Wheelbarrow with damping device, and related systems and methods

Abstract

This invention relates to wheeled trolleys with vibration damping devices, and related systems and methods. A patient-side trolley for a remotely controlled surgical system may include a base, a column connected to the base, a cantilever connected to the column, a control arm connected to the cantilever, and a vibration damping member. The control arm may be configured to support surgical instruments. The vibration damping member may be configured to move relative to the base between an extended and a retracted position. The vibration damping member may engage the ground in the extended position and not contact the ground in the retracted position. Exemplary embodiments also relate to trolleys including vibration damping members and methods for controlling the vibration damping members.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese Patent Application No. 201911351507.0, entitled "Wheeled handcart with vibration damping device, and related system and method", filed on March 17, 2015. This Chinese patent application is a divisional application of Chinese Patent Application No. 2015800144068 (PCT / US2015 / 020911), entitled "Wheeled handcart with vibration damping device, and related system and method", filed on March 17, 2015, and entered the national phase on September 14, 2016.

[0002] Cross-references to related applications

[0003] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 954,258, filed March 17, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] This disclosure relates to wheeled handcarts including vibration damping devices, and related systems and methods. Background Technology

[0005] Remotely controlled (robotic) surgical systems may include a surgeon's console where, during a surgical procedure, the surgeon can input commands to control one or more remotely controlled surgical instruments mounted on a manipulator arm attached to a patient-side cart. The patient-side cart can be moved throughout the operating room to position itself close to the patient for surgical procedures. One consideration for such a patient-side cart is the ability to transmit any vibrations, such as those transmitted via the manipulator arm, to the mounted instruments during cart movement. While patient-side carts are already effective for instrument mounting and minimizing vibration, further improvements are desired. For example, it is desirable to provide the patient-side cart with means for mechanically contacting the cart with the ground and further reducing vibration. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may solve one or more of the problems described above and / or demonstrate one or more of the desired features described above. Other features and / or advantages will become apparent from the following description.

[0007] According to at least one exemplary embodiment, a patient-side trolley for a remotely controlled surgical system may include a base, a column connected to the base, a boom connected to the column, a control arm connected to the boom, and a vibration damping member. The control arm may be configured to support surgical instruments. The vibration damping member may be configured to move relative to the base between an extended and a retracted position. The vibration damping member may engage the ground in the extended position and not contact the ground in the retracted position.

[0008] According to another exemplary embodiment, the trolley may include a base, a plurality of wheels connected to the base and configured to transport the trolley along the ground, and a vibration damping member. The vibration damping member may be configured to move relative to the base between an extended and a retracted position. The vibration damping member may be in contact with the ground in the extended position and may not be in contact with the ground in the retracted position.

[0009] According to another exemplary embodiment, a method for controlling a vibration damping member of a patient-side trolley in a remotely controlled surgical system may include detecting the occurrence of a first event corresponding to the preparation of the patient-side trolley for a surgical procedure. The method may further include issuing a command signal to an actuating device to deploy the vibration damping member to contact the ground on which the patient-side trolley is located.

[0010] Additional objects, features, and / or advantages will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of this disclosure and / or the claims. At least some of these objects and advantages may be realized and obtained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

[0011] It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and illustrative only, and do not limit the claims; rather, the claims should be entitled to their entire scope, including equivalents. Attached Figure Description

[0012] This disclosure can be seen from the following specific implementation, alone or in conjunction with the appendix. Figure 1 Please read and understand. These accompanying drawings are included to further understand this disclosure and are incorporated in and form part of this specification. These drawings illustrate one or more exemplary embodiments of the teachings and, together with this specification, serve to explain certain principles and operations.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the patient-side trolley according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the base of a patient-side trolley including vibration damping components.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic side view of a portion of a patient-side trolley according to an exemplary embodiment, wherein the vibration damping member is in a retracted state.

[0016] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 The patient-side trolley section, in which the vibration damping components are in the deployed state.

[0017] Figure 5 A schematic partial cross-sectional view of an actuation device for a vibration damping member according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a plan view of a hydraulic system for a vibration damping component according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0019] Figure 7 An illustrative method for deploying a vibration damping member according to an exemplary embodiment is depicted.

[0020] Figure 8 An illustrative method for retracting a vibration damping member according to an exemplary embodiment is depicted.

[0021] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a manual release device in a first state according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0022] Figure 10 Depicting Figure 9 The manual release device is in the second actuation state.

[0023] Figure 11 Depicting Figure 9 A partial perspective view of the manual release device and the access door in its first state.

[0024] Figure 12 Depicting Figure 10 A partial perspective view of the manual release device and the access door in the second actuated state. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present specification and accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments, should not be considered limiting. Various mechanical, combinational, structural, electrical, and operational variations can be implemented without departing from the scope of this specification and claims, including equivalents. In some instances, well-known structures and techniques have not been shown or described in detail so as not to obscure this disclosure. The same numbers in two or more figures denote the same or similar elements. Furthermore, elements and their associated features described in detail with reference to one embodiment (where practicable) may be included in other embodiments where they are not explicitly shown or described. For example, if an element is described in detail with reference to one embodiment but not with reference to a second embodiment, that element may still be claimed to be included in the second embodiment.

[0026] For the purposes of this specification and the appended claims, unless otherwise specified, all figures expressing quantities, percentages, or proportions, as well as other numerical values, used in this specification and claims, shall be understood to be modified in all cases by the term "approximately" to a range to which they have not yet been modified. Therefore, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and the appended claims are approximate values ​​that may vary depending on the desired characteristics obtained as requested. At least, and without attempting to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter shall be interpreted at least according to the number of significant digits reported and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

[0027] It should be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a” and “the”, and any singular use of any word, include plural references unless clearly and explicitly limited to a single reference. As used herein, the term “comprising” and its grammatical variations are intended to be non-restrictive, such that the detailed description of items in the list does not exclude other identical items that could substitute for or be added to the listed items.

