JP2021053395A - Surgical robot with passive end effector - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a direct saw blade guidance system in orthopedic surgeries, which does not involve jigs or saw handpiece guidance.SOLUTION: A passive end effector of a surgical system includes a base, a first mechanism, and a second mechanism. The base attaches to an end effector coupler of a robot arm positioned by a surgical robot. The first mechanism extends between a rotatable connection to the base and a rotatable connection to a tool attachment mechanism. The second mechanism extends between a rotatable connection to the base and a rotatable connection to the tool attachment mechanism. The first and second mechanisms pivot about the rotatable connections to constrain movement of the tool attachment mechanism to a range of movement within a working plane. The tool attachment mechanism is configured to connect to a surgical saw including a saw blade 2104 for cutting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 21

Description

Cross-reference to related applications This application is a partial continuation of US Patent Application No. 16 / 587,203 filed on September 30, 2019. The application also claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 906,831 filed September 27, 2019. The contents of each of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for any purpose.

The present disclosure relates to medical devices and systems, and more specifically to robotic systems and related end effectors for controlling cutting of a patient's anatomy, and related methods and devices.

There are several surgical interventions that require osteotomy, i.e., cutting anatomical structures such as bone along a target plane. Total knee arthroplasty usually requires cutting both the femoral head and tibial head in order to remove the damaged bone and cartilage and introduce the knee arthroplasty. The surgeon can use an oscillating surgical saw to make five or more cuts in the femur and one or more cuts in the tibia.

In orthopedic surgery involving joints and knees, it is important to cut the bone in place while accurately aligning and stabilizing the saw. The combination of the surgeon's limited visibility into the surgical site and the difficulty of controlling the movement of the saw carries the risk of cutting unwanted parts of the bone or adjacent tissue. The vibration generated by the saw during cutting can reduce the accuracy of the cutting. In knee surgery, the accuracy of bone cutting (planar cutting) affects how accurately the implant can be connected to the exposed bone.

In some knee surgeries, a jig is screwed into the bone to guide the surgeon's saw movement during amputation. Misalignment of jigs during cutting and limited stability of the saw blade can limit the accuracy of cutting. In addition, the contact between the saw blade and the jig can create debris, which is at risk of entering the patient.

In conventional orthopedic surgery involving cutting bone with a saw, the saw can be guided using one of the following approaches: (1) Manual approach by a surgeon, (2) Bone graft jig approach, (3) Robot system approach holding a saw handpiece.

The jig may have a slot for fitting the saw blade to prevent the saw blade from deviating from the desired plane guidance. This approach has several drawbacks. First, it may usually be necessary to attach the jig to the bone with a pin. Second, backlash may be required between the jig and the saw blade, which reduces accuracy. Third, there is friction between the swinging saw blade and the jig, which creates debris with potential impact on clinical prognosis, blunts the blade and provides some of the important force feedback. remove.

Some known robotic systems can hold and guide the saw handpiece. These robot systems can assume that the blades vibrate in a particular defined plane with respect to the handpiece. This approach has drawbacks. For example, the amplitude mechanism of the saw blade and the mounting stiffness of the saw blade directly affect the stiffness of the saw blade induction. In addition, the complexity of the external surface that the robot must hold can make it difficult to integrate different power tools / saw handpieces into the robot system. As a result, new saws for robot systems need to be developed and obtained by robot system users. In addition, due to the safety of the entire system, there is a potential risk of reduced accuracy if the blade does not move in the expected plane with respect to the handpiece (eg, due to incorrect assembly).

Therefore, there is a need for a direct saw blade guidance system in orthopedic surgery without jig or saw handpiece guidance.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure cover direct blade guidance systems. The direct blade guidance system includes a robot arm that can be positioned by a surgical robot and an end effector arm that includes a base configured to attach to the end effector coupler of the robot arm. The end effector arm includes a plurality of joints connected by a plurality of joints including a distal joint disposed at the distal end of the end effector arm. The blade guidance system may also include a blade adapter connected to the end effector arm via a distal joint, a blade connected to the blade adapter, and a handpiece connected to the blade.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a surgical system having a tracking system configured to determine the posture of an anatomical structure cut by a saw blade and to determine the posture of the saw blade. .. The surgical system also comprises a surgical robot having a robot base, a robot arm connected to the robot base, and at least one motor operably connected to move the robot arm relative to the robot base. Including. Surgical systems also include blade guidance systems that have an end effector arm that includes a base configured to attach to the end effector coupler of the robot arm. The end effector arm includes a plurality of joints connected by a plurality of joints including a distal joint disposed at the distal end of the end effector arm. The blade guidance system also includes a blade adapter connected to the end effector arm via a distal joint, a blade connected to the blade adapter, and a handpiece connected to the blade.

