Method for controlling slave device controlled by master device in consideration of field-of-view boundaries in robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation, and related robotic system

Abstract

A method of controlling slave devices of a robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation is described. A robotic system applying the method comprises: at least one master device 110 adapted to be moved by an operator 150; at least one slave device comprising a surgical instrument 170, the slave device being adapted to be controlled by the master device; and further comprising a viewing device configured to display to an operator 150 an image and / or video of a viewing space associated with a teleoperation area in which the surgical instrument 170 operates. The method first comprises a step of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the observation space to determine whether the surgical instrument 170 is located inside or outside an allowable space associated with the observation space. The method then provides for controlling movement of the slave device in a manner dependent on the determined position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to an allowable space associated with the observation space, allowing movement of the surgical instrument 170 only when the surgical instrument 170 is located within the observation space. Further described is a robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation, which is adapted to be controlled by means of the above control method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a system for controlling a robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a method for controlling a slave device controlled by a master device in a robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation, taking into account the field of view limits, and to a related robotic system. Background Art

[0003] In a robotic surgery system, the field of view (FOV) provided by any associated observation system (endoscope, laparoscope, microscope or exoscope) is typically included within the workspace of the slave device (also referred to as the "slave workspace").

[0004] In other words, typically due to the high usage of magnification, or the position of the camera being very close to the working area, or the workspace being very small, or simply due to the large size of the slave device's workspace, the field of view FOV is a subspace, i.e., it represents a subset of the workspace of the joints of the slave device.

[0005] Therefore, although the movement of the instrument controlled by the master device can be mapped inside the slave workspace (i.e., inside the space of the slave joints), it is outside the effective field of view FOV, and thus it is not performed under the full control of the operator, who closes the control loop of each movement through his own field of view mediated by the observation system in a robotic teleoperation system.

[0006] In particular, taking the instrument out of the field of view, or moving the instrument when it has already left the field of view, can be dangerous and may potentially cause harm to the patient, such as perforation and / or tissue laceration. This is because robotic instruments are typically much harder, more rigid or sharper than what the tissue can withstand.

[0007] This situation may pose further risks, which stem from the fact that when the instrument is outside the FOV, the operator attempts to resume teleoperation, or once they have left, "blindly" align or move the instrument when it is no longer in the field of view, thus greatly increasing the risk of harm to the patient.

[0008] A method is known from US2022 000579, which is provided in a robotic system such that when the instrument leaves the field of view, in order to bring the instrument back into the FOV, the endoscope moves backward autonomously, thus widening the field of view. In particular, the instrument is kept in the field of view by autonomously rotating (rolling) a laparoscope camera, which has a FOV angled (e.g., 30° or 45°) with respect to the top tilt of the endoscope, in order to obtain a panoramic view of the surgical site, for example, by rotating a full circle.

[0009] Such a solution is prone to several drawbacks such as, for example, discomfort due to the observation system (position and / or orientation) following the frequent movements of the surgical instruments, and delays in updating the panoramic image, and / or corresponding frequent changes visible on the screen due to repositioning of the camera, which may disorient the operator during the surgery.

[0010] It is known from US2018 0025666 to use, for example, a master controller to control and move the camera in a paused teleoperation state.

[0011] In the considered technical field, the known solutions do not satisfactorily address the above-mentioned problems and drawbacks.

[0012] In particular, the need to avoid the risk of harm to the patient when the surgical instruments are not visible still exists. Additionally, if a part of the patient's anatomy is not visible because it is outside the field of view and the surgical instrument moves towards it, a risk of harm to the patient is also presented.

[0013] These adverse effects are particularly evident in those robotic platforms that do not have force feedback to the master device, and those robotic platforms that avoid imposing mechanical restrictions on the movement of the master device, and those robotic platforms used for unilateral teleoperation.

[0014] Therefore, in the considered technical field, there is an urgent need to control the slave movement of the slave device based on the master device, according to countermeasures, and based on control algorithms, so as to solve or at least mitigate the above-mentioned problems and drawbacks. Summary of the Invention

[0015] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a slave device controlled by a master device in a robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation, taking into account the field of view limits, which allows at least partially eliminating the drawbacks complained of with reference to the prior art above, and responding to the aforementioned needs particularly felt in the considered technical field. This object is achieved by the method according to claim 1.

[0016] Other embodiments of this method are defined in claims 2 - 28.

[0017] The object of the present invention is also to provide a robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation, which is configured to be controlled by the above method. This object is achieved by the system according to claim 29.

[0018] Further embodiments of this system are defined by claims 30 - 56. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] Other features and advantages of the method according to the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments given by way of non-limiting indication with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] - Figure 1 and Figure 2 respectively show two respective embodiments of a robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation according to the present invention;

[0021] - Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the relationship between two surgical instruments included in the above robotic system and the space in which they have to operate;

[0022] - Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, a surgical instrument included in the above robotic system, and the relationship between the possible movements of the surgical instrument and the space in which it has to operate;

[0023] - Figure 5 、 Figure 5-2 and Figure 5-3 respectively depict simplified block diagrams of the robotic system of the present invention according to respective embodiments;

[0024] - Figure 6 、 Figure 7 、 Figure 7-2 、 Figure 7-3 、 Figure 7-4 、 Figure 8 、 Figure 9 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 11 、 Figure 12 、 Figure 13 、 Figure 14 、 Figure 16 and Figure 16-2 show the relationships between respective surgical instruments included in the above robotic system and different spaces related to the observation space in which they have to operate according to respective embodiments of the method according to the present invention;

[0025] - Figure 15 shows the geometric aspects of the observation space defined by an embodiment of the method according to the present invention. Detailed Description

[0026] According to Figure 1-16 , a method for controlling a slave device of a robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation is described.

[0027] A robotic system to which this method is applied includes: at least one master device 110, adapted to be moved by an operator 150; at least one slave device, including a surgical instrument 170, the slave device being adapted to be controlled by the master device; and further includes an observation device configured to display to the operator 150 an image and / or video of an observation space associated with a teleoperation area in which the surgical instrument 170 operates.

[0028] The master device 110 is preferably an "ungrounded" type master device without force feedback for unilateral teleoperation. Thus, for example, the master device can be a master device for unilateral teleoperation that is mechanically constrained by an operation console and is at the same time an "ungrounded" type without force feedback.