[0028] Furthermore, the terminology used in this specification is not intended to limit this disclosure or the claims. For example, spatial relation terms (e.g., “below,” “under,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” “proximal,” “distal,” etc.) may be used to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another, as shown in the orientations in the figures. In addition to the positions and orientations shown in the figures, these spatial relation terms are also intended to include different positions (i.e., locations) and orientations (i.e., rotational arrangements) of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, an element described as “below” or “under” other elements or features would be “above” or “on” said other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both above and below positions and orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relation descriptors used herein are understood accordingly. The relative proximal and distal orientations of surgical instruments are marked in the figures.

[0029] This disclosure relates to a patient-side trolley for a remotely controlled surgical system, comprising features for mitigating vibrations within the trolley. The patient-side trolley may include a system for conveniently controlling the deployment and retraction of the vibration-damping features, allowing them to be deployed or retracted automatically without user commands. Therefore, vibration damping of the patient-side trolley can be conveniently and controllably achieved without the user actively deploying or retracting the vibration-damping features.

[0030] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate to trolleys including vibration damping devices for convenient vibration reduction. The vibration damping device may include a damping member configured to move relative to the base of the trolley between an extended and a retracted position. The trolley may be, for example, a patient-side trolley for a remotely controlled surgical system, including a base, a column connected to the base, a cantilever connected to the column, and a manipulator arm connected to the cantilever. The manipulator arm may be configured to support surgical instruments. The damping member engages the ground in the extended position and does not contact the ground in the retracted position. The damping member may be coupled to the base and may be received within the base in the retracted position. The patient-side trolley may include multiple damping members. The patient-side trolley may further include a biasing device for biasing the damping member to the retracted position. An actuation device may move the damping member from the retracted position to the extended position. The actuation device may apply a force to overcome the biasing device. The patient-side trolley may further include a hydraulic system configured to supply hydraulic pressure to the actuation device. The patient-side trolley may include multiple damping components and multiple actuating devices for actuating corresponding damping components. The hydraulic system includes a single hydraulic circuit configured to supply hydraulic pressure to the plurality of actuating devices. The hydraulic system may include sensors configured to monitor the hydraulic pressure. The patient-side trolley may include a manual release device configured to be manually actuated by a user to release the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic system. The manual release device may be configured to actuate a release valve of the hydraulic system. The patient-side trolley may include motor-driven wheels, wherein the motor is locked in the deployed position of the damping component, and actuation of the manual release device unlocks the motor to allow the wheels to rotate freely. The manual release device may be located in a compartment within the base, wherein the compartment is closable via a door, and wherein a stop member is positioned to prevent the door from closing when the manual release device is actuated.

[0031] In the exemplary embodiments described herein, the trolley may include a controller configured to control the deployment and retraction of the damping member. The controller may be configured to automatically deploy the damping member upon the occurrence of a first event and to automatically retract the damping member upon the occurrence of a second event. The first event may be the installation of a cannula onto the manipulator arm. The second event may be the removal of a cannula installed onto the patient-side trolley. The cannula used for the second event may be the last remaining cannula installed onto the patient-side trolley during the surgical procedure.

[0032] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein also contemplate methods for controlling a vibration damping member of a patient-side trolley for a remotely controlled surgical system. The method may include detecting the occurrence of a first event corresponding to preparing the patient-side trolley for a surgical procedure and issuing a command signal to an actuating device to deploy the vibration damping member to contact the ground on which the patient-side trolley is located. The first event may include attaching a cannula to a manipulator arm of the patient-side trolley. The method may further include detecting the occurrence of a second event corresponding to ending the surgical procedure and issuing a command signal to the actuating device to retract the vibration damping member. The second event may be the removal of a cannula attached to the patient-side trolley. The cannula in the second event may be the last remaining cannula attached to the patient-side trolley during the surgical procedure.

[0033] Now refer to Figure 1 This document illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a patient-side trolley 100 of a remotely controlled surgical system. As those skilled in the art will recognize, a remotely controlled surgical system may further include a surgeon's console (not shown) for receiving input from a user for controlling instruments on the patient-side trolley 100, and an auxiliary control / vision cart (not shown), as described in, for example, U.S. Publication No. US 2013 / 0325033 entitled "Multi-Port Surgical Robotic System Architecture" and U.S. Publication No. US 2013 / 0325031 entitled "Redundant Axis and Degree of Freedom for Hardware-Constrained Remote Center Robotic Manipulator" both published on December 5, 2013, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. By way of non-limiting example, the type of remotely controlled surgical system contemplated in this disclosure includes da... One of the surgical systems.

[0034] The patient-side trolley 100 may include a base 102, a main column 104, and a main cantilever 106 connected to the main column 104. The patient-side trolley 100 may also include a plurality of manipulator arms 110, 111, 112, and 113, each manipulator arm being connected to the main cantilever 106. Each portion of the manipulator arms 110, 111, 112, and 113 may include an instrument mounting portion 120 to which an instrument 130 may be mounted, as shown for the manipulator arm 110. The manipulator arms 110, 111, 112, and 113 can be manipulated during a surgical procedure according to commands provided by a user located at a surgeon's console. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more signals or inputs transmitted from the surgeon's console may be transmitted to a control / vision trolley, which may interpret the inputs and generate one or more commands or outputs to be transmitted to the patient-side trolley 100 to cause manipulation of the instrument 130. Figure 1 (Only one of these devices is installed in the middle) and / or parts of the manipulator 110, with the device 130 connected to the manipulator 110 at the patient-side trolley 100.

[0035] According to an exemplary embodiment, the instrument mounting section 120 may include an actuation interface assembly 122 and a cannula mount 124, wherein the shaft 132 of the instrument 130 extends through the cannula mount 124 (and extends to the surgical site during a surgical procedure), and the force transmission mechanism 134 of the instrument is connected to the actuation interface assembly 122. The cannula mount 124 may be configured to hold a cannula (not shown) through which the shaft 132 of the instrument 130 can extend to the surgical site during a surgical procedure. The actuation interface assembly 122 may include various mechanisms controlled to respond to input commands at a surgeon's console and to transmit force to the force transmission mechanism 134 to actuate the instrument 130.