The accompanying drawings included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and which are incorporated and part of this application exemplify certain non-limiting embodiments of the concepts of the present invention. In the drawing:
Embodiments of a surgical system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrates the surgical robot components of the surgical system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Illustrates the camera tracking system components of the surgical system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It illustrates an embodiment of a passive end effector that is connectable to a robotic arm and is configured according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Illustrates a medical operation in which a surgical robot and camera system are placed around a patient. It illustrates an embodiment of an end effector coupler of a robot arm configured to connect to a passive end effector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. An embodiment of the notch of the end effector coupler of FIG. 6 is illustrated. Block diagrams of components of surgical systems according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. Surgery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which is separate from the surgical robot and can be operably connected to the surgical robot or at least partially incorporated within the surgical robot. Illustrates a block diagram of a surgical system computer platform, including a surgical planning computer. Some embodiments of the present disclosure illustrate embodiments of a C-arm imaging device that can be used in combination with surgical robots and passive end effectors. Some embodiments of the present disclosure illustrate embodiments of O-arm imaging devices that can be used in combination with surgical robots and passive end effectors. An alternative embodiment of a passive end effector configured according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. An alternative embodiment of a passive end effector configured according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. An alternative embodiment of a passive end effector configured according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. An alternative embodiment of a passive end effector configured according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. An alternative embodiment of a passive end effector configured according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. An alternative embodiment of a passive end effector configured according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. An alternative embodiment of a passive end effector configured according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. An alternative embodiment of a passive end effector configured according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. FIG. 6 is a screenshot of a display showing the progress of bone cutting during a surgical procedure. Illustrative embodiments of direct blade guidance systems that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative direct blade guidance systems that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative embodiments of direct blade guidance systems that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative embodiments of direct blade guidance systems that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative embodiments of direct blade guidance systems that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative embodiments of direct blade guidance systems that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative embodiments of direct blade guidance systems that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative embodiments of a portion of a direct blade guidance system consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative embodiments of direct blade guidance systems that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative embodiments of direct blade guidance systems that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative embodiments of blade adapters that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated. Illustrative embodiments of direct blade guidance systems that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are illustrated.

Here, the concept of the present invention will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing exemplary embodiments of the concept of the present invention. However, the concept of the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure is thorough and complete and fully conveys to those skilled in the art the scope of the various concepts of the invention. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. It can be implicitly assumed that components from one embodiment are present in another embodiment or are used in another embodiment.

The various embodiments disclosed herein are intended to improve the operation of the surgical system when performing surgical interventions requiring osteotomy. A passive end effector that can be connected to a robot arm positioned by a surgical robot is disclosed. Passive end effectors have a pair of mechanisms that constrain the movement of the tool mounting mechanism to a range of movement. The tool attachment can be connected to a surgical saw for cutting, such as a sagittal saw with an oscillating saw blade. The mechanism may be configured to constrain the cut surface of the saw blade so that it is parallel to the working surface. Surgical robots can determine the orientation of a target plane based on a surgical plan that defines where the anatomical structure is cut, and based on the orientation of the anatomical structure. Can generate maneuvering information based on comparison with the posture of the surgical saw. Maneuvering information aligns the saw blade's cut plane with the target plane and positions the saw blade at a distance from the anatomical structure to be cut, within the range of movement of the passive end effector tool mounting mechanism. Indicates where the passive end effector needs to be moved so that it is.

