System and method for target-guided coding based on low conductivity and high permeability

Abstract

A system and method for determining the angular position of a rotary joint in a robotic system are disclosed herein. The system and method uses a coil coupled to a first part of the rotary joint in a first position. A target having high permeability and low conductivity characteristics is coupled to a second part of the rotary joint. An oscillator circuit is communicatively coupled to the coil, and a computing unit is communicatively coupled to the oscillator circuit. The computing unit includes a processor configured or programmed to determine the position of the rotary joint based at least in part on a frequency associated with a signal received from the oscillator circuit. The frequency is at least in part on the positional relationship between the target and the coil.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 456,390, filed Mar. 31, 2023, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] A surgical robotic system enables a user (also referred to herein as an "operator" or "user") to perform actions using a robotic control instrument to perform tasks and functions during a procedure. A positioning sensor is used within one or more robotic arms of the surgical robotic system and outputs signals to a processor that can be used to resolve the position of the one or more robotic arms within a patient's cavity during a procedure.

[0003] The positioning sensor enables the surgical robotic system to determine the position of joints of one or more robotic arms, and then the position of the joints of the one or more robotic arms becomes available to the user. One conventional type of positioning sensor is known as a Hall - effect sensor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

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Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

[0005] A surgical robotic system is presented. The surgical robotic system can determine the angular position of a robotic arm joint. The surgical robotic system may include a first coil attached to the robotic joint in a first position, a second coil attached to the robotic joint in a second position, a target attached to the robotic arm joint, an oscillator circuit communicatively coupled to the first and second coils, and a computing unit communicatively coupled to the oscillator circuit. The computing unit includes a processor. The processor may be configured or programmed to read one or more instructions stored in memory to determine the angular position of the robotic arm joint, at least in part on a first frequency associated with a first signal received from the oscillator circuit. The first frequency is at least in part on the positional relationship between the target and the first and second coils. Embodiments taught herein of one or more coils combined with a target having low conductivity and high permeability and one or more oscillator circuits can sense the axial distance of the target to a sensing coil, as well as its rotational or translational position.

[0006] In some embodiments, the target may include a first material having an absolute permeability greater than 100 Henrys / meter (H / m) and a second material having an electrical conductivity less than 2 × 10⁻² Siemens / meter (S / m).

[0007] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where similar reference numerals refer to similar elements throughout the various figures. The drawings illustrate the principles of the present invention and show relative dimensions, although not to exact scale. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary surgical robot system according to some embodiments. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A is an exemplary perspective view of a patient cart, including a robotic support system coupled to a robotic subsystem of a surgical robotic system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is an exemplary perspective view of an exemplary operator console of a surgical robotic system of the present disclosure, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A schematically shows an exemplary side view of a surgical robot system that performs surgical procedures within an internal cavity of a target, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B schematically shows an exemplary top view of a surgical robot system that performs surgical procedures within the internal cavity of the subject of Figure 3A, according to some embodiments. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is an exemplary perspective view of a single robotic arm subsystem according to one embodiment. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is an exemplary side perspective view of a single robot arm of the single robot arm subsystem shown in Figure 4A, according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an exemplary perspective front view of a camera assembly and a robot arm assembly according to some embodiments. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is an exemplary perspective view of a left-hand controller for use in an operator console of a surgical robot system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 6B]Figure 6B is an exemplary perspective view of a right-hand controller for use in an operator console of a surgical robot system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7A] Figure 7A is an exemplary perspective view of a left-hand controller for use in an operator console of a surgical robot system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7B] Figure 7B is an exemplary perspective view of a right-hand controller for use in an operator console of a surgical robot system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 8A] Figure 8A is an exemplary perspective view of a left-hand controller for use in an operator console of a surgical robot system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 8B] Figure 8B is an exemplary perspective view of a right-hand controller for use in an operator console of a surgical robot system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 9A] Figure 9A shows an exemplary differential arrangement of a positioning sensor having a target and coil sensor within a robot joint, according to one embodiment. [Figure 9B] Figure 9B shows an exemplary differential arrangement of a positioning sensor having a target and coil sensor within a robot joint, according to one embodiment. [Figure 10A] Figure 10A is a side view of an exemplary positioning sensor in a robot joint, with a target, redundant coil sensor, and background, according to one embodiment. [Figure 10B] Figure 10B is a top view of an exemplary positioning sensor, according to one embodiment, with a target, redundant coil sensor, and background on a robot joint. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows an orthogonal arrangement of a target and sensor coil used in a positioning sensor for a robot joint with rotation of 360 degrees or more, according to one embodiment. [Figure 12A]FIG. 12A is a schematic example of a sensing coil and an oscillation circuit electrically coupled to the sensing coil, according to some embodiments, the oscillation circuit outputting an encoder signal associated with the position of a robotic joint. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a schematic example of a sensing coil and an oscillation circuit electrically coupled to the sensing coil, according to some embodiments, the oscillation circuit outputting an encoder signal associated with the position of a robotic joint. [Figure 12C] FIG. 12C is an exemplary switching circuit connecting two exemplary oscillation circuits, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an example of encoder signal output related to a positioning sensor associated with the position of a robotic joint, according to some embodiments. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows the relationship between a prior art target with high conductivity and low magnetic permeability and a plastic or air background in a positioning sensor of a robotic joint, according to some embodiments. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A shows the relationship between a target with low conductivity and high magnetic permeability and a plastic or air background in a positioning sensor of a robotic joint, according to some embodiments. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B shows the relationship between a target with low conductivity and high magnetic permeability and a background with high conductivity and low magnetic permeability in a positioning sensor of a robotic joint, according to some embodiments. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 shows a target made of two materials, one of which may have low conductivity and high magnetic permeability and the other material having high conductivity and low magnetic permeability, according to some embodiments. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart for generating an encoder value associated with the position of a robotic joint, according to some embodiments. [Figure 18]Figure 18 is an exemplary flowchart corresponding to determining the position of a robot joint using an induction sensing method, according to some embodiments. [Figure 19] Figure 19 schematically shows an example of a computing module for a surgical robot system according to some embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] As described above, positioning sensors enable operators of surgical robotic systems to accurately determine the location of the robotic arm, and therefore the surgical instrument, within the patient's cavity. However, these positioning sensors are often designed using coupled coils, for example, two coils sharing a magnetic circuit. Coupled coils are limited by their size constraints in that sufficient space is required for both the primary and secondary coils of the coupled coil, as well as for any passive components used to generate a resonant circuit, which is used to encode the position of the robotic arm during movement. This has the effect of limiting the size of the robotic arm and limiting the resolution of the positioning information encoded by the robotic arm.

[0010] Alternatively, the sensing coil and target design can be used with smaller robotic arms, providing greater resolution for the robotic arm's position. The sensing coil and conductive target, working together, can reduce the inductance of the sensing coil, which is then measured to determine the position of a portion of one or more robotic arm joints relative to another portion of one or more robotic arms. This requires the sensing coil's inductance to be fairly large so that measurements can be taken, and it must remain large enough even as the inductance decreases to continue measurements as it decreases. The size of the sensing coil directly relates to the resolution of the positioning information associated with the position of one or more robotic arms in motion. Needless to say, both of these approaches present significant challenges in highly spatially constrained environments, such as when one or more robotic arms are operating within a patient's cavity.

[0011] To facilitate the explanation of the inductive coding techniques disclosed herein, applications in robots are disclosed, but the inductive coding techniques disclosed herein can also be applied to areas of user interfaces or motor encoders that are subject to damp conditions or contamination and debris infiltration, such as in industrial environments. The disclosed inductive coding techniques can also be applied to highly spatially constrained environments (particularly in terms of thickness), such as handheld devices. The disclosed inductive coding techniques can also be applied to applications requiring high precision, such as manufacturing or measuring instruments. The disclosed inductive coding techniques can also be applied to applications with closely spaced moving metal parts, such as in gearboxes. The disclosed inductive coding techniques can also be applied to applications in electrically noisy environments where analog voltage measurements (one of the methods used in conventional inductive sensors) are unsuitable. To overcome the difficulties imposed by size constraints, the inductance of the sensing coil may be increased by using a low-conductivity target with high permeability. In comparison, a conductive target reduces the inductance of the sensing coil, while a low-conductivity target with high permeability is much larger, less susceptible to interference from surrounding metals, and allows for signal swings requiring a much smaller sensing coil. As taught herein, targets may be formed in different shapes to measure not only the axial distance but also the rotational or translational position of the target relative to one or more sensing coils. Depending on the embodiment, the target may rotate below, above, or between the sensing coils. In one embodiment shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the target may rotate below or above two sensing coils. In another embodiment, in Figures 8A and 8B, the target may rotate between two sensing coils. As used herein, references to targets and / or coils passing relative to each other include targets rotating below or above one or two sensing coils, as well as target rotations between two sensing coils, unless otherwise specified.

[0012] Various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these embodiments are provided merely as examples. Numerous modifications, changes, and substitutions can be made to those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention. It can be understood that various substitutes for the embodiments of the present invention described herein may be used.

[0013] As used herein and in the claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include multiple referenced objects unless otherwise explicitly indicated. The terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” or “include” and / or “including,” as used herein, indicate the presence of the described features, integers, steps, actions, elements, and / or components, but it will be further understood that this does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, actions, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the terms “and / or” include any and all combinations of one or more of the related enumerated items.

[0014] Unless otherwise explicitly stated or evident from the context, the term “approximately” as used herein is understood to mean within the normal tolerances in the art, for example, within two standard deviations of the mean. “Approximately” may be understood to mean within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless otherwise evident from the context, all numerical values ​​provided herein are modified by the term “approximately.”

[0015] In this specification or the literature incorporated by reference, exemplary embodiments are described as employing multiple units to carry out exemplary processes, but it is understood that exemplary processes may also be carried out by one or more modules. Furthermore, it is understood that the term controller may refer to a hardware device having a processor configured or programmed to read one or more instructions stored in memory in order to carry out processes described herein according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the memory is configured to store machine-readable instructions, and the processor is configured to execute machine-readable instructions to carry out one or more processes further described below. In some embodiments, multiple different controllers or multiple different types of controllers may be used when carrying out one or more processes. In some embodiments, different controllers may be implemented in different parts of a surgical robotic system.

[0016] Some embodiments disclosed herein are implemented, used, or incorporated into a surgical robotic system comprising a camera assembly having at least three degrees of freedom and two or more robotic arms, each having at least six degrees of freedom. In some embodiments, the two or more robotic arms may have additional degrees of freedom corresponding to the movement of associated end effectors (e.g., grippers, manipulators, etc.). In some embodiments, the camera assembly, when mounted in a target (e.g., a patient), can be moved or rotated about 180 degrees in the pitch or yaw direction so that the camera assembly can look backward toward the insertion site. Thus, the camera assembly and the two or more robotic arms can move dexterously to look forward (e.g., away from the insertion site) in the upward or downward direction, as well as backward, in order to look backward toward the insertion site. The two or more robotic arms and the camera assembly can also move in the roll, pitch, and yaw directions.

[0017] In some embodiments, several surgical robot systems described herein may have a greater number of degrees of freedom compared to some conventional surgical robot systems. The increased number of degrees of freedom allows for movements and orientations of the robot arm assembly that were not possible with conventional surgical robot arms, and for camera movements of the robot camera assembly that were not possible with cameras for conventional surgical robot systems. For example, many conventional surgical robot systems with two robot arms and fewer degrees of freedom per arm cannot change the position or orientation of the virtual chest of the robot arm assembly while keeping the instrument tips of the end effectors of the two robot arms stationary. In another embodiment, cameras in many conventional surgical robot systems may only have degrees of freedom associated with the movement of the support relative to the camera extending through the trocar, and may not have independent degrees of freedom of movement relative to the support.

[0018] Some embodiments described herein provide methods and systems for using multiple different control modes, which may be described herein as multiple control modes, for controlling a surgical robotic system before, during, or after the robotic arm assembly of the surgical robotic system is placed in the internal body cavity of a patient. In some embodiments, the robotic arm assembly includes at least two robotic arms, which may be described herein as “robotic arm assembly” or “arm assembly”. In some embodiments, the robotic arm assembly also includes a camera assembly, which may also be referred herein as “surgical camera assembly” or “robot camera assembly”. Each control mode may control the robotic arm assembly and / or camera assembly using sensed movement of one or more hand controllers and input from one or more foot pedals. The control mode may be changed from the current control mode to a different selected control mode based on operator input (e.g., provided via one or more hand controllers and / or one or more foot pedals of the surgical robotic system). In different control modes, the same movement of the hand controllers may result in different movements of the surgical robotic assembly.