[0036] Although for ease of observation, Figure 1 The exemplary embodiment shows an instrument 130 attached only to manipulator arm 110, but the instrument may be attached to any and each of manipulator arms 110, 111, 112, and 113. Instrument 130 may be a surgical instrument with an end effector or may be a camera instrument or other sensors used during surgical procedures to provide information about a remote surgical site (e.g., visualization, electrophysiological activity, pressure, fluid flow, and / or other sensed data). Figure 1 In the examples, surgical instruments or camera instruments with end effectors can be attached to and used with any of the manipulators 110, 111, 112, 113. However, the embodiments described herein are not limited to those described herein. Figure 1The exemplary embodiments described herein are provided, and various other remote surgical system configurations can be used in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0037] The patient-side trolley may include one or more devices for controlling the movement of the patient-side trolley from one location to another, such as when moving the patient-side trolley back and forth in the operating room in preparation for a surgical procedure or after the surgical procedure has been completed. Go to Figure 2 The illustration shows the patient-side trolley (such as...). Figure 1 The exemplary embodiment of the patient-side trolley 100 includes a base 202. The base 202 may include a plurality of wheels for allowing the patient-side trolley to move from one location to another. According to an exemplary embodiment, one or more of the wheels may be driven to move the patient-side trolley. (As in...) Figure 2 In an exemplary embodiment, the base 202 may include a first wheel 210 driven by a motor 211 and a second wheel 212 driven by a motor 213. According to an exemplary embodiment, the base 202 may further include non-driven wheels 220, which may be, for example, free-moving casters.

[0038] The patient-side trolley including base 202 may include a drive system for skillfully maneuvering the patient-side trolley, as described in U.S. Application No. 14 / 209,239, filed March 13, 2013, entitled “Surgical Patient Side Cart with Drive System and Method of Moving a Patient Side Cart” (now published as U.S. Application Publication No. US 2014 / 0297130 A1, published October 2, 2014), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Figure 2 As shown in the exemplary embodiments, the base 202 may include two driven wheels 210 and 212 and two undriven wheels 220, but the exemplary embodiments described herein are not limited to this arrangement and may include other numbers of driven and undriven wheels. The patient-side trolley according to this disclosure is also not limited to the motorized drive control system described in U.S. Application Publication No. US2014 / 0297130A1, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 895,249.

[0039] According to an exemplary embodiment, the patient-side trolley including the base 202 may include a control interface 230 for a user to drive the patient-side trolley from one position to another. The control interface 230 may be configured according to various exemplary embodiments described in U.S. Application No. 14 / 208,663, filed March 13, 2014, entitled “Surgical Patient Side Cart with Steering Interface,” and now published as U.S. Application Publication No. US 2014 / 0316654 A1, published October 23, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0040] During surgical procedures, vibrations may occur within the patient-side trolley, such as when components of the trolley are actuated and moved. These vibrations can be transmitted through the patient-side trolley to the surgical instruments mounted on its manipulator arms, potentially causing some movement of the instruments. To address this issue, the patient-side trolley may include one or more vibration-damping components to reduce or minimize vibrations within the trolley itself. For example, in... Figure 2 As shown in the exemplary embodiment, the base 202 may include a plurality of damping members 240. The damping members 240 may be configured to contact the ground beneath the base 202, as will be discussed below, to reduce or minimize vibrations, such as those occurring during the movement of the patient-side trolley, and thus facilitate stable mounting of surgical instruments to the patient-side trolley. Figure 2 In the exemplary embodiments shown, the base of the patient-side trolley may include four damping members 240, but the exemplary embodiments described herein are not limited to four damping members and may alternatively include other numbers of damping members, such as one, two, three, five, six, or more damping members.

[0041] According to an exemplary embodiment, the vibration damping member of the patient-side trolley does not need to affect the stability of the patient-side trolley in order to minimize or prevent tipping or overturning. Instead, the vibration damping member can be used to reduce vibrations of the patient-side trolley, which could in turn cause movement of surgical instruments mounted to the patient-side trolley. Therefore, the vibration damping member can be configured to contact the ground, but not with a force sufficient to lift or otherwise move the patient-side trolley.

[0042] As discussed above, the damping components of the patient-side trolley can be configured to contact the ground to minimize or reduce vibration. For easy maneuvering of the patient-side trolley from one position to another, the damping components can be telescopic and deployable. [Go to...] Figure 3The image shows a side view of a portion of the base 302 and main column 304 of the patient-side trolley, which can be used according to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of the patient-side trolley is arranged. For example, as per [reference to...] Figure 2 As discussed in the exemplary embodiments, the base 302 may include one or more driven wheels 310 and one or more non-driven wheels 320. To address vibrations in the patient-side trolley including the base 302, the base 302 may include one or more vibration-damping members 340. Figure 3 In an exemplary embodiment, the one or more damping members are in a retracted state, wherein the damping member 340 is not in contact with the ground 350 to facilitate operation of the patient-side trolley.

[0043] The vibration damping member 340 can be deployed to contact the ground 350, such as Figure 4 As shown in the exemplary embodiment. Therefore, the damping member 340 can be deployed or retracted relative to the base 302 and the ground 350 between corresponding raised and lowered positions, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As illustrated in an exemplary embodiment. For example, once the patient-side trolley has been positioned for a surgical procedure, the damping member 340 can be deployed to minimize vibration. According to an exemplary embodiment, the patient-side trolley may include a controller for controlling the deployment and retraction of the damping member 340, which may occur when the controller receives status information of the patient-side trolley, as will be discussed in further detail below.

[0044] The vibration damping member can be configured to minimize or reduce vibration of the patient-side trolley, and with additional considerations. According to an exemplary embodiment, the bottom surface 341 of the vibration damping member 340 can be substantially flat to maximize the contact area between the vibration damping member 340 and the ground 350. According to an exemplary embodiment, the edges 342 of the bottom surface 341 can be rounded to minimize or eliminate the imprint of the vibration damping member 340 on the ground 350. (As in...) Figure 2 As shown in the exemplary embodiments, damping members 240, 340 may have a cylindrical shape; however, the damping members of the exemplary embodiments described herein may have other shapes, such as a square cross-section, a rectangular cross-section, or other shapes familiar to those skilled in the art. Damping member 340 may have a diameter or width 344 ranging, for example, from about 1 inch to about 3 inches, such as from about 1.5 inches to about 2 inches. Damping member 340 may be configured to retract completely into base 302 to maximize the amount of clearance between base 302 and ground 350. The damping members of the patient-side trolley may also be located within the base of the patient-side trolley to minimize or eliminate interaction with the user. For example, as in... Figure 2As shown in the exemplary embodiment, the vibration damping member 240 may be located away from the outer edge 203 of the base 202 to minimize or eliminate the vibration damping member 240 being extended onto a person's feet. According to the exemplary embodiment, the vibration damping member 240 may also be positioned within the base 202 to facilitate vibration reduction, such as closer to the periphery of the base 202. Therefore, the location of the vibration damping member 240 can be chosen with these considerations in mind.

