System and method for selecting assignments for components of a computer-aided device

Abstract

A device management system can include a device including a drive assembly configured to be removably coupled with an instrument. The drive assembly can include a plurality of drive elements configured to cause movement of the instrument by driving a plurality of input elements of the instrument. A control system can include a processor configured to select, for a first drive element of the plurality of drive elements, a first assignment from a plurality of assignments, the first assignment usable for at least two drive elements of the plurality of drive elements. The first assignment can be associated with a first pairing of the first drive element and a first input element of the plurality of input elements. The processor can be configured to cause the first drive element to employ the first assignment.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 057,863, filed July 28, 2020, entitled “Systems and Methods for Selecting Assignments for Components of Computer-assisted Devices,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This technology generally relates to the management of devices, and more specifically, to systems and methods for selecting and assigning drive elements for components or parts of computer-aided devices. Background Technology

[0004] Computer-aided devices typically comprise modular components that are disposable, reusable, interchangeable, etc. For example, such a device may include a manipulator arm having one or more links connected via one or more joints. The arm can be configured to be permanently or releasably mounted at or near the procedure site, such as to a ceiling, wall, mobile cart, operating table, equipment for the procedure, etc. In some cases, the arm is interchangeable at the procedure site, and the arm can be positioned at different locations within the procedure site.

[0005] As another example of modularity, computer-aided devices can be removably coupled to various instruments for specific applications and programs. For example, a computer-aided device may include a manipulator arm or other components configured to be coupled to an instrument. These instruments can also be interchangeable, as instruments can be configured to couple to different arms or other components of a given computer-aided device. Using different instruments can load or wear on arms or other computer-aided device components, as well as sub-components that include these components, in different ways. For example, certain applications or certain instruments may load or wear on certain sub-components more easily than other sub-components. Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods for managing the use of arms and other components of computer-aided devices. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present technology, a device management system may include a device having a drive assembly. The device may include a medical or non-medical device. The drive assembly may be configured to be removably coupled to an instrument. The drive assembly may include a plurality of drive elements configured to cause movement of the instrument by driving a plurality of input elements of the instrument. The management system may include a control system including one or more processors and a memory. The memory may include programming instructions adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform operations. These operations may include selecting a first assignment from a plurality of assignments for a first drive element of the plurality of drive elements, the first assignment being available for at least two of the plurality of drive elements. The first assignment may be associated with a first pairing of the first drive element and a first input element of the plurality of input elements. Operations may include causing the first drive element to adopt the first assignment.

[0007] According to a further embodiment of the present technology, a device may include a robot manipulator and a drive assembly supported by the robot manipulator. The drive assembly may be configured to be removably coupled to a device. The drive assembly may include a plurality of drive elements configured to cause movement of the device via a plurality of input elements of the device. In a first configuration of the drive assembly, a first drive element of the plurality of drive elements may be positioned coupled to a first input element of the plurality of input elements. In a second configuration of the drive assembly, a first drive element of the plurality of drive elements may be positioned coupled to a second input element of the plurality of input elements.

[0008] According to embodiments of the present technology, a method for managing wear on a device including a drive assembly configured to be removably coupled to an instrument, the method may include: selecting a first assignment from a plurality of assignments for a first drive element of a plurality of drive elements of the drive assembly, the first assignment being available for at least two of the plurality of drive elements. The method may include assigning the first drive element to the first assignment. The first assignment may be associated with a pairing of the first drive element and a first input element of a plurality of input elements of the instrument. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Many aspects of this technology can be better understood by referring to the detailed description and the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, the focus is on clearly illustrating the principles of the technology. Furthermore, components may appear transparent in some views for clarity only, not indicating that the components must be transparent. Components may also be shown schematically.

[0010] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of a device configured according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0011] Figure 1BThis is a schematic diagram of a device configured according to another embodiment of the present technology, wherein the manipulator assembly of the medical device system is mounted on a movable support structure.

[0012] Figure 1C This is a schematic diagram of a device configured according to another embodiment of the present technology, wherein the manipulator assembly of a medical device system is mounted on an operating table.

[0013] Figure 2A This is an illustration of a manipulator assembly configured according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0014] Figure 2B It is configured to be with Figure 2A A diagram of the drive components and instruments used in conjunction with the manipulator components.

[0015] Figure 2C This is a schematic diagram of the drive system of a device configured according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a system for managing devices according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0017] Figure 4A This is a schematic diagram of a method for selecting and allocating drive elements in a medical device configured according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0018] Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of another method for selecting and allocating drive elements in a medical device configured according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0019] Figure 5A This is a schematic diagram of a method for managing a device according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0020] Figure 5B yes Figure 5A A diagram illustrating the additional steps of the method.

[0021] Figure 6A This is a perspective view of a drive assembly configured according to an embodiment of the present technology and having a rotatable base mounted on a fixed base.

[0022] Figure 6B This is a perspective view of a driving component configured according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0023] In this specification, it should be understood that similar reference numerals are used to identify similar elements shown in one or more figures, for the purpose of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure, and not for limiting embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The aspects of this disclosure are described with reference to computer-aided systems and apparatus, which may include remotely operated, remotely controlled, autonomous, semi-autonomous, robotic, and / or similar systems and apparatus. Furthermore, the aspects of this disclosure are described in accordance with embodiments using surgical systems, such as the da... (The sentence is incomplete and requires further context to translate accurately). Surgical systems. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the inventive aspects disclosed herein can be embodied and implemented in various ways, including robotic and (if applicable) non-robotic embodiments and implementations. In da The implementations on surgical systems are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the instruments, systems, and methods described herein may be applicable, for example, to diagnostic, therapeutic, or training procedures, whether surgical or non-surgical. While some embodiments of such procedures are provided herein, any reference to medical or surgical instruments or methods is intended to be non-limiting. Thus, the instruments, systems, and methods described herein can be used for humans, animals, parts of human or animal anatomy, non-surgical diagnostics, and for industrial systems, general-purpose robots, or remote operating systems. As further examples, the instruments, systems, and methods described herein can be used for non-medical purposes, including industrial use, general robotic use, sensing or manipulating non-tissue artifacts, cosmetic enhancements, imaging of human or animal anatomy, collecting data from human or animal anatomy, establishing or dismantling systems, training medical or non-medical personnel, and / or similar purposes. Additional example applications include procedures for tissue removed from human or animal anatomy (without returning it to the human or animal anatomy) and procedures for human or animal cadavers. In addition, these technologies can be used in medical treatments or diagnostic procedures, with or without surgical intervention.

[0025] This technology generally relates to systems and methods for selecting and assigning components of a device. Such devices may include, for example, computer-assisted medical devices having one or more manipulator arms (or other articulated structures, or other similar or suitable structures) adapted to be operatively coupled to one or more instruments (e.g., non-medical or medical devices, manipulators (such as scissors) or imaging instruments (such as cameras) or other devices). Various components of the devices described herein are subjected to loads or wear over time and during phases or multiple procedures of the same procedure. Specific loads and wear can be attributed to a number of variables. These variables include, but are not limited to, the type of instrument used, the type of loads performed during the procedure, the overall component life, the orientation of the manipulator assembly and other components during a given procedure, the patient's orientation during the procedure, and cleaning, reprocessing, servicing and maintenance, repair, and surrounding conditions in the procedure and / or storage environment. For example, the type of instrument and / or the type of procedure can result in specific types of loads on the manipulator assembly and / or components of the instrument. Compared to other procedures, certain types of machinery and procedures may involve higher levels of: load frequency, peak or average load amplitude, load duration, peak or average momentum, peak or average torque or linear force, range of motion, peak or average velocity or acceleration or jerk, number of directional reversals, number of actuations, duration of use, workload, instantaneous or average power, peak or average temperature or temperature range, frequency or temperature cycle count, etc. Furthermore, the orientation of the manipulator or machinery may result in unique distribution of lubricant (e.g., sometimes unfavorable distribution) and / or unique gravity-induced loads on joints and other components. In some cases, the surrounding environment can introduce unique wear into the system via humidity levels, temperature levels, ambient pressure (e.g., altitude-related), and / or particulate matter (e.g., dust, sand, etc.) levels and the like.

[0026] The types of loads or wear introduced by the variables described above can include, but are not limited to, abrasion, corrosion, adhesion, thermal fatigue, mechanical fatigue, air gouging, scratching, erosion, pitting, hardening, spalling, jamming, cracking (e.g., stress corrosion cracking), rusting, and creep / plastic deformation. The various types of loads or wear attributable to the variables described above can lead to performance degradation or failure of different specific components, sub-components containing these components, and / or other parts of the equipment. For example, loads or wear can be applied to transmission sub-components such as actuators (e.g., motors, solenoids), bearings, drive cables, pulleys, gears; joints and linkage sub-components. Wear and loads can be attributed to various operations performed by the component / sub-component. Example operations can include instrument movement, staple fires, cutting, ablation, clamping, etc.