[0019] When describing a control mode, the reference, orientation, or field of view of “camera assembly” or “camera” refers to the orientation or direction of a component or group of components of a surgical robotic arm assembly, including one or more cameras or other imaging devices that can collectively change their orientation relative to the robotic arm assembly and provide displayed image data. For example, in some embodiments, one or more cameras or other imaging devices may all be located within the same housing, and their orientation can be changed relative to a support (e.g., a support tube or support shaft) for the camera assembly.

[0020] Some embodiments employ a plurality of control modes, including an appliance control mode which may also be referred to herein as an "appliance mode," as well as one or more additional control modes.

[0021] In some embodiments, additional control modes include a scan mode, which may also be referred to herein as “scan mode” or “surveillance mode.” In scan mode, the camera reorients itself to change direction or field of view orientation in response to movement of one or both of the hand controllers.

[0022] In some embodiments, additional control modes include a view control mode, which may be referred to herein as “view mode,” “camera control mode,” “camera mode,” “framing control mode,” or “framing mode.” In camera mode / view mode, the surgical robot system can rotate the camera, translate the virtual chest of the robot arm assembly, swivel the virtual chest of the robot arm assembly, or perform any combination of the foregoing, thereby changing the camera’s field of view direction and viewpoint orientation in response to the movement of one or both hand controllers, while automatically fixing the position and orientation of the instrument tip of each robot arm.

[0023] In some embodiments, additional control modes include a travel control mode, which may also be referred to herein as “travel mode” or “automatic tracking mode.” In some embodiments, the travel mode is one of several tracking modes, in which the surgical robotic arm assembly is automatically adjusted so that the camera view tracks the position of the midpoint between the instrument tips. In travel mode, the virtual chest of the robotic arm assembly can be translated, the robotic arm and the virtual chest of the robotic arm assembly can be translated together, the orientation of the virtual chest can be changed, the orientation of the camera can be changed, or any combination thereof can be used to automatically center the camera view on the instrument tips as the instrument tips move in response to the movement of one or both hand controllers.

[0024] In some embodiments, additional control modes include a swivel control mode, also referred to herein as “swivel mode.” In swivel mode, which is a tracking mode, the orientation of the robot chest, camera, or both can be changed to automatically center the camera view on the midpoint between the instrument tips as the instrument tips move in response to the movement of one or both hand controllers.

[0025] In some embodiments, additional control modes include a translational control mode, also referred to herein as “translation mode.” In translation mode, which is a tracking mode, the virtual chest of the robot arm assembly, or the virtual chest and the robot arm assembly, translate together to automatically center the camera view over the midpoint between the instrument tips while the instrument tips move in response to the movement of one or both hand controllers.

[0026] In some embodiments, the rotation mode, travel mode, and translation mode may all be referred to herein as “tracking modes” because the camera display tracks the midpoint between the tooltips of the robot arm in these modes.

[0027] Some embodiments employ additional features for controlling the robotic arm assembly. For example, some embodiments allow individual control of the elbow bias or elbow elevation of the right and left robotic arms. Some embodiments employ a graphical user interface to identify the current control mode of the surgical robotic system. Some embodiments employ a menu feature in which menus are displayed on the graphical user interface, and one or more hand controllers may be used to traverse the menu options and select menu options.

[0028] Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with a surgical robotic system. A system for robotic surgery may include a robotic subsystem. The robotic subsystem includes at least one part, which may also be referred to herein as a robotic arm assembly, that can be inserted into the patient through a trocar through a single incision point or site. The part inserted into the patient via the trocar is small enough to be deployed in vivo at the surgical site and is sufficiently maneuverable when inserted into the body so that it can move within the body to perform various surgical procedures at multiple different points or sites. In this specification, a part inserted into the body that performs a functional task may be referred to herein as a surgical robotic module, surgical robot module, or robotic arm assembly. A surgical robotic module may include multiple different submodules or components that can be inserted separately into the trocar. A surgical robotic module, or robotic arm assembly, may include multiple independent robotic arms that can be deployed within the patient's body. These multiple separate robotic arms may be collectively referred herein as a robotic arm assembly. Furthermore, a surgical camera assembly may also be deployed along a separate axis. A surgical robotic module, surgical robot module, or robotic arm assembly may also include a surgical camera assembly. Therefore, a surgical robot module, or robotic arm assembly, employs multiple different components, such as a pair of robotic arms and a surgical or robotic camera assembly, each of which is deployable along a different axis and independently operable, maneuverable, and movable. A robotic arm and camera assembly that can be positioned along separate operable axes is referred to herein as a split-arm (SA) architecture. The SA architecture is designed to simplify and increase the efficiency of inserting robotic surgical instruments through a single trocar at a single insertion site, while simultaneously assisting in the deployment of surgical instruments to a surgical-ready state and their subsequent removal through the trocar. In one embodiment, surgical instruments can be inserted through a trocar to access the patient's abdominal cavity and perform surgery in vivo.In some embodiments, a variety of surgical instruments may be used or employed, including but not limited to robotic surgical instruments and other surgical instruments known in the art.

[0029] The systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein are incorporated into and / or used in conjunction with, for example, the robotic surgical devices and related systems disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, and / or the camera assemblies and systems disclosed in Patent Document 3, and / or the systems and methods for exchanging surgical tools in the portable surgical robotic system disclosed in Patent Document 4, and all the contents and teachings of the aforementioned patents, patent applications and publications are incorporated herein by reference. The surgical robotic system according to this disclosure may include a user workstation including appropriate sensors and displays, and in some embodiments, a robotic support system (RSS) for interacting with and supporting the robotic subsystem. In some embodiments, the robotic subsystem includes a motor and a surgical robotic module including one or more robotic arms and one or more camera assemblies. The robotic arms and camera assemblies may form part of a single support axis robotic system, or part of an SA architecture robotic system, or have other arrangements. The RSS may provide multiple degrees of freedom so that the robotic module can be maneuvered to a single position or to several different positions within a patient. In one embodiment, the RSS may be mounted directly to the operating table or to the floor or ceiling of the operating room. In another embodiment, the RSS can be mounted by a variety of fastening means, including but not limited to clamps, screws, or combinations thereof. In yet another embodiment, the structure can be upright. A motor assembly can be mounted on the RSS, which is coupled to a surgical robot module including a robotic arm and a camera assembly. The motor assembly may include gears, motors, drivetrains, electronics, and the like for supplying power to the components of the surgical robot module.

[0030] The robotic arm and camera assembly are capable of multiple degrees of freedom of movement. According to some embodiments, when the robotic arm and camera assembly are inserted into the patient through a trocar, they are capable of moving in at least axial, yaw, pitch, and roll directions. The robotic arm is designed to incorporate and utilize a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm having an end effector attached to its distal end corresponding to the user's wrist region or joint. In other embodiments, the working end of the robotic arm (e.g., the end effector end) is designed to incorporate, use, or employ other robotic surgical instruments, such as the exemplary surgical instruments described in, for example, the U.S. Patent Application Publication. Other robotic surgical instruments, such as the surgical instruments described in Patent Document 5, are designed to incorporate, use, or employ, and all of their contents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0031] Similar numerical identifiers are used throughout the diagram to refer to the same element.

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a surgical robotic system 10, in which aspects of the present disclosure may be adopted according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. The surgical robotic system 10 includes an operator console 11 and a robot subsystem 20, according to certain embodiments.

[0033] The operator console 11 includes a display 12, an image computing module 14 (which may be a 3D computing module), a hand controller 17 having a sensing and tracking module 16, and a computing module 18. Furthermore, the operator console 11 may include a foot pedal array 19 containing multiple pedals. The visualization system 9 may include a graphical user interface 39. The graphical user interface 39, the controller 26, or the image rendering device 30, or both, may render one or more images or one or more graphical user interface elements on the graphical user interface 39. For example, a pillar box associated with a mode of operating the surgical robot system 10, or any of the various components of the surgical robot system 10, may be rendered on the graphical user interface 39. Live video footage captured by the camera assembly 44 may also be rendered on the graphical user interface 39 by the controller 26 or the image rendering device 30.

[0034] The operator console 11 may include a visualization system 9 including a display 12, which may be any selected type of display for displaying information, images, or videos generated by the image computing module 14, the computing module 18, and / or the robot subsystem 20. The display 12 may include, or form part of, a head-mounted display (HMD), an augmented reality (AR) display (e.g., an AR display, or AR glasses combined with a screen or display), a screen or display, a two-dimensional (2D) screen or display, a three-dimensional (3D) screen or display, etc. The display 12 may also include an optional sensing and tracking module 16A. In some embodiments, the display 12 may include an image display for outputting images from the camera assembly 44 of the robot subsystem 20.

[0035] The hand controller 17 is configured to sense the movements of the operator's hand and / or arm in order to operate the surgical robotic system 10. The hand controller 17 may include a sensing and tracking module 16, circuitry, and / or other hardware. The sensing and tracking module 16 may include one or more sensors or detectors that sense the movements of the operator's hand. In some embodiments, one or more sensors or detectors that sense the movements of the operator's hand are disposed within the hand controller 17, which is grasped or engaged by the operator's hand. In some embodiments, one or more sensors or detectors that sense the movements of the operator's hand are coupled to the operator's hand and / or arm. For example, sensors in the sensing and tracking module 16 may be coupled to areas of the hand and / or arm, such as the fingers, wrist region, elbow region, and / or shoulder region. In some embodiments, additional sensors may also be coupled to the operator's head and / or neck region. In some embodiments, the sensing and tracking module 16 may be external and may be coupled to the hand controller 17 via electrical components and / or wearable hardware. In some embodiments, an optional sensor and tracking module 16A may, in addition to or instead of sensors attached to the operator's body, sense and track the movement of one or more of the operator's head, the operator's eyes, or at least a portion of the operator's neck, based at least partially on imaging of the operator.

[0036] In some embodiments, the sensing and tracking module 16 may use sensors coupled to the operator's torso or any other body part. In some embodiments, in addition to sensors, the sensing and tracking module 16 may employ an inertial momentum unit (IMU) having, for example, an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and motion processor. The addition of a magnetometer may reduce sensor drift around the vertical axis. In some embodiments, the sensing and tracking module 16 may also include sensors placed within surgical instruments such as gloves, surgical scrubs, or surgical gowns. The sensors may be reusable or disposable. In some embodiments, the sensors may be located outside the operator, such as in a fixed location in a room such as an operating room. The external sensors 37 can be processed by the computing module 18 and thus generate external data 36 that can be employed by the surgical robot system 10.

[0037] The sensors generate position and / or orientation data indicating the position and / or orientation of the operator's hand and / or arm. The sensing and tracking modules 16 and / or 16A may be used to control the movement (e.g., changes in position and / or orientation) of the camera assembly 44 and robot arm assembly 42 of the robot subsystem 20. The tracking and position data 34 generated by the sensing and tracking module 16 may be transmitted to the computing module 18 for processing by at least one processor 22.

[0038] The computing module 18 can determine or calculate the position and / or orientation of the operator's hand or arm, and in some embodiments, the operator's head, from the tracking and position data 34 and 34A, and transmit the tracking and position data 34 and 34A to the robot subsystem 20. The tracking and position data 34, 34A may be processed by the processor 22 and stored, for example, in storage 24. The tracking and position data 34 and 34A may also be used by the controller 26, which can generate control signals to control the movement of the robot arm 42 and / or camera assembly 44 in response. For example, the controller 26 may change the position and / or orientation of at least a portion of the camera assembly 44, at least a portion of the robot arm assembly 42, or both. In some embodiments, the controller 26 may also adjust the pan and tilt of the camera assembly 44 to follow the movement of the operator's head.

[0039] The robot subsystem 20 may include a motor 40 and an RSS 46 with a trocar 50 or trocar mount, a robot arm assembly 42, and a camera assembly 44. The robot arm assembly 42 and the camera assembly 44 may form part of a single support axis robot system as disclosed and described in Patent Document 1, or part of an SA architecture robot system as disclosed and described in Patent Document 2, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0040] The robot subsystem 20 may employ multiple different robot arms that can be deployed along different or distinct axes. In some embodiments, a camera assembly 44 that can employ multiple different camera elements may also be deployed along a common, distinct axis. Thus, the surgical robot system 10 may employ multiple different components, such as a pair of distinct robot arms and a camera assembly 44 that can be deployed along different axes. In some embodiments, the robot arm assembly 42 and the camera assembly 44 are independently operable, maneuverable, and movable. The robot subsystem 20, including the robot arm assembly 42 and the camera assembly 44, is disposable along a distinct operable axis and is referred to herein as the SA architecture. The SA architecture is designed to simplify and increase the efficiency of the insertion of robotic surgical instruments through a single trocar at a single insertion point or site, while also assisting in the deployment of surgical instruments to a surgically ready state, and their subsequent removal through a trocar 50, as further described below.