[0045] According to an exemplary embodiment, the damping member can be biased to a retracted position to facilitate retraction of the damping member, such as when the patient-side trolley needs to be moved from one position to another. Go to Figure 5 A partial side view of a vibration damping member 440 in the base 402 of the patient-side trolley is shown. The vibration damping member 440 can be used, for example, as... Figures 2 to 4 The damping members 240 and 340 in the exemplary embodiment. A biasing device may be provided to bias the damping member 440 to a retracted position, such as in... Figure 5 In an exemplary embodiment, it moves upward along a direction 446 away from the ground 450. The biasing device can be, for example, a spring 444 that provides a biasing force to bias the damping member 440 to a retracted position. Although Figure 5 The exemplary embodiments depict a single biasing device (e.g., spring 444) for the damping member 440, but the exemplary embodiments described herein may include other numbers of biasing devices, such as two, three, four, or more biasing devices.

[0046] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiments described herein, other biasing devices familiar to those skilled in the art besides spring 444 may be used. For example, Figure 5 The piston-cylinder device 430 is configured to provide hydraulic pressure on either side of the piston (not shown), such as via a dual-piston-cylinder arrangement. Using this arrangement, by applying hydraulic pressure on one side of the piston, the damping member 440 can extend downward toward the ground 450 in direction 446, and by applying hydraulic pressure on the other side of the piston, the damping member 440 can retract in direction 446 away from the ground 450.

[0047] The damping member may include an actuation device for deploying the damping member. When the damping member includes a biasing device (such as spring 444), the deployment device may be configured to overcome the force applied by the biasing device, thereby allowing the damping member to move to the deployed position. According to an exemplary embodiment, a hydraulic system may be used to overcome the force applied by the biasing device and deploy the damping member. The hydraulic system may include, for example, a pump that supplies hydraulic fluid to an actuator for the damping member, wherein the hydraulic fluid pressure supplied to the actuator overcomes the biasing force and deploys the damping member. Figure 5In the exemplary embodiment shown, a pump 410 may be provided to supply hydraulic fluid to a piston-cylinder device 430, which acts as an actuator for a vibration damping member 440. When the pump 410 supplies hydraulic fluid to the piston-cylinder device 430, the pressure of the hydraulic fluid causes the piston-cylinder device 430 to overcome the force provided by the spring 444, thereby causing the vibration damping member 440 to deploy, such as downward along direction 446, so that the vibration damping member 440 contacts the ground 450. Therefore, a controller is provided to control the deployment and retraction of the vibration damping member 440. Figure 5 (Not shown in the image) can issue a command to the pump 410 to cause the vibration damping member 440 to be deployed.

[0048] According to an exemplary embodiment, in order to retract the vibration damping member, an actuation device configured to deploy the vibration damping member can be deactivated, or the force provided by the device can be stopped in other ways, to allow the vibration damping member to retract. When the biasing device is used to retract the vibration damping member, deactivation of the deployment device allows the biasing device to return the vibration damping member to its retracted position. Figure 5 In an exemplary embodiment, the hydraulic system may further include a relief valve 420 for releasing pressure supplied to the piston-cylinder device 430, thereby allowing the spring 444 to move the damping member 440 to its retracted position along direction 446. According to an exemplary embodiment, the relief valve 420 may be actuated by a controller configured to control the deployment and retraction of the damping member 440, thereby enabling the controller to actuate the deployment and actuation of the damping member 440. According to an exemplary embodiment, the relief valve 420 may also be manually actuated by a user, such as when the damping member 440 needs to be retracted to facilitate the movement of the patient-side trolley. According to another exemplary embodiment, an actuation device configured to deploy the damping member may be actuated to retract the damping member, such as by reducing the force applied to the damping member by the actuation device, rather than disabling the actuation device or stopping the force applied by the actuation device.

[0049] As discussed above, a hydraulic system can be provided to actuate the deployment of one or more damping components of the patient-side trolley. According to an exemplary embodiment, a single hydraulic circuit can be used for all damping components of the patient-side trolley. [Go to...] Figure 6 The diagram schematically illustrates the hydraulic system 500 within the base 502 of the patient-side trolley. The hydraulic system 500 can be used for the aforementioned... Figures 2 to 5 Vibration damping member of an exemplary embodiment. As in Figure 6 In an exemplary embodiment, the hydraulic system 500 may include a pump 510 and a release valve 520 connected to a hydraulic circuit 512 (which can be adjusted according to...). Figure 5 The exemplary embodiment of the pump 410 and the release valve 410 section are configured. The hydraulic circuit 512 may be, for example, connected to each actuator 530 for the respective damping member (e.g., Figure 4The exemplary embodiment of the piston-cylinder device 430 (or other vibration damping component actuator) uses a single hydraulic circuit. Therefore, a single pump 510 and a release valve 520 can be used to actuate each vibration damping component of the patient-side trolley. By connecting the actuator 530 for each vibration damping component to a single hydraulic circuit 512, since each actuator 530 is subjected to substantially the same hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic circuit 512, an effect of force equalization of the vibration damping components can be achieved when the vibration damping components are deployed to contact the ground.

[0050] Each exemplary embodiment may include a single hydraulic circuit, as described above regarding Figure 6 The exemplary embodiments discussed herein are as described. However, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not limited to a single hydraulic circuit, but may include multiple hydraulic circuits. For example, the base of a patient-side trolley may include a first hydraulic circuit for the front wheels of the trolley and a second hydraulic circuit for the rear wheels of the trolley. In another example, the base of a patient-side trolley may include a separate hydraulic circuit for each damping member of the base.

