System and method for inductive pulse frequency modulation position sensing

Abstract

A system and method for determining the angular position of a rotary joint is disclosed using a filter circuit comprising a capacitor, a variable inductor including a movable target, and at least one sensing coil attached to the rotary joint. A controller coupled to the filter circuit is disclosed. The controller transmits an input signal of varying frequency to the filter circuit, detects a signal corresponding to the filter circuit's response to the input signal, and characterizes the frequency response of the filter circuit based on the determination that the signal corresponding to the response is corrupted. Based on the frequency response of the filter circuit, the controller determines the angular position of the rotary joint based on the inductance value of the variable inductor and the inductance value indicating the positional relationship between the movable target and at least one sensing coil.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 524,220, filed Jun. 30, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Background Art

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

[0003] The position sensor enables the user to determine the position of the robot arm joints. One type of positioning sensor is known as a Hall - effect sensor.

[0004] <​​​​​​​A system for determining the angular position of a rotary joint is presented. The system comprises a filter circuit comprising a capacitor, a variable inductor, and a controller connected to the filter circuit. The variable inductor may comprise a movable target and at least one sensing coil attached to the rotary joint. The controller may be programmed or configured to transmit a variable frequency input signal to the filter circuit. The controller may be further programmed or configured to transmit a variable frequency input signal to the filter circuit. The controller may be further programmed or configured to detect a signal corresponding to the filter circuit's response to the input signal. The controller may be further programmed or configured to characterize the frequency response of the filter circuit, at least in part, based on a determination that the signal corresponding to the filter circuit's response is corrupted. The controller may be further programmed or configured to determine the inductance value of the variable inductor, at least in part, based on the frequency response of the filter circuit. The controller may be further programmed or configured to determine the angular position of the rotary joint, at least in part, based on an inductance value indicating the positional relationship between the movable target and at least one sensing coil. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] 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.

[0007] [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 one embodiment. [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 illustrative 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 9] Figure 9 is a side view of an exemplary positioning sensor with a target, coil sensor, and background on a robot joint, according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an exemplary shape of a sensor coil used in a target and positioning sensor according to some embodiments. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a filter circuit connected to a controller used to determine the position of a robot arm in response to a signal input to the filter circuit, according to one embodiment. [Figure 12A] Figure 12A is an exemplary timing diagram showing a comparison between the shape of a signal modulated at a selected frequency input to a filter circuit and the shape of the corresponding output signal from the filter circuit, according to some embodiments. [Figure 12B] Figure 12B is an exemplary timing diagram showing a comparison between the shape of the signal modulated at a selected frequency input to the filter circuit and the shape of the corresponding output signal from the filter circuit, according to some embodiments. [Figure 12C] Figure 12C is an exemplary timing diagram showing a comparison between the shape of a selected frequency-modulated signal input to a filter circuit and the shape of the corresponding output signal from the filter circuit, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13A] Figure 13A shows an example of a 4 megahertz (MHz) signal waveform output from the controller to the filter circuit according to one embodiment, where the corresponding return signal from the filter circuit has a 5 MHz cutoff. [Figure 13B] Figure 13B shows an exemplary 10 megahertz (MHz) signal waveform output from the controller to the filter circuit, and the corresponding return signal from the filter circuit having a 5 MHz cutoff, according to one embodiment. [Figure 13C]Figure 13C shows an exemplary 20 megahertz (MHz) signal waveform output from the controller to the filter circuit, and the corresponding return signal from the filter circuit having a 5 MHz cutoff, according to one embodiment. [Figure 13D] Figure 13D shows an exemplary 40 megahertz (MHz) signal waveform output from the controller to the filter circuit, and the corresponding return signal from the filter circuit having a 5 MHz cutoff, according to one embodiment. [Figure 13E] Figure 13E shows an exemplary 60 megahertz (MHz) signal waveform output from the controller to the filter circuit, and the corresponding return signal from the filter circuit having a 5 MHz cutoff, according to one embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is an exemplary flowchart corresponding to determining the position of a robot joint using an induction sensing method, according to some embodiments. [Figure 15] Figure 15 schematically shows an example of a computing module for a surgical robot system according to some embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] To facilitate the explanation of the inductive frequency modulation position sensing technology disclosed in the present disclosure, applications in robots are disclosed. However, the frequency modulation position sensing technology disclosed in the present disclosure can also be applied to the area of small personal consumer electronic devices having dials. For example, a volume knob or dial used to adjust the radio to a specific frequency may be an area where the frequency modulation position sensing technology is applied. To overcome the difficulties imposed by size constraints, particularly to overcome the need to fit into very small devices within a robotic arm used to sense the joint angle of the robotic arm, the electronic device used to sense the joint angle needs to fit into a small space within the robotic arm while maintaining sufficient flexibility to bend around the contour of the available space. A filtering circuit including a capacitor, a target, and a sensing coil whose inductance changes as the target moves over or near the sensing coil receives a signal of a changing frequency from a controller and outputs a signal of changing amplitude and frequency in response to the movement of the target and the input signal. The controller generates these signals of changing frequency by adjusting the frequency of a signal having the same periodicity as the frequency of the controller's clock. Each of the frequency modulation signals corresponds to a unique frequency at which a signal oscillating at the same frequency as the clock is modulated. As the controller sweeps through a range of frequencies, thereby adjusting the signal input to the filter circuit, the filter circuit generates an output signal whose shape changes when the frequency exceeds a specific value. The controller can determine the frequency response of the circuit that can be used to determine the inductance value of the filter circuit that is directly related to the position of the rotating joint when the target enters the vicinity of the sensing coil. As a result, the position of the rotating joint can be quickly determined using a minimum number of components that fit within the boundaries of the robotic arm.