These and other related embodiments can be manipulated to improve the accuracy of saw blade guidance as compared to other robotic and manual (eg jig) solutions for surgery. The passive end effector mechanism allows the surgeon to focus on interpreting direct force feedback while cutting the bone using a surgical saw guided by the passive end effector. Can be. The mechanism is configured, for example, to constrain the cut plane to coincide with the target plane, from 1 to 3 appropriately selected degrees of freedom (eg, 1 translation or rotation, 2 rotations, 3 rotations). It may be a planar mechanism with end joints (such as rotation, or other combination). Surgeons can also more accurately monitor and control the rate of bone removal based on audio and / or visual notification feedback provided through the surgical robot.

These embodiments can provide guidance during joint surgery, especially knee surgery with high precision, high stiffness, ample workspace, and direct force feedback. To cut the bone, a tracking system can be used to accurately align the cut plane with the target plane, as described in detail below. High-precision cutting constrains the cutting surface to the target surface while the surgeon moves the saw blade along the cutting surface and directly senses the force feedback of the saw blade while cutting the bone. , Can be achieved by a planar mechanism. Moreover, these embodiments can be rapidly deployed in surgical practice through defined modifications of existing accepted surgical workflows.

FIG. 1 illustrates embodiments of a surgical system 2 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Prior to performing orthopedic surgery, for example, using the C-arm imaging device 104 of FIG. 10 or the O-arm imaging device 106 of FIG. 11, or another medical imaging device such as computed tomography (CT) imaging or MRI. From, a three-dimensional (“3D”) image scan of the patient's planned surgical area can be performed. This scan can be performed preoperatively (eg, most commonly weeks before the procedure) or intraoperatively. However, any known 3D or 2D image scan can be used according to various embodiments of the surgical system 2. The image scan is sent to a computer platform that communicates with the surgical system 2, such as the surgical robot 800 (eg, robot 2 in FIG. 1) and the surgical system computer platform 900 in FIG. 9, which includes a surgical planning computer 910. Surgical Plan A surgeon outlining an image scan (s) on a display device of computer 910 (FIG. 9) produces a surgical plan that defines a target plane on which the patient's anatomical structure is cut. This plane is a function of the patient's anatomical constraints, the implant selected, and its size. In some embodiments, the surgical plan defining the target plane is planned on a 3D image scan displayed on the display device.

The surgical system 2 of FIG. 1 medically performs, for example, by holding the device, matching the device, using the device, guiding the device, and / or positioning the device for use. The surgeon can be assisted during the procedure. In some embodiments, the surgical system 2 includes a surgical robot 4 and a camera tracking system 6. Both systems can be mechanically coupled together by any variety of mechanisms. Suitable mechanisms include, but are not limited to, mechanical latches, junctions, clamps, or buttresses, or magnetic or magnetized surfaces. The function of mechanically connecting the surgical robot 4 and the camera tracking system 6 enables the surgical system 2 to be operated and moved as a single unit, and the surgical system 2 has a small footprint. It is possible to have, facilitate movement through narrow passages and corners, and allow storage within a smaller area.

The orthopedic surgical procedure can be initiated by moving the surgical system 2 from the medical storage to the medical procedure room. The surgical system 2 can be operated from doorways, halls, and elevators all the way to the medical procedure room. Within the room, the surgical system 2 can be physically separated into two separate systems, the surgical robot 4 and the camera tracking system 6. The surgical robot 4 may be positioned adjacent to the patient at any suitable location to adequately assist the healthcare professional. The camera tracking system 6 can be positioned at the patient base, the patient's shoulder, or any other location suitable for tracking the current and orbital postural movements of the surgical robot 4 and the patient's portion. .. The surgical robot 4 and the camera tracking system 6 can be powered by onboard power and / or plugged into an external wall outlet.

The surgical robot 4 can be used to assist the surgeon by holding and / or using the device during a medical procedure. In order to properly utilize and hold the equipment, the surgical robot 4 may rely on a plurality of properly functioning motors, computers, and / or actuators. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the robot body 8 can act as a structure in which a plurality of motors, computers, and / or actuators can be fixed within the surgical robot 4. The robot body 8 may also provide support for the robot telescopic support arm 16. In some embodiments, the robot body 8 can be made of any suitable material. Suitable materials can be, but are not limited to, metals such as titanium, aluminum, or stainless steel, carbon fibers, glass fibers, or tough plastics. The size of the robot body 8 can accommodate multiple motors, computers, and / or actuators that can provide a robust platform to support the mounted components and that can operate the mounted components. Can be hidden and protected.

