Hybrid direct control and robotic assisted surgery system

Abstract

A direct-controlled and robotically-assisted hybrid surgical system may include a stabilization device, the stabilization device including a device mounting unit configured to support at least a portion of the weight of the surgical device and to removably receive a surgical device having an elongated shaft and a distal tip. The stabilization device may be configured to limit movement of the device mounting unit about a remote center of motion. A handle may be mechanically attached to the device mounting unit, such that manual Cartesian movement of the handle can result in corresponding Cartesian movement of the distal tip of the surgical device. The robotically-assisted system may include a sensor assembly configured to monitor at least a first attribute of the handle and generate a corresponding sensor signal, a controller communicatively linked to the sensor assembly to receive the sensor signal and generate a corresponding primary control signal, and a powered actuation unit communicatively linked to the controller to receive the primary control signal, the powered actuation unit configured to actuate an end effector of the surgical device received on the device mounting unit based on the primary control signal.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 900,471, filed Sep. 14, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] In one aspect, the present invention relates to a hybrid direct control and robotic assisted surgical system that stabilizes an apparatus that can be used to support at least a portion of the weight of a surgical apparatus being used by a user / surgeon, thereby allowing at least some of the movements of the surgical apparatus to be manually driven by a user while at least some of the functions of the surgical apparatus can be driven by a powered actuation unit. [Background technology]

[0003] No. 10,639,066 (Vidal et al.) discloses a system for controlling the displacement of an interventional device having an end inserted into a patient's body, the system including a base in a fixed position relative to the patient. A first part has an arcuate member and is mounted on the base for pivoting about a first axis (A1). A second part includes a support member and a delivery member. The support member rotates partially about a second axis (A2). A third part includes a retaining member and a sliding member mounted on the support member along a translation axis (AT). The retaining member is positioned such that translation of the sliding member translates the interventional device along a third axis (A3). The third axis (A3) is parallel to and offset from the translation axis (AT). When the delivery member is positioned midway through the arcuate member, the first axis (A1), the second axis (A2), and the third axis (A3) are orthogonal.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 9,999,473 (Madhani et al.) discloses a multi-joint surgical instrument that enhances the performance of minimally invasive surgery. The instrument has a high degree of dexterity, is low friction, has low inertia, and exhibits good force reflection. A unique cable and pulley drive system serves to reduce friction and enhance force reflection. A unique wrist mechanism serves to enhance surgical dexterity compared to standard laparoscopic surgical instruments. The system is optimized to reduce the number of actuators required to achieve the smallest size fully functional multi-joint surgical instrument.

[0005] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008 / 0091066 discloses an improved interface between a surgeon and a laparoscopic surgical endoscope system holding a laparoscopic camera and / or controlling an automated endoscope assistant, the interface including at least one wireless transmitter (12a) having at least one operating key, at least one wireless receiver (11), at least one conventional laparoscopic computer system (15) loaded with conventional surgical instrument spatial positioning software, conventional automated assistant steering software (software loaded onto the conventional laparoscopic system to provide visual response to depression of at least one key on the wireless transmitter as well as interfacing with the conventional automated assistant steering software so that endoscopic movement is accomplished), and at least one video screen (30). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Surgeries in the abdominal region (e.g., general surgery, gynecologic surgery, urological surgery, etc.) are typically performed either openly, where a large incision is made to access the surgical site, or minimally invasive surgery (MIS), where multiple small incisions are made and long, thin instruments are used to manipulate tissue at the surgical site. MIS (also called keyhole or laparoscopic surgery) offers several advantages to the patient, including less blood loss, less scarring, and shorter hospital stays. However, in many cases, MIS approaches are very difficult to perform, and open approaches are used instead. The difficulties of MIS are related to several factors, but the main difficulties stem from the limitations of surgical instruments and lack of proper visualization. Surgical instruments often lack dexterity, making it difficult to perform detailed tasks (such as suturing) in very tight spaces.

[0007] Robotic surgery makes challenging MIS procedures easier to perform by offering numerous benefits including improved dexterity of surgical instruments, improved visualization, motion scaling, and improved ergonomics. The use of robotics in surgery has been steadily increasing since 2000, when Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci Surgical System (dVSS) received FDA approval. In 2018, the dVSS was used in over one million surgeries worldwide. Typically, robotic surgery systems are teleoperated, with the surgeon sitting at a master console and the surgeon's hand movements replicated by one or more robotic arms, which operate on the patient. Other examples of teleoperated robotic systems include products developed or commercially available from companies such as CMR Surgical, TransEnterix, Titan Medical, and Medtronic.

[0008] Currently available teleoperated robotic-assisted systems have several drawbacks. Most notably, many in the medical community argue that there is insufficient clinical evidence to justify the cost of robotic-assisted surgery compared to traditional minimally invasive surgery. These robotic systems can have an initial cost of over $2 million USD, and the cost per procedure can be $2,000-6,000 more than traditional laparoscopic surgery. Another major drawback is the lack of direct interaction between the surgeon and the patient, as the surgeon sits at a master console during the procedure, resulting in a total loss of natural tactile feedback and an increased risk of injury from erroneous instrument movements. Additionally, current surgical robotic systems are large, require expensive maintenance due to their complexity, and require longer setup times than traditional surgery, resulting in longer operating times. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The teachings herein are directed to a surgical system that aims to combine at least some of the key features of manual laparoscopic surgery and teleoperated robotic-assisted surgical systems. More specifically, the teachings herein relate to a compact, counterbalanced, remote center of motion mechanism to which interchangeable surgical instruments (e.g., wrist surgical instruments and / or endoscopes, etc.) can be attached and optionally powered actuation is performed. The system preferably allows the surgeon to manually position the distal end / tip of the attached surgical device while robotically assisting control of the end effector of the surgical device as required (e.g., by driving the orientation of the wrist end effector by replicating the orientation of the surgeon's hand on the grip of the system).

[0010] Thus, the teachings described herein may provide one or more of the advantages of robotic-assisted surgery, such as relatively improved dexterity and reduced technical complexity. This reduced complexity may be facilitated by reducing and / or eliminating the teleoperation approach. Alternatively, the robotic assistance may be integrated directly into the instrument, such as a laparoscope, which is supported by a mechanism that may be attached directly to the operating table, or mounted to a ceiling or cart. In effect, integrating the robotic assistance directly into the surgical instrument provides natural force feedback while reducing complexity, cost, and setup time.

[0011] According to one broad aspect of the teachings described herein, a hybrid direct control and robotic assisted surgical system for use with a surgical device having an elongated shaft extending from a distal tip including an end effector may include a stabilization device configured to support at least a portion of the weight of the surgical device and defining a remote center of motion. The stabilization device may have a base member configured to be fixed relative to a patient and may include a device mounting unit movable relative to the base member and configured to removably receive a surgical device having an elongated shaft and a distal tip. The stabilization device may be configured to limit movement of the device mounting unit such that the device mounting unit and the distal tip are on opposite sides of the remote center of motion and the elongated shaft intersects the remote center of motion during use of the stabilization device. A handle may be mechanically attached to the device mounting unit and configured to be grasped by a user, whereby manual Cartesian movement of the handle by the user relative to the base member results in corresponding Cartesian movement of the distal tip of the surgical device received in the device mounting unit. A robotic-assisted system may be configured to drive an end effector of a surgical device, the robotic-assisted system may include a sensor assembly configured to monitor at least a first attribute of the handle and generate a corresponding sensor signal, a controller communicatively linked to the sensor assembly to receive the sensor signal and generate a corresponding primary control signal, and a powered actuation unit communicatively linked to the controller to receive the primary control signal, the powered actuation unit configured to actuate an end effector of a surgical device received on the device mounting unit based on the primary control signal.

[0012] The stabilization device may further include a hub rotatably connected to the base and rotatable about a rotation axis, an arcuate track connected to the hub and extending about a center of curvature, and a linear translation device connected to the arcuate track and movable relative to the hub so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis passing through the center of curvature. The device mounting unit may be translatable along the translation axis relative to the arcuate track.

[0013] The intersection of the rotation axis, the pivot axis, and a device axis parallel to the translation axis may define a remote center of motion for the stabilization device. The device mounting unit may be configured such that when the surgical device is mounted to the device mounting unit, the elongate shaft extends along the device axis to intersect the remote center of motion.

[0014] The linear translation device may include a linear track extending from a fixed end connected to the arcuate track to a free end axially spaced from the fixed end, and the device mounting unit is slidably connected to the linear track and capable of translating between the fixed end and the free end.

[0015] A translational counterbalancing system may be configured to apply a biasing force to the equipment mounting unit to counterbalance at least a portion of the mass of the equipment mounting unit as the equipment mounting unit translates along the translational axis.

[0016] The arcuate track may be movably connected to the hub such that the arcuate track is pivotable about the pivot axis. The linear translation device may be non-movably connected to the arcuate track.

[0017] The arc counterbalancing system may include a biasing device configured to apply a biasing force to the arcuate track to counterbalance at least a portion of the torque acting about the pivot axis.

[0018] The surgical device may be removable from the device mounting unit independent of the handle. The device mounting unit may be configured to removably receive a second surgical device.

[0019] The device mounting unit may be movable relative to the base member in response to manual input from a user without involving a motor during use of the system.

[0020] The handle may include a gripper movable relative to the device mounting unit about at least a first degree of freedom, and the first attribute may include an orientation of the gripper about the first degree of freedom.

[0021] The gripper may also be movable relative to the device mounting unit about a second and a third degree of freedom, and the sensor assembly may be configured to monitor a second attribute including an orientation of the gripper about the second degree of freedom and a third attribute including an orientation of the gripper about the third degree of freedom.

[0022] The handle may include a wrist grip movable relative to the equipment mounting unit about pitch, roll, and yaw axes. The sensor assembly may be configured to detect movement about each of the pitch, roll, and yaw axes. The sensor signals may include multi-channel signals. The primary control signals may include corresponding multi-channel control signals. The powered actuation unit may be configured to cause corresponding movement of the end effector about the effector pitch, roll, and yaw axes, whereby movement of the grip may be translated into corresponding movement of the end effector via the robotic assistance system.

[0023] The powered actuation unit may include a number of rotatable actuation disks configured to interface with corresponding drive disks on the surgical device such that the end effector can be driven about an effector pitch axis, an effector roll axis, and an effector yaw axis.

[0024] The sensor assembly may include at least one potentiometer or encoder for detecting the orientation / position of the gripper about at least one of the pitch, roll, and yaw axes.

[0025] The pitch, roll, and yaw axes may intersect each other at a common point.

[0026] The handle may further include an auxiliary user input device communicatively linked to the controller, the controller being configured such that triggering the auxiliary user input device triggers a corresponding auxiliary action on the end effector.

[0027] The auxiliary user input device may include at least one of a switch, a button, and a knob, and the auxiliary action on the end effector may include at least one of cauterizing, grasping, irrigating, and suctioning.

[0028] The translational counterbalancing system may include a counterweight translatable along a linear track and operatively connected to the equipment mounting unit, whereby translation of the equipment mounting unit causes an opposite translation of the counterweight that at least partially counterbalances the translation of the equipment mounting unit along the linear track.

[0029] The equipment mounting unit may be mounted on a first side of the linear track and the counterweight is mounted on an opposite second side of the linear track such that as the equipment mounting unit translates in one direction, the counterweight translates in the opposite direction to counterbalance the equipment mounting unit.

[0030] When the surgical device is mounted to the device mounting unit, the combined linear center of mass of the linear track, device mounting unit, handle, surgical device, and counterweight may be placed in a reference position relative to the remote center of motion. As the device mounting unit and counterweight translate along the linear track, the combined linear center of mass remains approximately in the reference position.

[0031] The mass of the counterweight may be approximately equal to the combined mass of the device mounting unit, the handle, and the surgical device.