[0009] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention. It can be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the present invention described in this disclosure may be used.

[0010] Unless specifically stated or apparent from the context, as used herein, the term "about" is understood to be within the normal tolerances in the art, for example, within two standard deviations of the average. "About" can be understood to be within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the recited value. Unless otherwise apparent from the context, all numerical values provided herein are modified by the term "about".

[0011] In this specification or the documents incorporated by reference, exemplary embodiments are described as employing a plurality of units to perform an exemplary process, but it is understood that the exemplary process can also be performed by one or more of the modules. In addition, the term controller / controller can include a memory and a processor and can be understood to refer to a hardware device specifically programmed to execute a process according to some embodiments described in this disclosure. In some embodiments, the memory is configured to store modules, and the processor is specifically configured to execute the modules to perform one or more processes further described below. In some embodiments, a plurality of different controllers or controllers, or a plurality of different types of controllers or controllers, may be employed to perform one or more processes. In some embodiments, different controllers or controllers may be implemented in different parts of a surgical robot system.

[0012] Some embodiments disclosed herein are implemented on, adopted on, or incorporated into a surgical robotic system, which includes a camera assembly having at least three joint degrees of freedom and two or more robotic arms, each having at least six joint degrees of freedom and additional degrees of freedom corresponding to the movement of an associated end effector (e.g., a gripper, manipulator, etc.). In some embodiments, when the camera assembly is fitted into an object (e.g., a patient), it can move or rotate 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 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 robotic arms and camera assembly can also move in the roll, pitch, and yaw directions.

[0013] The numerous degrees of freedom in some surgical robotic systems described herein enable the movement of robotic arm assemblies and orientation of robotic arm assemblies that are not possible with some conventional surgical robotic arms, and enable the movement of the camera of a robotic camera assembly that is not possible with cameras for some conventional robotic surgical systems, compared to some conventional surgical robotic systems. For example, many conventional surgical robotic systems with two robotic arms and fewer degrees of freedom per arm may not be able to change the position or orientation of the virtual chest of the robotic arm assembly while keeping the instrument tip of the robotic arm's end effector stationary. In another embodiment, the camera of many conventional surgical robotic 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.

[0014] 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 foot pedals of the surgical robotic system). In different control modes, the same movement of the hand controller may result in different movements of the surgical robotic arm assembly.

[0015] When describing control modes, the reference, orientation, or field of view direction 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.

[0016] 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, surgical robot module, or robotic arm assembly may include multiple separate robotic arms that can be deployed within the patient along different or distinct axes. 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 distinct axis. A 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. For example, 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.

[0017] The systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein are incorporated into and used in, for example, the robotic surgical devices and associated systems disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,285,765 and PCT Patent Application No. PCT / US2020 / 39203, and / or the camera assemblies and systems disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2019 / 0076199, and / or the systems and methods for exchanging surgical tools in a portable surgical robotic system disclosed in PCT Patent Application No. PCT / US2021 / 058820, and all the content and teachings of the aforementioned patents, patent applications and publications are incorporated herein by reference. A surgical robot module forming part of the present invention may, in some embodiments, form part of a surgical robotic system including a user workstation including appropriate sensors and displays, and a robotic support system (RSS) for interacting with and supporting the robotic subsystem of the present invention. The robotic subsystem may, in some embodiments, include a motor and a surgical robot module including one or more robotic arms and one or more camera assemblies. The robotic arm and camera assembly may form part of a single-support axis robotic system, part of a split-arm (SA) architecture robotic system, or have other configurations. The robotic support system may provide multiple degrees of freedom so that the robotic module can be maneuvered to a single position or multiple different positions within a patient. In one embodiment, the robotic support system may be mounted directly to a surgical table or to the floor or ceiling of an operating room. In another embodiment, mounting is achieved by various fastening means, including but not limited to clamps, screws, or combinations thereof. In yet another embodiment, the structure may be upright. The robotic support system may mount a motor assembly coupled to a surgical robotic module, including the robotic arm and camera assembly. The motor assembly may include gears, motors, drivetrains, electronics, and the like for powering the components of the surgical robotic module.

[0018] 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 movement in at least the 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 surgical instruments described in U.S. Publication No. 2018 / 0221102, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0019] Similar numerical identifiers are used throughout the diagram to refer to the same element.

