Abstract:
A medical robotic system includes articulated instruments extending out of a distal end of an entry guide. Prior to pivoting the entry guide to re-orient it and the instruments, the instruments are moved in tandem back towards the entry guide. Haptic cues and velocity limits are provided to assist the operator in the retraction of the instruments. After retraction, the entry guide may then be pivoted without concern that the instruments will harm patient anatomy. The movement of the instruments in tandem back towards the entry guide may also occur through coupled control modes while the entry guide is held in a fixed position and orientation.
Abstract:
A medical system includes a flexible elongate instrument and a control system. The flexible elongate instrument includes a plurality of wires useable to control articulation of the flexible elongate instrument. The control system is configured to monitor movement of the flexible elongate instrument, determine an extent of motion of the flexible elongate instrument based on the monitoring, and determine a mode of operation for the flexible elongate instrument from a plurality of modes of operation based on the monitoring. The plurality of modes of operation includes a retraction mode, an insertion mode, and a parking mode. The control system is further configured to, in response to a change in the mode of operation, alter a rigidity of the flexible elongate instrument with a rate of rigidity change that is based on the extent of motion using one or more of the plurality of wires.
Abstract:
A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulatable instruments such as surgical tools and a camera extending out of its distal end. The camera instrument is manipulatable by a camera manipulator, which has a first mechanism for pivoting a focal point of the camera instrument about a pivot of the camera instrument and a second mechanism for positioning the pivot within a three-dimensional space in response to translational commands received from one or a coupled pair of input devices. The system also includes a controller which is configured to receive sensed movement of the input devices, and cause actuation of the first mechanism in response to the sensed movement if the system is in an orientational mode and cause actuation of the second mechanism in response to the sensed movement if the system is in a translational mode.
Abstract:
A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulatable instruments extending out of its distal end, an entry guide manipulator providing controllable four degrees-of-freedom movement of the entry guide relative to a remote center, and a controller configured to manage operation of the entry guide manipulator in response to operator manipulation of one or more input devices. As the entry guide manipulator approaches a yaw/roll singularity, the controller modifies its operation to allow continued movement of the entry guide manipulator without commanding excessive joint velocities while maintaining proper orientation of the entry guide.
Abstract:
A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulatable instruments extending out of its distal end, an entry guide manipulator providing controllable four degrees-of-freedom movement of the entry guide, and a controller configured to limit joint velocities in the entry guide manipulator so as to prevent movement of tips of the articulatable instruments from exceeding a maximum allowable linear velocity when the entry guide manipulator is being used to move the entry guide.