[0032] A magnitude of a torque acting about a remote center of motion may increase as the angular position of the first end of the arcuate track relative to the hub changes from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees, and the biasing device may be configured to increase a magnitude of a biasing force as the angular position of the first end of the arcuate track relative to the hub changes from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees.

[0033] The magnitude of the biasing force may remain approximately equal to the magnitude of the torque when the angular position of the first end of the arcuate track relative to the hub is halfway between about 0 degrees and about 90 degrees.

[0034] The device mounting unit may include a powered actuation unit such that the powered actuation unit is movable relative to the base member in unison with the device mounting unit.

[0035] The controller may be communicatively linked to the sensor assembly by an electrical cable and / or a wireless communication protocol.

[0036] The device mounting unit may be configured such that when the surgical device is mounted to the device mounting unit, the axis of the elongate shaft is parallel to the translation axis.

[0037] The device mounting unit may be capable of translating along a linear track independent of the movement of the arcuate track relative to the hub.

[0038] The hub, arcuate track, and device mounting unit may be capable of moving in response to manual input from a user without the involvement of a motor.

[0039] The axis of rotation may be approximately vertical if the base member is fixed.

[0040] A braking device may be selectively engageable to prevent movement of the equipment mounting unit about at least one of the rotational, pivot and translational axes.

[0041] The handle may be mechanically mounted to the device mounting unit such that forces applied to the distal tip of a surgical device received on the device mounting unit are transferred to the handle to provide passive force feedback to a user holding the handle.

[0042] The stabilization device may include a hub rotatably connected to the base and rotatable about a rotation axis, a parallelogram structure connected to the hub, and a linear translation device connected to a movable end of the parallelogram structure and movable relative to the hub together with the movable end of the parallelogram structure so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis, wherein the device mounting unit is capable of translating along the translation axis relative to the parallelogram structure.

[0043] The companion stabilizing device may be configured to support at least a portion of the weight of the companion surgical device. The companion stabilizing device may have a companion base member configured to be fixed relative to the patient and may include a companion device mounting unit that is movable relative to the companion base member and configured to removably receive a companion surgical device having an elongated shaft and a distal tip. The robotic-assisted system may further include a companion powered actuation unit communicatively linked to the controller. The system may be selectively operable in a companion mode, in which the controller receives the sensor signal and generates a corresponding companion control signal, and the companion powered actuation unit may actuate the companion surgical device based on the companion control signal.

[0044] When the system is in companion mode, the controller does not generate a primary control signal, such that movement of the handle does not actuate an end effector of a surgical device received in the device mounting unit.

[0045] The companion stabilizing device may be configured to define a second remote center of motion and to limit movement of the companion device mounting unit such that the companion device mounting unit and a distal tip of the companion surgical device are on opposite sides of the second remote center of motion and such that the elongated shaft of the companion device may intersect the second remote center of motion during use of the companion stabilizing device.

[0046] The companion base member may be spaced apart from the base member.

[0047] The companion surgical device may include an endoscope.

[0048] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements, and in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an overall view of an example of a surgical system deployed in an operating room. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a surgical system mounted on a surgical table. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a remote center of motion (RCM) mechanism. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the RCM mechanism of FIG. 3 with a surgical instrument attached. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a portion of the surgical system of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a portion of the surgical system of FIG. 5 with a surgical instrument attached. [Figure 7]FIG. 1 is a side view of a portion of a surgical system with a surgical instrument attached thereto. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a top view of a surgical system. [Figure 9] ~ [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are top views illustrating an example range of motion about a hub of a surgical system. [Figure 11] ~ [Figure 12] 1A-1C are side views illustrating an example range of motion of an example arcuate track of a surgical system. [Figure 13] ~ [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a side view illustrating an example of a range of motion of a translation device of a surgical system. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the surgical system. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the surgical system shown in FIG. 15 taken along line 16-16. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a control method for local remote operation. [Figure 18a] FIG. 13 is a side view of another example of a surgical system. [Figure 18b] FIG. 18b is another side view of the surgical system of FIG. 18a. [Figure 18c] FIG. 18b is another side view of the surgical system of FIG. 18a. [Figure 19] FIG. 18b is a cross-sectional view of the surgical system of FIG. 18a. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a partial cutaway view of an example powered actuation unit taken along line 20-20. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a close-up view of the surgeon handle. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a close-up view of an alternative surgeon's handle. [Figure 23] FIG. 1 is a side view of a surgical system with the centers of mass of the moving components highlighted. [Figure 24a] ~ [Figure 24b] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of torques that may occur in a surgical system. [Diagram 25] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an overall view of the counter balancing system. [Figure 26a] ~ [Figure 26b] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a translational counterbalance for a surgical system. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a side view illustrating an example of a translational counterbalance of a surgical system. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a side view of an example of a translational counterbalance of the surgical system of FIG. 27. [Figure 29] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a counterbalance system for a surgical system. [Diagram 30] ~ [Diagram 31] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an example spring cam counterbalance system of a surgical system. [Diagram 32] ~ [Diagram 33] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an example spring cam counterbalance system of a surgical system. [Figure 34a] ~ [Fig. 34c] 1 is an example of a sinusoidal torque that may be generated during use of a surgical system. [Diagram 35] This is an example of a surgical system in which a powered actuator is used in a counterbalance system. [Diagram 36] 1 shows an example of a surgical system in which a parallelogram structure is used in a stabilization device to create a remote center of motion. [Figure 37] This is an example of a surgical system in which the attached surgical device is an endoscope. [Figure 38] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a control method when the surgical system is operated in a companion mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0050] The following provides exemplary embodiments of each claimed invention by describing various apparatus or processes. None of the embodiments described below limit any claimed invention, and any claimed invention may include a process or apparatus different from the process or apparatus described below. The claimed invention is not limited to an apparatus or process having all of the features of any one apparatus or process described below, or to features common to more than one or all of the apparatus described below. An apparatus or process described below may not be an embodiment of any claimed invention. Any invention disclosed in the form of an apparatus or process described below that is not claimed in this document may be the subject of another protective legal document, for example, a continuing patent application, and the applicant, inventor, or owner of the present application does not relinquish, abdicate, or offer to the public any such invention by its disclosure in this document.

[0051] The teachings described herein relate, at least in part, to a surgical system including a stabilization device having a device mounting unit capable of receiving one or more, preferably interchangeable, surgical devices such that at least a portion of the weight of the surgical device is supported by the stabilization device during use of the surgical device. The surgical devices used with the system may be any suitable type of device, including surgical instruments having any type of active and actuatable end effector (including surgical instruments having wrist end effectors), surgical instruments having relatively simple or static end effectors (such as suction devices and retractors), endoscopes or other camera or vision systems, etc. Preferably, a common stabilization device may be used to support different types of surgical devices at different times. This allows one, two, or more relatively standardized stabilization devices to be used (and preferably reused) with different surgical devices at different times. This can be useful to facilitate (e.g., using one stabilizing device to support an endoscope and another stabilizing device to support a surgical instrument having a wrist end effector in close proximity to a single patient).

[0052] The stabilization device may be configured to allow the supported surgical device to move in one, two, three, or more degrees of freedom. This allows the user to move the surgical instrument in much the same way as it would without the stabilization device. Preferably, the stabilization device can also restrict the movement of the surgical device (when attached) to a predetermined range of motion in one or more of the relevant degrees of freedom, thereby allowing the movement of the surgical device about a remote center of motion as described herein. This can help to guide and / or restrict the movement of the distal tip of the attached surgical device within a predetermined range of motion, in addition to supporting at least a portion of the weight of the attached surgical device. That is, the configuration of the articulations of the stabilization device is preferably configured to facilitate surgery by restricting the movement of the attached surgical device to a range of motion about a pivot point for minimally invasive access. This is also referred to as a remote center of motion configuration. The surgeon can directly control the position and orientation of the end effector of the attached surgical device with any suitable user input device (e.g., a multiple degree of freedom (DOF) handle that is part of the unit in the examples described herein). The stabilization device is preferably configured to allow the surgeon to control the position of the distal tip of the surgical instrument with the surgeon's handle in much the same manner as he controls a hand instrument, with the entire motion device being preferentially constrained and supported by a remote center of motion.

[0053] Preferably, the stabilization device includes one or more device mounting units, which may be configured to removably receive a surgical device such that two or more different surgical devices can be used with the stabilization device. This may include using a different type of surgical device and / or using a new or sterilized version of the same type of surgical device in a subsequent procedure. A used surgical device may be removed and, optionally, a different type of surgical device may be attached to the same device mounting unit, without the need for any physical reconfiguration of the stabilization device or device mounting unit itself.

[0054] Optionally, the surgical system may include a robotic assistance system configured to drive, manipulate, and otherwise actuate an end effector or other such actuatable features on the surgical device. Preferably, the robotic assistance unit may include a sensor assembly configured to monitor at least a first attribute or input from a user using a suitable sensor (e.g., a handle position, a switch or button trigger, pressure on a pressure sensor, etc.) and generate a corresponding sensor signal. The sensor signal may be provided to a suitable controller (which may be a computer, PLC, microprocessor, etc.), which may receive the sensor signal and generate a corresponding control or output signal adapted to the particular surgical device in use. The output signal is provided to a suitable power actuation unit. The power actuation unit is communicatively linked to the controller and configured to actuate the surgical device in use. That is, the power actuation unit is configured to engage an end effector of a surgical device and drive the end effector to perform a corresponding action / output based on user input, preferably mimicking input from a user.

[0055] In some instances, the surgical device used may be a surgical instrument with a wrist end effector that allows for increased dexterity and can be attached or detached from the unit as appropriate during surgery depending on what type of instrument is required. The robotic-assisted unit is positioned above the patient during surgery by a positioning arm.

[0056] An example of a stabilizer unit may be a compact multi-degree-of-freedom joint mechanism that holds, stabilizes, and dynamically actuates the wrist end effector of an attached surgical instrument. The joint configuration is preferably surgery-specific by restricting motion to a pivot point for minimally invasive access, also called a remote motion center configuration. The surgeon directly controls the position and orientation of the attached surgical instrument end effector with a multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) handle that is part of the unit. The surgeon controls the position of the instrument's distal tip with the surgeon's handle, just like controlling a manual instrument, with motion restricted and supported by a remote motion center. A robot-assisted actuation system integrated into the unit allows the surgeon to control the wrist of the surgical instrument end effector with the natural movements of the hand captured by the multi-DOF surgeon's handle.

[0057] With this configuration, the surgeon's hand motions are replicated by the wrist end effector without the need for a master-slave teleoperated system, so the complexity, and therefore the cost, of the surgical system can be lower than that of a master-slave teleoperated system.

[0058] Optionally, the surgical system may include a counterbalance system, which may help to counterbalance the weight / mass of the surgical device with respect to one, two, three or more degrees of freedom of movement of the surgical device. Counterbalancing may be understood herein to mean offsetting at least a portion of the weight of a moving component of the surgical system, which helps to reduce the load on a user (or actuator) moving and / or manipulating the component of the surgical system. That is, when a moving component of the system exerts a torque about a given axis of rotation or exerts a linear force along a given axis of translation, the surgical system may include a counterbalance system configured to exert a torque or linear force (for example) having a predetermined magnitude in an opposite direction to help reduce the net force acting on the moving component. The user (or actuator, if applicable) can then statically hold the moving component in a desired position by simply exerting the net force. If the net force acting on the moving component is zero or near zero, the moving component can be considered to be completely, i.e., near 100%, counterbalanced, such that the net force acting on the user is near zero and the moving component can remain substantially stationary without user intervention.