[0029] The master device 110 is preferably a type of master device that is not mechanically constrained by an operation console.

[0030] This method first includes the step of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the observation space to determine whether the surgical instrument 170 is located inside or outside a permitted space associated with the observation space.

[0031] Then, this method controls the movement of the slave device in a manner dependent on the determined position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the permitted space associated with the observation space, and allows the movement of the surgical instrument 170 only when the surgical instrument 170 is located within the permitted space associated with the observation space, and, if allowed, the movement of the surgical instrument 170 is in any case restricted within the above-mentioned observation space.

[0032] According to an implementation option, this method includes: the movement of the surgical instrument 170 (if allowed) is in any case restricted within the permitted space associated with the above-mentioned observation space.

[0033] According to an embodiment of this method, the permitted space associated with the observation space corresponds to the observation space.

[0034] According to another embodiment of this method, the permitted space associated with the observation space includes the observation space and further includes an external environment extending with a spatial tolerance ∈ outside the boundary of the observation space.

[0035] According to another embodiment of this method, the permitted space associated with the observation space includes a subset of the observation space, which corresponds to the observation space from which an internal environment extending with a spatial tolerance ∈ within the boundary of the observation space has been removed.

[0036] According to an implementation option of the above embodiment including a spatial tolerance, the step of determining whether the surgical instrument 170 is located inside or outside the observation space is carried out within a tolerance of such a spatial tolerance ∈ near the boundary of the observation space.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the method, the above-mentioned observation space is defined by the field of view (FOV) of the observation device.

[0038] This implementation refers to a robotic system or a general observation system (including digital imaging / video acquisition devices) having an observation device, which is capable of capturing a part of the observed range (world) through an appropriate lens or light guiding system.

[0039] According to the terms known in the technical field under consideration, this part of the range for acquiring an image or video is extended and called the "field of view" (FOV), which is usually expressed in angular units measured along the diagonal or one of the axes of the digital imaging / video acquisition system.

[0040] According to another implementation option of the method, the above-mentioned observation space is defined by a predefined subset of the field of view (FOV) of the observation device.

[0041] In fact, the boundaries defining the region or volume of the observation space of interest do not necessarily coincide with the field of view; these boundaries can be constructed on a sub-volume within the field of view where the field of view is optimal, and / or constructed to have a specific geometry, and / or specially selected to facilitate mobility from the device and / or for any other reason.

[0042] According to another implementation option of the method, the above-mentioned observation space is defined in the reference coordinate system of the robotic system by the field of view workspace, which consists of a geometric volume associated with the above-mentioned field of view.

[0043] For example, such a field of view workspace (hereinafter also referred to as the "FOV workspace") can correspond to a volume, such as for a lens with a "field of view" FOV less than 180 degrees, such as a trapezoid centered on the main axis of the optical system from the lens to infinity, which can represent the field of view of the digital observation system. Once a plane is fixed relative to the lens, the extension of the field of view in metric terms can be evaluated by evaluating the part where the plane intersects the "FOV workspace", and usually such a plane is orthogonal to the main axis. The diagonal of the rectangle at a certain distance of the plane can be defined as the "FOV diagonal".

[0044] According to another implementation option of the method, the above-mentioned observation space is defined in the reference coordinate system of the robotic system by the geometric boundaries of the field of view, which consist of the boundary surfaces of the above-mentioned observation workspace.

[0045] For example, the field of view workspace is constructed relative to a trapezoid starting from the camera image plane of the observation system. From this, simplified geometric shapes can be constructed, called "field of view workspace limits" (FOV working limits), which are used to restrict the movement of the device. These geometric shapes can be defined as planes orthogonal to the observation system, or can be defined as surfaces in the case of definitions within the field of view workspace.

[0046] According to several possible embodiments, the above-described observation device includes at least one camera 120 or includes an endoscope and / or a laparoscope and / or a microscope and / or an exoscope.

[0047] According to an implementation, the observation device includes a stereoscopic observation system, which includes two cameras, each of which defines its own "FOV workspace" (175L, 175R), respectively called "field of view workspace of camera L" (FOV workspace L) and "field of view workspace of camera R" (FOV workspace R). The intersection of the above two fields of view workspaces of cameras L and R produces a "common field of view workspace", which ensures the maximum visibility of objects in the scene.

[0048] For a given point in such a "common field of view workspace", the difference or disparity (in given units) in the lateral position of the same element can be calculated. Excessive differences may lead to a lack of depth perception, resulting in a blurring effect.

[0049] According to different possible embodiments, the above-described observation device is capable of magnifying the field of view and changing the magnification over time, thereby changing the "FOV workspace", without physically moving the observation device. Thus, for example, as Figure 13 (where the indications FOV(t1) and FOV(t2) exactly refer to the fields of view at different times) shows, when the surgical instrument approaches the edge of the field of view FOV and / or is controlled at a position outside the current field of view, the field of view can be expanded without retracting the camera. For example, such an observation device includes a digital observation device suitable for robotic surgery and / or microsurgery.

[0050] According to an embodiment of the method, the above step of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the allowed space related to the observation space includes: based on digital data originating from the observation device, determining the current position of the surgical instrument 170 and / or the presence of the surgical instrument 170 in the allowed space related to the observation space.

[0051] According to another embodiment of the method, the above step of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the allowed space related to the observation space includes:

[0052] - Map the above-mentioned allowable space related to the observation space in the corresponding slave field-of-view workspace in the slave reference coordinate system associated with the slave device;

[0053] - Determine the position of the surgical instrument 170 by means of the respective position coordinates in the above-mentioned slave reference coordinate system;

[0054] - In the slave reference coordinate system, based on the comparison between the above-mentioned position coordinates and the above-mentioned slave field-of-view workspace, determine the position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the allowable space related to the observation space.

[0055] According to the implementation option of the above-mentioned embodiment, the method further includes the following steps:

[0056] - In the slave reference coordinate system SFO, define the slave kinematic workspace 175 based on the physical movement limits of the slave device and / or the operation restrictions independent of the observation device;

[0057] - In the slave reference coordinate system, define the effective slave workspace 200, where the effective slave workspace corresponds to the intersection of the above-mentioned slave field-of-view workspace and the slave kinematic workspace 175.

