Surgical robotic system and method for sensing cable-driven instrument failure and disengagement

Abstract

A surgical robotic system includes an instrument drive unit having a plurality of motors, each motor including a torque sensor for measuring a torque of a corresponding motor of the plurality of motors. The system also includes an instrument coupled to the instrument drive unit. The instrument includes an end effector and a plurality of cables, each of the plurality of cables coupled to one of the plurality of motors and movable by the motor to actuate the end effector. The system further includes a controller configured to calculate a torque threshold corresponding to at least one of an instrument failure or decoupling from the instrument drive unit, activate at least one motor of the plurality of motors to actuate the end effector, and measure a torque of each motor of the plurality of motors during activation of the at least one motor. The controller is further configured to calculate an average torque value based on the measured torque of each motor of the plurality of motors, compare the average torque value to the torque threshold, and output an alert in response to the average torque value being below the torque threshold.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 572,417, filed April 1, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0002] Surgical robotic systems are currently being used in a variety of surgical procedures, including minimally invasive surgery. Some surgical robotic systems include a surgeon's console that controls a robotic arm and surgical instruments with end effectors (e.g., clamps or gripping instruments) that are coupled to and actuated by the robotic arm. In operation, the robotic arm is moved to a position above the patient, and then the surgical instruments are guided through the patient's surgical port or natural orifice into a small incision to position the end effector at the working site within the patient's body.

[0003] Surgical robotic instruments can include various gripper-type instruments, such as grippers, vascular sealers, and shears. Instruments can be coupled to an instrument drive unit with one or more motors. Instruments can be actuated by one or more cables used to open or close the grippers and to change the pitch and yaw direction of the grippers. During gripper actuation, various parameters can be measured, which can be used to control the surgical instruments. For safety reasons, it is important to detect instrument failure or disengagement from the instrument drive unit during surgery. Detection of this type of failure can be used to generate an appropriate system response to prevent injury to the patient and / or damage to the system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a surgical robot system including a robotic arm with an instrument drive unit (IDU) having multiple (e.g., four) motors. A wrist-type surgical instrument is coupled to and actuated by the IDU. The instrument includes a wrist-type end effector, which can be a gripper-type instrument, such as a clamp, shear, etc. The end effector is actuated by multiple cables (e.g., four), each of which is moved by a corresponding motor via a threaded coupling. The wrist-type instrument is an open-chain manipulator, and the coordinated movement of the four drive cables produces lateral yaw and pitch articulation, as well as gripper actuation. A drive gearbox within the instrument converts the rotational motion of the four motors in the drive unit into linear motion of the four drive cables. This contrasts with a closed-chain wrist-type instrument, where there may be three closed chains, one for each gripper and one for lateral yaw.

[0005] A beneficial feature of the open-chain manipulator control scheme is that it implicitly forces the maintenance of cable tension, requiring only the presence of tension in the cable when the motor is set to zero. During use, the tension is maintained because different motor position commands mean that if one cable is pulled a certain distance, the other cable is released by the same amount. This is similar to a closed-chain manipulator, where the cable tension is locked during manufacturing, while in an open-chain manipulator with this control scheme, the cable tension can be locked during calibration routines and at the start of each use.

[0006] This disclosure provides additional monitoring features that can be implemented as software instructions stored in memory and executable by one or more processors of the robotic system. The monitoring features include receiving torque sensor readings from each torque sensor of each motor in the IDU. The processor then calculates the average of the four torque sensor measurements. When the instrument breaks or detaches from the IDU, the average torque drops sharply as cable tension decreases. The average torque is compared to a threshold indicating failure or detachment, and if the average torque is below the threshold, the processor determines that the instrument has failed and / or detached from the IDU. In response to this determination, the processor can take one or more remedial actions, such as outputting an alarm to the system, writing an error to the log, automatically controlling the control system to prevent further control of the instrument, automatically controlling the robotic arm and / or the instrument to withdraw the instrument, etc.

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a surgical robot system is disclosed. The system includes an instrument drive unit having multiple motors, each motor including a torque sensor for measuring the torque of a corresponding motor among the multiple motors. The system also includes an instrument coupled to the instrument drive unit. The instrument includes an end effector and multiple cables, each of which is coupled to and movable by the motor to actuate the end effector. The system further includes a controller configured to: calculate a torque threshold corresponding to at least one of instrument failure or disengagement from the instrument drive unit; activate at least one of the multiple motors to actuate the end effector; and measure the torque of each of the multiple motors during activation of at least one motor. The controller is further configured to calculate an average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the multiple motors, compare the average torque value with the torque threshold, and output an alarm in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

[0008] Implementations of the above embodiments may include one or more of the following features. According to one aspect of the above embodiments, the controller may be further configured to calibrate the instrument drive unit when the instrument is attached to the instrument drive unit, or to return each of the plurality of motors to its original position, and to measure the torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or return. The controller may also be further configured to calculate a baseline average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or return, and to multiply the baseline average torque by a scaling factor to calculate a torque threshold. The scaling factor may be less than 1. The surgical robot system may also include a surgeon's console, which may include a handpiece controller for receiving input for actuating the end effector and a display screen for displaying alarms. The controller may be further configured to prevent the handpiece controller from actuating the end effector in response to an average torque value falling below the torque threshold.

