US-20260124010-A1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROL OF A SURGICAL SYSTEM

US20260124010A1US 20260124010 A1US20260124010 A1US 20260124010A1US-20260124010-A1

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for control of a surgical system. Accordingly, a current operating condition of the instrument with reference to a defined restricted operating condition of the infant instrument is detected. A force feedback coefficient is determined based on the current operating condition of the instrument. A restricted haptic feedback is determined based on the force feedback coefficient and a nominal haptic feedback. On a first event in which the current operating condition of the instrument changes from being outside the restricted operating condition to being inside the restricted operating condition, the operator of the surgical system is provided an indication that restricted haptic feedback is provided to or is available to be provided to the input device.

Inventors

Ashwinram Suresh
Lawton N. Verner

Assignees

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20221027

Claims (20)

1 . A method of control for a computer-assisted system, the computer-assisted system including a controller, an input device, and an instrument operably coupled to be controlled by the input device via the controller, the method comprising: detecting, via the controller, a current operating condition of the instrument with reference to a defined restricted operating condition of the instrument; determining, via the controller, a force feedback coefficient based on the current operating condition of the instrument; determining, via the controller, a restricted haptic feedback based on a design haptic feedback and on the force feedback coefficient; during a first condition in which the current operating condition of the instrument is outside the restricted operating condition of the instrument, providing, via the controller, the design haptic feedback to the input device; and on a first event in which the current operating condition of the instrument changes from being outside the restricted operating condition of the instrument to being inside the restricted operating condition of the instrument, providing, via the controller, to an operator of the computer-assisted system an indication that restricted haptic feedback is provided to, or is available to be provided to, the input device.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: during a second condition in which the current operating condition of the instrument is inside the restricted operating condition of the instrument, the method comprises providing, via the controller, the restricted haptic feedback to the input device.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: during a second condition in which the current operating condition is inside the restricted operating condition, and on a second event in which an input by the operator acknowledging the indication of the restricted feedback is received at the controller, the method comprises providing, via the controller, the restricted haptic feedback to the input device.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein: providing the restricted haptic feedback to the input device includes providing a haptic feedback level that is less than a design haptic feedback level.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: the restricted operating condition is a portion of an operating range of the instrument in which a determination by the controller of a force acting on the instrument deviates from the actual force acting on the instrument.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: detecting the current operating condition of the instrument includes determining, via the controller, a distance between a portion of the instrument and a defined reference location on a cannula of the computer-assisted system.
7 .- 9 . (canceled)
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein: providing the design haptic feedback includes generating the design haptic feedback based on a strain sensor signal from the instrument received at the controller.
11 . A method of control for a computer-assisted system, the computer-assisted system including a controller, an input device, and an instrument operably coupled to be controlled by the input device via the controller, the method comprising: detecting, via the controller, a current operating condition of the instrument with reference to a defined restricted operating condition of the instrument; during a first condition in which the current operating condition of the instrument is outside the restricted operating condition of the instrument, providing, via the controller, a design haptic feedback to the input device; initiating a first event transition wherein the current operating condition of the instrument changes from being outside the restricted operating condition of the instrument to being inside the restricted operating condition of the instrument; determining, via the controller, a rate of adjustment of the design haptic feedback associated with the first event transition; during a second condition in which the current operating condition of the instrument is inside the restricted operating condition of the instrument, providing, via the controller, a restricted haptic feedback to the input device based on the rate of adjustment and the design haptic feedback; and providing to an operator of the computer-assisted system, via the controller, an indication that restricted haptic feedback is provided.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein: the restricted operating condition is associated with an activation of an energized instrument of the computer-assisted system.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein: initiating the first event transition includes receiving, via the controller, a command signal from the operator of the computer-assisted system initiating an operation that utilizes the energized instrument.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein: providing the restricted haptic feedback includes establishing the haptic feedback in accordance with a feedback-restriction interval, the feedback-restriction interval being based on a design duration of the activation of the energized instrument.
15 .- 16 . (canceled)
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein: establishing the haptic feedback delivered to the operator includes establishing a level of the haptic feedback delivered to the operator at a value less than a design haptic feedback level.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein: the rate of adjustment is a first rate of adjustment; and the method further comprises: initiating a second event transition wherein the current operating condition of the instrument changes from the second condition to the first condition, determining, via the controller, a rate of adjustment of the restricted haptic feedback associated with the second event transition, and transitioning, via the controller, the restricted haptic feedback to the design haptic feedback in accordance with the rate of adjustment.
19 .- 20 . (canceled)