[0058] In this case, the step of controlling the movement of the slave device includes: controlling the movement of the slave device so that the movement of the surgical instrument 170 is allowed only when the surgical instrument 170 is located inside the above-mentioned effective slave workspace 200, and if allowed, the movement of the surgical instrument 170 is still restricted inside the above-mentioned effective slave workspace 200.

[0059] More specifically, for example, the field-of-view slave workspace (or "FOV slave workspace") can be defined as a workspace that is geometrically equivalent to the field-of-view slave workspace but is transformed in the reference frame of the slave device through a mapping function (such as rotation and translation).

[0060] Such a "FOV slave workspace" intersects with the slave kinematic workspace 175 to ensure that it is located therein, and thus forms the above-mentioned effective slave workspace 200, which can then be used by various movement restriction algorithms.

[0061] According to the implementation option, the FOV slave workspace is included in the slave kinematic workspace 175.

[0062] According to another implementation option, the field-of-view slave workspace is only partially included in the slave kinematic workspace 175.

[0063] According to the implementation option, the effective slave workspace 200 is the intersection of the slave kinematic workspace 175 and the field-of-view slave workspace.

[0064] Depending on the implementation option, it is effectively reduced from the workspace 200 and limited by the field of view from the workspace.

[0065] According to several possible implementation manners of the method, this limitation can be achieved by means of a pure geometric intersection between two convex geometric structures, or can be simplified to a parallelepiped or a pyramid backbone within such an intersection (for example, by software to calculate an effective workspace 200 with a desired shape / availability).

[0066] As described above, according to the implementation manner of the method, the step of determining whether the surgical instrument 170 is located inside or outside the observation space is performed after subtracting a spatial tolerance ∈ near the boundary of the observation space.

[0067] According to the implementation option, this spatial tolerance ∈ can depend on one or more factors such as speed, scale factor, magnification of the observation medium, or other factors.

[0068] As shown in the above figure, according to the preferred implementation option, this spatial tolerance ∈ defines a region larger than the area of the observation space, while in another option, it defines a region smaller than the area of the observation space.

[0069] According to the implementation manner of the method, the step of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the allowed space related to the observation space is performed cyclically and / or continuously in real time to verify the position or presence of the surgical instrument 170 in the observation space or the effective workspace 200 in real time.

[0070] According to the implementation manner of the method, the step of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the allowed space related to the observation space is performed cyclically and / or continuously in real time by using and estimating the future pose of the surgical instrument relative to the FOV workspace, starting from the main input, and further starting from context information such as the proximity to the target area and the movement history of the instrument in the past few seconds.

[0071] According to an implementation example, the method is applicable to a situation where the field of view FOV is dynamic and depends, for example, on the position, zoom, scale factor, etc. of the observation device (such as a microscope), while the kinematic workspace tends to be static and predefined.

[0072] According to the implementation manner of the method, the step of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the allowed space related to the observation space includes: calculating and / or determining the position of the real point belonging to the surgical instrument or the position of the virtual point integrated with the surgical instrument 170 according to the image provided by the observation system.

[0073] According to an implementation option, the above steps of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 include: determining the position of the virtual control point 600 of the device (e.g., placed at the end 171, 172 of the surgical instrument 170 or between the "jaws" 171, 172).

[0074] According to another implementation option, the above steps of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 include: determining the position of at least one of the ends 171, 172 of the surgical instrument 170.

[0075] According to an implementation option, the above steps of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 include: determining the position of at least one of the links of the articulated wrist (or "end effector") 177 included in the surgical instrument 170.

[0076] According to another implementation option, the above steps of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 include: determining the position of the positioning axis 179 near the hinge joint 177 of the surgical instrument 170 or the distal portion of the axis 179.

[0077] According to an implementation of the method, the above steps of determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 include: determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 based on the nominal position of the slave device in the workspace of the slave device defined in the slave reference coordinate system, where the slave device is controlled by the master device, or determining the position of the surgical instrument 170 based on the nominal target pose of the slave device in the workspace of the slave device defined in the slave reference coordinate system, where the nominal target pose corresponds to the respective poses of the master device in the workspace of the master device.

[0078] According to an implementation, the method includes the following additional step: If and when the presence of the surgical instrument is not detected within the allowed space related to the observation space or within the effective slave workspace 200, or if and when the nominal position of the slave device is determined to be outside the allowed space related to the observation space or outside the effective slave workspace 200, then stop the teleoperation of the robotic system or exit the teleoperation state of the robotic system.

[0079] According to another implementation, the method includes the following additional step: Only when the presence of the surgical instrument is detected within the allowed space related to the observation space or within the effective slave workspace 200, or only when the above nominal position of the slave device is determined to be within the allowed space related to the observation space or within the effective slave workspace 200, then allow and / or enable the movement of the surgical instrument 170.

[0080] According to another embodiment, the method includes the following additional steps: The alignment operation between the master device and the slave device is allowed and / or enabled only when the presence of the surgical instrument is detected within the allowed space associated with the observation space or effectively within the working space 200, or only when the nominal position of the device is determined to be within the allowed space associated with the observation space or effectively within the working space 200. For example, the master device is of the type that is mechanically unconstrained by the operation console.

[0081] According to another embodiment, where the robotic system includes a plurality of slave devices and respective surgical instruments, the method provides that the movement or alignment operation between the master device and the slave device is allowed or enabled only for a surgical instrument whose presence is detected within the allowed space associated with the observation space or effectively within the working space 200, or only for a surgical instrument for which the nominal position of the corresponding slave device is determined to be within the allowed space associated with the observation space or effectively within the working space 200.

[0082] According to an embodiment (such as as Figure 16 and Figure 16-2 shown), the method includes the following additional steps: If and when the above-mentioned slave is determined to be outside the observation space (e.g., FOV) or effectively outside the working space 200 from the nominal position, or if and when the slave nominal trajectory 606 of the above-mentioned slave device leaves the observation space or effectively the working space 200, then the slave nominal trajectory 606 corresponding to the respective master trajectory 601 of the master device 110 is modified.

[0083] In this case, the above-mentioned modification step determines the modified slave target trajectory 607 such that it extends entirely within the observation space (e.g., FOV) or effectively within the working space 200, and / or in any case along the edges or boundaries imposed by the field-of-view working space, as Figure 16 shown.