[0041] The RSS46 may include a motor 40 and a trocar 50 or trocar mount. The RSS46 may further include a support member that supports the motor 40 coupled to its distal end. The motor 40 may be coupled to each of the camera assembly 44 and the robot arm assembly 42. The support member may be configured and controlled to move one or more components of the robot subsystem 20 linearly or in any other selected direction or orientation. In some embodiments, the RSS46 may be self-supporting. In some embodiments, the RSS46 may include a motor 40 coupled to the robot subsystem 20 at one end and to an adjustable support member or element at the opposite end.

[0042] The motor 40 can receive control signals generated by the controller 26. The motor 40 may include gears, one or more motors, drivetrains, electronics, etc., for powering and driving the robot arm 42 and the camera assembly 44 individually or together. The motor 40 can also provide mechanical power, electrical power, mechanical communication, and electrical communication to the robot arm 42, the camera assembly 44, and / or the RSS 46 and other components of the robot subsystem 20. The motor 40 may be controlled by the computing module 18. Thus, the motor 40 can generate signals to control, for example, the position and orientation of each joint of each robot arm, as well as one or more motors that can control and drive the robot arm 42, including the camera assembly 44. The motor 40 can further provide translational or linear degrees of freedom that are initially used to insert and remove each component of the robot subsystem 20 through the trocar 50. The motor 40 may also be employed to adjust the insertion depth of each robot arm 42 when inserted into the patient 100 through the trocar 50.

[0043] The trocar 50 is a medical device that, in some embodiments, may consist of a claw (which may be a sharp or bladeless tip of metal or plastic), a cannula (essentially a hollow tube), and a seal. The trocar 50 may be used to place at least a portion of the robot subsystem 20 into an internal cavity of a subject (e.g., a patient) and to draw gas and / or fluid from the body cavity. The robot subsystem 20 can be inserted through the trocar 50 to access the patient's body cavity and perform surgery in vivo. In some embodiments, the robot subsystem 20 may be supported by the trocar 50 or trocar mount with multiple degrees of freedom, at least in part, so that the robot arm assembly 42 and camera assembly 44 can be maneuvered within the patient into a single position or a number of different positions. In some embodiments, the robot arm assembly 42 and camera assembly 44 may be moved relative to the trocar 50 or trocar mount with multiple different degrees of freedom so that the robot arm assembly 42 and camera assembly 44 can be maneuvered within the patient into a single position or a number of different positions.

[0044] In some embodiments, the RSS46 may further include an optional controller for processing input data from one or more of the system components (e.g., the display 12, the sensing and tracking module 16, the robot arm assembly 42, the camera assembly 44, and so on) and for generating control signals in response thereto. The motor 40 may also include a storage element for storing data in some embodiments.

[0045] In some embodiments and in some operating modes, the robotic arm assembly 42 may be controlled to follow reduced movements or motions of the operator's arm and / or hand, as sensed by associated sensors. The robotic arm assembly 42 includes a first robotic arm, which includes a first end effector at the distal end of the first robotic arm, and a second robotic arm, which includes a second end effector disposed at the distal end of the second robotic arm. In some embodiments, the robotic arm assembly 42 may have portions or regions that can be associated with movements associated with the operator's shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints, as well as fingers. For example, a robotic elbow joint may follow the position and orientation of a human elbow, and a robotic wrist joint may follow the position and orientation of a human wrist. The robotic arm 42 may also have an associated distal region, which in some embodiments may terminate with an end effector that follows the movement of one or more of the operator's fingers, such as an index finger when a user is pinching their index finger and thumb together. In some embodiments, the robotic arm 42 may follow the movement of the operator's arm in certain control modes, while the virtual chest of the robotic arm assembly 42 may remain stationary (e.g., in instrument control mode). In some embodiments, the position and orientation of the operator's torso are subtracted from the position and orientation of the operator's arm and / or hand. This subtraction allows the operator to move their torso without moving the robotic arm. Further disclosures of the motion of individual arms of the robotic arm assembly are provided in Patent Documents 6 and 7, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in whole.

[0046] The camera assembly 44 is configured to provide the operator with image data 48, such as a live video feed of the surgery or surgical site, and to allow the operator to operate and control the cameras that form part of the camera assembly 44. In some embodiments, the camera assembly 44 may include one or more cameras (e.g., a pair of cameras) whose optical axes are spaced apart axially by a selected distance, known as the inter-camera distance, to provide a stereoscopic view or image of the surgical site. In some embodiments, the operator may control the movement of the cameras via hand movements, either via sensors coupled to the operator's hand or via a hand controller 17 grasped or held by the operator's hand, thus enabling the operator to obtain a desired view of the surgical site in an intuitive and natural manner. In some embodiments, the operator may additionally control the movement of the cameras via head movements. The camera assembly 44 is movable in multiple directions with respect to the direction of the field of view, including, for example, yaw, pitch, and roll directions. In some embodiments, the stereoscopic camera components within the camera assembly 44 may be configured to provide a natural and comfortable user experience. In some embodiments, the interaxial distance between the stereoscopic cameras may be modified to adjust the depth of the surgical site as perceived by the operator.

[0047] Image or video data 48 generated by the camera assembly 44 may be displayed on the display 12. In embodiments where the display 12 includes an HMD, the display 12 may include an integrated sensing and tracking module 16A that acquires raw orientation data of the HMD in the yaw, pitch, and roll directions, as well as position data of the HMD in Cartesian space (x, y, z). In some embodiments, position and orientation data relating to the operator's head may be provided via a separate head tracking module. In some embodiments, the sensing and tracking module 16A may be used to provide supplemental position and orientation tracking data for the display, instead of or in addition to the HMD's integrated tracking system. In some embodiments, operator head tracking is not used or employed. In some embodiments, an image of the operator may be used by the sensing and tracking module 16A to track at least a portion of the operator's head.

[0048] Figure 2A depicts an exemplary robotic arm assembly 20, also referred to herein as a robotic subsystem, of a surgical robotic system 10, which is incorporated into or mounted on a mobile patient cart, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the robotic arm assembly 20 includes an RSS 46, which includes a motor 40; the robotic arm assembly 42 has an end effector 45; the camera assembly 44 has one or more cameras 47; and may also include a trocar 50 or trocar mount.

[0049] Figure 2B depicts an embodiment of the operator console 11 of the surgical robot system 10 of the present disclosure, according to some embodiments. The operator console 11 includes a display 12, a hand controller 17, and also includes one or more additional controllers such as a foot pedal array 19 for controlling the robot arm 42, the camera assembly 44, and other embodiments of the system.

[0050] Figure 2B also depicts the left hand controller subsystem 23A and the right hand controller subsystem 23B of the operator console. The left hand controller subsystem 23A includes and supports the left hand controller 17A, and the right hand controller subsystem 23B includes and supports the right hand controller 17B. In some embodiments, the left hand controller subsystem 23A may be detachably connected to or engaged with the left hand controller 17A, and the right hand controller subsystem 23B may be detachably connected to or engaged with the right hand controller 17A. In some embodiments, the connections may be both physical and electronic so that the left hand controller subsystem 23A and the right hand controller subsystem 23B can receive signals from the left hand controller 17A and the right hand controller 17B, respectively, which include signals that convey input received from user selections on buttons or touch input devices on the left hand controller 17A or the right hand controller 17B.

[0051] In some embodiments, an arm engagement mode is disclosed. The arm engagement mode is an initialization process that guides the user to place the hand controller 17 in an appropriate state to match the current state of the robot arm assembly 42, in order to prevent unexpected movements from occurring before the robot arm assembly 42 tracks the hand controller 17. Details of the user-involved arm engagement process are discussed in more detail below. Robot pose views 171 and 172 can provide the user with some situational and spatial awareness regarding the orientation of the robot arms 42A and 42B.

[0052] In some embodiments, the arm engagement process includes engaging the user's right hand with the right hand controller 202 of the surgical robot system 10 and engaging the user's left hand with the left hand controller 201 of the surgical robot system 10, thereby setting the right hand controller 202 and the left hand controller 201 to match the current state of the robot arms 42A and 42B, so as not to cause any unexpected movement when the sensing and tracking module 16 begins tracking the right hand controller 202 and the left hand controller 201. This can be achieved by guiding the user to position and orient their right arm and hand correctly with respect to the right hand controller 202 and the left arm and hand correctly with respect to the left hand controller 201. The user's right arm and left arm may be referred to as the “matching human right arm” and the “matching human left arm,” respectively, and the user's right hand and left hand may be referred to as the “matching human right hand” and the “matching human left hand,” respectively.

[0053] The process of engaging the user's right hand with the right hand controller 202 also ensures that the instrument 162 (instrument tip, or end effector), for example, the gripper coupled to the robotic arm 42B, does not drop surgical supplies such as sutures or tissue once the user engages with the arm assembly and begins to control the robotic arm assembly 42. When the user presses the engage button or similar input on the hand controller (right hand controller 202 or left hand controller 201) or operates it in any other way, the robotic surgical system enters "intent to engage" mode. This then generates signals that display the engage guidance cue 197 and the engaging guidance cue 196 on the graphical user interface 150, including matching human engagement rings 154 and 153, and matching human engagement rings 156 and 155.

[0054] Each of the left hand controller subsystem 23A and the right hand controller subsystem 23B may include components that enable the range of motion of the respective left hand controller 17A and right hand controller 17B, so that the left hand controller 17A and right hand controller 17B may be translated or displaced in three dimensions and may move additionally in the roll, pitch, and yaw directions. Furthermore, each of the left hand controller subsystem 23A and the right hand controller subsystem 23B may register the operation of the respective left hand controller 17A and right hand controller 17B in each of the aforementioned directions and may transmit signals providing such movement information to a processor (not shown) of the surgical robot system.

[0055] In some embodiments, each of the left hand controller subsystem 23A and the right hand controller subsystem 23B may be configured to receive, connect, or engage different hand controllers (not shown). For example, hand controllers having buttons and touch input devices with different configurations may be provided. Furthermore, hand controllers having different shapes may be provided. Hand controllers may be selected to suit a particular surgical robot system or a particular surgical robot procedure, or based on the operator's preference for buttons and input devices, or in relation to the shape of the hand controller, in order to provide greater comfort and ease for the operator.

[0056] Figure 3A schematically shows a side view of a surgical robotic system 10 performing surgery within an internal cavity 104 of a subject 100, according to some embodiments and for some surgical procedures. Figure 3B schematically depicts a top view of the surgical robotic system 10 performing surgery within an internal cavity 104 of a subject 100. The subject 100 (e.g., a patient) is placed on an operating table 102 (e.g., a surgical operating table 102). In some embodiments and for some surgical procedures, an incision is made in the patient 100 to provide access to the internal cavity 104. The trocar 50 is then inserted into the patient 100 at a selected location to provide access to the internal cavity 104 or the surgical site. The RSS 46 can then be maneuvered within its position on the patient 100 and the trocar 50. In some embodiments, the RSS 46 includes a trocar mount that is attached to the trocar 50. The robotic arm assembly 42 may be coupled to the motor 40, and at least a portion of the robotic arm assembly 42 may be inserted into the trocar 50, and therefore into the internal cavity 104 of the patient 100. For example, the camera assembly 44 and the robotic arm assembly 42 may be inserted individually and sequentially into the patient 100 through the trocar 50. The camera assembly and the robotic arm assembly 42 may include portions that remain outside the body of the subject during use, but references to inserting the robotic arm assembly 42 and / or the camera assembly 44 into the internal cavity of the subject, and to arranging the robotic arm assembly 42 and / or the camera assembly 44 into the internal cavity of the subject, refer to portions of the robotic arm assembly 42 and the camera assembly 44 that are intended to be inside the internal cavity of the subject during use. The sequential insertion method has the advantage of supporting a smaller trocar, and therefore a smaller incision can be made in the patient 100, and therefore the trauma experienced by the patient 100 is reduced. In some embodiments, the camera assembly 44 and the robotic arm assembly 42 may be inserted in any order or a specific order.In some embodiments, the camera assembly 44 is followed by the first robotic arm of the robotic arm assembly 42, followed by the second robotic arm of the robotic arm assembly 42, all of which can be inserted into the trocar 50 and, consequently, into the internal cavity 104. Once inserted into the patient 100, the RSS 46 can move the robotic arm assembly 42 and the camera assembly 44 to the surgical site, which can be manually or automatically controlled by the operator console 11.