[0009] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a method for detecting device failure or disengagement from a device drive unit is disclosed. The method includes calculating a torque threshold corresponding to at least one of device failure or disengagement from the device drive unit. The device drive unit includes a plurality of motors, each motor including a torque sensor for measuring the torque of a corresponding motor among the plurality of motors. A device is coupled to the device drive unit, and the device includes an end effector and a plurality of cables, each of which is coupled to and movable by the motor to actuate the end effector. The method also includes activating at least one of the plurality of motors to actuate the end effector, and measuring the torque of each of the plurality of motors during activation of at least one motor. The method further includes: calculating an average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors; comparing the average torque value with a torque threshold; and outputting an alarm in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

[0010] Implementations of the above embodiments may include one or more of the following features. According to one aspect of the above embodiments, the method may further include calibrating the instrument drive unit when the instrument is attached to the instrument drive unit, or locating each of the motors, and measuring the torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or locating. The method may further include: calculating a baseline average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or locating, and multiplying the baseline average torque by a scaling factor to calculate a torque threshold. The method may further include: receiving input for actuating the end effector at a handle controller; displaying an alarm on a display screen; and preventing the handle controller from actuating the end effector in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

[0011] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a surgical system is disclosed. The system includes an instrument drive unit having multiple motors, each motor including a torque sensor for measuring the torque of a corresponding motor among the multiple motors. The system includes an instrument coupled to the instrument drive unit. The instrument includes an end effector and multiple cables, each of which is coupled to and movable by the motor to actuate the end effector. The system also includes a controller configured to calculate a torque threshold corresponding to at least one of instrument failure or detachment from the instrument drive unit, activate at least one of the multiple motors to actuate the end effector, and determine whether the instrument is being remotely operated. When the instrument is being remotely operated, the controller is further configured to measure the torque of each of the multiple motors during the activation of the at least one motor, calculate an average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the multiple motors, compare the average torque value with the torque threshold, and output an alarm in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

[0012] Implementations of the above embodiments may include one or more of the following features. According to one aspect of the above embodiments, the controller may be further configured to calibrate the instrument drive unit when the instrument is attached to the instrument drive unit, or to return each of the plurality of motors to its original position. The controller may also be configured to measure the torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or return. The controller may further be additionally configured to calculate a baseline average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or return, and to multiply the baseline average torque by a scaling factor to calculate a torque threshold. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Different embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a surgical robot system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the surgical robot system including a control tower, a console, and one or more surgical robotic arms, all mounted on a movable trolley; Figure 2 Examples based on this disclosure Figure 1 A 3D view of the surgical robotic arm of a surgical robot system; Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a movable trolley with a mounting arm according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mounting arm having... Figure 1 Surgical robotic arms in surgical robot systems; Figure 4 Examples based on this disclosure Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the computer architecture of a surgical robot system; Figure 5 This is one aspect of the disclosure concerning the positioning of the operating table. Figure 1 A plan view of the movable cart; Figure 6 This is a perspective view of an instrument drive unit and surgical instruments according to embodiments of this disclosure, wherein the components are separate; Figure 7 It is an embodiment of the present disclosure for use Figure 1 Top-view perspective of the end effector of the gripper in a surgical robot system; Figure 8 It is an embodiment of the present disclosure for use Figure 1 Top-view perspective of the shearing end effector in a surgical robot system; Figure 9 The following are illustrated: gripper end effectors in different configurations according to embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 10 This is a flowchart of a method for detecting device failure and / or detachment from the IDU according to embodiments of this disclosure; and Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a system for determining the stages of a surgical procedure according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0014] Embodiments of the surgical robot system disclosed herein are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding elements in each of several views.

[0015] As will be described in detail below, this disclosure relates to a surgical robot system including a surgeon's console, a control tower, and one or more mobile trolleys having a surgical robotic arm coupled to an attachment arm. The surgeon's console receives user input via one or more interface devices. This input is processed by the control tower as movement commands for moving the surgical robotic arm and attached instruments and / or cameras. Therefore, the surgeon's console enables remote operation of the surgical arm and attached instruments / cameras. The surgical robotic arm includes a controller configured to process the movement commands and generate torque commands for activating one or more actuators of the robotic arm, which in turn move the robotic arm in response to the movement commands.

[0016] refer to Figure 1The surgical robot system 10 includes a control tower 20 connected to all components of the surgical robot system 10, including a surgeon's console 30 and one or more movable trolleys 60. Each movable trolley 60 includes a robotic arm 40 with surgical instruments 50 attached thereto. The robotic arm 40 is also coupled to the movable trolley 60. The robot system 10 may include any number of movable trolleys 60 and / or any number of robotic arms 40.

[0017] Surgical instrument 50 is configured for use during minimally invasive surgical procedures. In one embodiment, surgical instrument 50 may be configured for open surgical procedures. In another embodiment, surgical instrument 50 may be an electrosurgical clamp configured to seal tissue by pressing tissue between clamping jaw members and applying an electrosurgical current to the tissue. In yet another embodiment, surgical instrument 50 may be a surgical stapler including a pair of jaws configured to clamp and hold tissue, simultaneously deploying multiple tissue fasteners (e.g., staples) and cutting the stapled tissue. In yet another embodiment, surgical instrument 50 may be a surgical clip applicator including a pair of jaws configured to apply a surgical clip to tissue. However, it should be understood that various types of surgical instruments are contemplated for use during minimally invasive surgical procedures, and such surgical instruments are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0018] One of the robotic arms 40 may include an endoscope camera 51 configured to capture video of the surgical site. The endoscope camera 51 may be a stereoscopic endoscope configured to capture two side-by-side (i.e., left and right) images of the surgical site to generate a video stream of the surgical scene. The endoscope camera 51 is coupled to a video processing unit 56, which may be located within the control tower 20. The video processing unit 56 may be any computing device as described below, configured to receive video feeds from the endoscope camera 51 and output a processed video stream.

[0019] The surgeon's console 30 includes a first display 32 and a second display 34. The first display shows a video feed of the surgical site provided by a camera 51 mounted on the robotic arm 40, and the second display shows a user interface for controlling the surgical robot system 10. The first display 32 and the second display 34 may be touchscreens that allow for the display of various graphical user inputs.

[0020] The surgeon's console 30 also includes several user interface devices, such as a foot pedal 36 and a pair of handle controllers 38a and 38b, which the user uses to remotely control the robotic arm 40. The surgeon's console further includes a handrail 33 for supporting the clinician's arm when operating the handle controllers 38a and 38b.