[0084] In this case, the method finally includes controlling the slave device such that it tracks and travels along the modified slave target trajectory.

[0085] According to the implementation option of the above embodiment, the step of modifying the nominal slave trajectory 606 of the slave device includes: When the position of the surgical instrument 170 reaches the boundary of the observation space or the effective working space 200, stopping and / or freezing ("freezing") the surgical instrument 170. The action of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument 170 includes: locking all degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument 170, i.e., both translational and orientational degrees of freedom, and exiting the teleoperation.

[0086] According to another implementation option of the above-described embodiment, the step of modifying the nominal slave trajectory of the slave device includes: when the position of the surgical instrument 170 reaches the allowable space related to the observation space or the boundary of the effective slave working space 200, stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument 170. In this case, the action of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument 170 includes: only locking a subset of the degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument 170 and allowing it to remain in a teleoperated state.

[0087] According to a specific implementation example, the action of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument 170 includes: locking all translational degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument 170 and keeping the distal orientation degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument enabled, such that when approaching the boundary of the observation space, the surgical instrument 170 or the control point 600 associated therewith does not follow the master device in translation, but follows the master device in orientation.

[0088] According to an implementation example, the action of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument 170 includes: locking one or more translational degrees of freedom associated with the direction of departure from the boundary of the allowable space related to the observation space and keeping the other translational degrees of freedom effective.

[0089] According to an implementation option of the method, when the movement applied by the master device causes the slave device and the surgical instrument 170 to return or revert to a position within the allowable space related to the observation space in the direction within the allowable space related to the observation space, the above-described stopping and / or freezing action is interrupted so as to again allow the surgical instrument 170 to move according to all degrees of freedom.

[0090] As described above, some implementations provide that the action of stopping and / or freezing (''freezing'') the surgical instrument 170 includes: locking all actuation degrees of freedom or locking some actuation degrees of freedom and / or specifically locking one or all degrees of freedom related to position, while keeping the degrees of freedom in the distal direction enabled.

[0091] For example, when approaching the boundary of the field of view FOV or the effective space 200, the surgical instrument 170 or the control point 600 associated with the surgical instrument does not follow the master device in translation, but follows the master device in orientation. In this case, the slave device can be configured to not follow the master device in translation only in directions outside the field of view FOV or the effective space 200, but to follow the master device 110 in translation in the inward direction of the field of view FOV or the effective space 200.

[0092] According to another implementation option of the above-described embodiment, the step of modifying the nominal slave trajectory of the slave device includes: when the distance of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave working space 200 decreases, reducing the movement of the slave device relative to the movement of the master device according to a dynamically variable scale factor F.

[0093] According to another implementation option of the above-described embodiment, the step of modifying the slave device's slave nominal trajectory includes: reducing the translational speed module of the slave device in a direction orthogonal to the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave workspace 200 according to a transfer function that depends on the instantaneous speed of the master device and / or the instantaneous power or energy of the master device and / or the distance between the current position of the slave device and the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave workspace 200.

[0094] According to another implementation option of the above-described embodiment, the step of modifying the slave nominal from of the slave device includes: reducing the instantaneous power or energy transferred from the master device to the slave device according to a transfer function that depends on the instantaneous speed of the master device and / or the instantaneous power or energy of the master device and / or the distance between the current position of the slave device and the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave workspace 200.

[0095] According to an embodiment of the method, the observation space includes the above-described field of view (FOV) of the observation device or a predefined subset of the field of view (FOV).

[0096] According to another embodiment, the method further includes the following additional step: defining the boundary or edge of the observation space, which in turn defines the upper and lower threshold values of the allowable movement of the slave device.

[0097] According to the implementation, the above boundary or edge includes a threshold perimeter on the XY plane, which is orthogonal to the depth direction Z of the field of view FOV.

[0098] This threshold perimeter defines the upper / lower threshold values of the movement on the above XY plane and / or along the orthogonal axes X and Y belonging to the XY plane. The threshold perimeter is calculated based on the distance of the XY plane relative to the observation device.

[0099] According to another implementation option, in addition to the threshold perimeter on the XY plane, the above boundary or edge further includes the lower / upper threshold values along the axis of the depth direction Z of the field of view FOV.

[0100] In this case, the above lower / upper threshold values along the axis of the depth direction Z are determined based on the good focus of the observation device, evaluated and calculated in real time using the data provided by the observation device, or determined based on the depth of field of the observation device in a given configuration, which is within the predefined focus acceptable range provided by the observation device.

[0101] In an embodiment, the field of view workspace boundary is defined as the pyramid backbone defined by Z, as a combined function of X, Y, and Z, taking into account the intersecting workspace of the stereo observation system during calculation.

[0102] According to the implementation option, an upper limit threshold / lower limit threshold can be defined to avoid entering an area where the difference between two viewing points is too large, thus causing the operator's line of sight to blur.

[0103] According to an embodiment, the method further includes providing visual and auditory warnings to the operator when the device approaches the boundary or edge of the observation space or effectively exits the working space 200.

[0104] According to an embodiment, the method further includes the following additional steps: dynamically adjusting / changing the observation space by controlling the observation device, such as by changing the zoom or adjusting the viewing point, so as to improve or restore the field of view of the surgical instrument through the observation device.

[0105] In particular, in an embodiment, the robotic system coupled to the observation system can automatically zoom in by expanding the observation space (e.g., FOV) when the instrument reaches the field of view boundary, thereby preventing the surgeon's involuntary operation, which may cause the instrument to exit the field of view.

[0106] In an embodiment, a first zoom value associated with a first observation space (e.g., a first FOV) and a second zoom value associated with a second observation space (e.g., a second FOV) are stored, where:

[0107] - The above first zoom value is greater than the second zoom value;

[0108] - The above first observation space (e.g., the first FOV) is smaller than the above second observation space (e.g., the second FOV).

[0109] When reaching the boundary imposed by the observation space (e.g., FOV), the self-adjustment of zoom can vary between the above first zoom value and the second zoom value and the associated first FOV and second FOV.