[0051] Hydraulic systems may include sensors configured to monitor the hydraulic pressure within the system. For example, in Figure 6 In an exemplary embodiment, the hydraulic system 500 may include a regulating device 550 connected to the hydraulic circuit 512 for regulating the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic circuit 512. According to an exemplary embodiment, the regulating device 550 may be, for example, a switch connected to the pump 510, which deactivates the pump 510 once a predetermined pressure has been reached. In another exemplary embodiment, the regulating device 550 may be a sensor for monitoring the hydraulic pressure and signaling to deactivate the pump 510 when a predetermined maximum pressure has been reached, or determining whether a leak has occurred, as indicated by hydraulic loss. When this occurs, a controller for controlling the deployment and retraction of the damping member may provide notification to the user of the patient-side trolley, such as visual and / or audible notification, but other types of notification are contemplated without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0052] According to an exemplary embodiment, the hydraulic circuit 512 may include a device for controlling the pressure of the hydraulic circuit 512 if the regulating device 550 malfunctions. For example, the device may prevent the hydraulic pressure from exceeding a predetermined maximum, thus preventing the hydraulic system 500 from supplying excessive pressure to the actuator 530, which could cause the damping member to move or even lift the patient-side trolley. Such a device could be, for example, a pressure relief valve. Figure 6 (Not shown in the image) When the predetermined maximum hydraulic pressure of the pressure relief valve has been reached (e.g., when the regulating device 550 is not operating correctly), the pressure relief valve automatically releases the hydraulic pressure.

[0053] Although the exemplary embodiments described above include a hydraulic system as a means for actuating the deployment of the vibration damping member, other means and systems may be used to deploy the vibration damping member in the exemplary embodiments described herein. For example, electric motors and other actuators familiar to those skilled in the art may be used to deploy the vibration damping member in the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0054] As mentioned above Figures 2 to 6 As discussed in the exemplary embodiments, the patient-side trolley may include a controller for controlling the deployment and retraction of a vibration damping member. Such a system can be useful for automatically deploying and retracting the vibration damping member, as a user may forget to deploy the member for use in surgical procedures to reduce vibration or forget to retract it to facilitate trolley movement, such as once the surgical procedure has been completed. According to the exemplary embodiments, for example, the automatic deployment of the vibration damping member of the patient-side trolley can be actuated by the controller when a first event has occurred, and for example, the automatic retraction of the vibration damping member can be actuated by the controller when a second event has occurred.

[0055] According to an exemplary embodiment, a controller for controlling the deployment and retraction of a vibration damping member can receive signals from a sensor that monitors the retraction and / or deployment state of the vibration damping member. This sensor may be, for example, a pressure sensor connected to a hydraulic circuit (such as hydraulic circuit 512) for an actuator of the vibration damping member, which detects a high pressure in the circuit, indicating that the vibration damping member has deployed. In another example, the sensor may be a position sensor that directly detects the movement and / or position of the vibration damping member. In yet another example, the sensor may be a contact sensor located on the bottom surface of the vibration damping member, such that when the vibration damping member contacts the ground, the sensor is activated and signals the controller.

[0056] Because it may be expected that the damping components will deploy when the patient-side trolley is ready or nearly ready for a surgical procedure and retract when the surgical procedure is completed, the first and second events can be associated with preparing the patient-side trolley before and after the surgical procedure. According to an exemplary embodiment, the first event, triggered by a controller, to automatically deploy one or more damping components of the patient-side trolley can be, for example, by installing a sleeve (not shown) onto… Figure 1In an exemplary embodiment, the cannula mount 124 of the manipulator arm 110 (or any of the manipulator arms 110-113) is used to mount a cannula to the manipulator arm of the patient-side trolley. The cannula mount 124 in the manipulator arms 110-113 may include one or more sensors for detecting the type and / or presence of a cannula mounted to the respective cannula mount of the manipulator arm. For example, signals from sensors used to identify what type of cannula has been mounted to the manipulator arm can be used to detect the presence of a cannula mounted to the respective arm. Such a sensor is, for example, the sensor described in, international PCT application number PCT / US 2015 / ##### (Agent's File No.: ISRG05500 / PCT), filed on the same date as U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 954,318 (titled "Surgical Cannulas and Related Systems and Methods of Identifying Surgical Cannulas"), filed March 17, 2014, and claiming priority thereto, each application being incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0057] According to another exemplary embodiment, the sensor for detecting the presence of a sleeve mounted to the corresponding arm can be configured as a latch position sensor. The latch position sensor can be configured to detect when the latch for mounting the sleeve has been actuated, such as by detecting movement of one or more parts of the latch. An example of a suitable sensor that can be used to detect such movement includes a photo-interrupt sensor, but those skilled in the art will recognize that various other types of sensors can be used to detect latch movement.

[0058] According to an exemplary embodiment, multiple sensors can be used to detect the presence of a sleeve mounted to a corresponding arm in order to avoid false readings that could lead to the unintended deployment of one or more damping members. For example, a controller can be configured to deploy one or more damping members when signals have been received from more than one sleeve presence sensor (e.g., both a sleeve presence / identification sensor and a latch position sensor).

[0059] Outputs from one or more sensors used to detect the presence of cannulas can be provided to a controller that controls the deployment and retraction of one or more damping components, allowing the controller to determine when the cannulas have been installed onto the manipulator and when the damping component should be deployed. A second event that triggers the automatic retraction of one or more damping components of the patient-side trolley via the controller could be, for example, the removal of the last cannulas from the manipulator mounted on the patient-side trolley. For example, the controller could receive signals from sensors at the cannulas mounting points 124 of each manipulator 110-113, determine that only one cannulas remains installed on arm 110-113, and then automatically retract the damping component when the last cannulas has been removed. This could indicate that the patient-side trolley is ready or nearly ready to be moved after the completion of the surgical procedure.