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a surgical robot system 10, in which aspects of the present disclosure may be adopted according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. The surgical robot system 10 includes an operator console 11 and a robot subsystem 20, according to certain embodiments.

[0021] 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 with multiple pedals. The image computing module 14 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 can also be rendered on the graphical user interface 39 by the controller 26 or the image rendering device 30.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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 the robot arm 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.

[0026] 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 can change the position and / or orientation of at least a portion of the camera assembly 44, at least a portion of the robot arm 42, or both. In some embodiments, the controller 26 can also adjust the pan and tilt of the camera assembly 44 to follow the movement of the operator's head.

[0027] The robot subsystem 20 may include a robot support system (RSS) 46 having a motor 40 and a trocar 50 or trocar mount, a robot arm 42, and a camera assembly 44. The robot arm 42 and the camera assembly 44 may form part of a single-support axis robot unit as disclosed and described in U.S. Patent No. 10,285,765, or part of a segmented arm (SA) architecture robot system as disclosed and described in PCT Patent Application No. PCT / US2020 / 039203, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0028] The robot subsystem 20 can utilize 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 can also be deployed along a common, distinct axis. Thus, the surgical robot system 10 can utilize 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 arms 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 will be further described below.

[0029] The RSS 46 may include a motor 40 and a trocar 50 or trocar mount. The RSS 46 may further include a support member that supports the motor 40 connected to its distal end. The motor 40 may be connected 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 RSS 46 may be self-supporting. In some embodiments, the RSS 46 may include a motor 40 that is coupled to the robot subsystem 20 at one end and to an adjustable support member or element at the opposite end.

[0030] 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 utilized 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.

[0031] 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 of the present invention may be supported by the trocar 50 or trocar mount with multiple degrees of freedom so that the robot arm 42 and camera assembly 44 can be maneuvered within the patient in a single position or multiple different positions.

[0032] In some embodiments, the RSS 46 may further include optional controllers for processing input data from one or more system components (e.g., the display 12, the sensing and tracking module 16, the robotic arm 42, the camera assembly 44, etc.) and for generating control signals in response thereto. The motor 40 may also include, in some embodiments, a storage element for storing data.

[0033] In some embodiments, and in some operating modes, the robotic arm 42 may be controlled to follow scaled-down movements or motions of the operator's arm and / or hand, as sensed by associated sensors. The robotic arm 42 includes a first robotic arm including a first end effector having an instrument tip located at the distal end of the first robotic arm, and a second robotic arm including a second end effector having an instrument tip located at the distal end of the second robotic arm. In some embodiments, the robotic arm 42 may have parts or regions that can be associated with movements that can be associated with shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints, as well as the operator's fingers. For example, the robotic elbow joint may be configured to follow the position and orientation of a human elbow, and the 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 the index finger when a user is gripping the 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 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 arms and / or hands. This subtraction allows the operator to move their torso without the robotic arm moving. Further disclosures of the movement of individual arms of the robotic arm assembly are provided in International Patent Application Publications 2022 / 094000 A1 and 2021 / 231402 A1, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in whole.

[0034] The camera assembly 44 is configured to not only provide the operator with image data 48, such as a live video feed of the surgery or surgical site, but also to enable 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 components of the stereoscopic camera may be configured to provide a natural and comfortable user experience. In some embodiments, the interaxial distance between cameras may be modified to adjust the depth of the surgical site as perceived by the operator.

[0035] Image or video data 48 generated by the camera assembly 44 may be displayed on the display 12. In embodiments, if the display 12 includes an HMD, the display 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 in place 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.

[0036] Figure 2A shows 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 then includes a motor 40; the robotic arm assembly 42 has an end effector 45; and the camera assembly 44 has one or more cameras 47, and may also include a trocar 50 or a trocar mount.

[0037] Figure 2B shows 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.

[0038] Figure 2B also illustrates 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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 terms of the shape of the hand controller, in order to provide greater comfort and ease for the operator.

[0041] 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 coupled to the trocar 50. The robotic arm assembly 20 may be connected to the motor 40, and at least a portion of the robotic arm assembly 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 may include several parts that remain outside the body of the subject during use, but the references to inserting the robotic arm assembly 42 and / or the camera assembly into the internal cavity of the subject, and to positioning the robotic arm assembly 42 and / or the camera assembly 44 into the internal cavity of the subject, refer to the 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 a reduction in the trauma experienced by the patient 100. In some embodiments, the camera assembly 44 and the robot arm assembly 42 can be inserted in any order or in a specific order. In some embodiments, the first robot arm of the robot arm assembly 42 may follow the camera assembly 44, followed by the second robot arm of the robot arm assembly 42, and all of them may be inserted into the trocar 50 and, consequently, into the internal cavity 104.Once inserted into patient 100, the RSS 46 can move the robotic arm assembly 42 and camera assembly 44 to the surgical site, which can be manually or automatically controlled by the operator console 11.

[0042] Further disclosures relating to the control of the motion of individual arms of a robotic arm assembly are provided in International Patent Application Publications 2022 / 094000(A1) and 2021 / 231402(A1), each of which is incorporated herein by reference in whole.