[0021] The control tower 20 includes a display 23 (which may be a touchscreen) capable of displaying a graphical user interface (GUI). The control tower 20 also serves as an interface between the surgeon's console 30 and one or more robotic arms 40. Specifically, the control tower 20 is configured to control the robotic arms 40 based on a set of programmable instructions and / or input commands from the surgeon's console 30, to move the robotic arms 40 and corresponding surgical instruments 50 in such a way that the robotic arms 40 and surgical instruments 50 perform a desired sequence of movements in response to inputs from foot pedals 36 and handpiece controllers 38a and 38b. Foot pedals 36 can be used to enable and lock handpiece controllers 38a and 38b, reposition camera movement, and activate / deactivate electrosurgical devices. Specifically, foot pedals 36 can be used to perform clutch actions on handpiece controllers 38a and 38b. Engaging the clutch by pressing one of the foot pedals 36 disconnects the handpiece controllers 38a and / or 38b from the robotic arms 40 and their attached corresponding instruments 50 or cameras 51 (i.e., prevents movement input). This allows the user to reposition the handle controllers 38a and 38b without moving the robotic arm 40, as well as the instrument 50 and / or camera 51. This is useful when reaching the control boundaries of the surgical space.

[0022] Each of the control tower 20, the surgeon's console 30, and the robotic arm 40 includes a corresponding computer 21, 31, or 41. Computers 21, 31, and 41 are interconnected using any suitable communication network based on wired or wireless communication protocols. As used herein, the term "network," whether plural or singular, means a data network, including but not limited to the Internet, intranet, wide area network, or local area network, and is not limited to the full scope of the definition of communication networks covered by this disclosure. Suitable protocols include, but are not limited to, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Datagram Protocol / Internet Protocol (UDP / IP), and / or Datagram Congestion Control Protocol (DCCP). Wireless communication can be achieved via one or more wireless configurations, such as radio frequency, optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (an open wireless protocol used to exchange data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances using short-wavelength radio waves to create personal area networks (PANs)), and ZigBee® (a set of specifications for advanced communication protocols using small, low-power digital radios based on the IEEE 122.15.4-1203 Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) standard).

[0023] Computers 21, 31, and 41 may include any suitable processor (not shown) operatively connected to a memory (not shown) that may include one or more of volatile, non-volatile, magnetic, optical, or electrical media, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), or flash memory. The processor may be any suitable processor (e.g., control circuitry) adapted to perform the operations, calculations, and / or instruction sets described in this disclosure, including but not limited to hardware processors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, and combinations thereof. Those skilled in the art will understand that a processor may be used instead of a logic processor (e.g., control circuitry) adapted to perform the algorithms, calculations, and / or instruction sets described herein.

[0024] refer to Figure 2 Each robotic arm 40 may include a plurality of links 42a, 42b, 42c, which are interconnected at joints 44a, 44b, 44c, respectively. Other configurations of links and joints may be used, as is known to those skilled in the art. Joint 44a is configured to secure the robotic arm 40 to a movable trolley 60 and define a first longitudinal axis. (Reference) Figure 3 The movable trolley 60 includes a lift 67 and a mounting arm 61, which provides a base for mounting the robotic arm 40. The lift 67 allows the mounting arm 61 to move vertically. The movable trolley 60 also includes a display 69 for displaying information about the robotic arm 40. In embodiments, the robotic arm 40 may include any type and / or any number of joints.

[0025] The mounting arm 61 includes a first link 62a, a second link 62b, and a third link 62c, which provide lateral maneuverability of the robotic arm 40. Links 62a, 62b, and 62c are interconnected at joints 63a and 63b, each joint including an actuator (not shown) for rotating links 62b and 62b relative to each other and relative to link 62c. Specifically, links 62a, 62b, and 62c are movable in their corresponding parallel lateral planes, thereby allowing the robotic arm 40 to extend relative to a patient (e.g., an operating table). In an embodiment, the robotic arm 40 may be coupled to an operating table (not shown). The mounting arm 61 includes controls 65 for adjusting the movement of links 62a, 62b, and 62c, as well as the lift 67. In an embodiment, the mounting arm 61 may include any type and / or any number of joints.

[0026] The third link 62c may include a rotatable base 64 having two degrees of freedom. Specifically, the rotatable base 64 includes a first actuator 64a and a second actuator 64b. The first actuator 64a is rotatable about a first fixed arm axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the third link 62c, and the second actuator 64b is rotatable about a second fixed arm axis transverse to the first fixed arm axis. The first actuator 64a and the second actuator 64b allow for full three-dimensional orientation of the robotic arm 40.

[0027] Actuator 48b of joint 44b is coupled to joint 44c via belt 45a, and joint 44c is further coupled to joint 46b via belt 45b. Joint 44c may include a transfer case connecting belts 45a and 45b, such that actuator 48b is configured to rotate each of links 42b, 42c and retainer 46 relative to each other. More specifically, links 42b, 42c and retainer 46 are passively coupled to actuator 48b, which forces rotation about a pivot point “P” located at the intersection of a first axis defined by link 42a and a second axis defined by retainer 46. In other words, pivot point “P” is the remote center of motion (RCM) of robotic arm 40. Thus, actuator 48b controls the angle θ between the first and second axes, thereby allowing orientation of surgical instrument 50. Because links 42a, 42b, 42c and retainer 46 are interconnected via belts 45a and 45b, the angle between links 42a, 42b, 42c and retainer 46 is also adjusted to achieve a desired angle θ. In an embodiment, some or all of joints 44a, 44b, 44c may include actuators to eliminate the need for mechanical linkages.

[0028] Joints 44a and 44b include actuators 48a and 48b configured to drive joints 44a, 44b, and 44c relative to each other via a series of links 45a and 45b or other mechanical linkages (such as drive rods, cables, or levers). Specifically, actuator 48a is configured to rotate the robotic arm 40 about a longitudinal axis defined by link 42a.