[0027] In many cases, lower performance or failure of a sub-component (e.g., a manipulator arm or instrument) can lead to lower performance or failure of the entire component or larger device. For example, lower performance or failure of a drive assembly sub-component, sensor system sub-component, control system sub-component, or some other sub-component of a manipulator arm can render the entire manipulator arm ineffective or unusable without maintenance or repair. Examples of drive assembly sub-components include drive elements configured to couple to an input element of the instrument and input motion or power (e.g., linear force or rotational torque) to the input element; and transmission sub-components coupled to drive the drive element, such as cables, metal belts, drive screws, cables, gears and gear shafts, pulleys, levers, universal joints, actuators (such as motors and solenoids), structural sub-components (such as chassis and U-clamps), and other sub-components constituting the transmission system. Increasing the use of a component or sub-component compared to using other components or sub-components results in that component or sub-component experiencing greater loads, greater wear, lower performance, or earlier failure compared to other components or sub-components. Therefore, it is advantageous to reduce the overuse of a component or sub-component compared to other components or sub-components (if such reduction is possible). As used herein, “coupled,” “coupled,” or any form thereof refers to a connection between two or more components, whether direct (e.g., via direct contact) or indirect (e.g., via one or more intermediate structures).

[0028] To reduce variations in load and wear between components in the medical devices described herein, thereby increasing the overall performance or lifespan of the devices, various methods and systems can be implemented as described herein. These methods and systems include, for example, random or pseudo-random coupling between drive components and instruments. In some embodiments, load and wear on specific components can be monitored to allocate instruments to less frequently used components of the device. For example, some embodiments of the present technology may include a device having a drive component configured to be coupled to an instrument. The drive component includes a plurality of drive elements configured to actuate movement of the instrument by driving a plurality of input elements of the instrument. The drive elements of a given device (e.g., a medical device) and the input elements of a given instrument may be configured to be coupled to each other in multiple orientations or other arrangements. In some cases, the drive elements of a given device are configured to be coupled to the input elements of a variety of different instruments. Systems of the present technology may include one or more processors configured to execute instructions to manage the coupling between the device and the instrument, thereby distributing load or wear more evenly across the drive elements.

[0029] This disclosure describes various instruments and parts thereof by means of their states in three-dimensional space. As used herein, the term “position” refers to the location of an object or part of an object in three-dimensional space (e.g., three translational degrees of freedom along Cartesian X, Y, and Z coordinates). As used herein, the term “orientation” refers to the rotational placement of an object or part of an object (e.g., three rotational degrees of freedom, such as roll, pitch, and yaw). As used herein, the term “pose” refers to the position of an object or part of an object in at least one translational degree of freedom, and the orientation of the object or part of an object in at least one rotational degree of freedom (e.g., up to six total degrees of freedom).

[0030] Figure 1A This is a simplified diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present technology. Specifically, Figure 1A A computer-assisted medical device 100 is illustrated. In some embodiments, device 100 may be adapted for use in, for example, diagnostic, therapeutic, training, or other procedures, whether the procedure is surgical or non-surgical. Although some embodiments of such procedures are provided herein, any references to medical or surgical instruments and methods are non-limiting. The systems, instruments, and methods described herein can be used with animals, human cadavers, animal carcasses, parts of human or animal anatomy, for non-surgical diagnostics, and for industrial systems and general-purpose robots, general-purpose remote-operated or robotic medical systems.

[0031] like Figure 1A As shown, device 100 may include one or more manipulator components 102. Although in Figure 1A The embodiment illustrates three manipulator components 102; in other embodiments, more or fewer manipulator components may be used. The exact number of manipulator components will depend on the procedure and space constraints within the operating room, as well as other factors. Each manipulator component 102 may include one or more manipulator arms (e.g., robotic manipulator arms). Multiple user control systems 132 may be co-located, or they may be located in separate locations. Multiple user control systems 132 may allow more than one operator to control one or more remotely operated manipulator components in various combinations.

[0032] In this medical example, the manipulator assembly 102 is used to operate the medical device 104 (e.g., manipulation, imaging, or other instruments) while performing various procedures on the patient 101. In some embodiments, one or more manipulator assemblies 102 include more than one manipulator arm, and each manipulator arm is configured to have one or more medical devices 104 mounted thereon. The devices 104 may be releasably or permanently mounted to the manipulator assembly. The manipulator assembly 102 may be a remotely operated, non-remotely operated, or hybrid remotely operated and non-remotely operated assembly, having selectable degrees of freedom of motion that may be motorized and / or remotely operated and selectable degrees of freedom of motion that may be non-motorized and / or non-remotely operated. The manipulator assembly 102 may be configured to position and move the medical device 104 such that the distal portion of the manipulator assembly 102 and / or the medical device 104 pivots about a remote center of motion that coincides with the orifice through which the device 104 enters the patient 101. Then, the manipulator assembly 102 can manipulate the instrument 104 to translate or rotate the instrument 104 in space, such as pivoting the instrument 104 about a remote center of motion, inserting or retracting the instrument 104, and / or rolling the instrument 104 about its axis.

[0033] In some embodiments, the manipulator assembly 102 may be mounted to or near an operating table or surgical table T. In such embodiments, the manipulator assembly 102 may be mounted directly to the operating table T or directly to a rail coupled to the operating table T. In various other embodiments, the manipulator assembly 102 may be mounted to a fixed or movable manipulation system (e.g., mounted to the floor, wall, or ceiling, or mounted to a trolley). The manipulation system may be separate from and spaced apart from the operating table T in the operating room. In such embodiments, the manipulation system may be movable independently relative to the operating table T. In such embodiments, one or more manipulator assemblies 102 may be mounted to any structure or in any manner as described above. For example, one manipulator assembly 102 may be mounted to the operating table T, while another manipulator assembly 102 may be mounted to the manipulation system. In other examples, additional manipulator assemblies 102 may be mounted to the ceiling of the operating room.

[0034] Figure 1B and Figure 1C The diagram illustrates two such example manipulator component configurations. More specifically, Figure 1BThis is a schematic plan view of medical device 100a, showing a patient and two patient-side units, illustrating an example case of using a separate instrument support structure during a medical procedure. Medical device 100a may share many or all of the features of the medical device 100 described herein. Patient 101 is shown on an operating table T. An illustrative support structure 102a is shown as a mobile unit that can move throughout the operating room floor. Support structure 102a (e.g., a manipulator assembly) may support instrument 108, such as an instrument including an endoscope camera, in which the endoscope camera is... Figure 1B The illustrated posture has a field of view (FOV) pointing towards the working site 110 (e.g., a medical site such as a surgical site) within the patient 101. An illustrative support structure 102b (e.g., a manipulator assembly) is also shown as a mobile unit movable across the operating room floor. Support structure 102b can support instruments 114, such as manipulators positioned to position their end effector 116 at the working site 110. In various embodiments, each of support structures 102a, 102b may be replaced by one or more support structures. Furthermore, each support structure (e.g., 102a, 102b) may be configured to support one or more instruments. The following description of support structures 102a and 102b also applies to various other support structures that may be represented by them.

[0035] like Figure 1B As shown, support structure 102a is in orientation 106a relative to world coordinate system 120. Support structure coordinate system 122 is associated with individual links in the kinematic chain of the support structure (e.g., links of the structure, manipulators, or instruments of support structure 102a). Changes in the orientation of support structure coordinate system 122 change with the orientation of the associated individual links.

[0036] like Figure 1B As shown, support structure 102b is in a first pose 112a relative to world coordinate system 120. Support structure coordinate system 124 is associated with individual links in the kinematic chain of the support structure. Figure 1B Also shown is a support structure 102b in the second dashed pose 112b, with reference to world coordinate system 120. This illustrates that support structures 102a, 102b can be placed or moved to various positions and orientations for operation and during operation. Coordinate system 124 translates and rotates with its associated links, as indicated by arrow 126.

[0037] Figure 1C This is another schematic floor plan illustrating another example of a medical device configuration. Figure 1CIn this embodiment, support structures 102c and 102d for the medical devices are mounted onto the operating table T. For example, support structures 102c and 102d may be mounted at different locations along the top or one or more side rails of the operating table, or mounted to the base of the operating table. Support structure 102c (shown as holding camera instrument 108) is mounted to the operating table T at base position 128a. Support structure 102d (shown as holding manipulator 114) is mounted to the operating table T at base position 130a. Figure 1C The support structure 102d, installed at the base position 130b to the operating table T, is also illustrated by dashed lines. This is to illustrate that the support structures 102c, 102d can be placed or moved to various positions and orientations for operation and during operation.

[0038] Back Figure 1A The device 100 may include a display system 133 for displaying images or representations of the work site and medical device 104 (e.g., real-time images captured by imaging instruments, models derived from sensor data). The display system 133 and the user control system 132 may be oriented such that an operator O (e.g., a surgeon or other clinician, such as...) Figure 1A (As shown) the medical device 104 and user control system 132 can be controlled using telepresent perception. For example, the image can be a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image captured by an imaging device at the work site. In some examples, the display system 133 can use image data from imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluorescein scanning, thermography, ultrasound, optical coherence tomography (OCT), thermal imaging, impedance imaging, laser imaging, nanotube X-ray imaging, and / or the like to present the preoperative or intraoperative image data as two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or four-dimensional (including, for example, time-based or velocity-based information) images and / or images of models created from preoperative or intraoperative image datasets.