[0043] Figure 4A is a perspective view of a robot arm subassembly 21 according to one embodiment. The robot arm subassembly 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).

[0044] Figure 4B is a side view of the 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 grasping degree of freedom relative to the end effector 45.

[0045] Figure 5 shows a perspective front view of the internal portion of the robot arm subsystem 20. The robot arm assembly 20 includes robot arms 42A and 42B. In some embodiments, the two robot arms 42A and 42B can 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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 International Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 159409, 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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 arm 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 enable downward viewing.

[0051] 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, 213 adjacent to the upper surfaces, outer sides (not shown in these figures) facing away from the inner sides 212b, 213, and a lower surface (not shown in these figures) facing away from the upper surfaces 212a, 213a.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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. A 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 the first and second control levers, the hand controller may employ only one signal indicating the deflection of the first and second levers. In embodiments where the first and second control levers 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.

[0054] 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 212b, 212c 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).

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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, the input received via the first button 231 of the left hand controller 201 and the input received via the first button 234 of the right hand controller 202 may control a clutch feature. For example, by operating the first buttons 231, 234, the clutch is activated, allowing the operator to move the respective left hand controller 201 or right hand controller 20 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 the hand controllers, the motion of each right or left hand controller is not translated into motion of the robot arm assembly. In some embodiments, the clutch is activated when the operator makes a hand controller input (e.g., tap or press a button) and the clutch is deactivated or the clutch mode is terminated when the operator re-engages (e.g., tap or press the button again). In some embodiments, the clutch is activated when the operator makes a hand controller input (e.g., tap or press a button and hold the button), and the clutch remains active as long as the input is active and disengages when the operator stops engaging the hand controller input (e.g., release the button).Activating the clutch, or entering clutch mode on the 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.

[0057] A second button 232 on the left hand controller 201 may provide an input to control the rotation function of the surgical robotic device. By operating (e.g., pressing and holding) the second button 232 on the left hand controller 201, an operator may engage a rotation function or rotation mode that reorients the chest of the robotic arm assembly to center the camera at the midpoint between the instrument tips. The rotation function can be activated by a short tap or by holding it down to continuously track the movement of the instrument tips, according to some embodiments.

[0058] 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 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 robot's movement may be interrupted in response to movement of the left hand controller 201 or the right hand controller 202. The menu mode and the selection of menu options are described in detail below. In some embodiments, a third button 233 on the left hand controller and a third button on the right hand controller may provide an input for enabling or deactivating the instrument control mode of the surgical robot system. When in instrument mode, movement of at least one of the one or more hand controllers triggers a corresponding movement in the corresponding robotic arm of the robotic arm assembly. The instrument control modes are described in more detail below.

[0059] 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 used include, but are not limited to, rocker buttons, joysticks, pointing sticks, touchpads, trackballs, and trackpoint nubs.

[0060] 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.

[0061] In some embodiments, scrolling the first touch input device 241 of the left hand controller 241 forward may be configured to 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 241 backward may be configured to provide a zoom-out function provided by the camera assembly of the surgical robot system 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).

[0062] 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 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).

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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 activates 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 a travel control mode of the surgical robot system.

[0068] In some embodiments, when the camera control mode is activated, for example using a foot pedal 251, the operator's movement of the left hand controller 201 and / or right hand controller 202 may provide inputs that the system interprets 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.

[0069] In some embodiments, when the travel control mode is activated, for example using a 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 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 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 end tips of the distal end of the first robot arm and one or more end tips of the distal end of the second robot arm). This can be described as the camera assembly being pinned to the chest of the robot arm assembly and automatically following the end tips. Further details regarding the travel control mode are provided below.

[0070] Figures 8A and 8B 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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 gripping / 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 gripping device 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).

[0075] 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 9A and 9B. 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.

[0076] The contoured housings 1010, 1011 may be configured to comfortably and ergonomically fit the corresponding hands of the operator. The operator may operate 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.

[0077] While the 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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 hinge function is activated using the menu.

[0080] 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 activate 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 had when the scan mode was entered. In some embodiments, a function may be provided to lock the orientation (for example, to change the “horizontal” line) when exiting scan mode. Scrolling the touch input device 1042 may trigger a signal used to traverse the menu or highlight a portion of the menu when the menu is displayed or when menu mode is active. Pressing the touch input device 1042 may trigger a signal used to select a highlighted portion or function on the menu when the menu is displayed. Scrolling the touch input device 1042 may generate a signal used to select the right elbow bias when the elbow bias function is activated using the menu. The configuration may be such that scrolling forward on the touch input device 1042 moves the menu up, scrolling backward on the touch input device 1042 moves the menu down, or vice versa.You may also make a selection in the menu by clicking the first touch input device 1042.

[0081] Figures 9A and 9B 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 8A and 8B, 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 8A and 8B, 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 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' may be done by pressing the touch input device 1035', which may trigger a signal used to traverse the menu or highlight a portion 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 8A and 8B, 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 8A and 8B, 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.