[0029] refer to Figure 2 The retainer 46 defines a second longitudinal axis and is configured to receive the instrument drive unit (IDU) 52. Figure 1IDU 52 is configured as an actuation mechanism coupled to surgical instrument 50 and camera 51 and is configured to move (e.g., rotate) and actuate instrument 50 and / or camera 51. IDU 52 transmits actuating force from its actuator to surgical instrument 50 to actuate components of end effector 49 of surgical instrument 50. Holder 46 includes sliding mechanism 46a configured to move IDU 52 along a second longitudinal axis defined by holder 46. Holder 46 also includes joint 46b that rotates holder 46 relative to link 42c. During endoscopic surgery, instrument 50 can pass through endoscope access port 55 held by holder 46. Figure 3 Insertion. The retainer 46 also includes a port latch 46c for securing the inlet port 55 to the retainer 46. Figure 2 ).

[0030] IDU 52 is attached to retainer 46, and then a sterile interface module (SIM) 43 is attached to the distal portion of IDU 52. SIM 43 is configured to secure a sterile drape (not shown) to IDU 52. Instrument 50 is then attached to SIM 43. Instrument 50 is then inserted through inlet port 55 by moving IDU 52 along retainer 46. SIM 43 includes multiple drive shafts configured to transmit rotation of individual motors of IDU 52 to instrument 50, thereby actuating instrument 50. Furthermore, SIM 43 provides a sterile barrier between instrument 50 and other components of robotic arm 40, including IDU 52.

[0031] The robotic arm 40 also includes a mounting arm 61 and multiple manual control buttons 53 mounted on the IDU 52. Figure 1 The mounting arm can be used in manual mode. The user can press one or more of these buttons 53 to move the component associated with the one or more buttons 53.

[0032] refer to Figure 4Each of the computers 21, 31, and 41 in the surgical robot system 10 may include multiple controllers, which may be implemented in hardware and / or software. The computer 21 of the control tower 20 includes a controller 21a and a safety observer 21b. The controller 21a receives data from the computer 31 of the surgeon's console 30 regarding the current position and / or orientation of the handle controllers 38a and 38b, as well as the status of the foot pedals 36 and other buttons. The controller 21a processes these input positions to determine the desired drive commands for each joint of the robotic arm 40 and / or the IDU 52, and transmits these desired drive commands to the computer 41 of the robotic arm 40. The controller 21a also receives the actual joint angles measured by the encoders of the actuators 48a and 48b and uses this information to determine force feedback commands, which are transmitted back to the computer 31 of the surgeon's console 30 to provide tactile feedback via the handle controllers 38a and 38b. The safety observer 21b performs validity checks on the data entering and exiting the controller 21a, and if an error is detected in the data transmission, it notifies the system fault handler to put the computer 21 and / or the surgical robot system 10 into a safe state.

[0033] Computer 41 includes multiple controllers: a trolley main controller 41a, a mounting arm controller 41b, a robotic arm controller 41c, and an instrument drive unit (IDU) controller 41d. The trolley main controller 41a receives and processes joint commands from controller 21a on computer 21 and transmits them to the mounting arm controller 41b, robotic arm controller 41c, and IDU controller 41d. The trolley main controller 41a also manages instrument exchange and the overall status of the movable trolley 60, robotic arm 40, and IDU 52. The trolley main controller 41a also transmits actual joint angles back to controller 21a.

[0034] Each of joints 63a and 63b, and the rotatable base 64 of the mounting arm 61, is a passive joint that allows manual adjustment by the user (i.e., where no actuator is present). Joints 63a and 63b, and the rotatable base 64, include brakes that are disengaged by the user to configure the mounting arm 61. When the brakes are engaged, the mounting arm controller 41b monitors slippage of each of joints 63a and 63b of the mounting arm 61 and the rotatable base 64, or when the brakes are disengaged, the operator is free to move the mounting arm controller without affecting control of other joints. The robotic arm controller 41c controls each joint 44a and 44b of the robotic arm 40 and calculates the desired motor torque required for gravity compensation, friction compensation, and closed-loop position control of the robotic arm 40. The robotic arm controller 41c calculates movement commands based on the calculated torques. The calculated motor commands are then transmitted to one or more of the actuators 48a and 48b in the robotic arm 40. The actual joint position is then transmitted back to the robotic arm controller 41c by actuators 48a and 48b.

[0035] IDU controller 41d receives the desired joint angles (such as wrist angle and gripper angle) from surgical instrument 50 and calculates the desired current of the motor in IDU 52. IDU controller 41d calculates the actual angles based on the motor position and transmits these actual angles back to trolley main controller 41a.

[0036] The robotic arm 40 is controlled in response to the posture of a handle controller (e.g., handle controller 38a) that controls the robotic arm 40, the posture being transformed into the desired posture of the robotic arm 40 via a hand-eye transformation function performed by controller 21a. The hand-eye function, as well as other functions described herein, is implemented in software executable by controller 21a or any other suitable controller described herein. The posture of one of the handle controllers 38a can be implemented as a coordinate position and roll-pitch-yaw (RPY) orientation relative to a coordinate reference system fixed to the surgeon's console 30. The desired posture of the instrument 50 is relative to a fixation system on the robotic arm 40. The posture of the handle controller 38a is then scaled by a scaling function performed by controller 21a. In an embodiment, the scaling function can reduce the coordinate position and enlarge the orientation. Additionally, controller 21a can also perform a clutch function to disengage the handle controller 38a from the robotic arm 40. Specifically, if certain movement limits or other thresholds are exceeded, controller 21a stops transmitting movement commands from handle controller 38a to robotic arm 40, and essentially acts like a virtual clutch mechanism, for example, limiting the mechanical input from affecting the mechanical output.