[0039] The device 100 may also include a control system 134. The control system 134 includes at least one memory and at least one computer processor (not shown) for implementing control between the medical device 104, the user control system 132, and the display system 133. The control system 134 also includes programming instructions (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing the instructions) to implement some or all of the methods described according to the aspects disclosed herein, including instructions for providing information to the display system 133. While the control system 134... Figure 1AShown as a single block in a simplified schematic, the system may include one, two, or more data processing circuits, with some processing optionally performed on or near the manipulator assembly 102, other processing performed at the user control system 132, and / or the like. Any of a variety of centralized or distributed data processing architectures can be employed. Similarly, programming instructions may be implemented as multiple individual innovations or subroutines, or they may be integrated into multiple other aspects of the system described herein. In one embodiment, the control system 134 supports wireless communication protocols such as Bluetooth, IrDA, HomeRF, IEEE 802.11, DECT, and wireless telemetry.

[0040] As described above, the user control system 132 allows operator O to view the work area and control the manipulator assembly 102. In some examples, the user control system 132 includes an operator console, such as one located in the same room as the operating table T. However, it should be understood that the user control system 132 and operator O may be in a different room or a completely different building than the patient 101. The user control system 132 typically includes one or more input devices for controlling the manipulator assembly 102. Input devices may include any number of various devices such as joysticks, trackballs, data gloves, trigger guns, manual controllers, voice recognition devices, body motion or presentation sensors, and / or the like. In some embodiments, the input device is provided with the same degrees of freedom as the associated medical device 104. In some embodiments, the input device may have more or fewer degrees of freedom than the associated medical device 104. In some embodiments, the input device may optionally be a manual input device that moves in six degrees of freedom and may also include an actuable handle for actuating the device (e.g., for closing a gripper, applying a potential to electrodes, delivering treatments, and / or the like).

[0041] The manipulator assembly 102 supports the medical device 104 and may include a kinematic structure comprising any number of joints and links. For example, depending on the design of the kinematic structure, each joint may be a non-actuated joint or an actuated joint. In some examples, a non-actuated joint may not include any actuators, or may include only one or more actuators with insufficient power to move the associated joint, thus preventing movement of the joint via remote operation and / or motion control commands from the control system. In some examples, a non-actuated joint may include a brake that allows the control system to prevent and / or limit movement in the non-actuated joint. In some examples, an actuated joint may include one or more actuators that can control the movement of the actuated joint and can be commanded to remotely move the joint and / or perform other motion commands. In some examples, the actuated joint may also include a brake. In such examples, a brake may be used in the actuated joint to maintain the current posture of the non-actuated joint, rather than actively controlling the movement of the actuated joint.

[0042] For example, Figure 2A A manipulator arm 202 configured according to an embodiment of the present technology is illustrated. The manipulator arm 202 may share many or all of the functional and structural characteristics of other manipulator arms described herein (e.g., the manipulator arm of manipulator assembly 102). As shown, the manipulator arm 202 may include a plurality of links 204a-204f (collectively, “204”) connected together and connected to a proximal structure (not shown) by a plurality of joints 206a-206f (collectively, “206”). The manipulator arm 202 may be configured to support an instrument (not shown). One or more joints 206 may be non-actuated or actuated. In some applications, one or more of the joints 206 are passive and / or configured to resist or prevent unintentional movement of one or more links 204 during operation. For example, one or more joints 206 may be configured to switch between locked and unlocked configurations.

[0043] The manipulator arm 202 may include a mounting structure 210 configured to releasably or securely attach the manipulator arm 202 to a mounting location (e.g., a fixed or movable base, operating table, ceiling, wall, mobile cart, or any other mounting location described herein). The mounting structure 210 may include a connector. For example, in some embodiments, the mounting structure 210 includes a rotary joint that allows rotational movement of the manipulator arm 202 relative to the mounting location.

[0044] The manipulator arm 202 may include an instrument interface 211 configured to releasably receive and connect to one or more instruments. Figure 2AIn the example shown, the instrument interface 211 is disposed on links 204e and 204f, and in other embodiments, the instrument interface 211 may be located elsewhere. The instrument interface 211 may include a drive assembly 220 configured to interact with an input component of the instrument. In some embodiments, the instrument interface 211 includes one or more alignment features configured to orient the instrument when it is connected to the instrument interface 211. For example, the alignment feature may include a slot 216 configured to receive a portion of the axis of the instrument.

[0045] Figure 2B This is an illustration of a portion of a drive assembly 220 and instrument 224 configured according to embodiments of the present technology. The drive assembly 220 may include one or more drive elements 222 (five shown as drive elements 222a-222e). The drive elements 222 may be mounted on / inside a link 204f (e.g., a bracket). Some other portions of the drive assembly 220 or manipulator arm 202 may include one or more actuators or motors configured to operate the drive elements 222. In some configurations, each individual drive element 222 is driven by a separate motor / actuator. In other configurations, two or more drive elements 222 are driven by a shared motor / actuator. Figure 2B As shown, the drive element 222 may be a rotary disk or other rotary drive element. However, in other embodiments, one or more drive elements 222 may include one or more tabs, protrusions, notches or other structures and are configured to apply any combination of rotational or linear motion to another structure.

[0046] The device 224 shown in the figure includes a distal actuator 226, a wrist 227 including one or more joints, a proximal chassis 228, a housing 230 above the chassis 228, and a shaft 232 between the end effector 226 and the chassis 228. In various embodiments, the device 224 may have fewer or more sub-components than these sub-components, or different instances of these sub-components. For example, in some embodiments, the device 224 lacks the wrist 227 or includes a wrist 227 with different degrees of motion or range of motion, lacks the chassis 228, and / or lacks the housing 230. As another example, in some embodiments, the chassis 228 and the housing 230 are combined into a single component. The shaft 232 may be configured (e.g., sized and shaped) to at least partially fit within a notch or channel 233 in the link 204f. The end effector 226 is coupled to the shaft 232 with or without one or more intermediate joints (such as the wrist 227). Various wrist 227 architectures allow the orientation of the end effector 226 to be changed relative to the shaft 232 in various combinations of pitch, yaw, and / or roll. Optionally, the end effector roll function is performed via the roll shaft 232 or the chassis 228. Various drivetrain sub-components and mechanisms are mounted on the chassis 228 and are used to receive mechanical or electrical inputs from the manipulator associated with the instrument 224. These inputs can be used for orientation and operation of the end effector 226. Example drivetrain sub-components are listed above for this application.

[0047] refer to Figure 2B The chassis 228 will typically include one or more input elements 234 (five shown as input elements 234a-234e) adapted to couple to the drive element 222 of the manipulator arm 202 (e.g., the drive assembly of the manipulator arm 202), as shown by the dashed lines connecting the respective drive element 222 to the respective input element 234. The coupling between the drive element 222 and the input element 234 can be direct (e.g., direct contact between the drive element 222 and the input element 234) or indirect via one or more intermediate structures. For example, in some applications, an adapter is located between the input element 234 and the drive element 222. The adapter may include one or more transmission elements (e.g., discs, compliant protrusions, or notches) configured to allow or facilitate the transmission of linear or rotational forces (torque), motion, and / or other inputs from the drive element 222 to the input element 234. In a medical example, the adapter may be a sterile adapter configured to inhibit or prevent the transmission of pathogens from the drive assembly to the instrument 224 (and thus to the patient). Drive element 222 responds to input from a control system (e.g., control system 134, see below). Figure 1AThe input element 234 on the instrument 224 (or another instrument, such as instrument 104) is driven by commands from the operator arm 202. Each input element 234 can be configured to drive / actuate different movements or actions of the instrument 224. For example, a first input element 234a can control a first movement parameter (e.g., pitch, yaw, and / or roll about one or more axes) of one or more joints of the instrument 224 (e.g., wrist 227), while a second input element 234b controls a second movement parameter. Multiple input elements 234 can be configured to drive / actuate coordinated movements / actuations (e.g., pitch, yaw, opening or closing clamps, etc.) of the instrument 224 together. One or more of the input elements 234 can control the actuation of an end effector, such as stapling firing, clamping, etc. In some embodiments, one or more drive elements 222 of the operator arm 202 are configured to be compatible with two or more input elements 234. In some embodiments, a particular drive element 222 or a subset of drive elements 222 is compatible only with a single input element 234 or a subset of input elements 234. For example, some drive and input elements may be associated with high-load (e.g., high torque or force) applications, while others may be configured only for low-load applications. In another example, some drive and input elements may be associated with high-speed (e.g., high linear speed or high rotational speed) applications, while others may be configured only for low-speed applications.