[0059] The magnitude of the degree of counterbalancing that a given example of the system described herein may achieve about a given axis of motion may be between about 0% and about 100% of the force exerted by the moving system component (e.g., at about 0%, the user feels the full weight of the moving component, and at about 100%, the user barely feels the weight of the moving component) and may be set to a value between 0% and 100%. For example, the magnitude of counterbalance achieved may be at least 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and / or at least about 90% or more of the weight of the moving system component. The counterbalancing system may preferably be configured to assist at least 50% of the weight of the moving component (about a given joint / axis), and more preferably to assist at least 75%, at least 85%, or at least 90% of the weight of the moving component. Similarly, the amount of weight of the moving system components that is supported by the user may be less than about 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, and / or about 10% of the total weight of the moving system components.

[0060] For example, the counterbalance system may preferably be configured to approximately balance the surgical device when attached, such that the surgical device will remain in an approximately fixed position unless the user applies force. This may allow the device to remain in position once positioned unless the user continues to hold the device, and the device may operate as an approximately hands-free device until the user re-grabs the device (e.g., to reposition it). Alternatively, the counterbalance system may be configured to counterbalance only a portion of the weight of the surgical device. For example, the system may be suitable for holding and stabilizing an endoscope in addition to surgical instruments for improved visualization.

[0061] The counterbalance system may optionally be configured as a completely (or at least substantially) passive system using suitable springs, biasing members, cables, cams, gears, etc., capable of balancing the movement of the medical device without the need for motors, pneumatic or hydraulic systems, or powered actuators, or other active drive units. This may help simplify operation and maintenance of the stabilization device, and may provide a desirable tactile feel to the user. This may also help reduce the need for fast acting sensors, drive the calculations for any such motors, etc. Preferably, the force exerted by the counterbalancing system may approximately match the force exerted by the surgical device, such that the stabilizer and any devices supported by the stabilizer will remain in place when the user releases the handle and / or stops exerting force on the system. This may allow the user to release their grip, e.g., to rest or reposition their arm, while the surgical device remains in approximately the same position.

[0062] Alternatively, the counterbalancing system may include one or more power actuation devices capable of providing some or all of the desired counterbalancing force. For example, the system may include one or more motors capable of providing varying levels of torque during use, e.g., a motor having a system capable of varying the applied motor torque output based on the position of the moving component. The system may include servo motors, suitable backdrivable motors, etc.

[0063] Optionally, a stabilizing device considered passive for purposes described herein (e.g., a stabilizing device that has no drive mechanism causing movement about one of its degrees of freedom) may include one or more brake devices that can help to resist and optionally stop / lock movement about one or more of its degrees of freedom. Engaging such locking mechanisms can help ensure that the stabilizing device and surgical device remain in a desired position / orientation even if the counterbalancing forces are not sufficiently uniform and / or if the stabilizing device is bumped or otherwise contacted when required to be held in a given location. The brake devices may include any suitable type of device (e.g., latches, clutches, clips, pins, clamps, magnets, etc.) and may be manually triggered or may be triggered remotely using any suitable system (e.g., mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic activation systems).

[0064] Optionally, one or more of the joints of the system may be sensorized for tracking of their absolute or relative position or both. Tracking the position of the various joints of the system can help facilitate fairly precise tracking of the position / orientation of the distal tip of a surgical device for improved functionality.

[0065] The systems described herein can also optionally provide a type of tactile feedback reminiscent of traditional laparoscopic surgery, where the surgeon directly manipulates a surgical instrument interacting with the surgical site, with any resistance or force indicative of the position of the distal tip of the surgical device being transmitted mechanically and nearly directly through the stabilization device to the handle and felt by the user.

[0066] A larger surgical system may include one or more stabilizers with device mounting units as described herein, each holding a surgical device, such as a surgical instrument. The surgical instrument preferably has a wrist end effector that allows for increased dexterity and can be attached or detached from the stabilizer as appropriate during surgery depending on what type of instrument is required. The device mounting units may be held above the patient by the stabilizer during surgery. The surgeon can directly control each device mounting unit and the attached instrument as if controlling a manual instrument. Some advantages of the described system include the ability to manipulate a dexterous wrist, which provides significantly improved ergonomics and reduces fatigue compared to fully manual manipulation of instruments (e.g., not supported by a stabilizer), while also providing a level of fine motor control comparable to that of a fully robotic system.

[0067] In addition to surgical instruments, the system may be suitable for holding and stabilizing other devices, such as endoscopes, for improved visualization. Each joint of the system may be sensorized to allow precise tracking of the instrument tip for improved functionality. Advantages of the described system include a dexterous wrist that provides improved ergonomics, reduced fatigue compared to manual instruments, and a level of fine motor control comparable to robotic systems. The invention also provides tactile feedback reminiscent of traditional laparoscopic surgery, where the surgeon directly manipulates the surgical instruments that interact with the surgical site.

[0068] Optionally, the systems described herein may be configured to operate in both a primary mode and a companion mode and may be selectively switchable between the modes. In the primary mode, a user may be in charge of the system handle, which may be used to physically steer the moving components of the stabilization system and electronically / robotically drive or otherwise control a surgical device attached to the stabilization system. In the companion mode, the system may include a second, or companion, stabilization system, which may support and actuate a second, or companion, surgical device based on inputs provided by a user using the same primary system handle. In such an example, the surgical system control system may be configured (e.g., via a switch, voice command, etc.) such that the controller receives input signals from the sensors related to primary handle attributes, but, optionally, instead of generating a primary control signal to actuate the first / primary surgical device, generates a second / companion control signal that can be communicated to a second / companion powered actuation unit that can actuate the second / companion surgical device. This may enable a user to selectively control two different surgical devices (optionally supported by two separate stabilization systems) using a common physical handle.

[0069] Optionally, the companion stabilization device may be spaced apart from the primary stabilization device and may be movable independently of the primary stabilization device. The primary surgical device may include a wrist surgical instrument (with an articulating end effector), and the companion surgical device may be an endoscope spaced apart from the surgical instrument and supported by a separate companion stabilization system. The surgeon may then use the primary handle to move and control the surgical instrument and its end effector, and then convert the system to its companion mode, in which the same handle may be used to reposition or otherwise adjust the operating parameters of the endoscope. Once the endoscope is reconfigured, the system may return to its primary operating mode so that the handle can again control the local surgical instrument.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 1, an example robotic-assisted surgery system 100 is shown generally in an operating room. In this example, a surgeon ("S") is operating on a patient ("P") lying on an operating table ("O"). In this example robotic-assisted surgery system 100, an example robotic surgical unit 104 has an example stabilization device including a support arm 102 that is mounted to the side of the operating table O and mechanically holds and supports an equipment mounting unit mounted to the support arm 102. The surgeon S, standing or sitting, manipulates each robotic-assisted unit with integrated surgeon handles 108 and 110 to control the attached surgical equipment, which in this example includes surgical instruments 112 and 114.

[0071] In this example, the surgeon views the surgical site via live video on a monitor 116, with imaging provided by an endoscopic camera 118, which in this example is mounted on an equipment mounting unit 120, also supported by a second passive support arm 103, and can be manipulated by a surgical assistant ("A") with a surgeon handle 122. In one alternative setup, the endoscope may be controlled by the surgeon without the need for a surgical assistant. In another example, the robotic-assisted unit to which the endoscope is attached may be programmed to automatically track (optionally without human assistance) the tips of the surgical instruments 108 and 110 to help maintain a desired view of the surgical site.

[0072] The endoscope may be controlled using any suitable mechanism, for example by the surgeon using either a handle on a separate unit 108 or 110, a foot pedal, a handheld device, a glove-type device that translates the surgeon's hand movements into endoscope movements, voice commands, or commands generated by a computer program. The surgeon may optionally view the endoscopic images on a head-mounted unit rather than a monitor, or on a fixed stereoscopic system. The images provided to the surgeon may be 2D or 3D, in which case a method of viewing the 3D images is required, such as stereoscopic goggles or a 3D viewing monitor and corresponding glasses.

[0073] The support arms 102, 103, in these examples, each include a number of joints that position an attached device mounting unit in a desired location and orientation for insertion into a patient's abdominal wall (or other location) to reach a surgical site. The device mounting units are each attached to a respective linear translation device, which in this example includes support members 126, 128, 130 extending from the passive support arms 102, 103. Once the device mounting unit is in the proper position to access the surgical site, the support arm joints are optionally locked into place by mechanical or electronic brakes to secure the insertion point of the surgical instrument until released by the surgeon or surgical assistant.

[0074] Cartesian positioning of the distal tip of the attached surgical instrument may be performed manually by the surgeon controlling the surgeon handles (e.g., handles 108 and 110) and is made possible by the stabilization device joints being rigidly coupled to the surgeon handles 108 or 110. In instances where the stabilization device joints and / or corresponding axes are configured to restrict the insertion point of the device mounting unit to a configuration referred to as the remote center of motion (RCM).

[0075] The mounted surgical instruments used in this example (e.g., instrument 112 or 114) preferably have a wrist end effector at their respective ends with at least three degrees of freedom (e.g., pitch, yaw, and roll characteristics) and may preferably include additional end effector actuation, such as grasping, to provide the surgeon S with increased manipulation at the surgical site compared to non-wrist instruments. Because multiple degrees of freedom of an end effector can be difficult to mechanically control, the device mounting unit preferably includes a powered actuation unit configured to control the orientation of the wrist end effector of the surgical instrument.

[0076] For example, to control a wrist instrument, the Surgeon Handle 108 or 110 may have multiple degrees of freedom in the form of a joystick, glove, wrist handle, etc., whereby the surgeon's hand movements are replicated or transformed by matrix transformation and / or mathematical operations to translate the movements from the handle to the end effector at the tip of the instrument. The Surgeon Handle may include other supplemental or alternative control mechanisms, such as, but not limited to, various buttons or knobs for more advanced functionality of the attached surgical instrument (e.g., activation of suction, irrigation, or cautery, among others, or position control of the endoscope 118). The described configuration may enable the surgeon to control the wrist end effector of the instrument by replicating the hand movements captured by the Surgeon Handle. This control scheme is referred to herein as "local teleoperation."

[0077] Remote center of motion (RCM) is understood herein to mean a configuration in which a set of joints or degrees of freedom pivots around a single point to which no mechanism (e.g., a stabilizer in this example) is physically connected. RCM may be used for minimally invasive surgical access because it allows a surgical instrument to be inserted from a single point (herein called a "pivot point") into the body that remains fixed, while allowing the surgical instrument to move within this limit. This configuration may help to constrain the surgical instrument from moving at the point of insertion into the patient's body (usually the abdominal wall), thereby limiting soft tissue damage to this location or around it. RCM can be achieved either by mechanical joints or by software constraints. To achieve software RCM, the joints are typically actuated or driven. Although the system described herein is described with respect to one type of possible surgery, it may be used for any surgery where minimally invasive access is feasible, and need not be limited to surgery currently performed with minimally invasive approaches. Additionally, the system may be used where the remote center of motion is located outside the patient, such as in transoral robotic surgery (TORS).

[0078] The setup shown in FIG. 1 includes three robotic surgical units 104, 106, and 120, two of which are used to hold surgical instruments and one of which is used to hold an endoscopic camera. The number of equipment mounting units to which the surgical instruments used in a given procedure are attached may vary based on several factors, including space constraints and the procedure being performed, among other factors. Space constraints may arise from the footprint of the stabilization device relative to the surgical table and / or to avoid collisions between the equipment mounting units or the instruments when they are used during the procedure. In an alternative setup, the robotic surgical units 104, 106, and 120 may be mechanically supported in the desired location using any suitable base member (e.g., a pole or bracket) that can be connected to the surgical table, or the base member may include a patient side cart on the floor of the operating room, a ceiling mount, or other such mounting hardware. Depending on the surgical task, at any point during surgery, the surgeon or surgical assistant may remove the surgical instruments 112 and / or 114 from the corresponding robotic surgical units 104 and / or 106 and replace them with another surgical instrument 124 on a bedside tray ("T").