[0110] For example, the variable zoom self-adjustment is an intermediate change based on the target position of the instrument or between two values calculated and evaluated when reaching the boundary, resulting in an intermediate observation space between the first observation space and the second observation space, or one of the two zoom values, and when the instrument is outside or inside the first observation space (e.g., FOV), changing from one zoom value to the other.

[0111] In an embodiment, an associated pedal allows switching the pressure or maintenance from the first zoom to the second zoom.

[0112] In an embodiment, the magnification factor is part of a high-resolution digital image, and at least one of the first and second scaling values and the first and second viewing spaces is part of the acquired digital image. In such an embodiment, the transition between the first and second scaling values or vice versa does not involve any mechanical movement of joints, lenses, or the microscope, but only digital processing.

[0113] In an embodiment, the first working space (e.g., the first FOV) is a sub-part of the image acquired by the observation system and can be changed or simply moved within the perimeter of the acquired image according to the pose of the instrument, and always remains within the above-mentioned first viewing space. In such an embodiment, tracking the instrument and keeping it within the FOV does not involve any mechanical movement of joints, lenses, or the microscope, but only digital processing.

[0114] According to implementation options, the digital observation system has an associated screen onto which the image can be projected.

[0115] According to an embodiment of the method, the movement of the slave device is stopped or inhibited after subtracting a time tolerance, during which a slow movement of the slave device is allowed even if the surgical instrument is outside the viewing space to maintain the directional movement consistency between the master device and the slave device.

[0116] Still referring Figure 1-16 , a robotic system 100 for medical or surgical teleoperation included in the present invention is described below.

[0117] Such a robotic system includes: at least one master device 110 adapted to be moved by an operator 150; at least one slave device including a surgical instrument 170, the slave device being adapted to be controlled by the master device; an observation device configured to display to the operator 150 an image and / or video of a viewing space associated with a remote operation area in which the surgical instrument 170 operates; and finally, a control unit configured to control the slave device based on the movement of the master device during teleoperation.

[0118] The control unit is further configured to perform the following actions:

[0119] - Determine the position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the above-mentioned viewing space to determine whether the surgical instrument 170 is located inside or outside the allowed space associated with the viewing space;

[0120] - Control the movement of the slave device in a manner dependent on the determined position of the surgical instrument 170 relative to the allowed space associated with the viewing space, and allow the movement of the surgical instrument 170 only when the surgical instrument 170 is located inside the allowed space associated with the viewing space.

[0121] According to several possible implementation options of the robotic system, the control unit is configured to execute a method for controlling a slave device of a robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation according to any one of the embodiments of the method as previously shown in this specification.

[0122] As can be seen, with the features described in detail above, the object of the present invention as previously pointed out is fully achieved by the methods and systems disclosed above.

[0123] Those skilled in the art can make changes and adaptations to the embodiments of the above methods and systems, or can replace elements with other functionally equivalent elements to meet the needs depending on the circumstances, without departing from the scope of the following claims. Each of the features described as belonging to possible embodiments can be implemented independently of the other described embodiments.

[0124] List of reference numerals

[0125] 100. Robotic system for teleoperation

[0126] 110. Master device

[0127] 120. Observation device, e.g., camera

[0128] 150. Operator

[0129] 170. Surgical instrument of the slave device

[0130] 171, 172. End connections (or "jaws") of the slave surgical instrument

[0131] 175. Slave kinematic workspace, or workspace of the slave device 175L. Left slave kinematic workspace

[0132] 175R. Right slave kinematic workspace

[0133] 177. Articulated wrist

[0134] 179. Distal portion of the rod or positioning axis

[0135] 200. Effective workspace, or useful workspace 600. Control site of the slave device

[0136] 607. Modified target trajectory

[0137] FOV. Field of view

[0138] ε. Tolerance

[0139] SFO. Global slave reference frame

[0140] SF. Local reference frame

[0141] SFL. Left local reference frame

[0142] SFR. Right local reference frame

[0143] t1, t2. First and second moments

[0144] S-S. Roll axis of the surgical instrument.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a slave device of a robotic system for medical or surgical teleoperation, wherein, the robotic system includes: at least one master device (110) adapted to be moved by an operator (150); at least one slave device including a surgical instrument (170), the slave device being adapted to be controlled by the master device; and an observation device (120) configured to display to the operator (150) an image and / or video of an observation space related to a teleoperation area in which the surgical instrument (170) operates, wherein the method includes: - determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the observation space to determine whether the surgical instrument (170) is inside or outside a permitted space related to the observation space; - controlling the movement of the slave device in a manner dependent on the determined position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the permitted space related to the observation space, and allowing movement of the surgical instrument (170) only when the surgical instrument (170) is inside the permitted space related to the observation space.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the permitted space related to the observation space corresponds to the observation space.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the permitted space related to the observation space includes the observation space and further includes an external environment extending beyond the boundaries of the observation space with a spatial tolerance (∈).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the permitted space related to the observation space includes a subset of the observation space, the subset corresponding to the observation space from which an internal environment extending within the boundaries of the observation space with a spatial tolerance (∈) has been removed.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, the observation space is defined by: - the field of view (FOV) of the observation device, and / or - a predefined subset of the field of view (FOV) of the observation device, and / or - a field of view workspace, which in the reference coordinate system of the robotic system consists of a geometric volume associated with the field of view, and / or - the geometric boundaries of the field of view, which in the reference coordinate system of the robotic system consist of the boundary surfaces of the field of view workspace.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, the step of determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the permitted space related to the observation space includes: determining the current position of the surgical instrument (170) and / or the presence of the surgical instrument (170) in the permitted space related to the observation space based on digital data derived from the observation device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, the step of determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the permitted space related to the observation space includes: - mapping the permitted space related to the observation space in a corresponding slave field of view workspace in a slave reference coordinate system associated with the slave device; - determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) from the respective position coordinates in the reference coordinate system; - in the reference coordinate system, determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the allowed space associated with the observation space based on a comparison between the position coordinates and the working space of the reference field of view.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of: - in the reference coordinate system (SFO), defining a kinematic working space (175) based on the physical movement limits of the reference device and / or operation restrictions independent of the observation device; - in the reference coordinate system, defining an effective reference working space (200) corresponding to the intersection of the reference field of view (FOV) working space and the kinematic working space (175); and wherein the step of controlling the movement of the reference device comprises: controlling the movement of the reference device such that movement of the surgical instrument (170) is only allowed when the surgical instrument (170) is inside the effective reference working space (200), and if allowed, the movement of the surgical instrument (170) is still restricted inside the effective reference working space (200).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the step of determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the allowed space associated with the observation space is performed cyclically and / or continuously in real time to verify in real time the position or presence of the surgical instrument (170) in the observation space or the effective reference working space (200).