[0048] Figure 2CThis is a schematic diagram of an example of a drive assembly 250 configured according to an embodiment of the present technology. The drive assembly 250 includes a drive element 222 driven by one or more transmission sub-components. For example, one of the transmission sub-components may be an actuator 252. The actuator 252 may include, for example, a motor, a solenoid, or some other suitable component configured to actuate the drive element 222. The drive assembly 250 may include one or more additional transmission sub-components, such as a transmission section 254 configured to transmit driving force from the actuator 252 to the drive element 222. The transmission section 254 may include one or more cables, pulleys, screws, pistons, and / or other components configured to transmit driving force to the drive element 222. As shown, the drive element 222 may interface with an input element 234. The interface between the drive element 222 and the input element 234 may be direct (e.g., via direct contact) or indirect (e.g., via the use of one or more intermediate structures 256). Intermediate structure 256 may include, for example, an adapter, a sterile adapter, and / or other structures physically positioned between the drive element and the input element. Variable parameters of the drive assembly 250 or instrument 224 may be sensed by any number of position, velocity, or acceleration sensors, such as encoders, potentiometers, accelerometers, or other sensors, to provide sensor data describing the movement of instrument 224 to device 100. Other sensors may include torque sensors, current sensors, voltage sensors, and / or temperature sensors. These sensors may be present in other locations within the drive assembly 250, instrument 224, or system. This sensor data can be used to determine the motion of an object manipulated by the drive element 222, such as a portion of instrument 224.

[0049] As described in more detail in U.S. Patent No. 6,331,181 (the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference), instrument 224 will typically include memory 236, which is typically electrically coupled to a data interface (e.g., as part of instrument interface 211). When instrument 224 is mounted on manipulator arm 202 ( Figure 2A When used on memory 236, this data interface can allow communication between the memory 236 and the computer (e.g., user control system 132, see below). Figure 1A Data communication between them.

[0050] Instruments (e.g., instruments 104, 224) may differ in size, shape, number of connectors, degrees of freedom, and function. For example, instruments may have different shaft diameters or end effectors. In some embodiments, an instrument is configured to be coupled to, removed from, and reinstalled to be coupled to the same or another drive assembly, or replaced by another instrument. Such coupling, removal, reinstallation, or replacement of an instrument may occur during a procedure performed by the medical device or between procedures performed by the medical device. For a surgical example, a surgical stapler may be combined with a given manipulator arm 202 for a first procedure or for a first portion of a first procedure. Another instrument may be mounted on the manipulator arm 202 at another time (e.g., during another procedure or another portion of the first procedure). Additional details are provided in U.S. Patent No. 8,823,308, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0051] In certain operating environments, instruments can be combined into combinations with multiple capabilities. Additional details relating to these combinations are provided in U.S. Patent No. 7,725,214 (published "Minimally Invasive Surgical System"), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Detailed information on interfaces between instruments and manipulator components is provided in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,955,322 (published "Wireless Communication in a Robotic Surgical System"), 8,666,544 (published "Cooperative Minimally Invasive Telesurgical System"), and 8,529,582 (published "Instrument Interfaces for Robotic Surgical Systems"), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0052] As described above, increased use of a component or subcomponent of a manipulator assembly or apparatus may result in greater loads, usage, or wear on those components or subcomponents compared to other manipulator assemblies or apparatuses. Certain embodiments of this technology are configured to reduce such greater loads or wear. In various embodiments, usage is assigned to components (e.g., manipulator assemblies) or subcomponents (e.g., drive elements) in a random or pseudo-random manner, sequentially, based on historical data, or in combination with the foregoing. Examples of historical data include test data (e.g., performance test data), usage data (e.g., previous usage history), and the like. Historical data associated with multiple drive elements may be data on drive elements, subcomponents of drive assemblies of any drive elements coupled to multiple drive elements (e.g., transmission elements, actuators, etc.), and / or other related structures involved in the physical operation of drive elements. As a specific example, usage or test data associated with multiple drive elements may include usage or test data on drive elements, subcomponents of drive assemblies of any drive elements coupled to multiple drive elements, etc. These aspects are discussed further here and below.

[0053] As a specific example, certain embodiments of this technology are configured to monitor specific loads, use, or wear on components and sub-components of a device in order to estimate, empirically measure, or otherwise interpret different types of loads, wear, or use on the components and sub-components. Use / load monitoring can be performed manually, automatically, or in combination with a combination of manual and automatic systems. Such systems and methods will now be discussed in relation to... Figure 1A The medical device 100 shown is described in a remote operation context. The techniques described in the remote operation context can also be applied to non-remote operation contexts and non-remote operation components.

[0054] In this remote operation example, for a given procedure, one or more specific instruments 104 are coupled to one or more specific manipulator components 102. These instruments may include medical devices, such as manipulators (e.g., grippers, hooks, staplers, etc.) and imaging devices (e.g., optical or infrared cameras, ultrasound sensors, etc.), and / or other suitable instruments for the given procedure. In systems that record the coupling between instruments 104 and manipulator components 102, details of the coupling between instruments 104 and manipulator components 102 (collectively referred to as “remote operation components”) can be identified and recorded in any suitable manner. For example, operator O or other personnel may manually enter the coupling before or after the procedure. In some configurations, manipulator components 102 and / or instruments 104 include structures configured to automatically identify the coupling between the components. For example, one or both of instruments 104 and manipulator components 102 may include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, near field communication (NFC) components, etc. Beacons, embedded chips, optical UPCs or QR codes, magnets providing unique magnetic signatures, or other components configured to identify and / or detect the type of instrument 104 coupled to a given manipulator assembly 102. The components listed above may also be configured to aid in identifying the coupling between a specific drive element of the manipulator assembly 102 and a specific input element of the instrument 104, as discussed in more detail below. The identified couplings of remotely operated components may be recorded in a local or remote database. For example, control system 134 and / or user control system 132 may include memory configured to receive and store the identified couplings.

[0055] As described above, the identified couplings can include specific pairings between the various drive elements of the manipulator assembly 102 and the various types of input elements of the instrument 104. For example, a first drive element of the first manipulator assembly 102 may be coupled to a first input element of the instrument 104, and a second drive element of the first manipulator assembly 102 may be coupled to a second input element of a different type from the first input element.

[0056] Recorded data reflecting the pairing between a specific instrument 104 and a specific manipulator assembly 102 and / or the pairing between a specific drive element and a specific input element may be a subset of the overall historical data. The overall historical data may include the type of instrument 104 coupled to the manipulator assembly 102, the date and / or duration of use of the instrument 104 with the manipulator assembly 102, the installation location of the manipulator assembly 102, the orientation of the manipulator assembly 102, the number and / or type of actuation of a specific drive element (e.g., degrees of freedom driven by the drive element), the load or estimated wear borne by the drive assembly including the drive element, operating conditions, any of the aforementioned influencing loads, parameters of use or wear, and / or other information associated with the use of coupled and remotely operated components. The quantity / type of actuation data associated with the drive element may include the number and / or frequency of directional reversals (e.g., rotation / translation of the drive element in different directions), the achieved force (e.g., aggregate and / or peak), the achieved torque (e.g., summation and / or peak), the achieved speed of movement, the degrees of freedom associated with a previously paired instrument / input element, the user's identity of the manipulator, and / or the magnitude of the overall movement. This data may be recorded and associated with the manipulator assembly, or with the drive element or other parts of the drive assembly. In some embodiments, environmental conditions are associated with the recorded historical data. These environmental conditions may include temperature, humidity, altitude, etc.

[0057] Recorded historical data may be compiled and / or processed by a server. The server may be local (e.g., associated with control system 134, user control system 132, and / or on hardware or software components located at a facility where the remotely operated component resides). In some configurations, the server is located away from medical device 100 or otherwise off-site. For example, the server may be part of a distributed server network (e.g., a "cloud" network) or part of backend hardware located at a manufacturer's or service provider's facility.

[0058] Various metrics or other proxies regarding historical load, usage, or wear can be calculated based on recorded historical data and associated with specific manipulator components 102, drive elements, instruments 104, and / or input elements. In some configurations, binary metrics are used. For example, using a high-load instrument (e.g., a surgical stapler) or a high-load input element yields a "1," while a low-load instrument / input element pairing is recorded as a "0." Binary ratings can also be associated with specific types of instruments 104 or input elements. For example, each time manipulator component 102 is paired and used with that instrument 104 input element or drive element is paired and used with that input element, manipulator component 102 or drive element (or other parts of the drive assembly including the drive element) can be assigned a "1" associated with a specific instrument 104 or input element.

[0059] In some applications, metrics for historical loads, usage, or wear may include aggregation, summation, or other combinations of all or a subset of the aforementioned historical data. For example, total actuation, total time spent in use (e.g., using a specific type of instrument or input element), the total number of direction changes / reversals, or other operating parameters may be associated with a given manipulator assembly 102 and / or with one or more drive elements (or with a drive assembly including drive elements). As a specific example, metrics may include a combination of the type of instrument 104 (or input element) coupled to manipulator assembly 102 (or coupled to a drive element) and the total time of coupling. As another example, the linear or rotational force experienced by manipulator assembly 102 (or drive element or another part of drive assembly) may also be used in the combination. As yet another example, in some configurations, the number of direction reversals experienced by manipulator assembly 102 or drive element (or drive assembly including drive element) may also be used in the combination, in addition to or in lieu of the number of revolutions and / or translations. Additional operating parameters may be used to develop aggregated metrics.