[0079] 2 shows a detailed view of a preferred embodiment 100 of the surgical system. In this example, the stabilizer base includes a support arm 102 attached to the surgical table at an attachment point 160. A robotic surgical unit 104 is attached to the support arm 102, and a surgical instrument 112 is removably attached to the robotic surgical unit 104. In this example, the robotic surgical unit 104 and its stabilizer define a remote mechanical center of motion 162. An end effector 164 of the surgical instrument 112 is manipulated by the surgeon via a surgeon handle 108. There are several ways to attach the stabilizer to the surgical table, for example, by a clamping mechanism, a bolting system, etc. The surgical table may be manufactured with a specialized connection point or method for attachment of the support arm 102, or the support arm may be designed to be attachable to any existing surgical table.

[0080] 3 shows a preferred configuration of a joint 190 of the robotic surgical unit 104, which includes a series of three joints that are used to control the position of the end effector of the attached surgical instrument and help enable and define a desired remote center of motion. This mechanism is referred to herein as the "RCM mechanism." The first joint of the RCM mechanism is a hub, which in this example includes a pivot joint 192 (referred to herein as the "pivot joint") having an axis of rotation or pivot 194. The second joint includes an arcuate track that extends about a center of curvature and may be described as a remote pivot joint (referred to herein as the "arc joint"), which in this example includes an arcuate track 196 that is movable relative to a motion carriage 198 fixed within the hub 192, which forms a remote rotation or pivot axis 200 that passes through the center of curvature of the arcuate track 196. The remote rotation axis 200 is orthogonal to the axis 194 of the first pivot joint 192. The third (and final) joint of the RCM mechanism in this example includes a linear translator having a prismatic joint 202 (referred to herein as the "prismatic joint") mounted on the arcuate track 196. The prismatic joint 202 is positioned such that its translation axis 204 passes through the intersection of axis 194 and axis 200. The compound intersection of each joint axis defines a remote center of motion 162. The above joint group configuration may facilitate minimally invasive access for attached surgical instruments to be inserted into a patient's body.

[0081] In this preferred embodiment, the pivot joint in the hub is the first of a series of joints forming the RCM mechanism, followed by the arc joint and the prismatic joint. In this preferred embodiment, the pivot joint is configured such that the axis of rotation is at least approximately upright, i.e., perpendicular to the floor, when the system 100 is in use, as shown in the previous figures. In other embodiments, the arrangement of the pivot joint, arc joint, and prismatic joint may be in a different arrangement to achieve the same or similar RCM motion. For example, the pivot joint may be horizontally arranged, with its pivot axis parallel to the floor. Alternatively, an arc track 196 may be fixed to the hub 192, and a carriage 198 carrying the rolling elements may move along the arc track 196. In this example, the prismatic joint 202 is fixed to the movable carriage 198 to maintain a remote center of motion. FIG. 4 shows the same RCM mechanism 190 with a surgical instrument 112 attached. The surgical instrument 112 is attached to the prismatic joint, which is the rearmost of the three joints that make up the RCM mechanism. The surgeon manipulates the end effector 164 of the surgical instrument 112 via the surgeon handle 108.

[0082] 5 shows one preferred embodiment of the robotic surgical unit 104, including all robotic assisted components and RCM mechanisms, but with surgical instruments omitted from the image for clarity. Referring also to FIG. 2, this embodiment includes a remote motion center 162, a surgeon handle 108, a handle connector 218, an instrument mounting unit including an instrument interface 220 and an actuation unit 222, a linear translation device including a prismatic track 224, an arcuate track 226, a hub including a pivot joint 228, and a base member including a connection plate 232 and a base 234 for fastening to the support arm 102. The system also includes a translational counterbalancing system in the form of a prismatic counterbalancing system 600 and an arcuate counterbalancing system in the form of a spring-cam counterbalancing system 602.

[0083] In this example, the surgeon is able to control the robotic surgical unit via the Surgeon Handle 108. In this preferred embodiment, the Surgeon Handle 108 is comprised of a joystick-like device with multiple degrees of freedom for robotically manipulating the wrist end effector of the surgical instrument. The Surgeon Handle is equipped with multiple sensors for reading the current orientation of the Surgeon Handle 108. The Surgeon Handle 108 is rigidly attached to the actuation unit 222 at the handle connector 218, which is hollow and holds multiple electrical wires running between the sensors in the Surgeon Handle and the actuation unit. The actuation unit 222 houses the motors, motor drivers, motor encoders, and microcontrollers for control and actuation of the end effector of the attached surgical instrument. The instrument interface 220 is the mechanism to which the surgical instrument is attached and provides the rotational motion to the surgical instrument for actuation of the end effector of the surgical instrument, and is part of the same building block as the actuation unit 222. Surgical instruments are designed to be easily attached to, and engaged with, the instrument interface, and subsequently removed from the instrument interface.

[0084] In this example, the actuation unit 222 and the prismatic track 224 are each part of a prismatic joint of the RCM mechanism. The prismatic track 224 is a linear track member or rail member extending between a first end thereof, preferably rigidly attached to the arcuate track 226, and an opposite, free, second linear track end. The track 224 is preferably at least approximately straight, such that an axis parallel to the translation axis defined by the linear track intersects with other axes, which is desirable to aid in defining the RCM point. Some deviation from a completely straight track may be considered approximately straight for purposes of the teachings herein, provided that the axes are not misaligned or the functionality of the RCM point is not impaired.

[0085] The arcuate track 226 passes through a pivot joint 228 in the hub to form the arcuate joint of this example stabilizing device. On the rear side of the base 234 is a mounting plate 232 for attachment to the support arm 102. A spring-mass counterbalancing system 602 is housed within the base 234 and a linear counterbalancing system 600 is mounted along the linear track 224.

[0086] FIG. 6 illustrates a surgical system with a surgical instrument 112 connected to the device mounting unit. In this example, the surgical instrument 112 includes a surgical instrument base 250, an elongated shaft 252 extending between the base 250 and a distal tip along a shaft axis, and an end effector 164 at the distal tip. In this example, the surgical instrument has at least three degrees of freedom at the end effector in a wrist configuration, plus a fourth degree of freedom for actuation of a gripper, scissors, etc. The end effector 164 may be actuated in any number of ways (e.g., cables, push rods, fluid actuation, etc.) that transfers motion at the instrument base 250 down the elongated shaft 252 to the end effector 164. A mechanical wrist end effector can be implemented in multiple ways (e.g., gears, pulleys, flexures, etc.). The stabilization device may include other device mounting and stabilization features that may aid in supporting, orienting, and aligning the surgical device. In this example, the arcuate track 226 includes an instrument aperture 570 sized to accommodate the elongated shaft 252 of a surgical instrument. A cannula may fit into the instrument aperture 570 and be secured with a pressure fit, and the cannula may help guide the surgical instrument when connected to the stabilization device. The cannula may also provide an access point for minimally invasive surgery. The cannula may be disposable, and various sizes of cannula may be used depending on the instrument used during surgery, for example, a cannula may be used to fit standard surgical instrument shaft diameters of 5 mm or 8 mm.

[0087] Referring also to FIG. 7, the pivot joint 228 in the hub is the first of a series of three joints that make up the RCM mechanism and consists of a clevis-type inner pivot 280 and an outer pivot 282. The outer pivot 282 supports the inner pivot 280 at both the top and bottom of the joint. The inner pivot 280 is free to rotate about an axis 284, while the outer pivot 282 is fixed. The second joint is a remote pivot joint formed by an arc track, also called an arc joint, which rotates about the remote center of motion 162. This arc joint includes an arc track 226 and a rolling element housed in the inner pivot 280. The arc track 226 and the components attached immediately behind it (including the linear track 224 and the actuation unit 222) pivot about the remote center of motion 162 in an arc diameter indicated by arc / circle 286. The prismatic joint includes an equipment mounting unit whose power actuation unit 222 is configured to include a linear translation element engageable with a linear track 224, thereby allowing the equipment mounting unit to move / translate along a stationary linear track 224 that is fixed to an arcuate track 226. When an instrument is mounted, a shaft axis 254 defined by the elongated shaft 252 is parallel to the translation axis 288 of the linear track 224 and intersects with the remote center of motion 162 to complete a three degree of freedom remote center of motion mechanism.

[0088] In other embodiments, there may be alternative mechanical ways to achieve the motion generated by each joint while keeping the same overall joint configuration. For example, if the outer pivot 280 is attached to the inner pivot 282 only at the top or bottom of the joint, the pivot joint can be achieved without a clevis joint design. In another embodiment, the arc joint can be achieved by a fixed arc track 226 and a rolling element mounted on the distal end of the prismatic track 224, allowing the rolling element to move along the arc track 226. In another embodiment, the arc joint can be achieved by a telescopic joint design, in which case it is not necessary to mount a rolling element on the inner pivot joint 280. For example, a telescopic arc joint can be made up of several links that telescope relative to each other to create the desired remote pivot motion. Similarly, a prismatic joint can be achieved by including a rolling element on the arc track 226, allowing the entire prismatic track 224 to translate along the axis 288. In this example, there are no rolling elements in the actuation unit 222, and instead the actuation unit is rigidly fixed to the linear track 224. In another example, the linear track can be achieved by the telescopic approach described above for the arc joint. One advantage of the telescopic joint design is that there are no components that remain fixed in size (e.g., the arc track 226 and the linear track 224).

[0089] In this embodiment, the stabilization device is purely passive and is used as a positioning system for the end effector 164 of the attached surgical instrument 112. In another embodiment, each joint of the RCM mechanism may be equipped with a sensor (e.g., potentiometer or encoder) to continuously record joint data. Since the RCM mechanism is a three degree of freedom system, analytical kinematic models exist for such systems and the position of the end effector 164 can be calculated by a suitable controller using the joint data captured by such sensors. The position of the instrument's end effector 164 may be used in various ways, such as for navigation and tracking the instrument during surgery, for recording all instrument data during surgery, or for surgical education. For example, the leanness or jerk (derivative of acceleration) of the motion of the surgical tip (i.e., path length) can be analyzed in real time or post-operatively to discern the surgeon's skill and / or the surgical outcome.

[0090] In an optional alternative embodiment, any or all of the three RCM joints may include appropriate braking devices (e.g., electronically or mechanically controlled brakes) for additional functionality, such as the ability to actively damp any or all joints for finer motion control, virtual fixtures to limit damage to tissue away from the surgical site, or the ability to lock one or more joints during a given surgical task. The ability to selectively lock and unlock one or more joints may, for example, allow the surgeon to hold tissue in a specific position or allow the RCM mechanism to remain in that exact position during an instrument exchange. The above-mentioned advanced functionality (e.g., joint damping, joint locking, or virtual fixtures) may be controlled by the surgeon in multiple ways, such as by buttons, switches, knobs, etc. on the surgeon handle, by a touch screen within reach of the surgeon, or by foot pedals. In an alternative embodiment, the advanced functionality may be activated by a surgical assistant. In an alternative embodiment, any or all of the RCM joints may be motorized by incorporating actuators, such as motors, that may be built into each joint to provide direct drive, or may be located remotely from the joint and driven by a transmission system (e.g., using a cable or belt or gear system). The combination of motorization of the RCM mechanism and sensorization (i.e., adding sensors to each joint) allows for more advanced functionality (e.g., active haptic feedback, full teleoperation (surgeon controls the robotic unit from a console), or semi-autonomous or fully autonomous surgical tasks).