The robot base 10 can act as a lower support for the surgical robot 4. In some embodiments, the robot base 10 can support the robot body 8 and attach the robot body 8 to a plurality of powered wheels 12. This attachment to the wheel allows the robot body 8 to move efficiently in space. The robot base 10 may extend in the length and width directions of the robot body 8. The robot base 10 can be about 2 inches to about 10 inches high. The robot base 10 can be made of any suitable material. Suitable materials can be, but are not limited to, metals such as titanium, aluminum, or stainless steel, carbon fibers, glass fibers, or tough plastics or resins. The robot base 10 can cover, protect, and support the powered wheel 12.

In some embodiments, at least one powered wheel 12 can be attached to the robot base 10 as illustrated in FIG. The powered wheel 12 may be attached to the robot base 10 at any location. Each individual powered wheel 12 can rotate about a vertical axis in any direction. The motor may be disposed on, in, or adjacent to the powered wheel 12. This motor allows the surgical system 2 to be operated to any location, stabilizing and / or leveling the surgical system 2. A rod located in or adjacent to the powered wheel 12 can be pushed into the surface by a motor. The rod (not shown) can be made of any metal suitable for lifting the surgical system 2. Suitable metals can be, but are not limited to, stainless steel, aluminum, or titanium. Further, the rod can be provided with a cushioning material (not shown) at the end on the contact surface side, which can prevent the rod from slipping and / or create a suitable contact surface. The material can be any material suitable to act as a cushioning material. Suitable materials can be, but are not limited to, plastic, neoprene, rubber, or textured metal. The rod lifts a powered wheel 10 capable of lifting the surgical system 2 to any height required to orient the surgical system 2 horizontally or otherwise anchor it to the patient. Can be done. The weight of the surgical system 2 is supported by a rod on each wheel in a small contact area, preventing the surgical system 2 from moving during the medical procedure. This tight positioning can prevent objects and / or people from accidentally moving the surgical system 2.

The movement of the surgical system 2 can be facilitated by using the robot rail material 14. The robot rail material 14 provides a person with the ability to move the surgical system 2 without gripping the robot body 8. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the robot rail material 14 may extend shorter than the robot body 8 in the length direction of the robot body 8 and / or may extend longer than the length of the robot body 8. The robot rail material 14 can be made of any suitable material. Suitable materials can be, but are not limited to, metals such as titanium, aluminum, or stainless steel, carbon fibers, glass fibers, or tough plastics. The robot rail material 14 further provides protection against the robot body 8 and can prevent objects and / or workers from coming into contact with, colliding with, or colliding with the robot body 8.

The robot body 8 can provide support for a horizontal articulated robot, hereinafter referred to as "SCARA". The scalar 24 may be useful for use within the surgical system 2 due to the simultaneous reproducibility and compactness of the robot arm. The compactness of the scalar can provide additional space within the procedure, which may allow healthcare professionals to perform the procedure without undue clutter and confined areas. .. The scalar 24 may include a robot telescopic support 16, a robot support arm 18, and / or a robot arm 20. The robot telescopic support 16 may be arranged along the robot body 8. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the robot telescopic support 16 may provide a support for the scalar 24 and the display 34. In some embodiments, the robot telescopic support 16 can extend and contract in the vertical direction. The robot telescopic support 16 can be made of any suitable material. Suitable materials can be, but are not limited to, metals such as titanium or stainless steel, carbon fibers, glass fibers, or tough plastics. The body of the robot telescopic support 16 can be of any width and / or height to support the stress and weight applied to it.

In some embodiments, the healthcare professional can move the scalar 24 via a command submitted by the healthcare professional. The command may arise from the input received on the display 34 and / or tablet. The command can come from a switch press and / or multiple switch presses. As best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the activation assembly 60 may include a switch and / or a plurality of switches. The activation assembly 60 may be operational to send move commands to the scalar 24 to allow the operator to manually manipulate the scalar 24. When the switch or plurality of switches are pressed down, the healthcare professional can have the ability to easily move the scalar 24. In addition, when the scalar 24 has not received a command to move, the scalar 24 can be locked in place to prevent accidental movement by workers and / or other objects. By locking in place, the SCARA 24 provides a robust platform for the passive end effector 1100 and connected surgical saw 1140 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 to be used in medical surgery. provide.