[0082] Figure 9 is a side view of an exemplary positioning sensor, according to some embodiments, with a target 702, coil sensors 704a and 704b, and a background on a robot joint. As shown in Figure 9, 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. The combination of the target 702 and the coil sensors 704a and 704b forms a variable conductor. When a thicker section of the target 702 passes through the sensing coils 704a and 704b, the effective inductance value of the sensing coils 704a and 704b increases, and when a thinner section of the target 702 passes through the sensing coils 704a and 704b, the inductance value of the sensing coils 704a and 704b decreases. In some embodiments, a single coil sensor 704 is used.

[0083] Figure 10 is a top view of the target 702 in the robot arm, as well as a positioning sensor 132 having sensing coils 704a and 704b. Figure 8 shows a sensor stack containing two coils separated by a distance of approximately 0.5 mm, between which the target 702 moves as the robot arm 42A or 42B rotates.

[0084] Figure 10 shows exemplary shapes of the target 702 and sensor coils 704a and 704b used in the positioning sensor 132 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the position sensor 132 may include the target 702 and the sensing coils 704a and 704b. The target 702 may be a ring shape having a thickness that varies around the circumference of the ring. The target 702 may be formed of a material having high 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 permeability. The target 702 sensing coils 704 and 704b can form a variable inductor. The target 702 may be a copper trace that moves as the joint rotates. For example, the position sensor 132 may determine the position of the rotary joint in the virtual elbow 128 as the target of the position sensor 132 rotates and enters the vicinity of the corresponding sensing coil. The sensing coils 704a and 704b may be a set of fixed-position copper traces that provide feedback to the rest of the filtering circuit shown in Figure 11. The sensing coils 704a and 704b can be schematically shown as part of the variable inductor 903 shown in Figure 11.

[0085] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a filter circuit 900, electrically coupled to a controller 26 used to determine the position of a robot arm in response to a signal input to the filter circuit 900, according to one embodiment. The filter circuit includes a fixed-value capacitor 902 and a variable inductor 903. The variable inductor 903 is a circuit element corresponding to the target 702 and the sensing coils 704a and 704b.

[0086] In some embodiments, the controller 26 can execute instructions according to a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART). In UART communication, the UART converts parallel data from a control device, such as a processor 22, into serial data and transmits the serial data to the UART's receiver using a transmitter. In some embodiments, the serial data is transmitted by the UART's transmitter and received by a receiver via a filter circuit. The UART then converts the serial data back into parallel data for further processing by the processor.

[0087] Data is transferred from the processor 22 to the UART in parallel form via the data bus. After the UART receives parallel data from the data bus, a start bit, parity bit, and stop bit are added to create a data packet. The data packet is then output continuously, then bit by bit by the UART transmitter, and then the UART receiver reads the data packet bits bit by bit. The UART receiver then converts the data packet from serial form to parallel form and then removes the start bit, parity bit, and stop bit. The UART receiver then transfers the bits on the data bus to the processor 22.

[0088] The controller 26 is electrically coupled to the input of the filter circuit 900 via a transmit pin or transmit output, for example, UART TX 26a, and the output of the filter circuit 900 is electrically coupled to the controller's receive pin or the controller 26's input, for example, the controller's UART RX 26b. The filter circuit 900 is fabricated with minimal components, including a fixed-value capacitor 902 and a target 702, which, in combination with sensing coils 704a and 704b, is incorporated into a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) that, in some embodiments, forms a variable-value inductor together depending on the relative positions of the target 702 and the sensing coils 704a and 704b.

[0089] For example, when the rotation angle of the rotary joint changes, the thickness, width, or both of the target 702 passing over, under, or between the sensor coils 704a and 704b changes, thereby creating a change in inductance for the portion of the target 702 passing through the sensor coils 704a and 704b.

[0090] The UART transmitter, UART TX 26a, can transmit a square wave signal with a frequency that varies depending on the underlying capabilities of the controller. Furthermore, the UART receiver, UART RX 26b, can receive the same square wave signal or a modified version of the square wave signal between the UART transmitter and receiver, based on the filter circuit 900. The controller can control the frequency at which the square wave signal is transmitted by updating the UART's clock configuration so that the frequency of the transmitted bits is a specific arbitrary value. It is possible to transmit square wave signals of various frequencies by maintaining the UART at a specific transmission rate. Another way to transmit a signal at a varying frequency is to adjust the data packet so that its frequency decreases. For example, the transmission of byte 0xAA (0bl0101010) is a square wave at a specified transmission rate, while 0xCC (0bll001100) has a square wave at half the specified transmission rate. By using longer sequences of bytes, the transmission rate can be subdivided into finer granularity. A further method for transmitting a square wave signal with a changing frequency is to combine the two aforementioned methods for transmitting a signal using a changing frequency. Using this frequency variation, the transmitter can perform a sweep across different frequencies as input to the filter circuit 900. The filter circuit 900 may have a variable frequency response based on a current capacitor value which can be fixed and an inductance value which is variable. Low-frequency signals may pass through the filter circuit 900 without attenuation, while high-frequency signals may be modulated or attenuated depending on the inductance value. Thus, as the controller 26 sweeps through different frequencies, the output of the filter circuit 900 may begin to degrade, and the output signal from the filter circuit 900 may be a corrupted version of the input signal. The frequency response of the filter circuit 900 can be characterized based on the threshold at which the corruption becomes more pronounced and the characteristics of the corrupted data.The sensed inductance value may be mapped to the corresponding rotational joint angle by utilizing an external tool that can be used to determine the actual angular value of the rotational coupling at different turn radii.