[0091] If a stabilization device is used, the hub may allow the arcuate track, linear translation device, and device mounting unit mounted thereto to rotate within a predetermined range of motion about the axis of rotation 284. This range of motion may be limited to any suitable range of motion by any suitable stops or other such hardware or software limiters, for example, to about 45 degrees or less, about 90 degrees or less, about 180 degrees or less, about 270 degrees or less, and / or about 360 degrees. This may help to limit the range of motion of the surgical device within a desired range of use and may help to prevent collision of the surgical device with other objects in the operating room. Alternatively, the hub may be allowed to freely rotate a full 360 degrees or more about the axis of rotation 284, which may help to provide a nearly unlimited range of rotational motion in use. For example, FIG. 8 shows a top view of the robotic surgical unit with attached surgical instruments in a first rotational position, while FIGS. 9 and 10 show examples of how each portion of the stabilization device can rotate about the hub / pivot joint 228 and rotation axis 284 of the RCM mechanism.

[0092] Similarly, the pivot joint 228 and the arcuate track 226 are configured in this illustrative example to allow the arcuate track 226 to move along the path of its curve / circle 286 (and about the pivot axis 200 / remote pivot 162) through a desired range of motion. In this example, the range of motion of the arcuate track 226 (and other components mounted thereon) is limited approximately by the physical extent / configuration of the arcuate track 226, as they can move approximately between the ends of the arcuate track 226 along its length. In the illustrated example, the arcuate track 226 has an arc length (e.g., chord and angle) of approximately 45 degrees, although in other examples the arc length may be shorter or longer, resulting in a smaller or larger range of motion / travel about the pivot axis 200. For example, FIGS. 11 and 12 show how the arcuate joint moves along the arcuate circle 286 and rotates about the remote center of motion 162 for this example. In Figure 11, the arc track 226 is near a first extreme position, with the end of the arc track 226 connected to the linear translator proximate the hub. In Figure 12, the arc is in the reversed position, with a second, opposite end of the arc track proximate the hub and the end of the arc track 226 connected to the linear translator away from the hub. In the illustrated example, the movement of the arc track 226 is independent of the rotation of the hub about the axis of rotation 284.

[0093] The stabilization device is also preferably configured such that translation along a linear translation axis (axis 288 in this example) can occur independently of rotation about axis 284 or pivoting about pivot axis 200. Similar to the movement of the arcuate track 226, in the illustrated example, the translation range of the device mounting unit is limited approximately to the physical length / extension of the linear track 224 since the device mounting unit can slide along track 224 between its opposed fixed and free ends. For example, Figures 13 and 14 show movement of the device mounting unit along the translation axis 288 relative to the rest of the stabilizing device, with Figure 13 showing the actuation unit 222 in an outboard or retracted position (i.e., the actuation unit 222 is at the free end of the track 224) and Figure 14 showing the actuation unit 222 in an inboard or extended position (i.e., the actuation unit 222 is at the fixed end of the track 224 adjacent the arcuate track 226).

[0094] The hub used in the stabilization device may include any suitable hardware capable of supporting the arcuate track and other system components while allowing the desired rotation about the hub's axis of rotation. In this example, the hub includes a pivot joint 228, the details of which are shown in FIGS. 15-16. Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, in this example, the pivot joint 228 is a clevis configuration including a rotatable inner pivot section 280 and a fixed outer pivot joint 282. Flanged bearings 340 and 342 are press fit into bearing housings 344 and 346 that are part of the outer pivot section 282. D-profile shafts 348 and 350 are press fit through flanged bearings 340 and 342 into corresponding housings of the inner pivot section 280. All shafts and bearings are secured with set screws. The inner pivot 280 carries four V-groove rollers 356 that mate with a 90 degree track profile 358 of the arcuate track 226 to allow the arcuate track 226 to move. A cutout 360 in the wall of the inner pivot joint 280 allows the arcuate track 226 to pass through an exact center, aligning the pivot and arcuate joint axes. The illustrated clevis configuration limits the range of motion of the pivot joint to approximately 270 degrees. In an alternative embodiment, this limited range of motion can be eliminated, for example, by eliminating the bottom of the clevis joint.

[0095] 17 is a schematic diagram of an example of a robotic assistance system that can be used with the stabilization device and that may be operable to provide robotic assistance by replicating or transmitting the surgeon's hand movements to a wrist end effector of a surgical instrument through mathematical transformation (referred to herein as local teleoperation). According to this example, the robotic assistance system may include a handle sensor 410 (e.g., a potentiometer or encoder) that records the handle orientation of the handle (e.g., handle 108), and information from these sensors is continuously fed to a suitable controller (e.g., microcontroller unit 412) in the form of a suitable sensor signal. The microcontroller unit 412 may then calculate the required end effector wrist orientation based on the surgeon handle orientation and generate a corresponding controller output signal to send a command / signal to the motor controller 414, which may in turn provide the appropriate commands and signals to the motors 454. Each motor 454 preferably has a motor encoder 418, and signals from the motor encoder 418 may be optionally fed back to the microcontroller 412 via the motor controller 414 in a closed loop system. The motors 454 may actuate the surgical instrument end effector 420 to create a desired end effector orientation based on the output of the handle sensor 410. This local teleoperation may be referred to as a "human-in-the-loop" system in which the surgeon closes the control loop. For example, Figures 18a, 18b, and 18c show an example of a local teleoperation method implemented for a preferred embodiment of the stabilizer, where the orientation of the surgeon handle 108 is reproduced by the surgical instrument end effector 164. This example shows that synchronization of one degree of freedom of the handle 108 and movement in the remaining degrees of freedom can be implemented in the end effector 164 as well.

[0096] 19, in this example, a Surgeon Handle 108 is located at the proximal end of the surgical system and is controlled by the surgeon's hand. The Surgeon Handle 108 has at least three degrees of freedom, which in a preferred embodiment is a yaw-pitch-roll configuration. The angle of each joint of the Surgeon Handle is tracked with a sensor 410 (e.g., a potentiometer or encoder). The Surgeon Handle 108 is rigidly connected to the actuation unit 222 with a handle connector 218. The handle connector 218 may have any suitable configuration, and in this example includes a hollow interior passageway that may house wires extending from the sensor 410 located within the Surgeon Handle 108. These wires are connected to a microcontroller 412, which may be housed in the actuation unit 222 or off-board. The microcontroller 412 reads the output of the sensor 410 located within the Surgeon Handle 108 and converts them into motor commands. The motor commands are communicated to a motor controller 414. A motor controller 414 may also be on the actuation unit 222 or off-board. The motor controller 414 directs a number of motors 454 (at least four in a preferred embodiment) that are housed in the actuation unit 222. Rotational motion of the motors 454 is transferred to the surgical instrument 112 via the mounting interface 220 and conveyed by a cable, push rod, or the like through the instrument shaft 252 to the wrist end effector 164.

[0097] Some or all of the electronics and motors may be powered by a power cable extending to the actuation unit 222, and / or some aspects of the control system may be operated from one or more batteries or other suitable power sources. The components of the control system may be communicatively linked to each other and, optionally, to other external devices by any suitable connection means, including wires. In an alternative embodiment, commands from a handle sensor in the handle may be communicated to the microcontroller unit by a wireless communication method such as Bluetooth™. In an alternative embodiment, the control electronics (microcontroller and / or motor controller) may be housed in the base 234 of the system including the support arm 102 to help reduce the mass on the prismatic joints, and the electronics in the base and the motors of the actuation units are connected by electrical cables or communicated by Bluetooth™ or another wireless communication protocol.

[0098] The device mounting unit and its subcomponents may be configured to work with one or more different types of surgical devices and instruments by having appropriate mounting / connection mechanisms and, optionally, complementary drive mechanisms capable of engaging and driving components on the surgical device. Referring to FIG. 19, a cross section of the instrument interface 220 and actuation unit 222 is shown. In this example, the mounting interface 220 includes four identical actuation disks 480 provided on the front side of the actuation unit 222 and driven by a motor 454. These actuation disks 480 interface with corresponding disks on the surgical instrument to provide rotational motion that is transferred to the end effector motion. The mounting interface 220 may contain engagement members in the form of guides capable of mechanically holding the surgical instrument through a friction fit, ensuring that the actuation disks 480 are aligned with corresponding disks on the surgical instrument. Optionally, the actuation disc may be spring-loaded to engage and disengage from the surgical instrument, or may be coupled to the surgical instrument disc via a magnetic coupling, a gear coupling, a friction coupling, or the like.

[0099] 20, in this example, the actuation disk 480 is connected to the motor 454, which is connected to the actuation unit 222 via a motor mount 540, which in this example includes through holes for connecting two screws to the faceplate of the motor. The motor 454 is preferably rigidly fixed to the motor mount 540, and a motor encoder 542 may be attached to the motor 454. The motor 454 has a D-profile shaft with a corresponding D-profile hole on the actuation disk 480. The actuation disk 480 preferably fits loosely on the motor shaft 544 to allow it to slide linearly. This loose fit may aid in the actuation disk 480 sliding into engagement with the corresponding instrument disk. A spring or other suitable biasing member may be located between the back face of the actuation disc 480 and the motor face to provide a force that urges the actuation disc 480 into engagement with the corresponding instrument disc. The actuation disc 480 may optionally be retracted and disengaged from the instrument disc by a retractor plate. The retractor plate is preferably capable of simultaneously disengaging all four discs 480 from the attached instruments when pulled. When the retractor plate is released, the discs 480 are allowed to immediately return to their engaged position by the biasing member.

[0100] 20, the device mounting unit, and included actuation unit 222, may be movably mounted to the track 224 by any suitable mechanism, including a suitable carriage, shuttle, slider, rollers, etc. In some embodiments, a linear actuation mechanism may be selected because it can help keep the actuation unit 222 firmly secured to the linear track 224 against thrust loads, even during surgical tasks that may impose relatively large lateral forces on the medical device and / or the device mounting unit.

[0101] The handle of the stabilizer is preferably configured for easy user grip, and optionally configured to resemble some aspects of the design of handles of conventional hand-held instruments, so that it will be familiar to surgeons with experience using hand-held instruments. Referring to FIG. 21, an example of a surgeon handle 108 is shown in a yaw-pitch-roll configuration. First, a yaw joint 510 with axis 518 is connected to a pitch joint 512 with axis 520, which is connected to a roll joint 514 with axis 522. All axes intersect at a remote point 524 to form a spherical wrist configuration. The surgeon grasps the handle with finger loops at the grip 516. The grip 516 allows for an additional degree of freedom to actuate / activate instrument functions depending on the attached surgical instrument. For example, the grip 516 may be used to control the movement of opening and closing the grip of an end effector of an attached surgical instrument. The grip may carry additional buttons to activate additional tool functions (e.g., cautery on an energy tool). Each joint carries a sensor (e.g., a potentiometer or encoder) and has a hollow link to route the wires through the handle and out of the way of the surgeon's hand. The wires are then routed through a handle connector 218 (also hollow) to an actuation unit 222. The handle shown in this preferred embodiment is a "gimbal" style.

[0102] 22, another example of a handle 1108 is shown. That is, in this example, the handle 108 has a yaw joint 1510 rotatable about a yaw axis 1518 connected to a pitch joint 1512 movable about a pitch axis 1520 and a roll joint 1514 movable about a roll axis 1522. The handle 1108 is generally similar to the handle 108, and similar features are identified with similar reference numbers indexed 1000. In this example, the handle axes 1518, 1520, and 1522 are configured to intersect at a common point 1524, which may help achieve a spherical wrist configuration for the handle 1108. In this example, a button 1516 is embedded in the last roll link to add an additional degree of freedom or to actuate / activate additional instrument functions depending on the attached surgical instrument. For example, the button 1516 may be used to control the movement of opening and closing the grip of an end effector of an attached surgical instrument, or to activate the delivery of a bipolar cautery. The button 1516 may be a mechanical switch, a capacitive element, or the like. Each joint may optionally include a sensor (e.g., a potentiometer or encoder) and may preferably be configured with a hollow link to route the wires through the handle 1108 and out of the way of the surgeon's hand. The wires are then routed through the handle connector 218 (which is also preferably hollow) to the actuation unit 222.