[0037] The desired posture of the robotic arm 40 is based on the posture of the handle controller 38a and then transmitted via an inverse kinematics function executed by the controller 21a. The inverse kinematics function calculates the angles of the joints 44a, 44b, and 44c of the robotic arm 40, realizing the scaled and adjusted posture input from the handle controller 38a. The desired angles are then transmitted to the robotic arm controller 41c, which includes a joint axis controller with a proportional-derivative (PD) controller, a friction estimator module, a gravity compensator module, and a double-sided saturation block configured to limit the command torque of the motors of joints 44a, 44b, and 44c. In various respects, the handle controller 38a can be replaced by and / or used in conjunction with the handle controller 38b. While reference has been made to the handle controller 38a above, the handle controller 38b can also be used in a similar manner.

[0038] refer to Figure 5 The surgical robot system 10 is positioned around the operating table 90. System 10 includes movable trolleys 60a-d, which can be numbered "1" to "4". During setup, each of the trolleys 60a-d is positioned around the operating table 90. The position and orientation of the trolleys 60a-d depend on several factors, such as the placement of multiple access ports 55a-d, which in turn depend on the surgery being performed. Once the port placement is determined, the access ports 55a-d are inserted into the patient, and the trolleys 60a-d are positioned to insert instruments 50 and an endoscope camera 51 into their corresponding ports 55a-d.

[0039] During use, each of the robotic arms 40a-d uses lock 46c ( Figure 2 ) Attached to inlet port 55 ( Figure 3 The IDU 52 is attached to one of the entry ports 55a-d that are inserted into the patient's body. The IDU 52 is attached to the retainer 46, and then the SIM 43 is attached to the distal portion of the IDU 52. The device 50 is then attached to the SIM 43. The device 50 is then inserted through the entry port 55 by moving the IDU 52 along the retainer 46.

[0040] refer to Figure 6 IDU 52 is shown in more detail and configured to transmit power and actuation from its motors 152a, 152b, 152c, 152d to instrument 50 to drive the movement of components of instrument 50, such as articulation, rotation, pitch, lateral oscillation, clamping, cutting, etc. IDU 52 can also be configured to activate or fire instruments based on electrosurgical energy (e.g., cable actuators, pulleys, friction wheels, rack and pinion arrangements, etc.).

[0041] IDU 52 includes a motor assembly 150 and a sterile barrier housing 130. The motor assembly 150 includes motors 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d for controlling various operations of the device 50. The device 50 is removably coupled to the IDU 52. When the motors 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d of the motor assembly 150 are actuated, rotation of the drive transmission shafts 154a, 154b, 154c, and 154d of the motors 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d is transmitted to the drive assembly of the device 50. The device 50 is configured to convert rotational force / movement supplied by the IDU 52 (e.g., via the motors 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d of the motor assembly 150) into longitudinal or translational movement of cables or drive shafts to achieve end effector 200 or 200' (…). Figure 7 and Figure 8 (various functions) Figure 7 The gripper end effector 200 is shown, and Figure 8 The shear end effector 200' is shown; for simplicity, the operation of IDU 52 is described with reference only to end effector 200'. End effector 200' is used in conjunction with... Figure 7 and Figure 9 The gripper end effector 200 operates in a basically similar manner, but the grippers 120 and 122 are replaced by blade members 120' and 122'.

[0042] Each of motors 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d includes a current sensor 153, a torque sensor 155, and a position sensor 157. For simplicity, only the operation of motor 152a is described below; however, it should be understood that motors 152b-d can operate in a similar manner. Sensors 153, 155, and 157 monitor the performance of motor 152a. Current sensor 153 is configured to measure the current consumption of motor 152a, and torque sensor 155 is configured to measure motor torque. Torque sensor 155 can be any force or strain sensor including one or more strain gauges configured to convert mechanical force and / or strain into a sensor signal indicating the torque output by motor 152a. Position sensor 157 can be any device that provides a sensor signal indicating the number of revolutions of motor 152a, such as a mechanical encoder or an optical encoder. Parameters measured and / or determined by position sensor 157 can include speed, distance, revolutions per minute, position, etc. Sensor signals from sensors 153, 155, and 157 are transmitted to IDU controller 41d, which then controls motors 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d based on the sensor signals. Specifically, motors 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d are controlled by actuator controller 159, which controls the output torque and angular velocity of motors 152a, 152b, 152c, and 152d. In embodiments, additional position sensors may also be used, including but not limited to potentiometers, Hall effect sensors, accelerometers, and gyroscopes coupled to the movable part and configured to detect travel distance. In embodiments, a single controller may perform the functions of both IDU controller 41d and actuator controller 159.

[0043] refer to Figure 6 The device 50 includes an adapter 160 having a housing 162 at its proximal portion and an elongated shaft 164 extending distally from the housing 162. The housing 162 of the device 50 is configured to selectively connect to an IDU 52, enabling motors 152a, 152b, 152c, 152d of the IDU 52 to operate the end effector 200 of the device 50. The housing 162 of the device 50 supports a drive assembly that mechanically and / or electrically cooperates with the motors 152a, 152b, 152c, 152d of the IDU 52. The drive assembly of the device 50 may include any suitable electrical and / or mechanical components to achieve driving force / movement.

[0044] The surgical instrument also includes an end effector 200 coupled to the elongated shaft 164. The end effector 200 may include any number of degrees of freedom that allow the end effector 200 to articulate, pivot, etc., relative to the elongated shaft 164. The end effector 200 may be any suitable surgical end effector configured to treat tissue, such as a dissecter, gripper, sealer, stapler, etc.