The robot support arm 18 may be arranged on the robot telescopic support 16 by various mechanisms. In some embodiments, the robot support arm 18 rotates in any direction with respect to the robot telescopic support 16, as is most often seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The robot support arm 18 can rotate 360 degrees around the robot telescopic support 16. The robot arm 20 can be connected to the robot support arm 18 at any suitable location. The robot arm 20 can be attached to the robot support arm 16 by various mechanisms. Suitable mechanisms can be, but are not limited to, nuts and bolts, ball and socket fittings, press fittings, welds, glues, screws, rivets, clamps, latches, and / or any combination thereof. The robot arm 20 can rotate in any direction with respect to the robot support arm 18, and in the embodiment, the robot arm 20 can rotate 360 degrees with respect to the robot support arm 18. This free rotation allows the operator to position the robot arm 20 as planned.

The passive end effector 1100 of FIGS. 4 and 5 can be attached to the robot arm 20 at any suitable location. As described in more detail below, the passive end effector 1100 includes a base, a first mechanism, and a second mechanism. The base is configured to be attached to the end effector coupler 22 of the robot arm 20 positioned by the surgical robot 4. Various mechanisms that allow the base to be attached to the end effector coupler 22 include latches, clamps, nuts and bolts, ball and socket fittings, press fit fittings, welding, gluing, screws, rivets, and / or any of them. Combinations can be mentioned, but are not limited to these. The first mechanism extends between the rotatable connection to the base and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. The second mechanism extends between the rotatable connection to the base and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. The first and second mechanisms may be configured to rotate about a rotatable connection and constrain the movement of the tool mounting mechanism to a range of movement within the work surface. The rotatable connection allows the movement of three DOFs, whether it is a swivel joint that allows one degree of freedom (DOF) movement or a universal joint that allows two DOFs to move. It may be a ball joint. The tool attachment mechanism is configured to be connected to or directly connected to a surgical saw 1140 with a saw blade. Surgical saw 1140 can be configured to swing the saw blade to cut. The first and second mechanisms may be configured to constrain the cut surface of the saw blade so that it is parallel to the working surface. The swivel joint can preferably be used to connect a planar mechanism if the passive end effector is configured to constrain the movement of the saw blade to the cut surface.

The tool mounting mechanism is connected to the surgical saw 1140 or saw blade via a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, clamps, latches, joints, press fits, or magnets. obtain. In some embodiments, the dynamic reference array 52 is attached to a passive end effector 1100, such as an instrument attachment mechanism and / or to a surgical saw 1140. A dynamic reference array, also referred to herein as "DRA," can be placed on a patient, surgical robot, passive end effector, and / or surgical saw in a navigated surgical procedure. The main body. The camera tracking system 6 or other 3D positioning system is configured to track the attitude (eg, position and orientation of rotation) of the DRA tracking markers in real time. The tracking marker may include an exemplary sequence of balls or other optical markers. This tracking of the 3D coordinates of the tracking marker may allow the surgical system 2 to determine the posture of the DRA 52 in any space associated with the target anatomy of patient 50 in FIG.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the light indicator 28 may be positioned on top of the scalar 24. The light indicator 28 may be illuminated as any type of light to indicate the "situation" in which the surgical system 2 is currently operating. For example, green lighting can indicate that all systems are normal. Illuminated in red may indicate that the surgical system 2 is not working properly. The pulsed light can mean that the surgical system 2 is performing its function. The combination of light and pulse can create an almost infinite amount of combinations for communicating current operating conditions, states, or other operating indications. In some embodiments, the light can be produced by an LED bulb that can form a ring around the light indicator 28. The light indicator 28 may include a fully transparent material capable of shining light throughout the light indicator 28.