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the step of determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the allowed space associated with the observation space comprises: - calculating and / or determining the position of a real point belonging to the surgical instrument or the position of a virtual point integral with the surgical instrument (170), and / or - calculating and / or determining the position of the virtual control point (600) of the reference device, and / or - determining the position of at least one of the ends (171, 172) of the surgical instrument (170), and / or - determining the position of at least one of the links of the articulated wrist (177) included in the surgical instrument (170), and / or - determining the position of the distal portion of the positioning axis (179) close to the articulated wrist (177) of the surgical instrument (170).

11. The method according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein, Determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) includes: determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) based on the nominal position of the slave device in the workspace of the slave device defined in the slave reference coordinate system, the slave device being controlled by the master device, or determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) based on the nominal target pose of the slave device in the workspace of the slave device defined in the slave reference coordinate system, the nominal target pose corresponding to the respective poses of the master device in the workspace of the master device.

12. The method according to claim 1 or claim 11, comprising the additional step of: stopping the teleoperation of the robotic system or exiting the teleoperation state of the robotic system if and when the presence of the surgical instrument is not detected within the permitted space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200), or if and when the nominal position of the slave device is determined to be outside the permitted space associated with the observation space or outside the effective slave workspace (200).

13. The method according to claim 1 or claim 11, comprising the additional step of: allowing and / or enabling the movement of the surgical instrument (170) only if and when the presence of the surgical instrument is detected within the permitted space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200), or only if and when the nominal position of the slave device is determined to be within the permitted space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200).

14. The method according to claim 1 or claim 11, further comprising the additional step of: allowing and / or enabling the alignment operation between the master device (110) and the slave device (170) only if and when the presence of the surgical instrument is detected within the permitted space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200), or only if and when the nominal position of the slave device is determined to be within the permitted space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200).

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein, the robotic system includes a plurality of slave devices and respective surgical instruments, and wherein the movement or alignment operation between the master device and the slave device is allowed and / or enabled only for surgical instruments whose presence is detected within the permitted space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200), or only for surgical instruments whose nominal positions of the corresponding slave devices are determined to be within the permitted space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200).

16. The method according to claim 1 or claim 11, comprising the additional step of: - If and when the slave nominal position is determined to be outside the allowed space associated with the observation space or outside the effective slave workspace (200), or if and when the slave nominal trajectory of the slave device leaves the allowed space associated with the observation space or the effective slave workspace (200), then modify the slave nominal trajectory (606) of the slave device corresponding to the respective master trajectories (601) of the master device (110). wherein the modification step determines a modified slave target trajectory (607) such that it extends entirely within the allowed space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200) and / or along the edges or boundaries imposed by the field of view workspace. - Control the slave device such that it tracks and travels along the modified slave target trajectory.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of modifying the slave nominal trajectory (606) of the slave device comprises: - When the position of the surgical instrument (170) reaches the boundary of the allowed space associated with the observation space or the effective slave workspace (200), stop and / or freeze the surgical instrument (170), wherein the act of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument (170) comprises: locking all degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument (170), i.e., both translational and orientational degrees of freedom, and exiting the teleoperation.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of modifying the slave nominal trajectory (606) of the slave device comprises: - When the position of the surgical instrument (170) reaches the boundary of the allowed space associated with the observation space or the effective slave workspace (200), stop and / or freeze the surgical instrument (170), wherein the act of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument (170) comprises: locking only a subset of the degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument (170) and allowing the teleoperation to be maintained.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the act of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument (170) comprises: locking all translational degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument (170), leaving the distal orientational degree of freedom of the surgical instrument enabled, such that when approaching the boundary of the observation space, the surgical instrument (170) or the control site (600) associated with the surgical instrument does not follow the master device in translation but follows the master device in orientation.

20. The method according to claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the act of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument (170) comprises: locking one or more translational degrees of freedom associated with the direction of departure from the boundary of the allowed space associated with the observation space and keeping the other translational degrees of freedom effective.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 - 20, wherein When the movement applied by the master device causes the slave device and the surgical instrument (170) to return or revert to a position within the allowed space associated with the observation space in a direction within the allowed space associated with the observation space, the stop and / or freeze action is interrupted so as to again allow the surgical instrument (170) to move according to all degrees of freedom.

22. The method according to any one of claims 16 or 17, wherein, the step of modifying the slave device from its nominal trajectory (606) includes: - reducing the translational speed module of the slave device in a direction orthogonal to the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave workspace (200) according to a transfer function depending on the instantaneous speed of the master device and / or the instantaneous power or energy of the master device and / or the distance between the current position of the slave device and the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave workspace (200); and / or - reducing the instantaneous power or energy transferred from the master device to the slave device according to a transfer function depending on the instantaneous speed of the master device and / or the instantaneous power or energy of the master device and / or the distance between the current position of the slave device and the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave workspace (200); and / or - when the distance of the surgical instrument (170) from the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave workspace (200) decreases, moving the slave device less relative to the master device according to a dynamically varying proportionality coefficient (F).

23. The method according to claim 5 or claim 7, wherein, the observation space includes the field of view (FOV) of the observation device, or a predefined subset of the field of view (FOV), or the field of view (FOV) workspace, or the effective slave workspace (200), wherein the method includes the additional step of defining the boundaries or edges of the observation space, which in turn define the upper and lower threshold values of the allowed movement of the slave device.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein, the boundaries or edges include a threshold perimeter on a plane (XY) orthogonal to the depth direction (Z) of the field of view (FOV), wherein the threshold perimeter defines the upper / lower threshold values for movement on the plane (XY) and / or along the orthogonal axes (X, Y) belonging to the plane (XY), and wherein the threshold perimeter is calculated according to the distance of the plane (XY) from the observation device.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, in addition to the threshold perimeter on the plane (XY), the boundaries or edges further include lower / upper threshold values along the axis of the depth direction (Z) of the field of view (FOV), and wherein the lower / upper threshold values along the axis of the depth direction (Z) are determined based on good focusing of the observation device, evaluated and calculated in real time using the data provided by the observation device, or evaluated and calculated based on the depth of field of the observation device in a given configuration.