[0057] Further disclosures relating to the control of the motion of individual arms of a robot arm assembly are provided in Patent Documents 6 and 7, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in whole.

[0058] Figure 4A is a perspective view of a robot arm partial assembly 21 according to one embodiment. The robot arm partial assembly 21 includes a robot arm 42A, an end effector 45 having an instrument tip 120 (e.g., a unipolar scissors, a needle screwdriver / holder, a bipolar gripper, or any other suitable tool), and a shaft 122 supporting the robot arm 42A. The distal end of the shaft 122 is coupled to the robot arm 42A, and the proximal end of the shaft 122 is coupled to the housing 124 of the motor 40 (as shown in Figure 2A). At least a portion of the shaft 122 may be outside the internal cavity 104 (as shown in Figures 3A and 3B). At least a portion of the shaft 122 may be inserted into the internal cavity 104 (as shown in Figures 3A and 3B).

[0059] Figure 4B is a side view of a robot arm assembly 42. According to some embodiments, the robot arm assembly 42 includes a virtual shoulder 126, a virtual elbow 128 equipped with a positioning sensor 132 (e.g., an induction sensing coil and an oscillator circuit), a virtual wrist 130, and an end effector 45. In some embodiments, the virtual shoulder 126, virtual elbow 128, and virtual wrist 130 may include a series of hinges and rotary joints to provide each arm with seven positionable degrees of freedom, along with one additional gripping degree of freedom relative to the end effector 45.

[0060] Figure 5 shows a partial perspective front view of a robot subsystem arm assembly 20 configured for insertion into a patient's internal body cavity. The robot subsystem arm assembly 20 includes a robot arm 42A and a robot arm 42B. The two robot arms 42A and 42B can, in some embodiments, define, or at least partially define, a virtual chest 140 of the robot arm assembly 20. In some embodiments, the virtual chest 140 can be defined by a chest plane extending between a first pivot point 142A of the nearest joint of robot arm 42A (e.g., shoulder joint 126), a second pivot point 142B of the nearest joint of robot arm 42B, and the camera imaging center point 144 of camera 47. The pivot center 146 of the virtual chest 140 is located in the center of the virtual chest.

[0061] In some embodiments, sensors on one or both of robot arms 42A and 42B can be used by the system to determine changes in the position of at least a portion of the robot arms in three-dimensional space. In some embodiments, sensors on one or both of the first and second robot arms can be used by the system to determine the position of at least a portion of one robot arm in three-dimensional space relative to the position of at least a portion of the other robot arm in three-dimensional space. These sensors are described in more detail below.

[0062] In some embodiments, the camera assembly 44 is configured to acquire images that enable the system to determine relative positions in three-dimensional space. For example, the camera assembly may include multiple cameras, at least two of which are displaced laterally relative to each other with respect to the imaging axis, and the system may be configured to determine the distance to features within an internal body cavity. Further disclosures relating to surgical robotic systems including camera assemblies and associated systems for determining distance to features can be found in Patent Document 8, titled "System and Method for Determining Depth Perception In Vivo in a Surgical Robotic System," published on 12 August 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Information regarding the distance to features and optical properties of the cameras may be used by the system to determine relative positions in three-dimensional space.

[0063] The hand controllers for surgical robotic systems described herein can be used in conjunction with any of the surgical robotic systems described above, or any other suitable surgical robotic system. Furthermore, some embodiments of the hand controllers described herein can be used in conjunction with semi-robot endoscopic surgical systems that are only partially robotic.

[0064] As mentioned above, controllers for surgical robotic systems should ideally include sufficient inputs to provide system control, ergonomic design, and a "natural" feel during use.

[0065] In some embodiments described herein, we refer to a left hand controller and a corresponding left robot arm (which may be a first robot arm), and a right hand controller and a corresponding right robot arm (which may be a second robot arm). In some embodiments, the robot arm considered to be the left robot arm and the robot arm considered to be the right robot arm may vary due to the configuration of the robot arms, and the camera assembly is adjusted so that the second robot arm corresponds to the left robot arm with respect to the field of view provided by the camera assembly, and the first robot arm corresponds to the right robot arm with respect to the field of view provided by the camera assembly. In some embodiments, the surgical robot system identifies a robot arm as corresponding to the left hand controller and a robot arm as corresponding to the right hand controller during use. In some embodiments, at least one hand controller includes one or more operator input devices for providing one or more inputs for additional control of the robot assembly. In some embodiments, one or more operator input devices receive one or more operator inputs for at least one of the following: engaging in scan mode; resetting the orientation and position of the camera assembly to align the camera assembly's field of view with the instrument tip and chest; displaying a menu; highlighting an option or item for traversing or selecting from the menu; selecting an item or option; selecting and adjusting the elbow position; and engaging with a clutch associated with an individual hand controller. In some embodiments, additional functions may be accessed via the menu, such as selecting a level of gripper force (e.g., high / low); selecting an insertion mode, extraction mode, or exchange mode; adjusting focus, illumination, or gain; camera cleaning; motion scaling; and rotating the camera to allow viewing downwards.

[0066] According to some embodiments, Figure 6A illustrates a left hand controller 201 and Figure 6B illustrates a right hand controller 202. The left hand controller 201 and the right hand controller 202 each include a contoured housing 210, 211, respectively. Each contoured housing 210, 211 includes upper surfaces 212a, 213a, inner sides 212b, 213b adjacent to the upper surfaces 212a, 213a, outer sides (not shown in these figures) facing away from the inner sides 212b, 213b, and a lower surface (not shown in these figures) facing away from the upper surfaces 212a, 213a.

[0067] In some embodiments, each hand controller 201, 202 includes mounting assemblies 215, 216, respectively. Mounting assemblies 215, 216 may be used to mount each hand controller 201, 202 directly or indirectly to the user console of a surgical robot system. In some embodiments, mounting assembly 215 defines a hole 217, which may be a countersunk hole, configured to receive a screw or bolt for connecting the left hand controller 201 to the user console.

[0068] In some embodiments of this disclosure, such as the embodiments illustrated in Figures 6A and 6B, the hand controller includes two control levers, three buttons, and one touch input device. As described herein, embodiments may feature touch input devices, buttons, and levers, or other combinations of a subset thereof. An embodiment shown as the left hand controller 201 features a first control lever 221 and a second control lever 222. Similarly, the right hand controller 202 includes a first control lever 223 and a second control lever 224. In some embodiments, the first control lever 221 is engaged with the second control lever 222 via one or more gears (not shown) such that when the user presses the first control lever 221, a reciprocating motion is induced in the second paddle 222, and vice versa. Further description of the gear engagement between the first and second control levers is given below with respect to Figures 11A and 11B. In another embodiment, the first control lever 221 and the second control lever 222 may be configured to operate independently. In embodiments employing the reciprocating motion of a first control lever and a second control lever, the hand controller may employ only one signal indicating the deflection of the first lever and the second lever. In embodiments in which the first control lever and the second control lever operate independently, the hand controller may employ a first signal indicating the deflection of the first control lever and a second signal indicating the deflection of the second control lever.

[0069] In some embodiments, the first control levers 221, 223 and the second control levers 222, 224 can be contoured to receive the user's thumb and / or fingers. In some embodiments, the first control levers 221, 223 extend from or beyond the outer sides of their respective contoured housings 210, 211, and the second control levers 222, 224 extend from or beyond the inner sides 213b, 213c of their respective contoured housings. For each hand controller 210, 211, deflection or pressing of the first control levers 221, 223 and the second control levers 222, 224 is configured to generate signals that the surgical robot system uses as inputs to control the tip of a tool or instrument at the distal end of the robotic arm of the surgical robot system (e.g., opening / closing the gripper / jaw opening of the instrument tip). For example, pressing the first and second control levers can change the angle of the gripper jaws at the distal end of their respective robotic arms. In some embodiments, an end effector, tool, or instrument is used to separate tissue, drive a needle driver, grasp an item (e.g., mesh, suture, needle), or pick up such an item in a body cavity when it falls, and deliver energy to it via an electrosurgical unit (ESU) (e.g., cutting or coagulating).

[0070] In some embodiments, the housing of the hand controller may be contoured. For example, in Figures 6A and 6B, the contoured housings 210, 211 include a rounded shape. In some embodiments, the housing may be shaped to have a contour that matches the contour of at least a portion of the thumb of the user's hand. In some embodiments, the contoured housings 210, 211, the first control levers 221, 223, and the second control levers 222, 224 may each be shaped to comfortably and ergonomically accommodate the user's hand. In some embodiments, the housing of the hand controller, the levers of the hand controller, the buttons of the hand controller, and / or one or more touch input devices may have shapes and / or positions on the hand controller to accommodate different palm sizes and finger lengths.

[0071] The left hand controller 201 also includes a first button 231, a second button 232, and a third button 233. Similarly, the right hand controller 202 also includes a first button 234, a second button 235, and a third button 236. As described herein, each button may provide one or more inputs that can be mapped to various different functions of the surgical robotic apparatus for controlling the surgical robotic system, including the camera assembly and the robotic arm assembly. In one embodiment, inputs received via the first button 231 of the left hand controller 201 and inputs received via the first button 234 of the right hand controller 202 may control a clutch feature. For example, by engaging the first buttons 231 and 234, a clutch is activated, allowing the operator to move the respective left hand controller 201 or right hand controller 202 without causing any movement of the robotic arm assembly of the surgical robotic system (e.g., the first robotic arm, the second robotic arm, and the camera assembly). When the clutch is activated for a hand controller, the motion of the respective right or left hand controller is not translated into motion of the robot assembly. In some embodiments, an operator activating a hand controller input (e.g., tapping or pressing a button) activates the clutch, and when the operator activates it again (e.g., tapping or pressing a button), the clutch is turned off or clutch mode is exited. In some embodiments, an operator activating a hand controller input (e.g., tapping or pressing a button and holding the button) activates the clutch, and the clutch remains active as long as the input is active, and the clutch is exited when the operator no longer activates the hand controller input (e.g., releasing the button).Activating the clutch, or entering clutch mode on a hand controller, allows the operator to reposition each hand controller (for example, repositioning the left hand controller 201 within its range of motion, and / or repositioning the right hand controller 202 within its range of motion) without causing movement of the robot arm assembly itself.

[0072] A second button 232 on the left hand controller 201 may provide an input to control the pivot function of the surgical robotic device. By engaging (e.g., pressing and holding) the second button 232 on the left hand controller 201, an operator may engage a pivot function or pivot mode that reorients the chest of the robotic arm assembly to center the camera at the midpoint between the instrument tips. The pivot function can be activated by a short tap or by holding it down, according to some embodiments, to continuously track the movement of the instrument tips.

[0073] A second button 235 on the right hand controller 202 may provide an input for entering a menu mode in which the menu is displayed on the graphical user interface 39 of the surgical robot system, and an input for exiting the menu mode. The operator may activate the menu mode by pressing the second button 235 once and deactivate the menu function by pressing the second button 235 again. When the menu mode is activated, the operator may also select an option within the menu by navigating the menu using the left hand controller and / or the right hand controller. For example, in some embodiments, the first touch input device 242 on the right hand controller 202 may be used to navigate the menu and select a menu item. During the menu mode, the movement of the robot arm assembly may be interrupted in response to movement of the left hand controller 201 or the right hand controller 202. The selection of the menu mode and menu options is described in detail below. In some embodiments, a third button 233 on the left hand controller and a third button 236 on the right hand controller may provide an input for activating or deactivating the instrument control mode of the surgical robot system. When in instrument mode, the movement of at least one of the hand controllers causes a corresponding movement in the corresponding robotic arm of the robot assembly. The instrument control modes are described in more detail below. In some embodiments, the surgical robotic arm assembly 10 may employ or provide an instrument control mode 175, which may be described herein as “instrument mode”. In instrument mode 175, the surgical robot system 10 identifies the movement (e.g., translation and / or rotation) of each hand controller 201 or 202 and moves (e.g., translation and / or rotation) the instrument tip 120 on the distal end of the corresponding robotic arm 42A or 42B in a corresponding manner. In instrument control mode 175, the surgical robot system 10 may move the instrument tip 120 in a manner that is directly proportional to the movement of the corresponding hand controller 201 or 202.This can be described as movement involving translation and / or rotation of the instrument tip 120 of the robotic arm 42A or 42B, which is directly controlled by the movement of the respective hand controllers 201 or 202. For example, translating the hand controller 201 or 202 by a certain amount in a certain direction will move the corresponding instrument tip 120 of the corresponding robotic arm 42A or 42B in the corresponding direction (i.e., the same direction as the view from the camera assembly 44 displayed to the operator) by the corresponding scale-down amount (e.g., if the scaling is based on the scale of the view from the camera assembly 44 displayed to the operator). As another example, rotating the hand controller 201 or 202 around an axis by a certain angle will cause the corresponding instrument tip 120 of the corresponding robotic arm 42A, 42B to rotate by the same angle or a scaled angle around the corresponding axis (e.g., the corresponding axis is the same axis as the direction of the view from the camera assembly 44 displayed to the operator). In instrument mode 175, operator control may be used to operate the instrument (e.g., via gripper control of a hand controller, via foot pedal control), as well as to move or change the orientation of the instrument tip 120.