[0103] The handle 1108 is a "pen-style" grip that mimics how a surgeon's hand grips a pen. There are several alternative embodiments of the surgeon handle that are not limited to a "pen-style" grip. Other alternatives include a pistol-style handle with a three degree of freedom joint distal or proximal to the handle, and / or a handle with a virtual pivot point at the same location as the center of mass of the user's wrist. Optionally, the handle may have more than three degrees of freedom to control an instrument with more degrees of freedom. In yet another embodiment, additional sensors may be included for advanced functionality (e.g., locking joints to the RCM mechanism or adjusting electronic control damping of the RCM mechanism). In another embodiment, the handle may have a "dead man's switch" style sensor (e.g., a trigger or capacitive touch sensor) that acts to lock the RCM mechanism unless the surgeon is holding the handle to prevent unintended movement of the end effector of the surgical instrument. In another embodiment, the handle may be a glove that fits tightly over at least a portion of the user's hand, as would be understood in the context of the present invention.

[0104] The handle connector 1218 may also have several alternative embodiments, such as the ability to be reconfigurable and adjustable, such as the ability to add a lateral offset between the surgeon handle 108 and the actuation unit 222. Since the control method is entirely fly-by-wire and there is no mechanical actuation through the handle connector (e.g., cable), there are fewer limitations on the design of the handles 108 and 1108. In the case of certain procedures (e.g., prostatectomy) where the surgeon must typically operate the instruments in unnatural and tiring positions, a reconfigurable or adjustable handle may be beneficial.

[0105] Optionally, one or more of the degrees of freedom and / or joints in the stabilization device may be counterbalanced by a suitable counterbalancing device as described herein. The counterbalancing device is preferably passive (i.e., not motorized) so that it can move freely in response to manual input from the user (e.g., a push or pull input on the handle 108) without the need to involve a motor or other drive mechanism. This type of counterbalancing may be desirable in some embodiments of the surgical system. This is because robotic / assistance components such as motors, electronics, sensors, etc. can add significant weight to the surgical system, and therefore a counterbalancing system is implemented in preferred embodiments. Counterbalancing can help reduce, and possibly eliminate or minimize, any input force required by the surgeon to hold the surgical instrument in a stationary position. The force required to counterbalance the system is a function of the mass and position of the surgical instrument. More specifically, mass includes all components capable of moving in the XZ plane, as shown in FIG. 23, including but not limited to the surgeon handle 108, the prismatic track 224, the arcuate track 226, the actuation unit 222, and the attached surgical instrument 112. Preferably, as shown in this example, the stabilization device is set up such that the axis of rotation 284 of the pivot joint 228 is approximately vertical (i.e., parallel to the gravity vector) when the system is in use. In this arrangement, the stabilization device does not require any physical counterbalancing with respect to the pivot joint 228, only the gravity forces generated by the arcuate track 226 and the prismatic track 224 require counterbalancing. As used herein, the term center of mass (COM) refers to the center of mass of all components that require counterbalancing by moving along an arcuate or prismatic joint. The COM is shown generally in FIG. 23 as being located between the base of the surgical instrument and the surgeon handle for simplicity, but may be in different locations in various examples of the surgical system.

[0106] In this arrangement, the COM generates a torque about the remote center of motion 162 that varies as the surgical instrument and associated components move along the linear track 224 or the arcuate track 226. As shown in FIG. 23, the angle of the COM along the arcuate track 226 is θ, and the position of the COM measured from the remote center of motion 162 along the linear track 224 is x. As shown in FIG. 24a, which shows a simplified system representation, the torque generated depends on the lateral distance ("T") from the COM to the vertical axis of the remote center of motion 162 and a force ("mg") that depends on the mass of the components involved. The torque is the product of T and mg. As either x or θ increases, the length of T also increases, increasing the torque about the remote center of motion 162. The torque reaches a maximum value as θ approaches 90 degrees, when the surgical system is in a completely horizontal position and x is at a maximum. In FIG. 24b, θ is set to 0 degrees as a special case. The instrument's COM is vertically positioned directly above the remote center of motion 162, and T, the normal distance between the COM and the vertical axis of the remote center of motion 30, decreases to zero. In other words, when θ is 0 degrees, the joint formed by the arcuate track 226 does not contribute to the required counterbalance. In this arrangement, the torque acting about the remote center of motion 162 increases as the angular position of the first end of the arcuate track relative to the hub, i.e., θ, changes from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees. Optionally, as described herein, the counterbalancing system may include a biasing device configured such that the magnitude of the biasing force (which helps counterbalance the gravitational load) can increase as the angular position of the first end of the arcuate track relative to the hub changes from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees, such that the biasing force remains approximately the same in magnitude as the torque T (e.g., within about 10%, about 10-20%, optionally within more than 20% of each other) when the angular position of the first end of the arcuate track relative to the hub is halfway between about 0 degrees and about 90 degrees. Although no torque is generated about the remote center of motion 162, the components moving along the linear track 224 are collinear with the gravity vector and require counterbalancing.

[0107] FIG. 25 shows an overview of one example of a suitable counterbalancing system that may be implemented in the surgical system 100. To counterbalance the surgical system of the illustrated example, in a preferred embodiment, two separate counterbalances are implemented. First, a linear pulley mass counterbalance system 600 is implemented along the linear track 224. The mass of the counterbalance weight required for the linear counterbalance system 600 is selected to be at least approximately equal to the sum of the masses of all components that may move along the linear track 224, which in this example includes the actuation unit 222, the surgical instrument 112, and the surgeon handle 108. The function of the linear counterbalance system is preferably two-part: (1) to help counterbalance the linear motion of the attached surgical instrument (i.e., insertion and retraction of the surgical instrument) and (2) to help maintain a nearly constant center of mass for all components that move along the linear track. Using the system 600 to help achieve this nearly constant center of mass helps facilitate the use of a second counterbalance system 602 acting on the arcuate track. In the illustrated example, the arc counterbalance system 602 is a cable driven spring cam counterbalance system located primarily at the stabilizer base 234. The second counterbalancing system 602 is designed to help counter torque generated about the remote center of motion 162. This two-part counterbalance approach implemented in the preferred embodiment essentially decouples the counterbalancing required for the linear track 224 and the arcuate track 226, allowing for simpler design and operation of each system.

[0108] 26a and 26b, schematic diagrams of a linear translation counterbalance system 600 and a spring cam arc counterbalance system 602 are shown. In this figure, a linear pulley mass counterbalance helps to keep the COM relatively constant as linear components such as handles and actuation units (collectively represented in this figure as unit M) move along the linear track 224. A sufficiently uniform counterbalance mass, preferably made of a high density material (hence requiring a small volume), is represented as "C". The linear track 224 is mounted with guide members ("P") in the form of pulleys at both ends, and masses M and C are connected by cables. As mass M moves along the linear track 224 in either direction, mass C moves in the opposite direction. As these masses are substantially equal, the spatial position of the COM relative to the linear track 224 remains approximately constant. This is shown in FIG. 26b. In this figure, compared to the positions of mass M and mass C in Fig. 26a, mass M has moved towards the RCM and mass C has moved in the opposite direction, but the COM remains in the same position. As a result of this relatively fixed position of the COM, the torque generated by the translation components about the RCM is kept at a nearly constant level. This generated torque is then counterbalanced by the spring-cam counterbalance system 602. The spring-cam counterbalance system 602 is capable of generating a nearly constant and equal, but directional, torque, represented by "Fc", via a cable extending along the arcuate track 226.

[0109] 27-28 show one preferred embodiment of a linear counterbalance system 600. In this example, a carriage 650 rides along a dedicated counterbalance track behind the linear track 224. The linear carriage 650 carries a counterbalance weight 680 that is sized to equal the weight of all moving components on the linear track 224. At either end of the linear track 224 are guide members / pulleys 656 and 658. A cable 660 runs from the carriage 650, wraps around the pulley 656, and terminates at the actuation unit 222. A second cable 666 runs from the opposite end of the carriage 650, wraps around the pulley 658, and terminates at the opposite end of the actuation unit 222. This cable system may be attached in tension at connection points on carriage 650 and actuation unit 222 by various systems (eg, turnbuckles, capstans, etc.) to achieve proper cable tension.

[0110] 29, it can be seen that the COM stays in the same position along the linear track 224, thus creating a constant COM radius as shown in FIG. 29. The spring-cam counterbalance system 602 may then preferably be configured / calibrated to approximately cancel this torque for any angle θ. In the illustrated example, a flexible tension member (e.g., wire or cable 700) extends along the arcuate track 226 and is attached to one end of the arcuate track 226 at location 702 (at the same end of the track as the linear translation device). The opposite end of the cable 700 wraps around and connects to a cam 720. The cam 720 is rigidly attached to a camshaft 712 that is supported by bearings, allowing both the cam 720 and the camshaft 712 to rotate together. A second tensioning member (eg, cable 722) wraps around and is connected to cam 712 with the other end of cable 722 connected to a suitable biasing member (eg, tension spring 724, rubber band, etc.).

[0111] The cable 700 is substantially shortened in this arrangement in the same ratio as the diameter of the cam to the camshaft, resulting in a very short output cable 722. If the cable length remained the same, the spring travel distance would have to be comparable to the arc length of the arcuate track 226. By substantially shortening the cable length to the cable 722, it is possible to implement a very small spring. This can help reduce the overall size of the surgical system. In an alternative embodiment, the torque required for counterbalancing is applied by wrapping a constant force spring around the cam. In an alternative embodiment, a gear box system may be used to achieve the shortened cable length.

[0112] The spring in this example generates a force ("Fspring") that acts on the cable system, generating a tangential force ("Fc") at the end of the arcuate track 226. The cam, camshaft, and spring are designed such that the torque generated by Fc is equal and opposite to the torque generated by mg. If this balance is maintained, the system may be considered perfectly counterbalanced.

[0113] 30-31 show a cross section of the base and hub of one example of a spring cam counterbalance system 602 to clarify the inner workings of the system. The system uses a tension member in the form of a cable 700 that is attached to the end of the arcuate track 226 at a connection point 702. The cable system is indirectly connected to a spring 726 that generates a force that counterbalances the torque generated about a remote center of motion by the mass of the associated component.

[0114] In this arrangement, the cable 700 is attached to a cable attachment point 702 on the arcuate track 226. As the cable 700 enters the pivot joint, it is redirected vertically by a guide member / pulley 706 located within the housing of the inner pivot 280. The pulley 706 is preferably positioned so that this section of the cable 700 is parallel to the axis of rotation 284, and more preferably so that this section of the cable 700 is coaxial with the axis of rotation 284 and passes through the center of the pivot joint / hub. This arrangement may help reduce and / or prevent the arc counterbalance system 602 from generating torque about the pivot joint axis 284. The cable 700 then passes through the D-profile shaft 348 (which is preferably hollow) and is redirected again by a second guide member / pulley 708 located within the housing of the outer pivot 282. The cable 700 is wrapped around a cable guide on the cam 720 and terminated on the cam 720. The cam 720 is rigidly connected to the camshaft 712. A second cable 722 is wrapped around and terminated on the camshaft 712, which includes a cable groove to help guide the cable 712. The other end of the cable 722 is connected to a tension spring 724. The spring 724 is attached to an adjustable spring stud 726, which is attached to the frame 282. The adjustable spring stud 726 is used to fine tune the position of the spring so that the cable tension in the system is correct. In the preferred embodiment, two springs 724 are used to generate sufficient counterbalance force.