26. The method according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises providing a visual and an audible warning to the operator when the device approaches the boundaries or edges of the observation space or the effective working space (200).

27. The method according to any one of the preceding claims comprises the additional step of dynamically adjusting / changing the observation space by controlling the observation device, for example by changing the zoom or adjusting the viewing point, so as to improve, restore or not lose the view of the surgical instrument through the observation device.

28. The method according to claim 27 further comprises the steps of: storing a first zoom value associated with a first observation space and a second zoom value associated with a second observation space, wherein the first zoom value is greater than the second zoom value, and the first observation space is smaller than the second observation space, wherein, upon reaching the boundaries imposed by the observation space, the self - adjustment of the zoom can vary between the first zoom value and the second zoom value and the associated first and second observation spaces, and / or wherein the varying zoom self - adjustment is an intermediate variation between two values calculated and evaluated based on the target position of the instrument or upon reaching the boundaries, resulting in an intermediate observation space contained between the first and second observation spaces, or one of the two zoom values, and / or wherein the self - adjustment includes switching from one zoom value to another when the instrument is outside or inside the first observation space.

29. A robotic system (100) for medical or surgical teleoperation, comprising: - at least one master device (110) adapted to be moved by an operator (150); - at least one slave device including a surgical instrument (170), the slave device being adapted to be controlled by the master device; - an observation device configured to display to the operator (150) an image and / or video of an observation space related to a teleoperation area in which the surgical instrument (170) operates; - a control unit configured to control the slave device based on the movement of the master device during teleoperation, wherein the control unit is further configured to: - determine the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the observation space to determine whether the surgical instrument (170) is inside or outside an allowed space related to the observation space; - control the movement of the slave device in a manner dependent on the determined position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the allowed space related to the observation space, and to allow movement of the surgical instrument (170) only when the surgical instrument (170) is inside the allowed space related to the observation space.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein, the allowed space related to the observation space corresponds to the observation space.

31. The system according to claim 29, wherein, The allowed space associated with the observation space includes the observation space and also includes an outer periphery extending beyond the boundaries of the observation space by a spatial tolerance (∈).

32. The system according to claim 29, wherein, the allowed space associated with the observation space includes a subset of the observation space, the subset corresponding to the observation space from which an internal environment extending within the boundaries of the observation space by a spatial tolerance (∈) has been removed.

33. The system according to any one of claims 29 - 32, wherein, the observation space is defined by: - the field of view (FOV) of the observation device, and / or - a predefined subset of the field of view (FOV) of the observation device, and / or - a field of view workspace, which in the reference coordinate system of the robotic system consists of a geometric volume associated with the field of view, and / or - the geometric boundaries of the field of view, which in the reference coordinate system of the robotic system consist of the boundary surfaces of the field of view workspace.

34. The system according to any one of claims 29 - 33, wherein, the action of determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the allowed space associated with the observation space includes: determining the current position of the surgical instrument (170) and / or the presence of the surgical instrument (170) in the allowed space associated with the observation space based on digital data originating from the observation device.

35. The system according to any one of claims 29 - 34, wherein, the action of determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the allowed space associated with the observation space includes: - mapping the allowed space associated with the observation space in a corresponding slave field of view workspace in the slave reference coordinate system associated with the slave device; - determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) by means of respective position coordinates in the slave reference coordinate system; - determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the allowed space associated with the observation space in the slave reference coordinate system based on a comparison between the position coordinates and the slave field of view workspace.

36. The system according to claim 35, wherein, the control unit is further configured to: - define a slave kinematic workspace (175) in the slave reference coordinate system (SFO) based on the physical movement limits of the slave device and / or operation restrictions independent of the observation device; - define an effective slave workspace (200) in the slave reference coordinate system, the effective slave workspace corresponding to the intersection of the slave field of view (FOV) workspace and the slave kinematic workspace (175); and wherein the action of controlling the movement of the slave device includes: controlling the movement of the slave device such that movement of the surgical instrument (170) is only allowed when the surgical instrument (170) is located inside the effective slave workspace (200), and if allowed, the movement of the surgical instrument (170) is still restricted inside the effective slave workspace (200).

37. The system according to any one of claims 29 - 36, wherein, the action of determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the permitted space associated with the observation space is performed cyclically and / or continuously in real time to verify the position or presence of the surgical instrument (170) in the observation space or the effective working space (200).

38. The system according to any one of claims 29 - 37, wherein, the action of determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the permitted space associated with the observation space includes: - calculating and / or determining the position of a real point belonging to the surgical instrument or the position of a virtual point integral with the surgical instrument (170), and / or - calculating and / or determining the position of the virtual control point (600) of the slave device, and / or - determining the position of at least one of the ends (171, 172) of the surgical instrument (170), and / or - determining the position of at least one of the links of the articulated wrist (177) included in the surgical instrument (170), and / or - determining the position of the distal portion of the positioning axis (179) close to the articulated wrist (177) of the surgical instrument (170).

39. The system according to claim 34 or claim 35, wherein the action of determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) includes: - determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) based on the nominal position of the slave device in the slave device working space defined in the slave reference coordinate system, the slave device being controlled by the master device, or determining the position of the surgical instrument (170) based on the nominal target pose of the slave device in the slave device working space defined in the slave reference coordinate system, the nominal target pose corresponding to the corresponding pose of the master device in the master device working space.

40. The system according to claim 29 or claim 39, wherein, the control unit is further configured to: - if and when the presence of the surgical instrument is not detected within the permitted space associated with the observation space or in the effective slave working space (200), or if and when the nominal position of the slave device is determined to be outside the permitted space associated with the observation space or outside the effective slave working space (200), then stop the teleoperation of the robotic system or exit the teleoperation state of the robotic system.

41. The system according to claim 29 or claim 39, wherein, the control unit is further configured to: - only allow and / or enable the movement of the surgical instrument (170) if and when the presence of the surgical instrument is detected within the permitted space associated with the observation space or in the effective slave working space (200), or if and when the nominal position of the slave device is determined to be within the permitted space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave working space (200).