The light indicator 28 may be attached to the lower display support 30. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the lower display support 30 may allow the operator to operate the display 34 to any suitable location. The lower display support 30 may be attached to the light indicator 28 by any suitable mechanism. In embodiments, the lower display support 30 may rotate about the light indicator 28. In embodiments, the lower display support 30 may be securely attached to the light indicator 28. The light indicator 28 can then rotate 360 degrees around the robot support arm 18. The lower display support 30 may be of any suitable length, and the suitable length may be from about 8 inches to about 34 inches. The lower display support 30 can act as the base of the upper display support 32.

The upper display support 32 may be attached to the lower display support 30 by any suitable mechanism. The upper display support 32 may be of any suitable length, and the suitable length may be from about 8 inches to about 34 inches. In an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper display support 32 allows the display 34 to rotate 360 degrees with respect to the upper display support 32. Similarly, the upper display support 32 can rotate 360 degrees with respect to the lower display support 30.

The display 34 can be any device that can be supported by the upper display support 32. In an embodiment, the display 34 can produce a color image and / or a black and white image, as illustrated in FIG. The width of the display 34 can be from about 8 inches to about 30 inches. The height of the display 34 can be from about 6 inches to about 22 inches. The depth of the display 34 can be from about 1/2 inch to about 4 inches.

In embodiments, the tablet can be used with and / or without the display 34. In embodiments, the table may be disposed on the upper display support 32 instead of the display 34 and may be removable from the upper display support 32 during medical surgery. In addition, the tablet can communicate with the display 34. The tablet may be connected to the surgical robot 4 by any suitable wireless and / or wired connection. In some embodiments, the tablet may be able to program and / or control the surgical system 2 during medical surgery. When controlling the surgical system 2 with a tablet, all input and output commands can be duplicated on the display 34. The use of the tablet may allow the operator to operate the surgical robot 4 without having to move around the patient 50 and / or to the surgical robot 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the camera tracking system 6 works in conjunction with the surgical robot 4 via a wired or wireless communication network. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, the camera tracking system 6 may include several components similar to the surgical robot 4. For example, the camera body 36 can provide the functions found in the robot body 8. The robot body 8 can provide a structure in which the camera 46 is mounted on the robot body 8. The structure within the robot body 8 can also provide support for the electronics, communication devices, and power supplies used to operate the camera tracking system 6. The camera body 36 can be made of the same material as the robot body 8. The camera tracking system 6 can communicate directly with the tablet and / or display 34 via a wireless and / or wired network to allow the tablet and / or display 34 to control the functions of the camera tracking system 6.

The camera body 36 is supported by the camera base 38. The camera base 38 can function as the robot base 10. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the camera base 38 may be wider than the robot base 10. The width of the camera base 38 may allow the camera tracking system 6 to connect with the surgical robot 4. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the width of the camera base 38 may be large enough to fit outside the robot base 10. When the camera tracking system 6 and the surgical robot 4 are connected, the additional width of the camera base 38 may allow the additional operability of the surgical system 2 and the support of the surgical system 2.

Similar to the robot base 10, a plurality of powered wheels 12 may be attached to the camera base 38. With the powered wheel 12, the camera tracking system 6 stabilizes or sets a fixed orientation with respect to the patient 50, similar to the movement of the robot base 10 and the powered wheel 12. Can be made possible. This stabilization can prevent the camera tracking system 6 from moving during the medical procedure, and as shown in FIG. 5, the camera 46 is located in the designated area 56 with the anatomical structure 54 and / or It is possible to prevent the loss of one or more DRA 52s connected to the tool 58. This stability and maintenance of tracking enhances the ability of the surgical robot 4 to work effectively with the camera tracking system 6. In addition, the wide camera base 38 can provide additional support for the camera tracking system 6. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the wide camera base 38 can prevent the camera tracking system 6 from tipping over when the camera 46 is placed on the patient. In the absence of the wide camera base 38, the unfolded camera 46 can upset the balance of the camera tracking system 6, which can result in the camera tracking system 6 collapsing.