[0045] like Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, the end effector 200 may include a pair of opposing grippers 120 and 122 movable relative to each other. In an embodiment, the end effector 200 may include a proximal portion 112 and a distal portion 114 having a first pin 113. Although grippers 120 and 122 are shown as clamping grippers, it should be understood that the grippers can be any suitable type of gripper, such as a shear, etc. The end effector 200 may be actuated using multiple cables 201a-d, which are routed around their respective pulleys 112a, 112b, 114a, 114b through the proximal portion 112 and the distal portion 114, the pulleys being integrally formed as arms of the proximal and distal portions 112 and 114. Each of the cables 201a-d is actuated by a corresponding motor 152a-d via a corresponding connector disposed in an adapter 160. In one embodiment, the end effector 200 (i.e., the distal portion 114 and the grippers 120 and 122) can be articulated about axis “AA” to control the yaw angle of the end effector relative to the longitudinal axis “XX”. The distal portion 114 includes a second pin 115 to which a pair of grippers, the first gripper 120 and the second gripper 122, are pivotally coupled. The grippers 120 and 122 are configured to pivot about axis “BB” defined by the second pin 115, thereby allowing control of the pitch angle of the grippers 120 and 122, as well as the opening and closing of the grippers 120 and 122. As the grippers 120 and 122 move between an open position and a closed position, by adjusting… Figure 8 The tension and / or length and orientation (e.g., proximal or distal) of the cables 201a-d shown are used to control the yaw, pitch, and gripper angle between the grippers. The end effector 200 also includes a cable displacement sensor 116 configured to measure the position of the cable 201. Therefore, the end effector 200 can have three degrees of freedom: yaw, pitch, and gripper angle between grippers 120 and 122.

[0046] The wrist-type end effector 200 utilizes drive cables 201a-d to articulate pitch, yaw, and gripper degrees of freedom. The cables responsible for closing the gripper are referred to as high-side cables 201b and 201c, and the cables responsible for opening the gripper are referred to as low-side cables 201a and 201d. Therefore, high-side cables 201c and low-side cables 201a actuate the second gripper 122, and high-side cables 201b and low-side cables 201d actuate the first gripper 120. During closure, high-side cables 201b and 201c are tensioned, while minimum tension is applied to low-side cables 201a and 201d. During opening, tension is applied in the opposite direction to the cables; that is, higher tension is applied to low-side cables 201a and 201d, and minimum tension is applied to high-side cables 201b and 201c. Cables 201a-d are controlled by their respective motors 152a-d. Therefore, motors 152b and 152c are high-side motors because they actuate high-side cables 201b and 201c, and motors 152a and 152d are low-side motors because they actuate low-side cables 201a and 201d.

[0047] During the actuation of end effector 200 or end effector 200', IDU controller 41d continuously monitors the torque and angular position of each of motors 152a-d. IDU controller 41d continuously compares the measured torque of each of motors 152a-d with the aforementioned torque threshold.

[0048] refer to Figure 10 An illustrative method 400 for detecting failure of instrument 50 and / or detachment of instrument 50 from IDU 52 is implemented as software instructions executable by any suitable processor of robot system 10 (e.g., IDU controller 41d, main controller 21a, etc.). Method 400 includes monitoring motor torque by receiving torque sensor readings from each torque sensor 155 of each motor 152a-d of IDU 52. The processor then calculates the average of the four torque sensor readings. When instrument 50 breaks or detaches from IDU 52, the average torque drops sharply as the tension in each of the cables 201a-d decreases. The average torque is compared to a threshold indicating failure or detachment, and if the average torque is below the threshold, the processor determines that instrument 50 has failed and / or detached from IDU 52. In response to this determination, the processor may take one or more remedial actions, such as sending an output alarm, writing an error to the log, automatically controlling the control system to prevent further control of the instrument, automatically controlling the robotic arm and / or instrument to withdraw the instrument, etc.

[0049] Method 400 initially includes recording an average torque value representing the state of a functional device 50 properly attached to IDU 52. In step 402, IDU 52 may measure and save the torque value during device 50 calibration and / or when motors 152a-d are moved to their original positions (i.e., starting positions). Once device 50 is calibrated or homed, torque is then measured by each torque sensor 155 at each motor 152a-d, received by the processor, and averaged in step 404. The average torque following the calibration or homing procedure is saved as a baseline average torque value in step 406. In step 408, the processor obtains a torque threshold by multiplying the baseline average torque value by a scaling factor to obtain a torque threshold. The scaling factor can be from about 0.25 to about 0.9, because a scaling factor of 1 would result in any tension loss being detected as a failure, while a low scaling factor (e.g., 0.1) would result in failure not being detected until cables 201a-d are completely slack. The torque threshold is then saved in memory.

[0050] In this embodiment, a total torque value can be used instead of an average torque value. The total torque value can be calculated by summing all measured torque values. The total torque value can be adjusted using the scaling factor described above to calculate the total torque threshold.

[0051] In step 410, the processor verifies the operational status of the instrument 50 to determine whether a failure detection should be performed. Therefore, the processor can check whether the instrument 50 is currently being remotely operated, i.e., controlled by user input at the surgeon's console 40. In an embodiment, the processor can also check whether the instrument 50 is being withdrawn or inserted via the access port 55. In a further embodiment, determining whether to perform a failure detection can be done by… Figure 11 The ML processing system 310 completes this automatically. Therefore, if the instrument 50 is not currently being remotely controlled, or is not inserted through the access port 55, this determination can be omitted.

[0052] In step 412, after determining that the device 50 is operating, the processor periodically receives torque measurements from each torque sensor 155 of each motor 152a-d and averages them in step 414.

[0053] In step 416, the processor compares the average torque with the torque threshold calculated in step 408. Steps 412-416 (i.e., receiving the torque measurement, calculating the average torque, and comparing it with the torque threshold) can be performed at any sampling rate (e.g., 1-1,000 Hz) suitable for detecting instrument failure, which is limited by the design and / or sensing / processing hardware.