[0091] Figure 12A is an exemplary timing diagram showing a comparison between the shape of a 1 kHz modulated signal input to the filter circuit 900 and the corresponding output signal from the filter circuit 900, which corresponds to the frequency response of the filter circuit 900. When UART TX 26a transmits an input signal, filter input signal 1065a, to the filter circuit 900, the filter circuit outputs an output signal, filter output signal 1065b, which is received by UART RX 26b. The digital representations of the filter input signal and the filter output signal are the same. The filter input signal may be a packet of bits transmitted in series from UART TX 26a, which can be represented in a hexadecimal format that can be interpreted by the controller. For example, the controller 26 can read the data represented in hexadecimal format transmitted in the packet and convert the hexadecimal value into a parallel stream of bits that are transferred to UART TX 26a via the bus. The data represented in hexadecimal format may be referred to as the controller data representation.

[0092] For a signal modulated using a frequency of 1 kHz, the controller data representation 1001 of the filter input signal 1065a may be 0x00FF 00FF 00FF, and the corresponding controller data representation 1001 of the filter output signal 1065b may be 0x00FF 00FF 00FF. As described above, input signals modulated using lower frequencies can pass through the filter circuit 900 without attenuation. The same applies to input signals modulated using a frequency of 1 kHz.

[0093] Figure 12B is an exemplary timing diagram showing a comparison between the shape of a signal modulated at a frequency of 1333 Hz input to the filter circuit 900 and the corresponding output signal from the filter circuit 900, which corresponds to the frequency response of the filter circuit 900. When UART TX 26a transmits the input signal, filter input signal 1065a, to the filter circuit 900, the filter circuit outputs the output signal, filter output signal 1065b, which is received by UART RX 26b. The digital representations of the input and output data are not the same. That is, for the controller data representation 1001 of 0x03F0 3F03 F03F corresponding to the filter input signal 1065a, the corresponding controller data representation 1001 of the filter output signal 1065b is 0x10F0 1F01 F01F. As described above, an input signal modulated using a frequency above a certain threshold tends to be slightly attenuated or changed as it passes through the filter circuit 900. The same is true for the input signal modulated using a frequency of 1333 Hz.

[0094] Figure 12C is an exemplary timing diagram showing a comparison between the shape of a signal modulated at a frequency of 2 kHz input to the filter circuit 900 and the corresponding output signal from the filter circuit 900, which corresponds to the frequency response of the filter circuit 900. When UART TX 26a transmits the input signal, filter input signal 1065a, to the filter circuit 900, the filter circuit outputs the output signal, filter output signal 1065b, which is received by UART RX 26b. The digital representations of the input and output data are not the same. That is, for the controller data representation 1001 of 0x0F0F 0F0F 0F0F corresponding to filter input 1065a, the corresponding controller data representation 1001 of filter output 1065b is 0x060E 078C 1F07. As described above, an input signal modulated using a frequency above a certain threshold may be significantly attenuated or altered as it passes through the filter circuit 900. The same is true for an input signal modulated using a frequency of 2 kHz.

[0095] Figure 13A shows an example of a 4 megahertz (MHz) signal waveform output from a controller to a filter circuit according to one embodiment, where the corresponding return signal from the filter circuit has a 5 MHz cutoff. The controller 26 can generate an output signal 1101 waveform oscillating at 4 MHz for the filter circuit 900, which in turn causes the filter circuit 900 to generate a frequency response and output a return signal 1102 received by the controller 26. A first threshold (e.g., a higher threshold 1103) and a second threshold (e.g., a higher threshold 1104) are thresholds used to determine when the amplitude of the corresponding return signal 1102 begins to distort beyond a predetermined level. Distortion occurs as a result of the frequency of the output signal 1101 increasing, thereby causing the filter circuit 900 to corrupt the output signal 1101 and generate a return signal 1102 with a different shape. The exemplary frequency cutoff of the filter circuit 900 may be 5 MHz, less than the 4 MHz output signal 1101, as shown in Figure 13A. As a result, the return signal 1102 closely approximates the shape of the output signal 1101, and the area under both curves is approximately the same.

[0096] Figure 13B shows an exemplary 10 megahertz (MHz) signal waveform output from the controller to the filter circuit, and the corresponding return signal from the filter circuit having a 5 MHz cutoff, according to one embodiment. The controller 26 can generate an output signal waveform 1101 oscillating at 10 MHz to the filter circuit 900, which in turn causes the filter circuit 900 to generate a frequency response and output a return signal 1102 received by the controller 26. Because the exemplary frequency cutoff frequency is 5 MHz, the return signal 1102 does not approximate the shape of the output signal 1101 as well as when the output signal 1101 oscillates at a frequency of 4 MHz, as shown in Figure 13B. As a result, the difference in the area under the two curves is greater than the difference in the area under the two curves when the output signal 1101 oscillates at a frequency of 4 MHz. This occurs as a result of the output signal 1101 oscillating at a frequency exceeding the frequency of the filter circuit 1102, which in turn damages the output signal 1101 more than when the filter circuit 1102 oscillates at 4 or 10 MHz.