[0060] While the exemplary embodiments described herein may include a controller for automatically deploying and retracting (one or more) damping members according to the first and second events described above, other events may be used for the first and second events. For example, the first event may be the occurrence of an operating arm installing a second sleeve onto the patient-side trolley, the occurrence of installing a third sleeve, or other events. According to another exemplary embodiment, the event may be actuation or release. Figure 2 The control interface 230 includes a dead man switch. An exemplary embodiment of the dead man switch is described in U.S. Application Publication No. 2014 / 0316654 A1, published October 23, 2014, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 791,924, filed March 15, 2013, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Releasing the dead man switch in the control interface 230 can indicate that the movement of the patient-side trolley is complete and the trolley is ready for surgical procedures. Therefore, the controller can deploy (one or more) damping members upon this event. Similarly, actuating the dead man switch can indicate that the surgical procedure has been completed and the patient-side trolley is ready to move. Therefore, the controller can retract (one or more) damping members.

[0061] According to an exemplary embodiment, a controller for controlling the deployment and retraction of one or more damping members of a patient-side trolley can retract one or more damping members in two stages to facilitate movement of the patient-side trolley for a short period of time. In the first stage, the controller retracts one or more damping members from the ground. The first stage may occur, for example, in about one second. In the second stage, the damping members may continue to retract to the fully retracted position, but movement of the patient-side trolley is permitted because, although the damping members are still retracting, they are no longer in contact with the ground.

[0062] During the use of the patient-side trolley, systematic errors that can be cleared by the user may occur. One method to clear these errors is to restart the patient-side trolley. According to an exemplary embodiment, when such a restart occurs, a controller for controlling the deployment and retraction of one or more vibration damping members of the patient-side trolley can be configured to hold one or more vibration damping members in the deployed position, thereby maintaining contact with the ground during the restart and facilitating vibration reduction even during the restart. According to an exemplary embodiment, the controller can be configured in this way by receiving, for example, a signal from a sensor on the sleeve installation indicating that the sleeve is still installed and also receiving notification that the user has commanded a restart.

[0063] Go to Figure 7 A schematic flowchart is provided for an exemplary embodiment of controlling one or more vibration damping components of a patient-side trolley to be deployed. According to Figure 7 Exemplary embodiments of the vibration damping members described herein may be deployed, for example, via a controller for controlling deployment and retraction. In a first step 600, (one or more) vibration damping members are in the retracted position. The control process continues to step 610, in which a command to deploy (one or more) vibration damping members is provided, for example, via the controller. When the deployment device for (one or more) vibration damping members includes the above-mentioned... Figures 2 to 6 When describing the hydraulic system in the exemplary embodiment, the pressure of the hydraulic system can be lower in the state of step 610. In step 610, the pump of the hydraulic system (such as...) can be actuated. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In an exemplary embodiment, pump 410 or 510 begins to deploy. According to the exemplary embodiment, the controller can monitor the pump to determine whether it is receiving power. If the pump does not receive power within a predetermined time, the process can return to step 600, as in... Figure 7 As shown in step 618.

[0064] While the pump is receiving power, the process continues to step 620, where the pump is actuated. According to an exemplary embodiment, the controller can monitor the pump and / or hydraulic circuit to determine if the pressure is increasing. If the pressure does not increase within a predetermined time, the process can return to step 600, as via... Figure 7 Step 622. As the pressure increases, the process continues to step 630, where the desired pressure has been reached and the controller issues a command to stop supplying power to the pump. If power supply to the pump is not stopped within a predetermined time, the controller can command the release valve (e.g., Figure 5 and Figure 6The release valve 420 or 520 is opened to release the hydraulic pressure and the process is returned to step 600, as via Figure 7 Step 632. Once power supply to the pump has been successfully deactivated, the process can be completed at step 640, in which (one or more) vibration damping members have been deployed. According to an exemplary embodiment, the deployment process can follow a different route than described above. For example, the process can continue from step 600 to step 640 along step 602, such as when the hydraulic system is already under high pressure and the command to deploy (one or more) vibration damping members is the only required step.

[0065] According to an exemplary embodiment, when one or more damping components of the patient-side trolley have been deployed, the driven wheels of the patient-side trolley can also be locked to facilitate securing the patient-side trolley during surgical procedures. For example, when one or more damping components of the patient-side trolley have been deployed, for... Figure 2 In an exemplary embodiment, the locks within the motors 211 and 213 of the driven wheels 210 and 212 can be engaged.

[0066] Go to Figure 8 A schematic flowchart is provided for an exemplary embodiment of controlling one or more vibration damping components of a patient-side trolley to be retracted. According to... Figure 8 Exemplary embodiments of the vibration damping members described herein may be retracted, for example, via a controller for controlling the deployment and retraction. In a first step 700, (one or more) vibration damping members are in the deployed position. The control process continues to step 710, in which a command to retract (one or more) vibration damping members is provided, for example, via the controller. According to an exemplary embodiment, a release valve (such as...) Figure 5 and Figure 6 The release valve (420 or 520) is actuated to release hydraulic pressure within the hydraulic system. As a result, the biasing device (such as...) Figure 5 The spring 444 in the middle can apply a biasing force to move (one or more) damping members to the retracted position.

[0067] Figure 8The process can continue to step 720, in which (one or more) damping members begin to retract. Step 720 can be, for example, the first deployment phase discussed above, in which (one or more) damping members begin to retract. The process can continue to step 730, in which (one or more) damping members partially retract, for example, within approximately one second between steps 720 and 730, allowing the patient-side trolley to move while (one or more) damping members continue to retract. The process continues to step 740, in which power to the release valve is deactivated, thereby allowing the release valve to close, preparing for the next deployment of (one or more) damping members. Finally, in step 750, (one or more) damping members can be in the fully retracted position. According to an exemplary embodiment, the controller can monitor the state of the release valve, and if the power actuating the release valve does not stop within a predetermined time, the process continues directly from step 710 to step 750 via step 712. Although the retraction of the damping component via an actuated release valve has been discussed Figure 8 The exemplary embodiments described herein may use other methods of retracting the damping member, such as actuating an actuation device (e.g., a hydraulic circuit) to reduce the force applied by the actuation device, rather than stopping or deactivating the actuation device.