[0054] If the average torque is above the torque threshold, the tension in cables 201a-d is sufficient, indicating that device 50 is operating normally. When device 50 is operated remotely, the processor continues to monitor the torque. If the average torque is below the torque threshold, the tension in cables 201a-d is too low, indicating that device 50 has failed and / or become detached from IDU 52. Therefore, the processor can take any remedial action in step 418, such as issuing an alarm and / or stopping the operation of device 50. The alarm can be displayed on any of the displays 23, 32, 34 of system 10, making all clinical staff aware of the error. In addition to the alarm, the processor can prevent the operation of device 10, for example, by receiving input but not activating any motors 152a-d that would actuate device 50. IDU 52 can be allowed to perform only basic actions, such as further loosening cables 201a-d to allow removal of device 50 through access port 55. As described above, instead of the average torque measurement, the measurements can be summed to determine a total torque value, which is then compared to a total torque threshold.

[0055] refer to Figure 11 The surgical robot system 10 may include an AI / ML processing system 310 that uses one or more ML models to process surgical data to identify one or more features in the surgical data, such as surgical stage, instruments, anatomical structures, etc. The ML processing system 310 includes an ML training system 325, which may be a separate device (e.g., a server) that stores its output as one or more trained ML models 330. The ML models 330 can be accessed by an ML execution system 340. The ML execution system 340 may be separate from the ML training system 325; that is, the device for “training” the model is separate from the device for “inference,” i.e., real-time processing of the surgical data using the trained ML models 330.

[0056] System 10 includes a data receiving system 305 that collects surgical data, including video data and surgical instrument data. The data receiving system 305 may include one or more devices (e.g., one or more user devices and / or servers) located in and / or associated with the operating room and / or control center. The data receiving system 305 can receive surgical data in real time, i.e., while the surgery is being performed.

[0057] In some examples, the ML processing system 310 may further include a data generator 315 for generating simulated surgical data (such as a set of virtual or mask images) or recording video data from the image processing device 56 and other data sources (e.g., user input, arm movements, etc.) to train the ML model 330. The data generator 315 may access (read / write) the data storage 320 to record data, including multiple images and / or multiple videos.

[0058] The ML processing system 310 also includes a stage detector 350 that uses an ML model to identify stages within a surgical procedure. The stage detector 350 uses a specific surgical tracking data structure 355 from a list of surgical tracking data structures. The stage detector 350 selects the surgical tracking data structure 355 based on the type of surgery being performed. In one or more examples, the type of surgery is predetermined or entered by the user. The surgical tracking data structure 355 identifies a set of potential stages that may correspond to a portion of a particular type of surgery.

[0059] In some examples, the surgical tracking data structure 355 may be a graph comprising a set of nodes and a set of edges, where each node corresponds to a potential stage. These edges can provide directional connections between nodes, indicating (via direction) the expected sequence of stages to be encountered throughout the surgical iterations. The surgical tracking data structure 355 may include one or more branch nodes that feed to multiple next nodes and / or may include one or more divergence points and / or convergence points between nodes. In some instances, a stage indicates a surgical action being performed or already performed (e.g., a surgical procedure) and / or a combination of actions already performed. In some instances, a stage is related to the biological state of the patient undergoing surgery. For example, the biological state may indicate complications (e.g., blood clots, arterial / venous obstruction, etc.), prerequisites (e.g., lesions, polyps, etc.). In some examples, the ML model 330 is trained to detect “abnormalities,” such as bleeding, arrhythmias, vascular abnormalities, etc.

[0060] The stage detector 350 outputs a stage prediction associated with a portion of the video data analyzed by the ML processing system 310. This stage prediction is associated with the portion of video data by identifying the start and end times of the video portion analyzed by the ML execution system 340. The output stage prediction may include an identifier of the surgical stage as detected by the stage detector 350 based on the output of the ML execution system 340. Further, in one or more examples, the stage prediction may include identifiers of structures (e.g., instruments, anatomical structures, etc.) identified by the ML execution system 340 in the analyzed video portion. The stage prediction may also include a confidence score for the prediction. Other examples may include various other types of information in the output stage prediction. The controller 21a can use the predicted stage to determine when to enable the robotic suturing-assisted mode and perform other automatic determinations as described above.

[0061] It should be understood that various modifications can be made to the embodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but rather as illustrative of the various embodiments only. Other modifications will be contemplated by those skilled in the art within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0062] The following examples illustrate the techniques described in this article.

[0063] Example 1. A surgical robot system comprising: an instrument drive unit including a plurality of motors, each motor including a torque sensor for measuring the torque of a corresponding motor among the plurality of motors; an instrument coupled to the instrument drive unit, the instrument including: an end effector; and a plurality of cables, each of the plurality of cables being coupled to one of the plurality of motors and movable by the motor to actuate the end effector; and a controller configured to: calculate a torque threshold corresponding to at least one of the instrument failure or disengagement from the instrument drive unit; activate at least one of the plurality of motors to actuate the end effector; measure the torque of each of the plurality of motors during the activation of the at least one motor; calculate an average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors; compare the average torque value with the torque threshold; and output an alarm in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

[0064] Example 2. The surgical robot system according to Example 1, wherein the controller is further configured to calibrate the instrument drive unit or return each of the plurality of motors to its original position when the instrument is attached to the instrument drive unit.

[0065] Example 3. The surgical robot system according to Example 2, wherein the controller is further configured to measure the torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or homing.

[0066] Example 4. The surgical robot system according to Example 3, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate a baseline average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or homing.

[0067] Example 5. The surgical robot system according to Example 4, wherein the controller is further configured to multiply the baseline average torque by a scaling factor to calculate the torque threshold.

[0068] Example 6. The surgical robot system according to Example 5, wherein the scaling factor is less than 1.

[0069] Example 7. The surgical robot system according to Example 1 further includes: a surgeon's console, the surgeon's console including a handle controller for receiving input for actuating the end effector and a display screen for displaying the alarm.