[0060] In some embodiments, the performance or specific wear of the manipulator assembly 102 or drive element (or other parts of the drive assembly including the drive element) can be tested. This testing can be performed in the field or in a separate testing facility. Test data observed during such testing can be combined with historical data and, as appropriate, used to determine metrics such as load, wear, usage, etc. For example, test data can supplement the calculation of an overall aggregate metric for a particular manipulator assembly 102 or drive element. For example, observed wear measurements of the transmission element can be used to determine an aggregate metric associated with the drive element coupled to the transmission element. In some applications, such observed wear is assigned a value between "1" and "N", where N is a number greater than 1. For example, N could be 2. In this case, a value between 1 (low wear or no observed wear) and 2 (high wear) can be assigned to each manipulator assembly 102 or its drive element.

[0061] Experienced / observed loads, usage, or wear can be associated with specific types of loads, usage, or wear and used to supplement measures that imply those types of loads, usage, or wear. For example, loads, usage, or wear observed on certain gears or bearings may be associated with specific types of loads, usage, or wear (e.g., the number of reversals, the magnitude of the load, etc.). A value can be assigned to this specific observed load, usage, or wear, which is used to calculate the actual measure. For example, observed loads, usage, or wear associated with multiple reversals can be added to, multiplied by, or otherwise combined with previously recorded measures associated with reversals. This association can be made for some or all of the other aforementioned quantitative characteristics.

[0062] The observed wear can be input into one of the control systems (e.g., Figure 1A The user interface (UI) is located on the control system 134, 132. In some configurations, observed wear can be input to, for example, another UI on a handheld device, a terminal in a location other than the room where the medical device is located, or some other UI. For example, the test facility may include a terminal with a UI, a handheld terminal, or other terminals for inputting observed wear characteristics (e.g., visually observable wear) associated with a specific remotely operated part and / or a sub-part of the remotely operated part. Data input to the aforementioned UI can be transmitted to the aforementioned server for storage and analysis via wired, wireless, or other connections. Data from tests (e.g., performance or wear tests) can be automatically compiled and sent to the aforementioned server. Data from tests can be combined with other historical data to provide a more comprehensive metric for one or more parts / sub-parts. In some configurations, data from wear tests is compiled instead of data from observed wear.

[0063] The aforementioned metrics and data can be associated with a specific manipulator component 102, drive element (or other elements of the drive assembly associated with the drive element) during the lifetime of the structure. For example, a specific manipulator component and a specific drive element (and / or other elements of the drive assembly associated with the drive element) can be assigned unique identifiers. In some embodiments, each drive element has an identifier that is unique to the structure attached to (e.g., a specific manipulator component 102), but is not necessarily universally unique. Historical data and / or determined metrics can be associated with these unique identifiers, thereby allowing a user to recall metrics of the manipulator component 102 and / or specific drive elements available for a given program.

[0064] Recorded usage data is a type of historical data and can be updated in response to additional data obtained in subsequent procedures, just as other types of historical data can be updated (e.g., recorded test data can be expanded with additional test data). Historical data (e.g., usage data, test data, etc.) can be managed by a control system (e.g., a management system described below) or other automated systems. The control system can generate allocation recommendations for specific machine-manipulator pairings, input element-drive element pairings, and / or other operational configurations. The control system can communicate these recommendations to the user. In some embodiments, historical data (usage data, test data, etc.) can be presented to the user as a single value in multiple categories (e.g., total usage of a certain type of machine, total wear estimate of a single drive element, total usage time, etc.). In some applications, historical data (e.g., usage data, test data, etc.) can be presented as tables, graphs, or other formats indicating the changes in metrics and other data over time. In some cases, historical data (e.g., usage data, test data, etc.) for manipulator components and / or drive elements is retained after maintenance or repair. In other cases, such historical data is erased or reset, either wholly or partially, after maintenance or repair (e.g., based on the type and outcome of the maintenance or repair). In applications where historical data includes values ​​that change over time, erasure or reset can be annotated within the history.

[0065] like Figure 3As shown, historical data and associated data can be maintained and stored on server 300. This server can be the same as the server described above. Those skilled in the art will understand that specific hardware and software features can be added and / or omitted to accommodate the above set and other functions. As indicated by the dashed arrow, server 300 can be operatively connected to one or more other components or systems. Components may include medical device 100, one or more handheld devices 304, one or more terminals 306, and / or one or more local (server) or remote processors 308 (collectively, data components). As mentioned above, server 300 can be local or physically integrated with any other data component. Data from each data component can be communicated via wired connection, wireless connection, and / or via a cloud server. Each data component can be configured to access information from server 300. Preferably, such access is limited to data associated with specific manipulator components 102 and drive elements owned or operated by entities requesting information from server 300.

[0066] Figure 4A The illustration depicts a method 400 for selecting an assignment for a specific drive element of a device having a drive assembly configured to be removably coupled to an instrument, according to an embodiment of the present technology. Method 400 may include, for example, selecting a first assignment for a first drive element of the drive assembly (e.g., an assignment associated with a first pairing of a drive element of the device and a first input element of the instrument) (block 402). This first assignment may be selected from a plurality of assignments available for at least two of a plurality of drive elements of the drive assembly. Method 400 may also include assigning the first drive element to the first assignment (block 404). The first assignment may be associated with a pairing of the first drive element and a first input element of a plurality of input elements of the instrument. In some embodiments, assigning the first drive element to the first assignment may include configuring one or both of the drive assembly and the instrument to pair the first drive element and the first input element.

[0067] Figure 4B The illustration depicts another method 450 for selecting the allocation of specific drive elements of a medical device for a given proposed procedure, according to an embodiment of the present technology. In some configurations, a combination is used to distribute or balance the load, use, or wear on the drive elements or other components of the medical device. Figure 4BThe selection described in method 450. Method 450 may include initial steps or processes similar to those in method 400 described above. Specifically, starting from block 452, method 450 includes selecting a first assignment (e.g., a first pairing of a drive element with a first input element) for a first drive element of the drive assembly. The selection of the first assignment may be communicated to the user of the system via instructions (e.g., instructions for configuring / reconfiguring the drive assembly of the system or for mounting / orienting the instrument in a particular manner). For example, the first drive element may be... Figure 2B One of the driving elements 222 of the driving component 220. Similarly, the first input element may be one of the driving elements 222 of the driving component 220. Figure 2B One of the input elements 234 of the device 224. The selection of the first drive element can be based at least in part on the suitability of the functional characteristics of the drive element for the first assignment, compared to other drive elements. For example, the first assignment can be associated with high-load applications where only a subset of the drive elements is suitable, or with input element types where only a subset of the drive elements is configured to be coupled. In some embodiments, the first assignment can be associated with use in a type of procedure where only a subset of the drive elements is available. The requirements for the first assignment (e.g., device type, procedure type, etc.) can be determined based on one or more of the following: the stage of the procedure; multiple uses of the multiple drive elements; a previous device previously coupled to the drive assembly; a second device coupled to a second drive assembly of the medical device; the degrees of freedom of the previous device driven by the multiple drive elements; and the identity of the device user.

[0068] The first allocation may be used for two or more drive elements. In some embodiments, the first allocation is selected from a plurality of available allocations in a random or pseudo-random manner. In some embodiments, the first allocation is selected from a list of allocations arranged in chronological order. In some embodiments, the first allocation is selected based on historical data associated with the first drive element, such as based on the previous use of the first drive element.

[0069] The use of a first drive element during a first assignment can be monitored, tracked, aggregated, and / or recorded (box 454). Tracked statistics may include, for example, the number of times the drive element was used, the identification of the device driven by the drive element, the degrees of freedom driven by the drive element, the duration of use, the load achieved during use, and / or any other useful information. The method may include proposing a second assignment (e.g., pairing with an input element) for the drive element (box 456). The drive element for the second assignment may be selected based on, for example, an evaluation of historical data for multiple drive elements (box 458). In some embodiments, historical data includes usage data and / or test data (e.g., performance test data). Historical data associated with a given drive element may include historical data of the drive element itself, and historical data of sub-components of the drive assembly coupled to the drive element (such as transmission elements or actuators associated with the drive element). In some configurations, a second assignment is assigned to a second drive element; where the second assignment is associated with a second input element, the second drive element may adopt the second assignment during a time period overlapping with the time during which the first drive element has adopted or is adopting the first assignment. In some embodiments, a second assignment is assigned to a first drive element, and the first drive element transitions from the first assignment to the second assignment.

[0070] The first and second assignments can be allocated to a first drive element and a second drive element, such that a less frequently used drive element is paired with a more demanding input element among the input elements associated with the first and second assignments. The less frequently used drive element can be a drive element with lower usage and / or lower wear and / or other parameters, as measured by using metrics such as duration of use, magnitude of force experienced, another parameter mentioned above. In some embodiments, the less frequently used drive element is determined based on at least one of the following: peak force experienced by the drive element; peak torque experienced by the drive element; cohesive force experienced by the drive element; degrees of freedom driven by the drive element; actuation frequency experienced by the first drive element; amplitude of motion experienced by the first drive element; number of directional reversals experienced by the first drive element; speed of movement experienced by the first drive element; and total torque experienced by the drive element. In some embodiments, the method may include tracking the usage of the drive element used in the second assignment (box 460) and recording the usage data as historical data.