[0074] In instrument mode 175, movement of the hand controllers 201 and 202 does not change the position, nor the orientation of the camera assembly 44 (for example, the orientation and position of the camera assembly 44 may remain fixed), nor the position or orientation of the virtual chest 140. In other words, instrument mode 175 does not change the position or orientation of the camera assembly 44 or the virtual chest 140. Instrument control mode 175 is useful for manipulating the instrument tip 120 within the working area of ​​the internal cavity that is accessible without moving the virtual chest 140 of the robot arm assembly 42.

[0075] In some embodiments, the operator may enable or disable the instrument control mode 175 via either or both of the hand controllers 201 or 202. In some embodiments, the instrument mode 175 is enabled or disabled using input control from the hand controllers 201 or 202 (e.g., by pressing a button such as button 233 in Figure 6A or by interacting with a touch input device). When the instrument control mode 175 is deactivated, the associated instrument tip 120 will not make a corresponding movement due to the movement of the hand controllers 201 or 202. In some embodiments, when the surgical robot system 10 is in a deactivated state, the information section of the graphical user interface 150 may indicate that the current state is deactivated. In some embodiments, engaging the clutch causes the information panel of the graphical user interface 150 to identify that the clutch is engaged (e.g., via text, color, or any other graphical indicator).

[0076] In some embodiments, the operator may position their head close to the display so that their head is within a certain distance of the display, and the operator may press the paddle as disclosed herein (for example, illustrated in Figures 6A to 8B) to engage the instrument control mode. To disengage the instrument control mode, the operator may pull their head away from the display and therefore away from the sensor, determining how close their head is to the display.

[0077] In some embodiments, instrument control mode 175 is the default control mode into which the surgical robot system 10 enters when another control mode ends.

[0078] The left hand controller 201 further includes a touch input device 241. Similarly, the right hand controller 202 further includes a touch input device 242. In one embodiment, the touch input devices 241 and 242 may be scroll wheels, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B. Other touch input devices that may be employed include, but are not limited to, rocker buttons, joysticks, pointing sticks, touchpads, trackballs, and trackpoint nubs.

[0079] The touch input devices 241 and 242 may receive input through several different forms of activation by the operator. For example, if the touch input devices 241 and 242 are scroll wheels, the operator may press or click the first touch input device 241 or 242, scroll the first touch input device 241 or 242 backward or forward, or both.

[0080] In some embodiments, scrolling forward on the first touch input device 241 of the left hand controller 241 may be provided by the camera assembly of the surgical robot system to activate a zoom-in function to enlarge the view displayed to the operator, and scrolling backward on the first touch input device 241 may be provided by the camera assembly of the surgical robot system to provide a zoom-out function to reduce the view displayed to the operator, or vice versa. In embodiments, the zoom function may be mechanical or digital. In some embodiments, the zoom function may be partially mechanical and partially digital (e.g., mechanical zoom over one zoom range and mechanical zoom + digital zoom over another zoom range).

[0081] In some embodiments, clicking or pressing the first touch input device 241 may activate the scan mode of the surgical robot system. When in scan mode, movement of at least one of the left hand controller 201 or the right hand controller 202 causes a corresponding change in the orientation of the camera assembly of the robot arm assembly 42 without changing the position or orientation of any of the robot arms of the surgical robot system. In other embodiments, pressing and holding the first touch input device 241 may activate the scan mode, and releasing the first touch input device 241 may exit the scan mode of the surgical robot system. In some embodiments, when the scan mode is exited, the camera returns to the orientation it was in when the scan mode was entered. In some embodiments, a function may be provided to lock the orientation when exiting the scan mode (e.g., to change the “horizontal” line).

[0082] In some embodiments, when in menu mode and the left elbow menu item is selected, the first touch input device 241 of the left hand controller 201 may be used to select the direction and degree of left elbow bias. As used herein, elbow bias refers to the degree to which the virtual elbow of the robot arm is above or below the neutral or default position.

[0083] In some embodiments, when in menu mode, the operator may select options within a menu by navigating the menu using the left hand controller and / or the right hand controller. For example, when in menu mode, the touch input device 242 (e.g., scroll wheel) of the right hand controller provides a set of inputs for traversing the displayed menu and selecting items within the displayed menu. For example, by scrolling forward on the touch input device 242, the operator may move the menu up, and by scrolling backward on the touch input device 242, the user may move the menu down, or vice versa. In one embodiment, the operator may make a selection within the menu by clicking on the first touch input device 242. The use of the touch input device 242 and menu mode will be described in more detail below.

[0084] In some embodiments, the touch input device 242 of the right hand controller 202 may be used to control the right elbow bias when a right elbow bias menu item is selected.

[0085] In some embodiments, the functions of the various buttons and touch input devices described above with respect to the left hand controller may instead be assigned to the right hand controller, and the functions of the various buttons and touch input devices described above with respect to the right hand controller may instead be assigned to the left hand controller.

[0086] Figure 6A also shows a schematic diagram 203 of a first foot pedal 251 and a second foot pedal 252 for receiving operator input. As shown in Figure 6A, in some embodiments, the first foot pedal 251 engages with a camera control mode, also described herein as a view control mode, image framing control mode, or camera framing control mode of the surgical robot system, and the second foot pedal 252 engages with a travel control mode of the surgical robot system.

[0087] In some embodiments, when a camera control mode is activated, for example using a first foot pedal 251, the operator's movement of the left hand controller 201 and / or right hand controller 202 may provide inputs that are interpreted by the system to control the movement and orientation of the camera assembly of the surgical robot system, while keeping the position of the instrument tip of the robot arm of the robot arm assembly constant.

[0088] In some embodiments, when the travel control mode is activated, for example, using a second foot pedal 252, the left hand controller 201 and the right hand controller 202 may be used to move the robot arm assembly of the surgical robot system in such a manner that the distal end of the robot arm directs or guides the movement of the virtual chest of the robot arm assembly through the internal body cavity. In the travel control mode, the position and orientation of the camera assembly, the virtual chest, or both are automatically adjusted to maintain the field of view of the camera assembly directed towards the end (e.g., a point between one or more ends of the distal end of the first robot arm and one or more ends of the distal end of the second robot arm). This can be described as the camera assembly being pinned to the virtual chest of the robot arm assembly and automatically following the end. Further details regarding the travel control mode are provided below.

[0089] Figures 7A and 7B illustrate another embodiment of the present disclosure, featuring a left hand controller 1001 and a right hand controller 1002. The left hand controller 1001 includes a contoured housing 1010, and the right hand controller 1002 includes a contoured housing 1011. Each contoured housing 1010, 1011 includes upper surfaces 1012a, 1013a, inner sides 1012b, 1013b adjacent to the upper surfaces, outer sides (not shown in these figures) facing away from the inner sides 1012b, 1013b, and a lower surface (not shown in these figures) facing away from the upper surfaces 1012a, 1013a.

[0090] Each hand controller 1001, 1002 includes mounting assemblies 1015, 1016, respectively. Mounting assemblies 1015, 1016 can be used to mount each of the hand controllers 1001, 1002 directly or indirectly to the surgeon console of a surgical robot system. Mounting assembly 1015 includes an opening 1017, and mounting assembly 1016 defines an opening 1018. The openings 1017, 1018 may be countersunk openings configured to receive screws or bolts for connecting each hand controller 1001, 1002 to the surgeon console. Mounting assembly 1015 includes a button 1004, and mounting assembly 1016 includes a button 1005. Buttons 1004, 1005 provide inputs for toggling between inserting and removing one or more robot arm assemblies 42A, 42B, and camera assembly 44. For example, button 1004 may be used to insert or remove the first robot arm 42A, and button 1005 may be used to insert or remove the second robot arm 42B.

[0091] Each of the left hand controller 1001 and the right hand controller 1002 also includes, respectively, first buttons 1031, 1034, second buttons 1032, 1035, and touch input devices 1041, 1042 (e.g., a joystick or scroll wheel). In each hand controller 1001, 1002, the first buttons 1021, 1034, the second buttons 1032, 1035, and touch input devices 1041, 1042 are disposed on or thereof on the upper surfaces 1012a, 1013a of the housings 1010, 1011. In some embodiments, the first buttons 1021, 1034, the second buttons 1032, 1035, and touch input devices 1041, 1042 are disposed on or thereof on portions of the upper surfaces 1012a, 1013a that protrude from the upper surfaces. For each hand controller 1001, 1002, a lever (not visible in this figure) extends from its respective outer side (not visible in this figure). In some embodiments, different mechanisms may be used for gripping input on the hand controller. For example, in some embodiments, the hand controller may include at least one “pistol trigger” type button that closes when pulled and opens when released, instead of, or in addition to, one or more levers.

[0092] The left hand controller 1001 includes a first paddle 1021 and a second paddle 1022. Similarly, the right hand controller 1002 includes a first paddle 1023 and a second paddle 1024. In some embodiments, the first paddles 1021, 1023 are engaged with the second paddles 1022, 1024 of each hand controller 1001, 1002 via one or more gears (not shown) such that when the user presses the first paddles 1021, 1023, it causes a reciprocating motion in the second paddles 1022, 1024, and vice versa. In another embodiment, the first paddles 1021, 1023 and the second paddles 1022, 1024 of each hand controller may be configured to operate independently. In embodiments employing the reciprocating motion of the first and second paddles, the hand controllers 1001 and 1002 may employ some form of signal or other indicator indicating the deflection of the first paddles 1021 and 1023 and the second paddles 1022 and 1024. In embodiments in which the first and second paddles operate independently, the hand controllers 1001 and 1002 may employ a first signal or other indicator indicating the deflection of the first paddles 1021 and 1023, and a second signal or other indicator indicating the deflection of the second paddles 1022 and 1024.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first paddles 1021, 1023 and the second paddles 1022, 1024 may be contoured to receive the user's thumb and / or fingers. In some embodiments, the first paddles 1021, 1023 extend from or beyond the outer sides of their respective contoured housings 1010, 1011, and the second paddles 1022, 1024 extend from or beyond the inner sides 1012b, 1013b of their respective contoured housings. For each hand controller 1010, 1011, deflection or pressing of the first paddles 1021, 1023 and the second paddles 1022, 1024 is configured to trigger signals used by the surgical robot system as inputs for controlling the tool or instrument tip at the distal end of the robotic arm of the surgical robot system (e.g., opening / closing the gripper / jaw opening of the instrument tip). For example, pressing the first paddles 1021, 1023 and the second paddles 1022, 1024 can change the angle of the jaws of the gripper at the distal end of each robotic arm. In some embodiments, the end effector, tool, or instrument is used to pull away tissue, drive a needle driver, grasp an item (e.g., mesh, sutures, needles), or pick up such an item in a body cavity when it falls and deliver energy to it via an electrosurgical unit (ESU) (e.g., cutting or coagulating).

[0094] In some embodiments, each of the first paddles 1021, 1023 and the second paddles 1022, 1024 may have a loop for receiving the user's thumb and / or fingers, as further described with reference to Figures 8A and 8B. In some embodiments, the parameters of each of the first paddles 1021, 1023 and the second paddles 1022, 1024 (e.g., length, angle, finger ergonomics, and so on) can be adjusted.

[0095] The contoured housings 1010, 1011 may be configured to comfortably and ergonomically fit the corresponding hands of the operator. The operator may engage with the respective hand controllers 1001, 1002 by positioning the thumbs of each hand on the second paddles 1022, 1024 and positioning the index or middle fingers of each hand on or above the protruding portions of the upper surfaces 1013a, 1013a on which the first buttons 1021, 1034, the second buttons 1032, 1035, and the touch input devices 1041, 1042 are located, and by positioning at least the middle or ring fingers of each hand on or above the first paddles 1021, 1024.

[0096] While various exemplary embodiments described herein assign certain functions to certain buttons and certain touch input devices, a person skilled in the art considering this disclosure will understand that the assignment of which functions to which buttons and touch input devices may vary depending on the embodiment. Furthermore, a person skilled in the art will understand, considering this disclosure, that additional functions not expressly described herein may be assigned to some buttons and some touch input devices in some embodiments. In some embodiments, one or more functions may be assigned to a foot pedal of a surgical robotic system including one or more hand controllers described herein.