21 . A method of control for a computer-assisted system, the computer-assisted system including a controller, an input device, and an instrument operably coupled to be controlled by the input device via the controller, the method comprising: detecting, via the controller, a current operating condition of the instrument with reference to a defined restricted operating condition of the instrument; during a first condition in which the current operating condition of the instrument is outside the restricted operating condition of the instrument, providing, via the controller, a design haptic feedback to the input device; on a first event in which the current operating condition of the instrument changes from being outside the restricted operating condition of the instrument to being inside the restricted operating condition of the instrument, pausing, via the controller, an operation of the computer-assisted system; on the first event, providing to an operator of the computer-assisted system, via the controller, an indication that restricted haptic feedback is available to be provided to the input device; receiving, via the controller, a first confirmation input by the operator acknowledging the indication of the restricted haptic feedback availability; during a second condition in which the current operating condition is inside the restricted operating condition and upon receipt of the confirmation input, providing, via the controller, the restricted haptic feedback to the input device; and during the second condition and upon receipt of the confirmation input, resuming, via the controller, the operation of the computer-assisted system.
22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising: on a second event in which the current operating condition of the instrument changes from being inside the restricted operating condition of the instrument to being outside the restricted operating condition of the instrument, pausing, via the controller, the operation of the computer-assisted system; on the second event, providing to the operator of the computer-assisted system, via the controller, an indication that the design haptic feedback is available to be provided to the input device; receiving, via the controller, a second confirmation input by the operator acknowledging the indication of the design haptic feedback availability; during the first condition and upon receipt of the second confirmation input, providing, via the controller, the design haptic feedback to the input device; and during the first condition and upon receipt of the second confirmation input, resuming, via the controller, the operation of the computer-assisted system.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein: on the second event, providing the design haptic feedback includes increasing, via the controller, a haptic feedback level from a restricted haptic feedback level to a design haptic feedback level according to a gain function.
24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein: the current operating condition of the instrument is inside the restricted operating condition when a position of a designated portion of the instrument is within a restricted operating region; and the restricted operating region corresponds to a defined distance between the designated portion of the instrument and a defined reference location on a cannula of the computer-assisted system.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/273,667, entitled “Systems and Methods for Control of a Surgical System” filed Oct. 29, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND The embodiments described herein relate to surgical systems, and more specifically to teleoperated surgical systems. More particularly, the embodiments described herein relate to systems and methods for controlling surgical systems that include a force feedback that may be provided to a system operator. Known techniques for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) employ instruments to manipulate tissue that can be either manually controlled or controlled via hand-held or mechanically grounded teleoperated medical systems that operate with at least partial computer-assistance (“telesurgical systems”). Many known MIS instruments include a therapeutic or diagnostic end effector (e.g., forceps, a cutting tool, or a cauterizing tool) mounted on an optional wrist mechanism at the distal end of a shaft. During an MIS procedure, the end effector, wrist mechanism, and the distal end of the shaft are typically inserted into a small incision or a natural orifice of a patient to position the end effector at a work site within the patient's body. The optional wrist mechanism can be used to change the end effector's position and orientation with reference to the shaft to perform a desired procedure at the work site. In known instruments, motion of the instrument as a whole provides mechanical degrees of freedom (DOFs) for movement of the end effector and the wrist mechanisms generally provide the desired DOFs for movement of the end effector with reference to the shaft of the instrument. For example, for forceps or other grasping tools, known wrist mechanisms are able to change the pitch and yaw of the end effector with reference to the shaft. A wrist may optionally provide a roll DOF for the end effector, or the roll DOF may be implemented by rolling the shaft. An end effector may optionally have additional mechanical DOFs, such as grip or knife blade motion. In some instances, wrist and end effector mechanical DOFs may be combined. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,135 (filed May 16, 1997) discloses a mechanism in which wrist and end effector grip DOFs are combined. Force sensing surgical instruments are known and together with associated telesurgical systems may deliver haptic feedback during a MIS procedure to a surgeon performing the procedure. The haptic feedback may increase the immersion, realism, and intuitiveness of the procedure. For effective haptics rendering and accuracy, force sensors may be placed on a medical instrument and as close to the anatomical tissue interaction as possible. One approach is to include a force sensor unit having electrical strain sensors (e.g., strain gauges) at a distal end of a medical instrument shaft to measure strain imparted to the medical instrument. The measured strain can be used to determine the force imparted to the medical instrument and as input upon which the desired haptic feedback may be generated. FIG. 1A shows one example of a known force sensor unit that includes a cantilever beam 810 attached between the instrument distal tip component 510 (e.g., in some cases a clevis or other wrist or end effector component) and the instrument shaft 410 that extends back to the mechanical structure. As illustrated, strain sensors 830 are coupled to the beam to measure strain in X- and Y-directions (arbitrary Cartesian directions that are orthogonal to each other and to a longitudinal axis of the beam and instrument shaft). For example, the strain sensors can include full-Wheatstone bridges (full-bridges). In some cases, the strain sensors are split into two sets, one on the distal end of the beam and the other on the proximal end of the beam in order to reject common-modes. Because the beam is secured to a distal portion of the instrument shaft, the strain sensors sense strain on the beam orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. A force F (FIG. 1B) applied orthogonal to the beam (i.e., an X or Y force) is determined by subtracting strain measurements determined by the full-bridges at the proximal and distal end portions of that side face of the beam. During the employment of the medical instrument however, certain operating conditions may be encountered under which the output of the force sensor unit may not accurately reflect the force imparted to the medical instrument. The operating conditions may, for example, correspond to the positioning of the medical instrument, an operation being performed by the medical instrument, and/or a fault condition. The inaccuracies that may be encountered may limit the ability of the telesurgical system to deliver accurate haptic feedback to the surgeon performing the procedure. For example, in certain positions, the strain indicated by the strain senso