[0115] FIG. 30 shows the system when the arcuate track is fully retracted (small θ). As the surgeon moves the handle downward, the mass of the system generates increasing torque. As the arcuate track moves, the cable 700 stretches and unwinds from the cam 720. As the cam 720 and camshaft 712 rotate, the cable 722 winds and effectively shortens, drawing the spring 724 in. The simultaneous unwinding of cable 700 and winding of cable 722 caused by the same rotation is accomplished by feeding each cable in opposite directions relative to the cam / camshaft. FIG. 31 shows the resulting spring stretch when the arcuate track 226 is fully extended (large θ). FIGS. 32-33 show top views of the cable system and tension spring.

[0116] The counterbalancing system may operate, for example, as follows: As the surgeon moves the handle 108 vertically downward, θ increases, increasing the torque generated by gravity about the remote center of motion 162. As this occurs, the cable 700, which is routed upward along an arcuate track and through a pivot joint, generates a torque on the cam 720, causing it to rotate, feeding more cable to counter the increased arc length. At the same time, as the cam 720 rotates, this rotates the camshaft 712 to which the cam 720 is fixed. As the camshaft 712 rotates, the attached cable 722 shortens and wraps around the camshaft 712. As the cable 722 shortens, it pulls on the spring 724. In essence, as θ increases, the cable system stretches the spring. The spring force creates more tension in the cable 700, which generates a torque in the opposite direction to the torque caused by gravity and the mass of the involved components. Conversely, when the surgeon moves the handle 108 in the opposite direction, θ decreases, causing the spring restoring force to rotate the camshaft 712 in the opposite direction, allowing excess cable 700 to be wrapped around the cam 720. For a surgical system to be properly counterbalanced, the torque generated by the counterbalance system and the torque generated by the mass of the components must be equal at any angle θ. In other words, the torque generated by the spring and the torque generated by the mass of the associated system are preferably equal (or within at least about 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, or 25% of each other).

[0117] 34a-34c show the torque generated about the remote center of motion versus angle θ. As the center of mass of the instrument rotates about the remote center of motion 162, the generated torque increases sinusoidally. The generated torque is zero when θ is 0 degrees and reaches a maximum value when θ is 90 degrees. In theory, the torque decreases from a peak at θ is 90 degrees until it reaches zero again when θ is 180 degrees. This is because the torque is a function of the lateral distance from the center of mass to a vertical axis passing through the remote center of motion 162. To match this sinusoidal torque generated about the remote center of motion 162, the spring 724 must generate a matching sinusoidal counterbalancing force using a specific take-up cam 720 with a predetermined balancing cam characteristic.

[0118] For example, a circular cam with a cable attached that rotates to pull on a linear compression spring will generate a linear torque because the cable length increases linearly with each degree of rotation as long as the torque arm based on the cam diameter remains constant. The torque generated about the shaft of the cam is the product of both the cumulative cable length pulling on the spring and the instantaneous moment arm from the cable to the center of the shaft. Thus, these two factors may be considered when generating a non-linear torque about the cam. In the preferred embodiment, the cam 720 is contoured such that the product of the cumulative cable length and moment arm generates a sinusoidal torque that matches (or at least nearly matches) the sinusoidal torque generated when the surgical instrument moves around the arcuate track 224, as shown in FIG. 43.

[0119] In an alternative embodiment of the described counterbalance system, a mass may be used for the counterbalance system mounted to the base rather than a spring system.

[0120] In the examples described herein, the arcuate and linear tracks shown as part of the translation device are shown as freestanding, substantially rigid, fixed length members whose configurations remain substantially constant during use of the system and stabilization device. In this example, movement of these tracks and / or translation of the system components is accomplished by sliding or translating the monolith along the length of each track using a movable carriage or shuttle member, as described. In such an arrangement, the device mounting unit may be adjacent to a distal / free end of the linear track, for example, when the surgical device is retracted away from the patient, and when the surgical device is moved toward the patient, the device mounting unit may move away from the free end of the track toward the fixed end of the linear track that is connected to the arcuate track.

[0121] Alternatively and optionally, at least one of these tracks may be of variable length and may change length during use of the device. This may facilitate movement of the device mounting unit by changing the length or configuration of these tracks instead of translating along a track. For example, the linear translation device may include a linear support member that is telescopic in length along a translation axis. The device mounting unit may be connected to a distal end of the variable length support and may move toward or away from the arcuate support member (along the translation axis) as the distal end of the variable length support itself moves toward or away from the arcuate support member (rather than translating along a linear track). The variable length support may have any suitable configuration, including having two or more telescoping sections, compressible and / or extendable sections, sliding or nesting members, etc. The arcuate support may similarly be configured to have a variable length (e.g., variable arc length) that can be retracted (for example) to move the linear translation device closer to the hub or extended to move the linear translation device away from the hub.

[0122] FIG. 35 shows an example of a method of counterbalancing using powered actuators (motors 460 and 464 in this example). Motor 464 is attached to a cable similar to 660 to apply a biasing force to a linear translation device. To allow manual manipulation of the moving component, the motor is back-drivable and applies a specific torque based on the position of the joint to compensate for the weight of the component without affecting its position during manual manipulation. Motor 460 has a similar function to compensate for an arc track joint. This embodiment allows for a hold position mode that limits joint movement by holding the motor position. This would likely be used during instrument exchanges as well as other times during surgery where the device must not move.

[0123] Additionally, non-powered counterbalance mechanisms may be used in combination with powered actuators to reduce actuator loads while enhancing safety. In one such example, the non-powered counterbalance mechanism counterbalances at least a portion of the weight of the moving component. If the powered actuator is a motor, this reduces the torque required from the motor. The powered actuators may drive individual joints so that automatic positioning is achieved, or may be used to hold a particular position. If the non-powered counterbalance mechanism substantially negates the effect of the weight of the moving component, this would provide an increased level of safety in the event of a power failure.

[0124] FIG. 36 shows an alternative embodiment of a surgical system in which the arcuate track is replaced with an alternative structure including a parallelogram structure 260 having multiple movably connected linkage members. One end of the parallelogram structure 260 is connected to a rotatable hub, and the other end is connected to and supports a translation device (e.g., linear track 224). The parallelogram structure 260 can enable a remote rotation axis of the surgical device port, similar to the arcuate tracks described in the other embodiments. The resulting parallelogram axis can be counterbalanced by a similar cable and spring based approach shown in FIG. 31 or by a powered actuator as shown in FIG. 35.

[0125] As described herein, the surgical system may be optionally configured to operate in a companion mode in addition to its primary mode. For example, if the surgical system is configured as shown in FIG. 1, the surgical system may include three robotic surgical units 104, 106, and 120 with corresponding stabilization devices, with two units 104 and 106 used to hold surgical instruments and one unit 120 configured to hold an endoscopic camera. In this arrangement, the surgeon may place both hands on handles 108 and 110, respectively, for the two wrist instruments, and it may be desirable for the surgeon to also control the companion endoscopic unit, preferably with an endoscopic unit stabilizer that may be actuated by a powered actuator, in which case the surgeon may control the position of the endoscope from the handle he or she is already holding, and may not require an assistant (or other user) for positioning. Activating this type of companion mode may be accomplished by pressing a button or other such auxiliary input device on either handle to switch between control of the local wrist end effector to which the handle is physically attached and control of the positioning of the remote endoscope.

[0126] This type of companion mode may be preferable over conventional stand-alone motorized endoscope positioning devices that may require a separate input mechanism for control (e.g., voice command, foot pedal, or head tilt) (because the surgeon has both hands on each instrument), whereas the system described herein may help the surgeon control the position of the companion device (e.g., endoscope) through the movement of his or her hand on the primary device handle.

[0127] 37, an example of a second / companion remote motion center mechanism 2104 is attached to an endoscope 2112, which comprises a base 2250, a shaft 2162, and a distal end 2164. The endoscope base 2250 is removably attached to a mating connection interface 2220 on the second device mounting unit. Since the stabilization device in this example has a companion powered drive system, rather than being a passive device, the companion powered drive system may include a motor 2456 and / or other suitable powered actuators that may be communicatively linked to a separate primary stabilization device controller (e.g., controller 412). In this arrangement, a powered drive system may be used to move portions of the stabilization device to assist in the movement of the device mounting unit 2220, and the endoscope 2112 may be positioned in response to inputs from the primary control handles (e.g., handles 108 and 1108). FIG. 38 shows a schematic of an example of a control system for a surgical system including a companion mode. In this configuration, when the system is switched to a companion mode (e.g., for control of an endoscope), the handle sensor 410 and controller 412 can be connected (by wire, wireless protocol, etc.) to a separate motor controller 2414 which controls a motor 2456 (optionally with feedback provided via an encoder 2418) to control the position of the tip of the endoscope (optionally with feedback provided via a tip position encoder 2164). Once the endoscope 2112 is in its desired position, the system can return to its primary mode of operation and use a control scheme as shown in FIG. 17 (or other appropriate system).

[0128] This specification contains references to exemplary embodiments and examples, but is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Thus, various modifications of those exemplary embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this specification. It is therefore intended that any such modifications or embodiments be encompassed by the appended claims.