[0070] Example 8. The surgical robot system according to Example 7, wherein the controller is further configured to prevent the handle controller from actuating the end effector in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

[0071] Example 9. A method for detecting device failure or disengagement from a device drive unit, the method comprising: calculating a torque threshold corresponding to at least one of the device failure or disengagement from the device drive unit, wherein the device drive unit includes: a plurality of motors, each of the plurality of motors including a torque sensor for measuring the torque of a corresponding motor among the plurality of motors; and a device coupled to the device drive unit, the device including: an end effector; and a plurality of cables, each of the plurality of cables being coupled to one of the plurality of motors and movable by the motors to actuate the end effector; and activating at least one of the plurality of motors to actuate the end effector; measuring the torque of each of the plurality of motors during the activation of the at least one motor; calculating an average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors; comparing the average torque value with the torque threshold; and outputting an alarm in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

[0072] Example 10. The method according to Example 9 further includes calibrating the instrument drive unit when the instrument is attached to the instrument drive unit, or homing each of the plurality of motors.

[0073] Example 11. The method according to Example 10 further includes measuring the torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or repositioning.

[0074] Example 12. According to the method described in Example 11, a baseline average torque value is further calculated based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or homing.

[0075] Example 13. The method according to Example 12 further includes multiplying the baseline average torque by a scaling factor to calculate the torque threshold.

[0076] Example 14. The method according to Example 13, wherein the scaling factor is less than 1.

[0077] Example 15. The method according to Example 9 further includes: receiving input for actuating the end effector at a handle controller; and displaying the alarm on a display screen.

[0078] Example 16. The method according to Example 15 further includes preventing the handle controller from actuating the end effector in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

[0079] Example 17. A surgical robot system comprising: an instrument drive unit including a plurality of motors, each motor including a torque sensor for measuring the torque of a corresponding motor among the plurality of motors; an instrument coupled to the instrument drive unit, the instrument including: an end effector; and a plurality of cables, each of the plurality of cables being coupled to one of the plurality of motors and movable by the motor to actuate the end effector; and a controller configured to: calculate a torque threshold corresponding to at least one of the instrument failure or disengagement from the instrument drive unit; activate at least one of the plurality of motors to actuate the end effector; determine whether the instrument is being remotely operated, wherein, when the instrument is being remotely operated, the controller is further configured to: measure the torque of each of the plurality of motors during the activation of the at least one motor; calculate an average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors; compare the average torque value with the torque threshold; and output an alarm in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

[0080] Example 18. A surgical robot system according to Example 17, wherein the controller is further configured to calibrate the instrument drive unit or return each of the plurality of motors to its original position when the instrument is attached to the instrument drive unit.

[0081] Example 19. A surgical robot system according to Example 18, wherein the controller is further configured to measure the torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or homing.

[0082] Example 20. The surgical robot system according to Example 19, wherein the controller is further configured to: calculate a baseline average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or homing; and multiply the baseline average torque by a scaling factor to calculate the torque threshold.

Claims

1. A surgical robot system (10), comprising: The instrument drive unit (52) includes a plurality of motors (152a-d), each motor including a torque sensor (155) for measuring the torque of the corresponding motor among the plurality of motors. Instrument (50), the instrument being connected to the instrument drive unit, the instrument comprising: End effector (200); and Multiple cables (201a-d), each of which is connected to one of the multiple motors and is movable by the motor to actuate the end effector; and Controllers (21a, 41d), the controllers being configured to: Calculate the torque threshold corresponding to at least one of the following: failure of the device or disengagement from the device drive unit; Activate at least one of the plurality of motors to actuate the end effector; The torque of each of the plurality of motors is measured during the activation of the at least one motor; The average torque value is calculated based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors; Compare the average torque value with the torque threshold; and An alarm is output in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

2. The surgical robot system according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is further configured to calibrate the instrument drive unit when the instrument is attached to the instrument drive unit, or to return each of the plurality of motors to its original position.

3. The surgical robot system according to claim 2, wherein, The controller is further configured to measure the torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or homing.

4. The surgical robot system according to claim 3, wherein, The controller is further configured to calculate a baseline average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or homing.

5. The surgical robot system according to claim 4, wherein, The controller is further configured to calculate the torque threshold by multiplying the baseline average torque by a scaling factor.

6. The surgical robot system according to claim 5, wherein, The scaling factor is less than 1.

7. The surgical robot system according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: The surgeon's console (30) includes a handle controller (38a, 38b) for receiving input for actuating the end effector and a display screen (32, 34) for displaying the alarm.

8. The surgical robot system according to claim 7, wherein, The controller is further configured to prevent the handle controller from actuating the end effector in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

9. A method for detecting instrument (50) failure or disengagement from instrument drive unit (52), the method comprising: Calculate the torque threshold corresponding to at least one of the following: failure of the device or disengagement from the device drive unit. The instrument drive unit includes: Multiple motors (152a-d), each motor including a torque sensor (155) for measuring the torque of the corresponding motor among the multiple motors; and The device, connected to the device drive unit, includes: End effector (200); and Multiple cables (201a-d), each of which is connected to one of the multiple motors and is movable by the motor to actuate the end effector; and Activate at least one of the plurality of motors to actuate the end effector; The torque of each of the plurality of motors is measured during the activation of the at least one motor; The average torque value is calculated based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors; Compare the average torque value with the torque threshold; and An alarm is output in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising calibrating the instrument drive unit when the instrument is attached to the instrument drive unit, or homing each of the plurality of motors.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising measuring the torque of each of the plurality of motors after calibration or repositioning.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, after calibration or repositioning, calculating a baseline average torque value based on the measured torque of each of the plurality of motors.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising multiplying the baseline average torque by a scaling factor to calculate the torque threshold.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The scaling factor is less than 1.

15. The method according to any preceding claim, further comprising: The input for actuating the end effector is received at the handle controller (38a, 38b); The alarm is displayed on the screens (32, 34); as well as The handle controller is prevented from actuating the end effector in response to the average torque value being lower than the torque threshold.

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