor and the second motor.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The detection includes detecting a first speed and a second speed that are below the speed thresholds of the first motor and the second motor, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising checking that a first rotation angle of the first tool disk is within a threshold amount at the time of engagement, wherein the first rotation angle has a sign opposite to that of a second rotation angle of the second tool disk at the time of engagement.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a rotation angle of the surgical tool at engagement based on a first angle and a second angle of the first motor and the second motor at engagement between the surgical tool and the first tool disc and the second tool disc.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The determination includes determining the rotation angle based on calibration.

9. A surgical robotic system for detecting engagement, the system comprising: A surgical actuator is connected to a first rotating tool pad and a second rotating tool pad via a transmission device. The surgical actuator is connected such that rotation of the first rotating tool pad and the second rotating tool pad causes rotation of the surgical actuator. A tool driver having a first rotary driver and a second rotary driver capable of engaging with the first rotary tool pad and the second rotary tool pad, respectively; as well as The processor is configured to detect, by means of signal changes, engagement of the first and second rotating tool pads with the first and second rotating drivers, respectively, when the first and second rotating tool pads are driven such that their rotation causes the surgical actuator to rotate in opposite directions.

10. The surgical robot system according to claim 9, wherein, The surgical actuator includes an endoscope capable of rotating about a longitudinal axis.

11. The surgical robot system according to claim 9, wherein, The processor is configured to detect the engagement, wherein the first rotary tool pad is driven by the first rotary driver to cause the surgical actuator to rotate in the opposite direction to the second rotary tool pad driven by the second rotary driver.

12. The surgical robot system of claim 11, wherein, The processor is configured to drive both the first rotary driver and the second rotary driver in a position control mode.

13. The surgical robot system of claim 9, further comprising a first encoder and a second encoder connected to the first rotary driver and the second rotary driver, the processor being configured to detect changes in the signal when a first speed and a second speed from the information from the first encoder and the second encoder are within a threshold amount of zero.

14. The surgical robot system of claim 9, further comprising a current sensor connected to detect currents in the first rotary actuator and the second rotary actuator, the processor being configured to detect changes in the signals when a first current and a second current in the first rotary actuator and the second rotary actuator reach a spike.

15. The surgical robot system according to claim 9, wherein, The processor is configured to verify the engagement by comparing a first rotation angle of the first rotary driver with a second rotation angle of the second rotary driver.

16. The surgical robot system according to claim 9, wherein, The processor is configured to determine the rotation angle of the surgical actuator based on the rotation angle of the first rotary driver and the second rotary driver when they engage with the first rotary tool pad and the second rotary tool pad.

17. The surgical robot system of claim 9, further comprising a current source configured to apply a jittering current to the current ramp in a current control mode of the first rotary actuator, wherein, The processor is configured to detect the engagement based on the changes in the signal from the first rotary driver in the current control mode.

Images