[0097] As an example, a series of functions that can be controlled by the left hand controller 1001 and the right hand controller 1002 in some embodiments of this technology will be described here.

[0098] With respect to the left hand controller 1001, pressing or holding the first button 1004 may trigger a signal used to engage the insertion or removal of the left robot arm assembly and / or camera assembly of the surgical robot system. Pressing or holding the first button 1031 may trigger a signal used to control the clutch function of the left hand controller of the surgical robot system. Pressing or holding the second button 1032 may trigger a signal to engage or disengage the camera control mode of the surgical robot system. Scrolling the touch input device 1041 forward may activate a zoom-in function provided by the camera assembly of the surgical robot system to enlarge the view displayed to the operator, and scrolling the first touch input device 1041 backward may provide a zoom-out function provided by the camera assembly of the surgical robot device to reduce the view displayed to the operator, or vice versa. Scrolling the touch input device 1041 may trigger a signal used to select the left elbow bias when the elbow bias function is activated using menu 1120 (as illustrated in Figure 26).

[0099] With respect to the right hand controller 1002, pressing or holding the first button 1005 may trigger a signal used to engage the insertion or removal of the right robot arm assembly and / or camera assembly of the surgical robot system. Pressing or holding the first button 1034 may trigger a signal used to control the clutch function of the right hand controller of the surgical robot system. Clicking or pressing the second button 1035 may engage the scan mode of the surgical robot system. When in scan mode, movement of at least one of the left hand controller 1001 or the right hand controller 1002 causes a corresponding change in the orientation of the camera assembly of the robot assembly without changing the position or orientation of any of the robot arms of the surgical robot system. In another embodiment, pressing and holding the second button 1035 may activate the scan mode, and releasing the second button 1035 may exit the scan mode of the surgical robot system. In some embodiments, when the scan mode is exited, the camera returns to the orientation it was in when the scan mode was entered. In some embodiments, a function may be provided to lock the orientation when exiting the scan mode (for example, to change the "horizontal" line).

[0100] Figures 8A and 8B illustrate another embodiment of the present disclosure, featuring a left hand controller 1001' and a right hand controller 1002'. Compared to the hand controllers 1001 and 1002 in Figures 7A and 7B, some buttons on the hand controllers 1001' and 1002' are of the same button type but have different functions. For example, the second button 1035' on the right hand controller 1002' may trigger a signal used to turn a menu on or off. Compared to the hand controllers 1001 and 1002 in Figures 7A and 7B, some buttons on the hand controllers 1001' and 1002' may have different button types and / or different functions. For example, the touch input device 1041' on the left hand controller 1001' may have a three-way switch button type. Switching or holding the touch input device 1041' around it may trigger a signal used to engage or disengage the scan mode of the surgical robot system. Switching the touch input device 1041' forward activates a zoom-in function that can enlarge the view provided by the camera assembly of the surgical robot system and displayed to the operator, and switching the first touch input device 1041' backward activates a zoom-out function that can reduce the view provided by the camera assembly of the surgical robot device and displayed to the operator, or vice versa. Switching the touch input device 1035' upward may trigger a signal used to traverse the menu when the menu is displayed or when menu mode is active. The touch input device 1042' of the right hand controller 1002' may have a three-way switch button type. Switching the touch input device 1042' by pressing the touch input device 1035' may trigger a signal used to traverse the menu or highlight a part of the menu when the menu is displayed or when menu mode is active. Switching the touch input device 1042' forward may move the menu upward, and switching the touch input device 1042' backward may move the menu downward, or vice versa.Clicking the first touch input device 1042' may trigger a signal used to select a highlighted portion or function on the menu when the menu is displayed. In some embodiments, switching the touch input device 1042' may trigger a signal used to select the right elbow bias when the elbow bias function is activated using the menu. Compared to the hand controllers 1001 and 1002 in Figures 7A and 7B, the hand controllers 1001' and 1002' may have first paddles 1021' and 1023' and second paddles 1022' and 1024' to connect to finger loops 1061, 1062, 1063, and 1064, respectively. Each finger loop may be of the Velcro® type. In some embodiments (not illustrated), each finger loop may be of the hook type. Deflection or pressing of the first paddles 1021', 1023' and the second paddles 1022', 1024' is configured to trigger a signal to control the tip of a tool or instrument at the distal end of the robotic arm of the surgical robot system (e.g., opening / closing the gripper / jaw opening of the instrument tip). For example, pressing the first paddles 1021', 1023' and the second paddles 1022', 1024' may change the angle of the gripper jaws at the distal end of the respective robotic arm. In some embodiments, the end effector, tool, or instrument is used to pull away tissue, drive a needle driver, grasp an item (e.g., mesh, suture, needle), or pick up such an item in a body cavity when it falls and deliver energy to it via an electrosurgical unit (ESU) (e.g., cutting or coagulating). Compared to the hand controllers 1001 and 1002 in Figures 7A and 7B, the first buttons 1031' and 1034' may have a slider button type. Sliding the first buttons 1031' and 1034' may trigger a signal used to control the clutch function of the corresponding hand controller of the surgical robot system.

[0101] Figure 9A shows a joint 708 of a robot arm 42A or 42B including a positioning sensor 132. The positioning sensor 132 may include a target 702 and sensing coils 704a and 704b. The target 702 is positioned close to the sensing coils 704a and 704b such that a change in the position of the joint 708 results in a change in the resonant frequency of an oscillator circuit electrically coupled to the sensing coils 704a and 704b. The positioning sensor 132 is rotatable with the joint 708 to detect the joint angle, the joint position, or both. The positioning sensor 132 may also detect the axial distance of the target 702 relative to the coils 704a and 704b, its rotational position, its translational position, or a combination thereof.

[0102] The joint 708 and positioning sensor 132 rotate or pivot around the axis 706. Depending on the embodiment, the target 702 passes below, above, or between the sensing coils 704a or 704b. Depending on how much the joint rotates, the target 702 passes over one or both of the sensing coils 704a or 704b. In some embodiments, the shape of the target 702 is crescent-shaped, but it can be a different shape, e.g., circular or elliptical. The sensing coils 704a and 704b can be schematically represented as variable inductors as shown in Figures 12A and 12B. As the target 702 passes over the sensing coils 704a or 704b, the inductance of the sensing coils 704a or 704b changes, since the target 702 may be formed from a material having high permeability and low conductivity. In some embodiments, the material on which the target is formed may have different ratios of conductivity to permeability. A change in the inductance of the sensing coil 704a or 704b relative to the target 702 corresponds to a change in the resonant frequency of an oscillator circuit electrically coupled to the sensing coils 704a and 704b. The resonant frequency of the oscillator circuit changes as the target 702 moves relative to the sensing coils 704a or 704b. For example, a first part of the target 702 is approximately adjacent to the sensing coil 704a, while a second part of the target 702 completely covers or is covered by the sensing coil 704b. In this case, a first inherent change in the inductance from the baseline values ​​of the sensing coils 704a and 704b can be generated. Thus, for each position of the target 702 relative to the sensing coils 704a and 704b, there is a corresponding change in inductance, and therefore a corresponding change in the resonant frequency of the oscillator circuit, which can be measured as the joint rotates, and then the positioning sensor 132 rotates. In some embodiments, one half of the joint is fixed relative to the rotation of the other half of the joint. In some embodiments, both halves of the joint move simultaneously.

[0103] For each inductance value, there is a corresponding resonant frequency on which the oscillator circuit operates. As a result, there is a one-to-one, or injective, mapping of each position of the positioning sensor 132 to encoder values ​​associated with the inductance measured by the oscillator circuit. As the joint rotates, the positioning sensor 132 also rotates. As shown in Figure 9B, a third portion of the target 702 is covered by or beneath the sensing coil 704a, while a fourth portion is nearly adjacent to the sensing coil 704b. In this case, a second intrinsic change in inductance from the baseline values ​​of the sensing coils 704a and 704b can be generated, i.e., different from the first intrinsic change in inductance from the baseline values. The corresponding resonant frequency is generated by the oscillator circuit, which is then encoded to a value corresponding to the position of the robot joint, and then encoded to the positioning sensor 132.

[0104] The shape and arrangement of the sensing coils 704a and 704b ensure that the positioning sensor 132 always provides accurate positioning information. This allows for signal swings that would otherwise require much larger, less susceptible to the influence of surrounding metals, and much smaller sensing coils. Embodiments disclosed herein utilize low-conductivity and high-permeability targets, which may be formed into different shapes, to measure the axial distance, as well as the rotational or translational position of the target relative to the sensing coil.

[0105] By utilizing targets of various geometric shapes, the positioning sensor 132 can determine the translational or rotational position of the first part of the robot joint relative to the second part of the robot joint. That is, as the target passes over or under the coil, the inductance increases proportionally to the area of ​​the coil covered by the target. In a monotonically increasing target design, this means that each inductance value corresponds to a specific point along the target, and therefore to a given angle or position. From this basis, a desired target design is one in which, at the "maximum" signal, the target completely covers the sensing coil, and at the "minimum" signal, the end of the target ends just outside the edge of the sensing coil. The design can be further improved by performing differential measurements on the joint in question by arranging two sensing coils in the joint and modifying the target to have radial symmetry around its midpoint. The total arc of the target is determined by the equation (2*coil_offset_angle)-coil_arc / 2. coil_offset_angle is the angle 710 between the centers of the two sensing coils, which is equal to the maximum range of motion of the joint (ceiling up to 180 degrees - coil_arc / 2), where "coil_arc" refers to the angle swept by the sensing coil itself. This is shown in Figures 7A and 9B, where we can see a differentially sensing joint having two coils 704a and 704b and a target 702 designed according to the above equation. In Figures 7A and 9B, we show that the illustrated joint has a range of motion of approximately 140 degrees, and therefore the angle between the radial centerlines of coils 704a and 704b, i.e., coil_offset_angle, is also 140 degrees. Given these dimensions and knowing that the coil itself has a width of 40 degrees, i.e., coil_arc, in this embodiment we determine that the optimal arc of the target 702 is (2*(140))-(40) / 2=260 degrees. Those skilled in the art will understand that the optimal arc of the target is not limited to 260 degrees, as taught herein. Rather, the above calculation is provided merely as an example to facilitate the explanation of the subject disclosure.

[0106] This change in inductance is measured indirectly by measuring the frequency of a modified Pierce oscillator circuit that has an inductor instead of a crystal. A change in the inductance of the coil changes the frequency of the oscillation, which the processor can determine. More specifically, the period of the signal (1 / frequency) is measured by measuring the time between the rising edges of the signal. To reduce the computational load of measuring such high-speed signals, the process utilizes two timers: the first timer is used to divide the frequency into manageable ranges (and improve resolution by averaging over many cycles), and the second timer measures the frequency of this divided signal. Details of this process are shown in Figure 17.

[0107] Regarding data integrity, there are no concerns about communication corruption that may occur when using the communication bus; however, it is still possible that noise sources may affect and degrade the measurements. The averaging process in Figure 17 shows strong immunity to stray noise, but the use of differential measurement or additional shielding (partly provided by the materials used in the sensor design) may be pursued for greater immunity.

[0108] Additional potential use cases include detecting user actions, measuring user input in confined spaces (e.g., left or right hand controllers 201 or 202 on a surgeon's console), large-scale joint sensing on a patient cart, and force measurement when coupled with conforming structures.

[0109] Figure 8A is a side view of an exemplary positioning sensor, according to one embodiment, having a target, coil sensor, and background on a robot joint. As shown in Figure 8A, the positioning sensor 132 includes a target 702, part of which is near the sensing coil 704a, and another part of the target 702, which is completely covered by or beneath the sensing coil 704b. Furthermore, it includes a circuit board 802 which may be included to increase the range of the signal generated by the positioning sensor 132. Figure 8B is a top view of the positioning sensor 132 having the target 702, sensing coils 704a and 704b, and the circuit board 802 in a robot arm. Figure 8B shows a sensor stack including two coils separated by a distance of about 0.5 mm, between which the target 702 moves as the robot arm 42A or 42B rotates.

[0110] Figure 9 shows exemplary shapes of the target 702 and the sensor coils 704a and 704b used in the positioning sensor 132 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the target 702 may be a ring shape having a width or thickness, or both, that varies around the circumference of the ring. The target 702 may be formed of a material having high magnetic permeability while having low conductivity, such as a shielding film that can be punched into a pattern useful as an encoder target. The sensing coils 704a and 704b may have high conductivity and low magnetic permeability.