[0097] Figure 13C shows an exemplary 20 megahertz (MHz) signal waveform output from the controller to the filter circuit, and the corresponding return signal from the filter circuit having a 5 MHz cutoff, according to one embodiment. The controller 26 can generate an output signal 1101 waveform oscillating at 20 MHz to the filter circuit 900, which in turn causes the filter circuit 900 to generate a frequency response and output a return signal 1102 received by the controller 26. Since the exemplary frequency cutoff frequency is 5 MHz, it is smaller than the 20 MHz output signal 1101, as shown in Figure 13C, and the return signal 1102 not only does not approximate the shape of the output signal 1101, but also does not approximate it when the output signal 1101 oscillates at a frequency of 4 or 10 MHz. As a result, the difference between the lower regions of the two curves is greater than the difference between the regions of the two curves when the output signal 1101 oscillates at a frequency of 4 or 10 MHz. This occurs as a result of the output signal 1101 oscillating at a frequency exceeding the frequency of the filter circuit 1102, and then the filter circuit 1102 damages the output signal 1101 more than when the output signal 1101 is oscillating at 4 or 10 MHz.

[0098] Figure 13D shows an exemplary 40 megahertz (MHz) signal waveform output from the controller to the filter circuit, and the corresponding return signal from the filter circuit having a 5 MHz cutoff, according to one embodiment. The controller 26 can generate an output signal 1101 waveform oscillating at 40 MHz for the filter circuit 900, thereby causing the filter circuit 900 to generate a frequency response and output a return signal 1102 received by the controller 26. Since the exemplary frequency cutoff frequency is 5 MHz, which is smaller than the 40 MHz output signal 1101 as shown in Figure 13D, the return signal 1102 not only does not approximate the shape of the output signal 1101, but also does not approximate it when the output signal 1101 oscillates at frequencies of 4, 10, or 20 MHz. As a result, the difference in the area under the two curves is greater than the difference in the area under the two curves when the output signal 1101 oscillates at frequencies of 4, 10, or 20 MHz. This occurs as a result of the output signal 1101 oscillating at a frequency exceeding the frequency of the filter circuit 1102, and then the filter circuit 1102 damages the output signal 1101 more than when the output signal 1101 is oscillating at 4, 10, or 20 MHz.

[0099] Figure 13E shows an exemplary 60 megahertz (MHz) signal waveform output from a controller to a filter circuit, and the corresponding return signal from the filter circuit having a 5 MHz cutoff, according to one embodiment. The controller 26 can generate an output signal waveform 1101 oscillating at 60 MHz to the filter circuit 900, which in turn causes the filter circuit 900 to generate a frequency response and output a return signal 1102 received by the controller 26. Since the exemplary cutoff frequency is 5 MHz, which is smaller than the 60 MHz output signal 1101, as shown in Figure 13E, the return signal 1102 not only does not approximate the shape of the output signal 1101, but also does not approximate it when the output signal 1101 oscillates at frequencies of 4, 10, 20, or 40 MHz. As a result, the difference between the lower regions of the two curves is greater than the difference between the regions of the two curves when the output signal 1101 oscillates at frequencies of 4, 10, 20, or 40 MHz. This occurs as a result of the output signal 1101 oscillating at a frequency exceeding the frequency of the filter circuit 1102, and then the filter circuit 1102 damages the output signal 1101 more than when the output signal 1101 oscillates at 4, 10, 20, or 40 MHz. If the amplitude of the output signal 1101 is lower than the higher threshold 1103 and lower threshold 1104 shown in Figure 13E, the controller 26 can map the value of the return signal 1102 to the corresponding angle of the rotary joint.

[0100] Figure 14 is an exemplary flowchart 1200 corresponding to determining the position of a robot joint using an inductive sensing method, according to some embodiments. In block 1202, the controller 26 may transmit a variable frequency input signal to the filter circuit 900. In block 1204, the controller 26 may detect a signal corresponding to the filter circuit 900's response to the input signal. In block 1206, the controller 26 may characterize the frequency response of the filter circuit 900 based on a signal corresponding to the filter circuit 900's response to the input signal. In block 1208, the controller 26 may measure the inductance value of a variable inductor 903 based at least partially on the frequency response of the filter circuit 900. In block 1210, the controller 26 may measure the angular position of a rotary joint based at least partially on inductance values ​​indicating the positional relationship between a movable target 802 and fixed sensing coils 804a and 804b.