[0071] Figure 5A and Figure 5BAn example method 500 for managing a device according to an embodiment of the present technology is illustrated. Method 500 can be used to balance or distribute the load, use, or wear of remotely operated components and / or sub-components. As shown in block 502, for a given procedure, an operator can initiate planning software associated with setting up a medical device for that procedure. The software initiation can be notified to a management system 504. The management system 504 can be, for example, a control system having at least one processor and memory. The management system 504 can include instructions configured to cause at least one processor to perform various operations described below. The management system 504 can be maintained, for example, on the server 300 described above or on some other data processing hub configured to manage data and instructions associated with wear distributed on the medical device. The management system 504 can be locally maintained and / or operated on the medical device (e.g., in the same room or at the same facility). In some embodiments, the management system 504 is maintained and / or operated at a location remote from the medical device.

[0072] At box 506, the operator can enter (e.g., via one of the UIs described above) the upcoming procedure. For a medical example, a type of surgery or other procedure can be entered. In some applications, the required instruments and / or estimated usage time for a specific instrument can be entered. For example, the estimated usage time can be based at least in part on usage time observed in previous procedures of the same type. This information can be transmitted to management system 504. In some configurations, a scheduling system (e.g., a hospital's scheduling system) can automatically enter information about the upcoming procedure.

[0073] Reference box 508 can accommodate various available remotely operated components (e.g., Figure 1A and Figure 2B The usage history of the manipulator component 102, manipulator arm 202, and / or drive element 222 is reported to the management system 504. In some embodiments, the overall system architecture available (e.g., installation structure, type of surgical table, etc.) may also be reported. Usage history can be reported from the aforementioned server 300 or from some other local or remote database.

[0074] Further details regarding the functions performed by the management system 504 will be provided in [reference]. Figure 5B To explain. As shown in box 510, in some configurations, the management system 504 can query usage history information (e.g., Figure 5A (Information provided in box 508) to generate a heatmap indicating wear of available remotely operated parts (box 512). This heatmap can indicate the aforementioned usage metrics and usage history of various available remotely operated parts. For example, the aggregate total from previous binary metrics can be reflected for each remotely operated part, and / or sub-parts can be reflected in the heatmap of available inventory.

[0075] Before, after, or simultaneously with the operations in boxes 510 and 512, procedure type information (box 514) can be analyzed. Procedure type information may include the required instrument, manipulator posture, duration of use, and other procedure-specific information. In some embodiments, the procedure type information is extracted from a database. In some embodiments, the surgeon, nurse, or other personnel enter the procedure type information (e.g., such as...). Figure 5A (See box 506). Functions performed by the management system may include comparing wear estimates of input procedures associated with a procedure (box 516). Wear estimates can be calculated using usage information associated with the procedure type (e.g., device type, duration of use, and other information). Wear estimates associated with various procedures can be calculated manually. In some embodiments, wear estimates are generated based on empirical data from similar or identical past procedures. For example, for gallbladder removal, wear estimates may be generated based on previously performed gallbladder removal procedures and actual recorded data collected from those past procedures. Wear estimates may be updated and stored on servers operated by healthcare professionals (e.g., hospitals, hospital networks, or other healthcare professionals) and / or on servers maintained by the manufacturer or other service providers separate from healthcare professionals.

[0076] Based on the data collected and analyzed in boxes 510-516, the management system can generate assignments (box 518) for the proposed program. Assignments may include which manipulator components will be used with which instruments and / or which drive elements should be used with which input elements. For some applications, this includes using the following regarding... Figure 6A and Figure 6B For applications of the described rotatable architecture, the proposed rotational alignment of the drive elements and / or input elements can be included in the allocation. Determining an appropriate allocation may include comparing different manipulator components and / or individual drive elements with their respective usage histories, recorded data, observed data, and / or other metrics. In some cases, “less used” manipulator components or drive elements may be selected from the available inventory. Less used manipulator components or drive elements may be (1) generally suitable for the proposed procedure (e.g., high load if high load operation is required) and have (2) an overall aggregate metric or a usage history of the proposed procedure indicating that the procedure is used less than some or all of the other available manipulator components and / or drive elements. Scores / usage histories can be queried regarding the overall aggregate metric or the metric in a specific subcategory (e.g., wear type). Identifying and allocating less used parts can help distribute wear more evenly across the inventory of a given healthcare provider, thereby extending the overall lifespan of the manipulator components.

[0077] In some implementations, the management system 504 can be configured to allocate manipulator components and / or drive elements based on a predetermined schedule across multiple allocation processes. For example, a schedule can be assigned to a manipulator component / drive element, which is arranged to distribute or balance usage, load, and / or wear on that manipulator component and / or drive element when it is reused in a subsequent allocation. The schedule may include the order in which instrument types should be used with a particular manipulator component or the type of input element that should be used with a particular drive element. In this respect, following a predetermined schedule can help ensure more even wear on each manipulator component and drive element (compared to the case without a schedule).

[0078] In implementations that manage wear on individual drive elements, the aforementioned allocation can be analyzed and determined taking into account the orientation and positioning of the multiple drive elements on each manipulator assembly. For example, it may be possible that a first drive element on a manipulator assembly is configured for use with an input element on a particular instrument in a proposed procedure and / or the first drive element is a less frequently used drive element for the proposed procedure. A second drive element on the same manipulator assembly may not be configured for use with another input element of the same instrument in a proposed procedure, or may not be a less frequently used drive element for the proposed procedure. In such cases, the overall suitability of the manipulator assembly to a particular allocation can explain the corresponding suitability of its individual drive elements. These suitability measures (e.g., less frequently used status or consistency with a predetermined schedule) can be weighted and / or averaged to determine the overall suitability of the manipulator assembly for a given allocation compared to other manipulator assemblies.

[0079] These proposed assignments can be transmitted via a software interface or other suitable interface (Box 520-). Figure 5A (As shown in the diagram). For example, the interface may include mechanical constraints that prevent or prohibit the operator from connecting the device to the manipulator assembly in any orientation or position other than a specific designated orientation or position (e.g., an orientation that matches individual drive elements with individual input elements in a desired arrangement). In some embodiments, the interface may include sensors that provide indication of device orientation or position, and the system may provide indications configured to alert the user (e.g., auditory, visual, and / or tactile feedback, such as alarm messages, sounds, or vibrations) if the device is not oriented or positioned in a manner consistent with the assignment. In some embodiments, the assignment is transmitted to the operator. Communication may occur before the procedure, during a procedure interruption, and / or between the first and second procedures. In some embodiments (e.g., Figure 6A and Figure 6B(As illustrated in the embodiments), the management system can send signals to manipulator components or instruments to rotate their respective rotatable bases, thereby aligning the drive / input elements in a specified configuration. The proposed allocation may include an allocation using a specific manipulator / drive element with a particular instrument / input element only for a portion of the proposed program, and then switching the allocation during the program. In practice, an allocation recommendation for a specific drive element with a particular input element may include a recommended mounting orientation of the instrument relative to the manipulator component. Instructions for modifying the drive-input element allocation may include, for example, instructions to rotate the instrument relative to the manipulator component. When using a software interface, the operator's (e.g., robot user's) local software interface can receive information from the management system and communicate the proposed allocation to the operator.

[0080] Figure 6A and Figure 6B The illustration shows an example arrangement of input elements and / or drive elements that can be used to modify the interface between drive components of instruments and devices (e.g., drive components disposed on the manipulator assembly of a medical device). Figure 6A and Figure 6B Each arrangement is described as an interface arrangement because the distribution and function of the components can be implemented on one or both of the instrument and the manipulator. In some embodiments, the illustrated and described interface arrangements can be configured to switch between a first configuration and a second configuration, in which first drive / input elements of a plurality of drive / input elements are positioned coupled to first input / drive elements of a plurality of input / drive elements, and in the second configuration, first drive / input elements of a plurality of drive / input elements are positioned coupled to second input / drive elements of a plurality of input / drive elements.

[0081] For example, Figure 6A A first interface arrangement 600 is illustrated with a second sub-component 602, which is rotatable relative to a first sub-component 604. The second sub-component 602 may include, for example, a base 606 rotatably mounted to the first sub-component 604. The first sub-component 604 may include, for example, part of a chassis or housing of an instrument, or part of a drive assembly of a device (e.g., part of a linkage, or other part of a manipulator assembly of a medical device). While the base 606 is illustrated as having a generally circular cross-section, and the first sub-component 604 is illustrated as having a generally rectangular cross-section, other cross-sectional shapes are possible.

[0082] The base 606 may support one or more interface elements 608a-608e (collectively referred to as "608"). As used herein, "interface element" refers to a drive element (if implemented on a drive assembly) or an input element (if implemented on a device). Interface element 608 may be a rotary element (e.g., a disk is shown, but other shapes may be used), a linear element (e.g., a tab, nut, etc.), or some combination thereof. Other element types of different shapes, sizes, and movements are also considered. Figure 6B In the example shown, interface element 608 is arranged rotationally symmetrically about a rotation axis 609 of base 606. Rotation of the second sub-component 602 relative to the first sub-component 604 positions interface element 608 at different rotational positions relative to the first sub-component 604. In some embodiments, interface element (e.g., Figure 6A The first interface element 608a) is positioned along the rotation axis 609 of the rotatable base 606.