[0068] It may be desirable to provide a manually retractable mechanism for the patient-side trolley to manually retract one or more damping components, such as when a user wants to retract one or more damping components and move the patient-side trolley quickly. Go to Figure 9 An example embodiment of the manual release system is illustrated. (As shown in...) Figure 9 As shown, a handle or lever 800 may be provided for the user to actuate and manually retract (one or more) the damping components. Although Figure 9 The exemplary embodiments shown herein illustrate a handle 800, but other manual actuation devices may be used in the exemplary embodiments described herein. The handle 800 may be connected to, for example, a pin 804, such that the handle 800 can be rotated about the pin 804 in direction 802. Figure 10 The location shown.

[0069] Actuation of handle 800 can actuate a release valve to allow retraction of (one or more) damping components. According to an exemplary embodiment, link 810 can be connected to handle 800 such that when handle 800 is manually actuated in direction 802, link 810 moves in direction 812. According to an exemplary embodiment, link 810 can be connected to or include cam block 822, which is configured to engage the release valve 820 of the hydraulic system, such as... Figure 5 and Figure 6The exemplary embodiment of the release valve 420 or 520. Therefore, when the connecting rod 810 moves in the direction 812, the cam surface 823 of the cam block 822 can engage the release valve 820, thereby moving along... Figure 10 Direction 821 forces the release valve 820 to the open position, which releases pressure in the hydraulic system and allows the retraction of (one or more) damping components, as described in the exemplary embodiments above.

[0070] As described above, when one or more damping members are deployed, the driven wheels of the patient-side trolley can be secured to facilitate trolley fixation. According to an exemplary embodiment, actuation of a manual release device (e.g., handle 800) can unlock the driven wheels. Figure 9 and Figure 10 As depicted, link 810 can be connected to a motor 830 (such as, for example, ...) for driving the driven wheel. Figure 2 In an exemplary embodiment, the component 832 of the electric motor 211 or 213 is used. Therefore, when the link 810 moves in direction 812, component 832 and the electric motor 830 can rotate along direction 834 to a position where the electric motor 830 has been manually unlocked, thereby allowing the driven wheel associated with the electric motor 830 (such as, for example, ...) to... Figure 2 In an exemplary embodiment, the wheel 210 or 212 rotates freely. Although Figure 9 and Figure 10 In an exemplary embodiment, the link 810 is depicted as connected to a single motor 830, but the link 810 may be connected to multiple motors of the patient-side trolley to unlock each motor and facilitate trolley movement.

[0071] As mentioned above Figure 9 and Figure 10 As described in the exemplary embodiment, actuation of the manual release device (e.g., handle 800) can place the patient-side trolley in a neutral state, wherein the patient-side trolley is free to move and (one or more) damping components, such as those caused by the actuation release valve, have retracted. To re-deploy (one or more) damping components and / or lock (one or more) driven wheels via (one or more) motors, the manual release device may need to return to its initial state, such as... Figure 9 The state of the handle 800 in an exemplary embodiment. However, the user may forget to return the manual release device to its initial state. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a device that notifies the user that the manual release device is in an actuated state.

[0072] As in Figure 9 and Figure 10As indicated, the handle 800, linkage 810, and other devices associated with the manual release mechanism can be housed in a compartment behind the door 840, such as within the base of the patient-side trolley. Figure 9 and Figure 11 (As shown in the perspective view depicting a door 840 in the closed position relative to frame 848), a user can open door 840 to access handle 800 within the compartment by turning door 842 in direction 846 via hinge 842. According to an exemplary embodiment, once door 840 has been moved from the closed position, a biasing device (not shown) (such as a spring or other biasing device) can bias door 840 to the open position. However, once handle 800 has been actuated to move link 810 along direction 812, stop member 844 connected to link 810 also moves along direction 812 to... Figure 10 and Figure 12 The position shown. When the stop member 844 is in the position shown. Figure 10 and Figure 12 In the position shown, when attempting to close door 840, stop member 844 engages hinge 842, thereby preventing door 840 from closing against frame 848. In this way, the user is notified that the manual release device is actuated, as the user will not be able to close door 840, thus providing access to the manual release device.

[0073] Apart from Figures 9 to 12 In addition to or besides the exemplary embodiments, other notification devices may be used. According to the exemplary embodiments, a sensor may be provided for detecting when a manual release device (e.g., handle 800) is actuated. Signals from the sensor may be used to provide the user with feedback that the manual release device is actuated, such as via visual and / or auditory feedback.

[0074] While the exemplary embodiments described below may relate to patient-side trolleys for robotic surgical systems, those skilled in the art will understand how the trolleys and damping components described herein can be used with other wheeled platforms, such as, for example, imaging equipment, operating tables, and other wheeled devices.

[0075] The patient-side trolley is provided with one or more vibration damping components to facilitate the reduction of vibrations occurring in the patient-side trolley and the surgical instruments mounted on it. These damping components can be deployed and retracted relative to the ground to further reduce vibration and movement of the patient-side trolley. Furthermore, the patient-side trolley may include a controller for controlling the deployment and retraction of the damping components to facilitate deployment and retraction without requiring user commands.

[0076] Exemplary embodiments of the various operating methods described herein can be implemented in computing hardware (computing devices) and / or software, such as (in a non-limiting example) any computer capable of storing, retrieving, processing, and / or outputting data and / or communicating with other computers. The resulting outputs can be displayed on a display of the computing hardware. One or more programs / software programs, including algorithms for influencing various responses and signal processing, according to the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, can be implemented by a processor (such as a data interface module) or in conjunction with a control cart including a core processor, and can be recorded on a computer-readable medium including computer-readable recording and / or storage media. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical discs, and / or semiconductor memories (e.g., RAM, ROM, etc.). Examples of magnetic recording devices include hard disk drives (HDDs), floppy disks (FDs), and magnetic tapes (MTs). Examples of optical discs include DVDs (Digital Versatile Optical Discs), DVD-RAM, CD-ROMs (Optical Disc Read-Only Memory), and CD-Rs (Recordable) / RWs.

[0077] Based on this disclosure, further modifications and alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, these apparatuses, systems, and methods may include additional components or steps omitted from the diagrams and descriptions for clarity of operation. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and intended to teach those skilled in the art the general manner of implementing this disclosure. It should be understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are to be considered exemplary. Elements and materials, and arrangements of such elements and materials, may be substituted for those shown and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed, and certain features of this tutorial may be used independently, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon benefiting from the description herein. The elements described herein may be varied without departing from the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.