[0111] Figure 12A is a schematic example of a sensing coil and oscillator circuit electrically coupled to a positioning sensor 132 to output an encoder signal associated with the position of a robot joint, according to some embodiments. The circuit 1000 includes a sensing coil 704a or sensing coil 704b, which may be represented as a single variable inductor. The variable inductor is a single coil. The variable inductor may be shaped to maximize the signal it receives while minimizing the space it occupies within the robot joint. However, in some embodiments, the variable inductor may represent multiple coils connected in series that simultaneously perform functions similar to those in a single coil. In this disclosure, multiple independent copies of the oscillator circuit in Figure 12A may exist to obtain target measurements. The circuit further includes an oscillator circuit formed by capacitors 1006 and 1010, as well as inverter 1002 and resistor 1004 and ground 1012. In some embodiments, the variable inductor represents a single coil. In such embodiments, the coil may be shaped to maximize the signal it receives while minimizing the space it occupies in a spatially constrained design. In some embodiments, the variable inductor represents multiple coils in series that perform similar functions simultaneously. In such embodiments, the circuit 1000 can be repeated to support multiple coils.

[0112] Figure 12B shows the output of circuit 1000, which outputs an output waveform indicated by the oscillator circuit output (OSC_OUT) 1005. OSC_OUT 1005 may be a square wave, as shown in Figure 13, in which the signal corresponding to the sensed inductance is encoded at the frequency of the waveform output on OSC_OUT 1005. In some embodiments, there may be multiple sensing coils, each connected to an individual oscillator circuit. In other embodiments, a first subset of the multiple sensing coils may be connected to a single oscillator circuit, and a second subset of the multiple sensing coils may be connected to another oscillator circuit. Furthermore, the second subset of the multiple sensing coils may be connected to a single oscillator circuit via a switching mechanism. The switching mechanism can be switched between being connected to the first subset of the multiple sensing coils and the second subset of the sensing coils.

[0113] Figure 12C shows an exemplary switching circuit 1021 in which an oscillator circuit 1000a is connected to sensing coils 1, 2, ..., n via a switch 1013, where n can represent any natural number. That is, in a particular embodiment, the oscillator circuit 1000a can be connected to any number of sensing coils 1, 2, ..., n, or to any subset of sensing coils 1, 2, ..., n.

[0114] In some embodiments, the shape of the target and the positional relationship of two or more of the sensing coils 1, 2, ..., n with respect to the range of motion of the joint can provide signals from each oscillator circuit such that the signal changes in a manner substantially opposite to the joint displacement. A computing unit may be communicatively coupled to the oscillator circuit, and the computing unit can combine the signals by measuring the difference between the signals and using the resulting difference to determine the joint displacement, thereby providing resistance to disturbances that induce similar changes in the signal due to noise or non-idealism or oscillator drift caused by temperature at the joint. In some embodiments, the signals generated by each of one or more sensing coils 1, 2, ..., n may be designed such that when subsets of the signals are added together, they yield values ​​relevant to the combination of subsets of the signals. This is called differential measurement. Taking the difference between subsets of signals acts to cancel out disturbances affecting multiple similarly constructed signals. Disturbances experienced by similarly constructed signals may be called common-mode disturbances. Summarizing subsets of signals can preserve or amplify the true or actual signal of the subsets of signals.

[0115] As an example, consider a first signal, represented by a variable / generated by a first coil, based on or related to another signal x, in addition to some disturbance d. Signal x represents the position of the joint along the direction in which the joint movement is sensed. As mentioned above, there is a corresponding signal y representing the period of the oscillator, and the variable d can be any disturbance that changes the period during which the oscillator operates by a similar amount, regardless of where the coil is positioned relative to the target.

[0116] That is, the signal generated by the first coil can be y1 = x + d. Consider a second signal generated by a second coil, represented by a related variable y2, based on another signal -x, in addition to some disturbance d. That is, the signal generated by the second coil can be y = -x + d. The processor 22 can calculate a differential measurement between y and y such that m = y1 - y2 = y1 = x + d - (y2 = -x + d) = 2x. The resulting differential measurement is equal to 2, and since the signal x is known, the differential measurement is amplified by a multiple of 2. Both the temperature source and the far-field electromagnetic noise source tend to generate disturbances in the same direction. As a result, in some embodiments, the targets disclosed herein can be designed such that the signals generated by the first coil and the signals generated by the second coil are opposite to each other. The disclosed targets may have a particular shape such that the signals generated by the first coil and the signals generated by the second coil change in opposite directions, and a given change in angle or distance provides proximity to disturbances.

[0117] In some embodiments, the positional relationship of two or more coils to the shape of the target and the range of motion of the joint provides continuous and periodic signals from their respective oscillator circuits such that the signals are continuous and periodic, and no longer have a one-to-one mapping of the signals to the joint displacement, and there may be ambiguity within the period of such signals. A continuous and periodic signal can achieve any given value within its range at two or more points within its period. Then, when approaching these values, some additional information is needed to obscure the position of the joint (periodic ambiguity). For example, as used herein, in the viewer skilled in the art, periodic ambiguity would mean the following: A continuous and periodic signal by definition achieves any given value within its range at two or more points within its period. If the signal is continuous, it cannot abruptly "jump" between values; it must behave smoothly without skipping points between two values. If the signal is periodic, after some angular movement (or distance or time, or whatever the x-axis may be), also known as the "period," the output signal (y-axis) is repeated. If a signal is both continuous and periodic, by definition, the output signal must end each period before the next period begins. Therefore, a signal of this nature has the property that anything that rises within a period must also fall; that is, any particular value at which the signal rises must be repeated during the descent before the signal resumes in the next period. Thus, for any given value, there are at least two “angles” at which the value occurs within a given period. If a given sensor measures that value, it is not clear which of the two possible “angles” the joint lies at unless an additional sensor is set up to resolve the periodic ambiguity.

[0118] As taught herein, the shape of target 702 and the positional relationship of coil 704 make it possible to identify the repeating value of a second signal using the value of one signal. In this way, each signal may have two options for joint position for a given sensed value, but the other signal can narrow it down to one of the actual joint positions.

[0119] The computing unit can use the relative positions of the coils to determine the expected phase offset of the signals generated by each oscillator circuit. The computing unit can then use an additional signal corresponding to a second coil to resolve the in-period ambiguity of any one signal corresponding to the first coil in order to determine the joint displacement within the period. This is commonly called quadrature coding. The target shapes and positions of the coils allow the value of one signal to be used to identify the repeating value of the second signal. In this way, each signal generated by a coil can have two values ​​that could correspond to a joint position. However, the signal generated by another coil can be used to narrow down which of the two values ​​corresponds to a joint position.

[0120] In some embodiments, more complex periodic signals can be used with three or more repeating signal values, and the complex periodic signal can be narrowed down to a single possible joint position using additional signals with unique phase offsets. As an example, if two coils measure a sinusoidal target, a useful orthogonal coding arrangement of the two coils is to position them to read a target where the expected phase difference of their signals is 90 degrees. If the signal of one coil is above or below the average value of the periodic signal, the processor can uniquely determine which of two possible points on the target the second coil is reading.

[0121] In some embodiments, the computing unit can monitor the number of cycles of a periodic signal that have elapsed so that it can determine the total displacement of the joint from the starting point, counting the entire or partial cycles of joint motion in one direction as positive and the entire or partial cycles of joint motion in the other direction as negative. In some embodiments, the computing unit can receive input from the user to indicate the starting point as an absolute reference for the joint displacement.

[0122] Figure 13 shows an exemplary output waveform OSC_OUT1005 generated by the oscillator circuit 1000, where the frequency of the oscillation in the output waveform represents the angle / position of the positioning sensor 132. Since each inductance value, and therefore the resonant frequency, is unique to each sensing point along the target, the angle or position can be directly mapped from the frequency of the output waveform OSC_OUT1005. This can be further refined by a calibration step to account for any non-idealities present in the positioning sensor 132, although this step is not inherently required by the design. In some embodiments, for calibration purposes, it may suffice to determine the frequency of the output waveform OSC_OUT1005 at the furthest ends of the joint (i.e., the maximum and minimum rotational positions of the joint) and linearly interpolate it between the two ends. For example, if the output waveform OSC_OUT1005 has a frequency of 1 MHz when the joint is positioned at 0 degrees, and a frequency of 3 MHz when the output waveform OSC_OUT1005 is positioned at 90 degrees, then if the output waveform OSC_OUT1005 has a frequency of 2 MHz, it can be inferred that the joint is positioned at 45 degrees.

[0123] Figure 14 is a prior art depiction of the relationship between high conductivity and low permeability of a target with a plastic or air background in a robot arm positioning sensor. For example, the target can have high conductivity and can be represented by a red triangle 1201, and air can be represented by a white triangle 1203. The red triangle 1201 can be a target made of copper, or another high conductivity and low permeability material that moves against the background of air 1202, or some other low conductivity and low permeability material such as vacuum or plastic. In some embodiments, the coil is equivalent in size to the width of the target, but is sufficiently small relative to the length of the target so that the inductance of the coil is mainly influenced by the width of the target at a particular joint position. That is, changes in the inductance of the coil are directly related to changes in the width of the target as the coil passes over, under, or through the two coils. For example, the width of target 702 is not uniform and varies along the length of target 702. Target 702 has a crescent shape, and therefore the width of target 702 is greater in the center of target 702 than at the ends of target 702. As a solution, when the center of target 702 is near coil 704a or coil 704b, the inductance of coil 704a or coil 704b is -10 Henrys. Also, when the end of target 702 is near coil 704a or coil 704b, the inductance of coil 704a or coil 704b is 0 Henrys. The vertical axis in Figure 14 represents the inductance of the coil, and the horizontal axis represents the position of the portion of the target near the coil, and thus the joint. The left end of the horizontal axis in Figure 14 coincides with the point where the maximum width of the target is near the coil and the coil's inductance is -10 Henrys, and the right end of the horizontal axis in Figure 14 coincides with the point where the minimum width of the target is near the coil and the coil's inductance is 0 Henrys. Total change in inductance = 10. As the coil slides along the triangular target, or as the target slides along the coil from left to right, the coil's inductance increases and the oscillator frequency decreases.The change is the oscillator frequency of the oscillation circuit, which is then used to determine the position of the joint.

[0124] Figure 15A illustrates the relationship between low conductivity and high permeability of a target with a plastic or air background for a positioning sensor 132, according to some embodiments. For example, target 702 may have a low conductivity but high permeability material represented as region 1301. The triangular shape of region 1301 represents the maximum width to minimum width of target 702. Instead of using a conductive target 9 (see Figure 14) facing a magnetic field established by a sensing coil, where eddy currents within the target reduce the inductance compared to a coil surrounded by vacuum, air, or other electromagnetically inert material, Figure 15A depicts the behavior of target 702 formed of a material with high permeability to vacuum or air 1301. Figure 15A illustrates the concept of target 702 against a background of, for example, air or vacuum or plastic, or a low permeability and low conductivity material 1302. When coil 704 is positioned close to target 702 at its maximum width (left), for example, the maximum width relative to target 702 can be the midpoint between the two ends, and the inductance of coil 704 increases by 10 henries. A person skilled in the art will understand that the maximum width of target 702 may vary depending on the embodiment and shape of target 702. When coil 704 is positioned across the minimum width (right), for example, the ends of target 702, the inductance is at least 0 henries. A person skilled in the art will understand that the minimum width of target 702 may vary depending on the embodiment and shape of target 702. Thus, the change in inductance is 10 henries from the maximum width to the minimum width and vice versa, which is the opposite trend compared to the prior art in Figure 14. As coil 704 moves from left to right relative to target 702, or vice versa, the inductance decreases and the oscillator frequency increases.

[0125] Figure 15B shows the relationship between a high-permeability, low-conductivity target and a high-conductivity, low-permeability background. Figure 15B shows a combination of the effects of the high-conductivity, low-permeability target in Figure 14 and the low-conductivity, high-permeability target in Figure 15A. The inductance in Figure 15A decreases as coil 704 moves along the decreasing width of the target, from the maximum width of target 702 to the minimum width of target 702, and the high-conductivity, low-permeability material target used in Figure 14 decreases inductance as the width increases (opposite effect), so both targets can be combined and their effects stacked. Instead of a neutral background like air, for example, a high-permeability, low-conductivity target represented by regions 1301 and 1303 is placed against a background of low-permeability material 1305. As the width of one decreases, the width of the other increases. As an improvement, the result is a doubling of effectiveness, where coil 704 has a relative inductance of +10 Henry when formed from a high-permeability material across the maximum width of target 704, and a relative inductance of -10 Henry when formed from a high-conductivity material across the maximum width, resulting in a total inductance change of 20 Henrys without requiring a larger coil.