[0083] Shaft 610 can extend from the first sub-component 604 (for the instrument, this can be in a similar manner). Figure 2B (As shown in the diagram of shaft 232). Shaft 610 may be laterally spaced from rotatable base 606 (e.g., in a direction perpendicular to or inclined to the length of shaft 610). In some embodiments, shaft 610 extends from base 606. Shaft 610 may be coupled to an end effector (not shown) at the end of shaft 610 opposite to base 606.

[0084] For example, Figure 6B An embodiment of the second interface arrangement 650 is illustrated. The second interface device 650 includes a first sub-component 652 and a second sub-component 654 mounted to the first sub-component 652. The second sub-component 654 can be rotatably or fixedly connected to the first sub-component 652. Thus, the second sub-component 654, or the entire second interface device 650, can be rotated, such as... Figure 6B As indicated by the dashed arrows, this allows for multiple rotational positions of interface elements 658a-658d (collectively referred to as "658"). Figure 6B In the example shown, it includes a second interface arrangement 650 of sub-components 652, 654 about a central axis 656 of the second interface arrangement 650 (e.g., perpendicular to). Figure 6B The second sub-component 654 may include a plurality of interface elements 658 and a shaft 660. In some embodiments, the interface elements are coaxial with a central axis 656. In some embodiments, the shaft 660 is coaxial with the central axis 656 of the second sub-component 654. In some embodiments, the interface elements 658 are directly mounted to the first sub-component 652 without using the second sub-component 654.

[0085] Therefore, rotation of the second sub-components 602, 654 of the interface devices 600, 650 allows the interface arrangements 600, 650 to be coupled to another interface arrangement having corresponding interface elements 608, 658 at multiple different positions relative to their respective base components (e.g., the first sub-components 604, 652).

[0086] Although a certain number of interface elements 608, 658 are illustrated with respect to the first interface device 600 and the second interface device 650, other numbers of interface elements may be used with respect to each of the first interface device 600 and the second interface device 650. Examples of other numbers of interface elements include two, three or more interface elements.

[0087] In use, the coupling between interface elements 608, 658 and other interface elements coupled to them (e.g., complementary input elements of the instrument or drive elements of a drive assembly) can be random or pseudo-random. As used herein, “pseudo-random,” “pseudo-randomized,” “pseudo-randomized,” and similar variants refer to an arrangement randomized according to one or more structured rules. For example, some interface elements 608, 658 may be structurally and / or functionally incompatible with certain drive elements or input elements; therefore, a pseudo-randomized arrangement will interpret this limitation while otherwise randomizing the coupling between interface elements 608, 658 and their corresponding mating elements.

[0088] The randomness of the coupling between interface elements 608, 658 and their corresponding input or drive elements can be implemented in several ways, some of which are described herein. For example, the operator of the medical device may be guided to randomly rotate the rotatable substrate (e.g., ...) before coupling the interfaces of the components to each other. Figure 6A and Figure 6B (Base 606 and sub-component 654 in the illustrated embodiment). This guidance may include confirming that the high-load interface element is paired with the high-load drive / input element to manage load, use, or wear.

[0089] In some embodiments, components having a first interface arrangement 600 or a second interface arrangement 650 can be constructed and configured to automatically rotate their respective rotatable substrates. For example, such components may include motors or other structures configured to rotate the rotatable substrate in response to manual actuation (e.g., pressing a button, turning a knob, etc.) and / or in response to control signals from a local or remote controller. The degree of rotation of the rotatable substrate can be selected from a subset of options such that the interface elements are positioned suitable for coupling with mating elements. These options may include incremental rotation associated with the number of interface elements on the substrate. For example, rotation with four circumferentially distributed interface elements (such as...) can be measured in 90° increments (+90°, +180°, +270°, and in some embodiments 0° no rotation). Figure 6A and Figure 6B The rotation degree associated with the base (as shown). The controller or other mechanism assigned to determine the rotation degree can be configured to be randomly or pseudo-randomly selected from a subset of rotation options. In general, randomizing or pseudo-randomizing the rotational alignment between components of a medical device can more evenly distribute the loads, use, or wear of various sub-components during several procedures, operations, or other uses.

[0090] The above detailed description of embodiments of this technology is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise forms disclosed above. Although specific embodiments and examples of the technology have been described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications can be made within the scope of this technology, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. For example, while the steps are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform the steps in a different order. Furthermore, the various embodiments described herein may be combined to provide further embodiments. References herein to "an embodiment" or similar expressions mean that a particular feature, structure, operation, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this technology. Therefore, such phrases or expressions appearing herein do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0091] For ease of reference, the same reference numerals are used throughout this disclosure to identify similar or analogous parts or features; however, the use of the same reference numerals does not imply that these features should be interpreted as identical. In fact, in many examples described herein, features with the same number have multiple embodiments that differ from each other in structure and / or function. Furthermore, the same shading may be used to indicate materials that are similar in composition in cross-section, but the use of the same shading does not imply that the materials should be interpreted as identical unless specifically indicated herein.

[0092] Furthermore, unless the word “or” is explicitly limited to meaning only a single item excluding other items in a list involving two or more items, its use in such lists should be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all items in the list, or (c) any combination of items in the list. Singular or plural terms may also include plural or singular terms, respectively, where the context permits. As used herein, terms of degree such as “about,” “approximately,” “substantially,” etc., relating to measurement, mean + / - 5%. Furthermore, the term “comprising” is used throughout to mean at least including one or more of the listed features, without excluding any additional number of the same features and / or other features of additional types. Directional terms such as “up,” “down,” “front,” “back,” “vertical,” and “horizontal” may be used herein to express and clarify relationships between various elements. It should be understood that these terms do not indicate absolute orientation. Moreover, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the present technology have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments must exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the present technology. Therefore, this disclosure and related technologies may cover other embodiments not explicitly shown or described herein.

Claims

1. An equipment management system, the equipment management system comprising: A device including a drive assembly, wherein the drive assembly is configured to be removably coupled to an instrument, and wherein the drive assembly includes a plurality of drive elements configured to cause movement of the instrument by driving a plurality of input elements of the instrument; and A control system includes a memory and one or more processors, the memory including programming instructions adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, said operations including: As a first driving element among the plurality of driving elements, a first allocation is selected from a plurality of allocations, wherein the first allocation can be used for at least two of the plurality of driving elements. The first assignment is associated with a first pairing of the first driving element and the first input element among the plurality of input elements; and The first driving element is configured to use the first allocation.

2. The equipment management system according to claim 1, wherein selecting the first allocation includes: The first allocation is selected from the plurality of allocations in a random or pseudo-random manner.

3. The device management system of claim 1, wherein the first drive element has a current allocation, wherein the allocations among the plurality of allocations are arranged in a sequential order, and wherein selecting the first allocation includes: The next allocation is selected as the first allocation, wherein the next allocation follows the current allocation in the successive order.

4. The device management system of claim 1, wherein the operation further includes obtaining historical data associated with the plurality of drive elements, wherein selecting the first allocation includes determining the first allocation based at least on the historical data.

5. The equipment management system according to claim 4, wherein the operation further includes: Based on the historical data, a second allocation is selected from the plurality of allocations for the second drive element among the plurality of drive elements; as well as The second drive element adopts the second allocation during a period that overlaps with the time during which the first drive element has already adopted the first allocation.

6. The device management system of claim 4, wherein the historical data includes usage data associated with the plurality of drive elements.

7. The device management system of claim 6, wherein the usage data includes at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: the number of times the plurality of drive elements are used, the previous instrument driven by the plurality of drive elements, and the degrees of freedom of the previous instrument driven by the plurality of drive elements.

8. The device management system of claim 6, wherein determining the first allocation based at least on the usage data includes determining the previous usage of the first drive element.

9. The equipment management system according to claim 6, wherein the operation further includes: After the first drive element has been assigned the first allocation and the instrument has been coupled to the drive assembly, further usage information of the plurality of drive elements is tracked. Based on the further usage information, a second allocation is selected from the plurality of allocations for the first drive element of the plurality of drive elements; and This causes the first drive element to transition from the first allocation to the second allocation.

10. The equipment management system according to claim 6, wherein the operation further includes: Based on the usage data, a second allocation of the second drive element of the plurality of drive elements is determined, the second allocation being associated with a second pairing of the second drive element and the second input element of the plurality of input elements, such that the less used drive element of the first drive element and the second drive element is paired with the more demanded input element of the first input element and the second input element.

11. The device management system of claim 10, wherein the operation further includes identifying the less frequently used drive element, wherein identifying the less frequently used drive element includes determining the usage duration of the first drive element.

12. The device management system of claim 10, wherein the operation further includes identifying the less-used drive element, wherein identifying the less-used drive element includes determining the amount of wear associated with the first drive element.

13. The equipment management system according to claim 10, wherein the operation further includes: Identifying the less-used drive element, wherein identifying the less-used drive element includes determining at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: The peak force experienced by the first driving element The peak torque experienced by the first drive element The total force experienced by the first driving element, and The total torque experienced by the first drive element.

14. The device management system of claim 10, wherein the operation further includes identifying the less frequently used drive element, wherein identifying the less frequently used drive element includes determining the degree of freedom corresponding to an input element previously driven by the first drive element.