42. The system according to claim 29 or claim 39, wherein, The control unit is further configured to: - allow and / or enable an alignment operation between the master device (110) and the slave device (170) only when the presence of the surgical instrument is detected within the allowed space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200), or only when the nominal position of the slave device is determined to be within the allowed space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200).

43. The system according to any one of claims 41 or 42, wherein, the robotic system includes a plurality of slave devices and respective surgical instruments, and wherein an operation of moving or aligning between the master device and the slave device is allowed and / or enabled only for a surgical instrument whose presence is detected within the allowed space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200), or only for a surgical instrument whose nominal position of the corresponding slave device is determined to be within the allowed space associated with the observation space or within the effective slave workspace (200).

44. The system according to claim 29 or claim 39, wherein, the control unit is further configured to: - modify the nominal slave trajectory (606) of the slave device corresponding to the respective master trajectory (601) of the master device (110) if and when the nominal position is determined to be outside the allowed space associated with the observation space or outside the effective slave workspace (200), or if and when the nominal slave trajectory of the slave device leaves the allowed space associated with the observation space or the effective slave workspace (200), wherein the modification step determines a modified slave target trajectory (607) such that it is entirely within the allowed space associated with the observation space or the effective slave workspace (200) and / or extends along an edge or boundary imposed by the field-of-view workspace; - control the slave device such that it tracks and travels along the modified slave target trajectory.

45. The system according to claim 44, wherein, the action of modifying the nominal slave trajectory (606) of the slave device includes: - stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument (170) when the position of the surgical instrument (170) reaches the boundary of the allowed space associated with the observation space or the effective slave workspace (200), wherein the action of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument (170) includes: locking all degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument (170), i.e., both translational and orientational degrees of freedom, and exiting the teleoperation.

46. The system according to claim 44, wherein, the action of modifying the nominal slave trajectory (606) of the slave device includes: - When the position of the surgical instrument (170) reaches the permitted space associated with the observation space or the boundary of the effective slave working space (200), stop and / or freeze the surgical instrument (170), wherein the action of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument (170) includes: only locking a subset of the degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument (170) and allowing teleoperation to be maintained.

47. The system according to claim 46, wherein, the action of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument (170) includes: locking all translational degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument (170), retaining the distal orienting degree of freedom of the surgical instrument enabled, such that when approaching the boundary of the observation space, the surgical instrument (170) or the control site (600) associated with the surgical instrument does not follow the master device in translation, but follows the master device in orientation.

48. The system according to claim 47 or claim 46, wherein, the action of stopping and / or freezing the surgical instrument (170) includes: locking one or more translational degrees of freedom associated with the direction of departure from the boundary of the permitted space associated with the observation space and keeping other translational degrees of freedom effective.

49. The system according to any one of claims 46 - 48, wherein, when the movement applied by the master device causes the slave device and the surgical instrument (170) to return or revert to a position within the permitted space associated with the observation space in a direction within the permitted space associated with the observation space, interrupt the stop and / or freeze action so as to again allow the surgical instrument (170) to move according to all degrees of freedom.

50. The system according to any one of claims 44 or 45, wherein, the action of modifying the slave device from the nominal trajectory (606) includes: - reducing the translational speed module of the slave device in a direction orthogonal to the observation space or the boundary of the effective slave working space (200) according to a transfer function depending on the instantaneous master device speed and / or instantaneous master device power or energy and / or the distance between the current position of the slave device and the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave working space (200); and / or - reducing the instantaneous power or energy transmitted from the master device to the slave device according to a transfer function depending on the instantaneous master device speed and / or instantaneous master device power or energy and / or the distance between the current position of the slave device and the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave working space (200); and / or - when the distance of the surgical instrument (170) relative to the boundary of the observation space or the effective slave working space (200) decreases, moving the slave device less relative to the master device according to a dynamically varying proportionality coefficient (F).

51. The system according to claim 33 or claim 35, wherein, The observation space includes the field of view (FOV) of the observation device, or a predefined subset of the field of view (FOV), or the working space of the field of view (FOV), or the effective slave working space (200), wherein the control unit is further configured to define the boundaries or edges of the observation space, which in turn define the upper and lower threshold values of the allowed movement of the slave device.

52. The system according to claim 51, wherein, the boundaries or edges include a threshold perimeter on a plane (XY) orthogonal to the depth direction (Z) of the field of view (FOV), wherein the threshold perimeter defines the upper / lower threshold values of movement on the plane (XY) and / or along the orthogonal axes (X, Y) belonging to the plane (XY), and wherein the threshold perimeter is calculated based on the distance of the plane (XY) from the observation device.

53. The system according to claim 52, wherein, in addition to the threshold perimeter on the plane (XY), the boundaries or edges further include a lower / upper threshold value along the axis of the depth direction (Z) of the field of view (FOV), wherein the lower / upper threshold value along the axis of the depth direction (Z) is determined based on good focus of the observation device, evaluated and calculated in real time using the data provided by the observation device, or based on the depth of field of the observation device in a given configuration.

54. The system according to any one of claims 29 - 53, wherein, the control unit is further configured to provide visual and audible warnings to the operator when the device approaches the boundaries or edges of the observation space or the effective slave working space (200).

55. The system according to any one of claims 29 - 54, wherein, the control unit is further configured to dynamically adjust / change the observation space by controlling the observation device, for example by changing the zoom or adjusting the viewing angle, in order to improve or restore or not lose the view of the surgical instrument through the observation device.

56. The system according to claim 55, wherein the control unit is configured to store a first zoom value associated with a first observation space and a second zoom value associated with a second observation space, wherein, the first zoom value is greater than the second zoom value, and the first observation space is smaller than the second observation space, wherein, when reaching the boundaries imposed by the observation space, the self - adjustment of the zoom can vary between the first zoom value and the second zoom value and the associated first observation space and second observation space, and / or wherein the variable zoom self - adjustment is based on an intermediate change between the target position of the instrument or two values calculated and evaluated when reaching the boundaries, resulting in an intermediate observation space contained between the first observation space and the second observation space, or one of the two zoom values, and / or wherein, when the instrument is outside or inside the first observation space, the self - adjustment includes switching from one zoom value to the other.

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