[0129] All publications, patents, and patent applications referenced in this specification are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety. [Appendix 1] 1. A hybrid direct control and robotic assisted surgical system for use with a surgical device having an elongated shaft extending from a distal tip including an end effector, comprising: a) a stabilization device configured to support at least a portion of a weight of the surgical device and defining a remote center of motion, the stabilization device having a base member configured to be fixed relative to a patient, the base member including a device mounting unit movable relative to the base member and configured to removably receive a surgical device having an elongated shaft and a distal tip, the device mounting unit and the distal tip being on opposite sides of the remote center of motion, the stabilization device configured to limit movement of the device mounting unit such that the elongated shaft intersects the remote center of motion during use of the stabilization device; b) a handle mechanically attached to the device mounting unit and configured to be grasped by a user, whereby manual Cartesian movement of the handle by the user relative to the base member results in corresponding Cartesian movement of the distal tip of the surgical device received on the device mounting unit; and c) a robotic-assisted system configured to drive the end effector of the surgical device, i. a sensor assembly configured to monitor at least a first attribute of the handle and generate a corresponding sensor signal; ii. a controller communicatively linked to the sensor assembly to receive the sensor signals and generate corresponding primary control signals; iii. a powered actuation unit communicatively linked to the controller to receive the primary control signal, the powered actuation unit configured to actuate an end effector of the surgical device received on the device mounting unit based on the primary control signal; and The robot assistance system includes: A surgical system comprising: [Appendix 2] The stabilization device further comprises: a) a hub rotatably connected to the base and rotatable about an axis of rotation; b) an arcuate track connected to the hub and extending about a center of curvature; c) a linear translation device connected to the arcuate track and movable relative to the hub so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis passing through the center of curvature, the device mounting unit being translatable along a translation axis relative to the arcuate track; and 2. The system of claim 1, comprising: [Appendix 3] The system of Appendix 2, wherein the intersection of the rotation axis, the pivot axis, and a device axis parallel to the translation axis defines the remote center of motion of the stabilization device, and the device mounting unit is configured such that when the surgical device is mounted to the device mounting unit, the elongated shaft extends along the device axis and intersects the remote center of motion. [Appendix 4] 4. The system of claim 2 or 3, wherein the linear translation device includes a linear track extending from a fixed end connected to the arcuate track to a free end axially away from the fixed end, and the device mounting unit is slidably connected to the linear track and capable of translating between the fixed end and the free end. [Appendix 5] 5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a translational counterbalancing system configured to apply a biasing force to the device mounting unit to counterbalance at least a portion of the mass of the device mounting unit as the device mounting unit translates along the translation axis. [Appendix 6] 6. The system of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the arcuate track is movably connected to the hub so as to be pivotable about the pivot axis, and the linear translation device is fixedly connected to the arcuate track. [Appendix 7] 7. The system of any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising an arc counterbalancing system including a biasing device configured to apply a biasing force to the arcuate track to counterbalance at least a portion of the torque acting about the pivot axis. [Appendix 8] The system of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the surgical device is removable from the device mounting unit independent of the handle, and the device mounting unit is configured to removably receive a second surgical device. [Appendix 9] 9. The system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device mounting unit is movable relative to the base member in response to manual input from a user without involving a motor during use of the system. [Appendix 10] The system of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the handle includes a gripping portion movable relative to the device mounting unit about at least a first degree of freedom, and the first attribute includes an orientation of the gripping portion about the first degree of freedom. [Appendix 11] 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the gripper is also movable relative to the device mounting unit about a second and a third degree of freedom, and the sensor assembly is configured to monitor a second attribute including an orientation of the gripper about the second degree of freedom and a third attribute including an orientation of the gripper about the third degree of freedom. [Appendix 12] the handle includes a wrist grip movable relative to the equipment mounting unit about a pitch axis, a roll axis, and a yaw axis; a) the sensor assembly is configured to detect movement about each of the pitch axis, the roll axis, and the yaw axis; b) the sensor signal comprises a multi-channel signal; c) the primary control signals include corresponding multi-channel control signals; d) the powered actuation unit is configured to cause corresponding movements of the end effector about an effector pitch axis, an effector roll axis, and an effector yaw axis, whereby movements of the gripper are translated into corresponding movements of the end effector via the robotic assistance system; A system according to any one of claims 1 to 9. [Appendix 13] 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the powered actuation unit includes a plurality of rotatable actuation disks configured to interface with corresponding drive disks on the surgical device such that the end effector can be driven about the effector pitch axis, the effector roll axis, and the effector yaw axis. [Appendix 14] 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor assembly includes at least one potentiometer or encoder for detecting an orientation / position of the gripper about at least one of the pitch axis, the roll axis, and the yaw axis. [Appendix 15] 15. The system of any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the pitch axis, the roll axis, and the yaw axis intersect with each other at a common point. [Appendix 16] 16. The system of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the handle further includes an auxiliary user input device communicatively linked to the controller, the controller configured such that triggering the auxiliary user input device triggers a corresponding auxiliary action on the end effector. [Appendix 17] 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the auxiliary user input device includes at least one of a switch, a button, and a knob, and the auxiliary action on the end effector includes at least one of cauterization, grasping, irrigation, and suction. [Appendix 18] Clause 6. The system of clause 5, wherein the translational counterbalancing system includes a counterweight translatable along the linear track and operatively connected to the equipment mounting unit, whereby translation of the equipment mounting unit causes an opposite translation of the counterweight that at least partially counterbalances the translation of the equipment mounting unit along the linear track. [Appendix 19] 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the equipment mounting unit is mounted on a first side of the linear track and the counterweight is mounted on an opposing second side of the linear track, such that as the equipment mounting unit translates in one direction, the counterweight translates in an opposite direction to counterbalance the equipment mounting unit. [Appendix 20] 20. The system of claim 19, wherein when the surgical device is mounted to the device mounting unit, the combined linear center of mass of the linear track, device mounting unit, handle, surgical device, and counterweight is placed in a reference position relative to the remote center of motion, and the combined linear center of mass remains approximately in the reference position as the device mounting unit and counterweight translate along the linear track. [Appendix 21] 21. The system of claim 19 or 20, wherein the mass of the counterweight is approximately equal to a combined mass of the device mounting unit, the handle, and the surgical device. [Appendix 22] 8. The system of claim 7, wherein a magnitude of a torque acting about the remote center of motion increases as an angular position of the first end of the arcuate track relative to the hub changes from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees, and wherein the biasing device is configured to increase a magnitude of the biasing force as an angular position of the first end of the arcuate track relative to the hub changes from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees. [Appendix 23] 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the magnitude of the biasing force remains approximately equal to the magnitude of the torque when the angular position of the first end of the arcuate track relative to the hub is halfway between about 0 degrees and about 90 degrees. [Appendix 24] 24. The system of any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the device mounting unit includes the power actuation unit, whereby the power actuation unit is capable of moving relative to the base member in unison with the device mounting unit. [Appendix 25] 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the controller is communicatively linked to the sensor assembly via at least one of an electrical cable and a wireless communication protocol. [Appendix 26] 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the device mounting unit is configured such that the axis of the elongated shaft is parallel to the translation axis when the surgical device is mounted to the device mounting unit. [Appendix 27] 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the device mounting unit is capable of translating along the linear track independent of movement of the arcuate track relative to the hub. [Appendix 28] 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the hub, the arcuate track, and the device mounting unit are capable of moving in response to manual input from a user without involving a motor. [Appendix 29] 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the axis of rotation is approximately vertical when the base member is fixed. [Appendix 30] 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a brake device selectively engageable to prevent movement of the equipment mounting unit about at least one of the rotational axis, the pivot axis, and the translational axis. [Appendix 31] The system of any one of appendices 1 to 30, wherein the handle is mechanically attached to the device mounting unit such that a force applied to a distal tip of the surgical device received by the device mounting unit is transmitted to the handle to provide passive force feedback to the user holding the handle. [Appendix 32] The stabilization device further comprises: a) a hub rotatably connected to the base and rotatable about an axis of rotation; b) a parallelogram structure connected to the hub; c) a linear translation device connected to a movable end of the parallelogram structure and movable together with the movable end of the parallelogram structure relative to the hub so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis, the device mounting unit being capable of translating along a translation axis relative to the parallelogram structure; and 2. The system of claim 1, comprising: [Appendix 33] and a companion stabilizing device configured to support at least a portion of a weight of a companion surgical device, the companion stabilizing device having a companion base member configured to be fixed relative to a patient, the companion device mounting unit being movable relative to the companion base member and configured to removably receive a companion surgical device having an elongated shaft and a distal tip, the robotic-assisted system further comprising a companion powered drive system communicatively linked to the controller, the system being selectively operable in a companion mode, in which: a) the controller receives the sensor signal and generates a corresponding companion control signal; b) the companion power drive system moves the companion surgical device based on the companion control signal. A system described in any one of appendix 1 to 32. [Appendix 34] 34. The system of claim 33, wherein when the system is in the companion mode, the controller does not generate the primary control signal, such that movement of the handle does not actuate the end effector of the surgical device received in the device mounting unit. [Appendix 35] 35. The system of claim 33 or 34, wherein the companion stabilizing device is configured to define a second remote center of motion and to limit movement of the companion device mounting unit such that the companion device mounting unit and the distal tip of the companion surgical device are on either side of the second remote center of motion and such that the elongated shaft of the companion device intersects the second remote center of motion during use of the companion stabilizing device. [Appendix 36] 36. The system of any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the companion base member is spaced apart from the base member. [Appendix 37] 37. The system of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the companion surgical device includes an endoscope.

Claims

1. 1. A hybrid direct-controlled and robotic-assisted surgical system, comprising:

1. A stabilization device configured to substantially passively support at least a portion of the weight of a surgical device, comprising: a base member configured to be fixed relative to a patient during operation of the surgical device; a device mounting unit movable relative to the base member and configured to removably receive the surgical device having an elongated shaft and a distal tip; The stabilizing device includes: a handle coupled to the device mounting unit and configured to be grasped by a user, the handle configured such that movement of the handle relative to the base member results in corresponding movement of the distal tip of the surgical device received on the device mounting unit; 1. A robotic-assisted system configured to drive an end effector of the surgical device, comprising: a sensor assembly configured to monitor at least a first attribute of the handle and generate a corresponding sensor signal; a controller communicatively linked to the sensor assembly to receive the sensor signals and generate corresponding primary control signals; a powered actuation unit communicatively linked to the controller to receive the primary control signal, the powered actuation unit configured to actuate the end effector of the surgical device received on the device mounting unit based on the primary control signal; and The robot assistance system includes: a counterbalancing system configured to apply a biasing force to at least one of the device mounting unit, the handle, and the surgical device to counterbalance at least a portion of the mass of the at least one or more of the device mounting unit, the counterbalancing system is at least one of: configured to apply a biasing force to the device mounting unit to counterbalance at least a portion of the mass of the device mounting unit as the device mounting unit translates along a translation axis; or configured to apply a biasing force to the device mounting unit to counterbalance at least a portion of a torque generated by at least one or more masses of the device mounting unit, the handle, and the surgical device about a remote center of motion. Surgery system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stabilization device is configured to limit movement of the surgical device to a predetermined range of motion in one or more degrees of freedom.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surgical device having the elongated shaft includes the distal tip having the end effector.

4. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a linear translation device coupled to the stabilizing device and including a linear track extending from the stabilizing device to a free end axially spaced apart from the stabilizing device, the device mounting unit being slidably coupled to the linear track and translatable along the linear track.

5. The stabilizing device includes: a hub rotatably coupled to a base of the stabilizing device and rotatable about an axis of rotation; a parallelogram structure coupled to the hub; a translation device coupled to a movable end of the parallelogram structure and pivotably moving the movable end of the parallelogram structure relative to the hub about a pivot axis, the translation device being capable of translating along a translation axis relative to the parallelogram structure; The system of claim 1 further comprising:

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device mounting unit is movable relative to the base member in response to manual input from a user and without engaging a drive mechanism during use of the hybrid surgical system.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises a grip portion movable relative to the device mounting unit about at least a first degree of freedom, and the first attribute includes an orientation of the grip portion about the first degree of freedom.

8. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the grip portion is movable relative to the device mounting unit about a second degree of freedom, and the sensor assembly is configured to monitor a second attribute including an orientation of the grip portion about the second degree of freedom.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a companion surgical device communicatively connected to the controller and the handle, the handle configured to control the device mounting unit and the surgical device coupled to the companion surgical device via the controller.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein when the system is in companion mode, the controller does not generate the primary control signal, such that movement of the handle does not actuate the end effector of the surgical device received in the device mounting unit.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a companion base member spaced apart from the base member.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the companion surgical device is supported by a stabilization device configured to define a second, remote center of motion.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the companion surgical device comprises an endoscope, and the handle is configured to control a position of the endoscope via the controller.

14. the handle includes a grip portion movable relative to the equipment mounting unit about a pitch axis, a roll axis, and a yaw axis; the sensor assembly is configured to detect movement about each of the pitch axis, the roll axis, and the yaw axis; the sensor signal comprises a multi-channel signal; the primary control signals include corresponding multi-channel control signals; the powered actuation unit is configured to cause corresponding movements of the end effector about an effector pitch axis, an effector roll axis, and an effector yaw axis, whereby movements of the grip portion are translated, via the robotic assistance system, into corresponding movements of the end effector; The system of claim 1 .

15. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the powered actuation unit comprises a plurality of rotatable actuation disks configured to interface with corresponding drive disks on the surgical device such that the end effector can be driven about the effector pitch axis, the effector roll axis, and the effector yaw axis.

16. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor assembly includes at least one potentiometer or encoder for detecting an orientation of the grip portion about at least one of the pitch axis, the roll axis, and the yaw axis.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the pitch axis, the roll axis, and the yaw axis intersect one another at a common point.

18. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the handle further comprises an auxiliary user input device communicatively linked to the controller, the controller configured such that triggering the auxiliary user input device triggers a corresponding auxiliary action on the end effector.

19. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the stabilizing device is configured to guide movement of the device mounting unit such that the device mounting unit and the distal tip are on opposite sides of the remote center of motion and the elongated shaft intersects the remote center of motion during use of the stabilizing device.

20. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the counterbalancing system includes a counterweight translatable along a linear track and operatively connected to the equipment mounting unit, whereby translation of the equipment mounting unit causes an opposite translation of the counterweight that at least partially counterbalances translation of the equipment mounting unit along the linear track.

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