[0126] Figure 16 shows a target 1400 made of two materials according to some embodiments, one of which may have low conductivity and high permeability, and the other material having high conductivity and low permeability. The target 1400 may include a material 1402 having low conductivity and high permeability, and a material 1404 having high conductivity and low permeability. In some embodiments, material 1402 may have high conductivity and low permeability, and material 1404 may have low conductivity and high permeability. In some embodiments, material 1402 may be a backer material that shields the non-sensing side of the sensing coil, which may help improve the sensing ability of the sensing coil.

[0127] Target 1400 is a rotated version of the target taught herein, having properties within the target graphically shown as 1303 in Figure 15B. Target 1400 consists of two sections: a first section 1404 having properties such as those of target 1303 or target 1301, and a second section 1402 having properties such as those of target 1305 or target 1201. In some embodiments, the first section 1404 and the second section 1402 may be made of opposite types of material. For example, the second section 1402 may have properties such as those graphically represented by region 1303 or region 1301, and the first section 1404 may have properties such as those graphically represented by region 1305 or region 1201.

[0128] Figure 17 is a flowchart 1500 for generating encoder values ​​1508 associated with the position of a robot arm based on a positioning sensor 132, according to one embodiment. In block 1502, the output waveform OSC_OUT 1005 is divided into lower frequencies that are easier to measure, and the process improves resolution by averaging over many cycles. In block 1504, each rising edge moment of the divided signal is recorded in a manner similar to a stop clock. In block 1506, the frequency of the divided signal is calculated by taking the difference between the recorded moments.

[0129] In some embodiments, OSC OUT1005 may be divided into lower frequencies using two different timers. The first timer divides the frequency of OSC OUT1005 into a more manageable range of frequencies, which naturally results in improved frequency resolution. More specifically, the first timer does not measure the time at the start of each cycle or period of OSC OUT1005. That is, when the rising edge of OSC OUT1005 occurs, the first timer does not measure the time between consecutive rising edges of OSC OUT1005, but rather measures OSC OUT1005 at some multiples of each cycle or period and averages the amplitude of OSC OUT1005. This may be called dividing the frequency of OSC OUT1005. Instead of measuring OSC OUT1005 at each cycle or period, it is measured at lower frequency time steps, but the amplitude value of OSC OUT1005 is averaged over periods so that the frequency of OSC OUT1005 is measured and thereby data is not discarded. Since the frequency of OSC OUT1005 is divided so that it is not measured at each rising edge of the signal, a second timer is required to measure the frequency of OSC OUT1005 at lower frequency time steps. The combination of the first and second timers has the effect of maintaining the measurement resolution of the frequency of OSC OUT1005 without having to measure the frequency of OSC OUT1005 at each rising edge of OSC OUT1005, thereby reducing the computational burden on processor 22.

[0130] Figure 18 is an exemplary flowchart 1600 corresponding to determining the position of a robot arm 42A or 42B using an inductive sensing method, according to some embodiments. For example, in one embodiment, a target 702 sweeps the area below or above sensing coils 704a and 704b, which then causes a change in the magnetic field within the sensing coils, thereby changing the inductance of sensing coils 704a and 704b. In block 1602, the robot subsystem 20 can receive input from either the left hand controller 201 or the right hand controller 202 to rotate at least a portion of at least one robot arm. In block 1604, the robot subsystem 20 can rotate the position of at least one part of a robot arm, and in block 1606, the robot subsystem can determine the angular position of a joint of a robot arm based at least in part on a first frequency associated with a first signal received from an oscillator circuit, e.g., output waveform OSC_OUT1005, the first frequency being at least in part on the positional relationship between the target and the first coil or the second coil or both. For example, the output waveform OSC_OUT1005 can be at least in part on the positional relationship between the target 702, sensing coil 704a, and sensing coil 704b, as shown in Figure 8A.

[0131] Figure 19 schematically depicts an exemplary network environment 1700 to which a surgical robot system may be connected, according to some embodiments. A computing module 18 can be used to carry out one or more steps of the method provided by the exemplary embodiment. The computing module 18 includes one or more non-temporary computer-readable media for storing one or more computer-executable instructions or software for implementing the exemplary embodiment. Non-temporary computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, one or more types of hardware memory, non-temporary tangible media (e.g., one or more magnetic storage disks, one or more optical disks, one or more USB flash drives), and the like. For example, memory 1706 included in the computing module 18 can store computer-readable and computer-executable instructions or software for implementing the exemplary embodiment, such as the steps of method 1600. The computing module 18 also includes a processor 22 and associated cores 1704 for executing the computer-readable and computer-executable instructions or software stored in memory 1706, as well as other programs for controlling the system hardware. Processor 22 can be a single-core processor or a multi-core (1704) processor.

[0132] Memory 1706 may include computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, and similar. Memory 1706 may also include other types of memory, or combinations thereof. The user can interact with the computing module 18 through a display 12, such as a touchscreen display or computer monitor, which can display a graphical user interface (GUI) 39. The display 12 may also display other aspects, converters, and / or information or data associated with the exemplary embodiment. The computing module 18 may include other I / O devices for receiving input from the user, such as a keyboard or any suitable multipoint touch interface 1708, a pointing device 1710 (e.g., a pen, stylus, mouse, or trackpad). The keyboard 1708 and the pointing device 1710 may be coupled to the visual display device 12. The computing module 18 may include other suitable conventional I / O peripherals.

[0133] The computing module 18 may also include one or more storage devices 24, such as a hard drive, CD-ROM, or other computer-readable media, for storing data and computer-readable instructions, applications, and / or software (which may be executed to generate a GUI 39 on the display 12) that perform exemplary actions / steps of the surgical robotic system 10 or any part thereof as described herein. The exemplary storage device 24 may also store one or more databases for storing any appropriate information necessary to carry out the exemplary embodiment. The databases may be updated by a user or automatically at any appropriate time to add, delete, or update one or more items in the database. The exemplary storage device 24 may store one or more databases 1726 for storing the supplied data and other data / information used to carry out exemplary embodiments of the system and method described herein.

[0134] The computing module 18 may include a network interface 1712 configured to interface with one or more networks, e.g., LAN, WAN, or the Internet, via one or more network devices 1720, through various connections including but not limited to standard telephone lines, local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) links (e.g., 802.11, T1, T3, 56kb, X.25), broadband connections (e.g., ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM), wireless connections, controller area networks (CAN), or any combination of the above. The network interface 1712 may include an internal network adapter, a network interface card, a PCMCIA network card, a CardBus network adapter, a wireless network adapter, a USB network adapter, a modem, or any other device suitable for interfaceting the computing module 18 to any type of network it can communicate with and for performing the operations described herein. Furthermore, the computing module 18 may be any computer system, such as a workstation, desktop computer, server, laptop, handheld computer, tablet computer (e.g., iPad® tablet computer), mobile computing or communication device (e.g., iPhone® communication device), or other forms of computing or communication device that are communicative and have sufficient processor power and memory capacity to perform the operations described herein.

[0135] Computing module 18 can run any operating system 1716, such as any version of the Microsoft® Windows® operating system, different releases of the Unix and Linux® operating systems, any version of macOS® for Macintosh computers, any embedded operating system, any real-time operating system, any open-source operating system, any proprietary operating system, any operating system for mobile computing devices, or any other operating system that runs on a computing device and can perform the operations described herein. In some embodiments, operating system 1716 may run in native mode or emulated mode. In some embodiments, operating system 1716 may run on one or more cloud machine instances.

[0136] The computing module 18 may also include an antenna 1730 that can transmit radio transmissions at a radio frequency (RF) front end and receive radio transmissions from the RF front end.

Claims

1. A system for determining the angular position of a rotary joint, A coil coupled to the first part of the rotary joint in the first position, A target having high magnetic permeability and low electrical conductivity is coupled to the second part of the rotary joint, An oscillator circuit that is communicatively coupled to the aforementioned coil, A computing unit that is communicatively coupled to the aforementioned oscillator circuit, A system including a computing unit, which includes a processor configured or programmed to determine the position of the rotary joint based at least in part on a frequency associated with a signal received from the oscillator circuit, wherein the frequency is determined based at least in part on the positional relationship between the target and the coil.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a second coil coupled to the joint at a second position.

3. A system for determining the rotational or translational position of a joint, A first coil connected to the first part of the joint at the first position, A target having high magnetic permeability and low electrical conductivity is coupled to the second part of the joint, A system comprising: an oscillator circuit communically coupled to the first coil, which generates a variable frequency correlated with the position as an output.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the joint has multiple degrees of freedom.

5. The system according to claim 3, further comprising one or more second coils coupled to the joint at a second position separate from the first position, wherein the one or more second coils are communicatively coupled to the oscillator circuit.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein one or more subsets of the second coils are communicatively coupled to the same oscillator circuit through a switching mechanism.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein the target is composed of two or more materials with different ratios of conductivity to magnetic permeability.

8. The system according to claim 3, further comprising a backer material that shields the non-sensing side of the coil.

9. A computing unit that is communicatively coupled to the aforementioned oscillator circuit, The system according to claim 3, further comprising a computing unit including a processor configured or programmed to determine the angular position of the joint, at least in part on a first frequency associated with a first signal received from the oscillator circuit, wherein the first frequency is determined at least in part on the positional relationship between the target and the first coil.

10. A system for determining the displacement of a joint in a mechanism, A first coil that is connected to the first part of the joint at the first position, A target having high magnetic permeability and low electrical conductivity is coupled to the second part of the joint, An oscillator circuit that is communicatively coupled to the first coil, A computing unit that is communicatively coupled to the aforementioned oscillator circuit, A system including a computing unit, which includes a processor configured or programmed to determine the displacement of the joint of the mechanism, at least in part on a first frequency associated with a first signal received from the oscillator circuit, wherein the first frequency is determined at least in part on the positional relationship between the target and the first coil.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the target is in contact with a background material having low magnetic permeability and high electrical conductivity.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the target is made from a material with low magnetic permeability and high electrical conductivity, and the target is in contact with a background material having high magnetic permeability and low electrical conductivity.

13. One or more additional coils connected to the second portion of the joint, The present invention further includes one or more additional oscillator circuits that are communicatively coupled to one of the coils, The computing unit, which is communicatively coupled to one or more additional oscillator circuits, The system according to claim 10, 11, or 12, wherein the displacement of the joint of the mechanism is determined at least in part on a set of frequencies associated with the signal received from the oscillator circuit, and the set of frequencies is at least in part on the positional relationship between the target and the one or more additional coils.

14. The positional relationship between the two or more coils with respect to the shape of the target and the operating range of the joint is, The aforementioned signal changes in approximately the same manner as the joint displacement, and The computing unit removes outliers, averages the signal, and uses the results to The system according to claim 13, wherein the displacement of the joint of the mechanism is determined, and the signals from their respective oscillator circuits are provided to provide redundancy against failure and resistance to disturbances that induce changes in the expected differences between signals.

15. The positional relationship of the two or more coils with respect to the shape of the target and the operating range of the joint provides the signals from their respective oscillator circuits such that the signals change in a manner substantially opposite to the joint displacement. The computing unit combines the signals by measuring the difference between them, and uses the result to The system according to claim 13, wherein the displacement of the joint is determined, thereby providing resistance to disturbances that induce similar changes in the signal due to noise or non-idealism of the joint or drift of the oscillator due to temperature.

16. The positional relationship of the two or more coils with respect to the target shape and the operating range of the joint is such that the signals are continuous and periodic, no longer have a one-to-one mapping of the signals to the joint displacement, and there is ambiguity within the period of such signals, provided by the continuous and periodic signals from their respective oscillator circuits. The computing unit, By using the relative positional relationship between the coils, the phase offset of the signal generated by each oscillator is determined, and Using the expected phase offset of the signal combined with the actual received signal, The system according to claim 13, wherein the signals are combined by using additional signals to resolve the periodic ambiguity of any one of the signals and to determine the displacement of the joint within a certain period.

17. The computing unit monitors the number of cycles of the elapsed periodic signal and counts the total or partial cycles of the joint motion in one direction as positive and the total or partial cycles of the joint motion in the other direction as negative, so that it can determine the total displacement of the joint from the starting point. The system according to claim 16, wherein the computing unit receives an input indicating the starting point as an absolute reference for the displacement of the joint.

18. The system according to claim 14, 15, 16, or 17, wherein the signals are combined to determine the displacement of the joint of the mechanism, in accordance with the advantages of each such system in use.

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