[0101] Figure 15 schematically depicts an exemplary network environment 1300 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 1306 included in the computing module 18 may store computer-readable and computer-executable instructions or software for implementing the exemplary embodiment. The computing module 18 also includes a processor 22 and associated cores 1304 for executing the computer-readable and computer-executable instructions or software stored in memory 1306, as well as other programs for controlling the system hardware. The processor 22 may be a single-core processor or a multi-core (1304) processor.

[0102] Memory 1306 may include computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, and similar. Memory 1306 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 1308, a pointing device 1310 (e.g., a pen, stylus, mouse, or trackpad). The keyboard 1308 and the pointing device 1310 may be coupled to the visual display device 12. The computing module 18 may include other suitable conventional I / O peripherals.

[0103] 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 also store one or more databases 1326 for storing the supplied data and other data / information used to carry out exemplary embodiments of the system and method described herein.

[0104] The computing module 18 may include a network interface 1312 configured to interface with one or more networks, e.g., LAN, WAN, or the Internet, via one or more network devices 1320 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 1312 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 form of computing or communication device that is communicative and has sufficient processor power and memory capacity to perform the operations described herein.

[0105] Computing module 18 may run any operating system 1316, 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 1316 may run in native mode or emulated mode. In some embodiments, operating system 1316 may run on one or more cloud machine instances.

[0106] The computing module 18 may also include an antenna 1330 that can transmit wireless transmissions at a radio frequency (RF) front end and receive wireless transmissions from the RF front end.

[0107] The computing module may also include UART TX 26a and UART RX 26b.

Claims

1. A system for determining the angular position of a rotational joint, A filter circuit, Capacitor and, A filter circuit comprising a movable target and a variable inductor having at least one sensing coil attached to the rotary joint, A controller connected to the aforementioned filter circuit, A changing frequency input signal is transmitted to the filter circuit. A signal corresponding to the response of the filter circuit to the input signal is detected, The frequency response of the filter circuit is characterized at least in part based on the determination that the signal corresponding to the response of the filter circuit is corrupted. It is a matter of making a decision. Based at least partially on the frequency response of the filter circuit, the inductance value of the variable inductor and A system comprising: a controller configured to determine the angular position of the rotary joint, at least partially based on the inductance value indicating the positional relationship between the movable target and the at least one sensing coil; and a controller configured to determine the angular position of the rotary joint, at least partially based on the inductance value indicating the positional relationship between the movable target and the at least one sensing coil.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the input signal is frequency modulated using the changing frequency.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the determination that the signal corresponding to the response of the filter circuit is corrupted is at least in part based on the input signal being tuned by a frequency exceeding a specific threshold.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the controller comprises a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) receiver and a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) transmitter.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the filter circuit further comprises a fixed-value capacitor.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the rotational joint is located within the robot arm.

7. A non-temporary computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, wherein when the computer-executable instructions are executed by at least one processor in the controller, the at least one processor is configured to: Transmitting an input signal with a changing frequency to a filter circuit, To detect a signal corresponding to the response of the filter circuit to the input signal, Characterizing the frequency response of the filter circuit at least in part based on the determination that the signal corresponding to the response of the filter circuit is corrupted, It is a matter of making a decision. An inductance value of a variable inductor based at least in part on the frequency response of the filter circuit, wherein the variable inductor comprises a movable target and at least one sensing coil attached to a rotary joint, A computer-readable medium that determines the angular position of the rotary joint and performs the operation of the rotary joint, at least partially based on the inductance value indicating the positional relationship between the movable target and the at least one sensing coil.

8. The non-temporary computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the input signal is frequency-modulated using the changing frequency.

9. The non-transient computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the determination that the signal corresponding to the response of the filter circuit is corrupted is at least in part based on the input signal being tuned by a frequency exceeding a certain threshold.

10. The non-temporary computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the controller includes a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) receiver and a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) transmitter.

11. The non-temporary computer-readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the filter circuit further includes a fixed-value capacitor.

12. The non-temporary computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the rotational joint is located within the robot arm.

13. The non-temporary computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the angular position of the rotational joint changes at least in part on the thickness or width of the movable target.

14. A method for determining the angular position of a rotational joint, Transmitting an input signal with a changing frequency to a filter circuit, To detect a signal corresponding to the response of the filter circuit to the input signal, Characterizing the frequency response of the filter circuit at least in part based on the determination that the signal corresponding to the response of the filter circuit is corrupted, It is a matter of making a decision. An inductance value of a variable inductor based at least in part on the frequency response of the filter circuit, wherein the variable inductor comprises a movable target and at least one sensing coil attached to a rotary joint, A method comprising determining the angular position of the rotary joint and, at least in part, based on the inductance value indicating the positional relationship between the movable target and the at least one sensing coil.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the input signal is frequency modulated using the changing frequency.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the determination that the signal corresponding to the response of the filter circuit is corrupted is at least in part based on the input signal being tuned by a frequency exceeding a certain threshold.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the controller comprises a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) receiver and a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) transmitter.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the filter circuit further comprises a fixed-value capacitor.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the rotational joint is located within the robot arm.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the angular position of the rotary joint is changed at least in part based on the thickness or width of the movable target.

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