[0078] It should be understood that the specific examples and embodiments described herein are non-limiting, and modifications may be made to the structure, dimensions, materials, and methods without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0079] Other embodiments according to this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of this specification and practice of the invention. This specification and examples are intended to be considered merely exemplary, wherein the claims have a scope of protection (including equivalents) of their entirety by virtue of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vibration damping component of a patient-side trolley for a remote-controlled surgical system, the method comprising: The first state change of the control arm of the patient-side trolley is detected by the control system; as well as In response to detecting the first state change of the control arm, the control system sends a command signal to the actuation device to automatically deploy the vibration damping member from the base of the patient-side trolley, thereby positioning the vibration damping member in contact with the ground where the patient-side trolley is located.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first state change of the manipulator includes attaching a sleeve to the manipulator.

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: The control system detects the second state change of the control arm; as well as The control system sends a command signal to the actuating device to automatically remove the vibration damping member from contact with the ground.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second state change of the manipulator is the removal of the sleeve installed on the manipulator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the actuating device comprises a hydraulic piston-cylinder device, and wherein issuing the command signal causes hydraulic pressure to be applied to the hydraulic piston-cylinder device to deploy the damping member.

6. The method of claim 1 or claim 5, wherein issuing the command signal includes overcoming the force applied by the biasing device, which is configured to bias the damping member relative to the base to a retracted position.

7. A method for stabilizing a patient-side trolley in a remote-controlled surgical system, the method comprising: In response to a detected change in state by the manipulator of the patient-side trolley, the damping member selectively and automatically extends or retracts relative to the base of the patient-side trolley. The vibration damping member is automatically extended to place it at an extended position that contacts the ground where the patient-side trolley is located. The vibration damping component automatically retracts to a retracted position where it is not in contact with the ground where the patient-side trolley is located, and In response to a command signal transmitted by a controller of the surgical system operatively coupled to the vibration damping member, the vibration damping member selectively and automatically extends or retracts, and the control system is configured to transmit the command signal in response to the detected state change.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The selective and automatic extension or retraction of the damping member includes an actuation pneumatic device operatively coupled to the damping member.

9. The method according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein: In the retracted position, a biasing force is applied to the damping member to hold it in the retracted position, and Automatically extending the damping member involves applying a force sufficient to overcome the bias force.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising engaging a lock while the damping member is in contact with the ground to prevent at least one wheel of the patient-side trolley from rotating.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising retracting the vibration damping member in response to manual actuation by a user of a release system operatively coupled to the damping member.

12. A surgical trolley assembly, comprising: Base section; Multiple wheels are attached to the base portion and configured to allow wheeled movement of the surgical trolley assembly; A column extending vertically from the base portion; An operating arm is connected to the end portion of the column in the opposite position to the base portion; A piston assembly that can be actuated to move relative to the base portion between a retracted position and an extended position; as well as A controller operatively coupled to the piston assembly, the controller being configured to perform at least one of the following: The first state change of the control arm is detected, and in response to detecting the first state change of the control arm, the piston assembly is automatically moved to the deployed position; or The system detects a second state change in the control arm and, in response to detecting the second state change, automatically causes the piston assembly to move to the retracted position. By moving to the retracted position, the piston assembly moves the component to a position retracted from the ground supporting the surgical trolley assembly, and By moving to the deployed position, the piston assembly moves the component to contact the ground.

13. The surgical trolley assembly of claim 12, further comprising a spring coupled to the piston assembly, the spring applying a biasing force to bias the piston assembly toward the retracted position.

14. The surgical trolley assembly of claim 13, wherein the piston assembly is configured to apply a force sufficient to overcome the biasing force of the spring and to move the piston assembly from the retracted position to the deployed position.

15. The surgical trolley assembly of claim 12, further comprising an electric motor operatively coupled to actuate the piston assembly.

16. The surgical trolley assembly of claim 12, wherein the plurality of wheels are locked in the deployed position of the assembly.

17. The surgical trolley assembly of claim 12, comprising: A cam surface, wherein movement of the cam surface causes the piston assembly to move from the deployed position to the retracted position.

18. The surgical trolley assembly of claim 12, further comprising a locking mechanism operatively coupled to lock the plurality of wheels to prevent rotation.

19. A surgical trolley assembly, comprising: Base section; Multiple wheels, connected to the base portion, support the surgical trolley assembly during wheeled movement above the ground. Surgical instrument control arm supported by the base portion; A piston assembly that can be actuated to move relative to the base portion between an extended position and a retracted position; as well as A controller operatively coupled to the piston assembly, the controller being configured to perform at least one of the following: A first state change of the surgical instrument manipulator arm is detected, and in response to detecting the first state change of the surgical instrument manipulator arm, the piston assembly is automatically moved to the deployed position. or The system detects a second state change in the surgical instrument manipulator arm and, in response to detecting the second state change, automatically causes the piston assembly to move to the retracted position. In the deployed position of the piston assembly, the piston assembly positions the component to contact the ground, and In the retracted position of the piston assembly, the piston assembly retracts the member from the ground.

20. The surgical trolley assembly of claim 19, comprising: A second piston assembly capable of moving between an extended position and a retracted position; In the deployed position of the second piston assembly, the second piston assembly positions the second member in contact with the ground, and In the retracted position of the second piston assembly, the second piston assembly retracts the second member from the ground.

21. The surgical trolley assembly of claim 19, comprising: A spring configured to apply a biasing force to the piston assembly; The piston assembly is pushed toward the retracted position by the biasing force; and The biasing force applied by the spring is overcome in order to move the piston assembly to the deployed position.

22. The surgical trolley assembly according to claim 19, wherein: The retracted position is the fully retracted position; The piston assembly is movable between the deployed position and the first-stage retracted position; In the first retracted position of the piston assembly, there is a first distance between the ground and the piston assembly; In the fully retracted position, a second distance exists between the ground and the piston assembly; and The first distance is less than the second distance.

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