15. The equipment management system according to claim 10, wherein the operation further includes: Identifying the less-used drive element, wherein identifying the less-used drive element includes determining at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: The actuation frequency experienced by the first driving element The amplitude of motion experienced by the first driving element The number of direction reversals experienced by the first driving element, and The speed of movement experienced by the first driving element.

16. The device management system of claim 6, wherein the usage data associated with the plurality of drive elements includes usage data associated with at least one transmission subcomponent configured to drive at least one of the plurality of drive elements.

17. The device management system of claim 4, wherein the historical data includes performance test data associated with the plurality of drive elements.

18. The device management system of claim 17, wherein the performance test data associated with the plurality of drive elements includes test data of at least one transmission sub-component configured to drive at least one of the plurality of drive elements.

19. The device management system of claim 4, wherein the functional characteristics of the first driving element are more suitable for driving the first input element than the functional characteristics of the second driving element of the plurality of driving elements, and wherein determining the first allocation is further based on the functional characteristics of the first driving element and the functional characteristics of the second driving element.

20. The equipment management system of claim 1, wherein selecting the first allocation includes determining the first allocation based on the type of the equipment.

21. The device management system of claim 20, wherein the operation further includes determining the type of the instrument based on a program to be executed by the device.

22. The device management system of claim 20, wherein the operation further comprises determining the type of the device based on a phase of a program being executed by the device, or a previous device previously coupled to the drive component, or a second device coupled to a second drive component of the device, or the identity of the user of the device.

23. The device management system according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein enabling the first drive element to adopt the first allocation includes providing instructions to a user of the device management system to reconfigure the drive component.

24. The device management system according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein causing the first drive element to adopt the first allocation includes providing instructions to a user of the device management system to install the device in a manner corresponding to the first allocation.

25. The device management system according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein enabling the first drive element to adopt the first allocation includes reconfiguring the drive component of the device.

26. The device management system according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein causing the first drive element to adopt the first allocation includes guiding the rotational orientation of the drive assembly or the instrument.

27. The equipment management system according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the plurality of drive elements comprises: One or more rotary drive elements are configured to transmit rotational motion or force to one or more of the plurality of input elements when the instrument is coupled to the drive assembly; or One or more linear drive elements are configured to transmit linear motion or force to one or more of the plurality of input elements when the instrument is coupled to the drive assembly.

28. The equipment management system according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein: The device includes a robotic manipulator arm, which includes the drive assembly and multiple joints interconnecting multiple links; The device management system also includes input devices configured to be operated by a user; and The operation also includes: The movement that receives commands from the input device, and The robot manipulator arm is commanded to move the plurality of joints and the plurality of drive elements to move the instrument according to the movement of the command.

29. A computer-aided device, comprising: Robotic manipulator arm; A control system, comprising a memory and one or more processors, the memory including programming instructions; and A drive assembly supported by the robotic manipulator arm, the drive assembly being configured to be removably coupled to the instrument, wherein the drive assembly includes a plurality of drive elements configured to cause movement of the instrument by driving a plurality of input elements of the instrument. In the first configuration of the drive assembly, the first drive element of the plurality of drive elements is positioned to be coupled to the first input element of the plurality of input elements. In the second configuration of the drive assembly, the first drive element of the plurality of drive elements is positioned to be coupled to the second input element of the plurality of input elements, and The programming instructions are adapted to cause the control system to perform operations, the operations including: Select a configuration of the driver component from a plurality of configurations, the plurality of configurations including the first configuration and the second configuration, and Configure the drive component to use the selected configuration.

30. The computer-aided device according to claim 29, wherein the operation further comprises: The configuration of the driver component is selected from the plurality of configurations in a random or pseudo-random manner.

31. The computer-aided device according to claim 29, wherein the operation further comprises: The configuration of the driver component is selected from the plurality of configurations in a sequential order.

32. The computer-aided device according to claim 29, wherein the operation further comprises: The configuration of the drive component is selected from the plurality of configurations based at least on historical data associated with the first drive element.

33. The computer-aided device of claim 32, wherein the historical data associated with the first drive element includes historical data of at least one transmission subcomponent configured to drive the first drive element.

34. The computer-aided device of claim 32, wherein the historical data includes usage data or performance test data associated with the first driving element.

35. The computer-aided device of claim 32, wherein the historical data includes at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: the number of times the plurality of drive elements were used, the previous instrument driven by the plurality of drive elements, and the degrees of freedom of the previous instrument driven by the plurality of drive elements.

36. A method of operating a device, the device comprising: A drive assembly configured to be removably coupled to an instrument, the method comprising: For a first driving element of a plurality of driving elements of the driving assembly, a first allocation is selected from a plurality of allocations, the first allocation being usable for at least two of the plurality of driving elements; Make the first driving element adopt the first allocation; The first assignment is associated with a pairing of the first input element among the first drive element and the plurality of input elements of the instrument.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising selecting the first allocation from the plurality of allocations in a random or pseudo-random manner.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the first driving element has a current allocation, wherein the allocations of the plurality of allocations are arranged in a sequential order, and wherein selecting the first allocation comprises: The next allocation is selected as the first allocation, wherein the next allocation follows the current allocation in the successive order.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising obtaining historical data associated with the plurality of drive elements, wherein selecting the first allocation includes determining the first allocation based at least on the historical data.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the historical data associated with the plurality of drive elements includes historical data of at least one transmission subcomponent configured to drive at least one of the plurality of drive elements.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising: Based on the historical data, a second allocation is selected from the plurality of allocations for the second drive element among the plurality of drive elements; as well as The second drive element adopts the second allocation during a period that overlaps with the time during which the first drive element has already adopted the first allocation.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the historical data includes usage data associated with the plurality of drive elements.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein determining the first allocation based at least on the usage data includes determining the previous usage of the first drive element.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising: Based on the usage data, a second allocation of the second drive element among the plurality of drive elements is determined, the second allocation being associated with a second pairing of the second drive element and the second input element among the plurality of input elements, such that the less used drive element among the first drive element and the second drive element is paired with the more needed input element among the first input element and the second input element.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising identifying the less-used drive element, wherein identifying the less-used drive element includes determining the duration of use of the first drive element or the amount of wear associated with the first drive element.

46. ​​The method of claim 44, further comprising identifying the less-used drive element, wherein identifying the less-used drive element includes determining the amount of wear associated with the first drive element.

47. The method of claim 44, further comprising identifying the less-used drive element, wherein identifying the less-used drive element comprises determining the degree of freedom corresponding to an input element previously driven by the first drive element.

48. The method of claim 39, wherein the historical data includes performance test data associated with the plurality of drive elements.

49. The method of claim 39, wherein the functional characteristics of the first driving element are more suitable for driving the first input element than the functional characteristics of the second driving element among the plurality of driving elements, and wherein determining the first allocation is further based on the functional characteristics of the first driving element and the functional characteristics of the second driving element.

50. The method of claim 36, wherein selecting the first assignment includes determining the first assignment based on the type of the device.

51. The method of claim 36, wherein making the first drive element adopt the first allocation includes making the device reconfigure the drive assembly.

52. A method for selecting a configuration of a drive assembly supported by a robotic manipulator arm, the drive assembly being configured to be removably coupled to a device, wherein the drive assembly includes a plurality of drive elements configured to cause movement of the device by driving a plurality of input elements of the device. In the first configuration of the drive assembly, the first drive element of the plurality of drive elements is positioned to be coupled to the first input element of the plurality of input elements, and In the second configuration of the drive assembly, the first drive element of the plurality of drive elements is positioned to be coupled to the second input element of the plurality of input elements; The method includes: Select a configuration of the driver component from a plurality of configurations, the plurality of configurations including the first configuration and the second configuration; as well as Configure the drive component to use the selected configuration.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein selecting the configuration comprises: The configuration is selected from the plurality of configurations in a random or pseudo-random manner; or The configuration is selected from the plurality of configurations based on their sequential order.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein selecting the configuration comprises: The selection is based at least on historical data associated with the first drive element from the plurality of configurations.

55. A one or more non-transitory machine-readable media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device including a driving component, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the driving component being configured to be removably coupled to an instrument, the method comprising: For a first driving element of a plurality of driving elements of the driving assembly, a first allocation is selected from a plurality of allocations, the first allocation being usable for at least two of the plurality of driving elements; Make the first driving element adopt the first allocation; The first assignment is associated with the pairing of the first drive element with the first input element of the plurality of input elements of the instrument.

56. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media according to claim 55, wherein: Selecting the first allocation includes selecting the first allocation from the plurality of allocations in a random or pseudo-random manner; or Selecting the first allocation includes selecting the first allocation from the plurality of allocations based on the sequential order of the allocations.

57. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media according to claim 55, wherein: The method further includes obtaining historical data associated with the plurality of drive elements; and Selecting the first allocation includes determining the first allocation based at least on the historical data.

58. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 57, wherein the historical data includes usage data associated with the plurality of drive elements.

59. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 57, wherein the historical data includes performance test data associated with the plurality of drive elements.

60. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 55, wherein selecting the first allocation includes determining the first allocation based on the type of the instrument.

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