The camera telescopic support 40 can support the camera 46. In the embodiment, the telescopic support 40 can move the camera 46 up and down in the vertical direction. The telescopic support 40 can be made of any suitable material for supporting the camera 46. Suitable materials can be, but are not limited to, metals such as titanium, aluminum, or stainless steel, carbon fibers, glass fibers, or tough plastics. The camera handle 48 can be attached to the camera telescopic support 40 at any suitable location. The cameral handle 48 may have any suitable handle configuration. Suitable configurations may be, but are not limited to, rods, circles, triangles, squares, and / or any combination thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the camera handle 48 may be triangular, which allows the operator to move the camera tracking system 6 to a planned position prior to medical surgery. In embodiments, the camera handle 48 can be used to lower and raise the camera telescopic support 40. The camera handle 48 may perform raising and lowering of the camera telescopic support 40 by pushing down buttons, switches, levers, and / or any combination thereof.

The lower camera support arm 42 can be attached to the camera telescopic support 40 at any suitable location, and in embodiments, the lower camera support arm 42 is around the telescopic support 40, as illustrated in FIG. Can be rotated 360 degrees. This free rotation allows the operator to position the camera 46 at any suitable location. The lower camera support arm 42 can be made of any suitable material for supporting the camera 46. Suitable materials can be, but are not limited to, metals such as titanium, aluminum, or stainless steel, carbon fibers, glass fibers, or tough plastics. The cross section of the lower camera support arm 42 can have any suitable shape. Suitable cross-sectional shapes can be, but are not limited to, circular, square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, or i-beam. The length and width of the cross section can be about 1-10 inches. The length of the lower camera support arm can be from about 4 inches to about 36 inches. The lower camera support arm 42 can be connected to the telescopic support 40 by any suitable mechanism. Suitable mechanisms can be, but are not limited to, nuts and bolts, ball and socket fittings, press fittings, welds, glues, screws, rivets, clamps, latches, and / or any combination thereof. The lower camera support arm 42 can be used to provide support for the camera 46. The camera 46 may be attached to the lower camera support arm 42 by any suitable mechanism. Suitable mechanisms can be, but are not limited to, nuts and bolts, ball and socket fittings, press fittings, welding, gluing, screws, rivets, and / or any combination thereof. The camera 46 can rotate in any direction with a mounting area between the camera 46 and the lower camera support arm 42. In an embodiment, the curved rail 44 may be disposed on the lower camera support arm 42.

The curved rail 44 may be disposed at any suitable location on the lower camera support arm 42. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the curved rail 44 can be attached to the lower camera support arm 42 by any suitable mechanism. Suitable mechanisms can be, but are not limited to, nuts and bolts, ball and socket fittings, press fittings, welds, glues, screws, rivets, clamps, latches, and / or any combination thereof. The curved rail 44 can be of any suitable shape, which can be crescent, circular, oval, oval, and / or any combination thereof. In embodiments, the curved rail 44 can be of any suitable length. Suitable lengths can be from about 1 foot to about 6 feet. The camera 46 may be movably disposed along the curved rail 44. The camera 46 can be attached to the curved rail 44 by any suitable mechanism. Suitable mechanisms can be, but are not limited to, rollers, brackets, braces, motors, and / or any combination thereof. Motors and rollers not illustrated can be used to move the camera 46 along the curved rail 44. As illustrated in FIG. 3, if an object prevents the camera 46 from seeing one or more DRA 52s during a medical procedure, the motor uses rollers to move the camera along the curved rail 44. 46 can be moved. This electrified movement allows the camera 46 to move to a new position that is no longer obstructed by the object without moving the camera tracking system 6. The camera tracking system 6 can send a stop signal to the surgical robot 4, the display 34, and / or the tablet while the camera 46 is prevented from seeing the DRA 52. The stop signal can prevent the scalar 24 from moving until the camera 46 reacquires the DRA 52. This stop may prevent the scalar 24 and / or the end effector coupler 22 from moving and / or using the medical device without being tracked by the surgical system 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the end effector coupler 22 is configured to connect various types of passive end effectors to the surgical robot 4. The end effector coupler 22 may include a saddle joint 62, a start assembly 60, a load cell 64 (FIG. 7), and a connector 66. The saddle joint 62 can attach the end effector coupler 22 to the scalar 24. The saddle joint 62 can be made of any suitable material. Suitable materials can be, but are not limited to, metals such as titanium, aluminum, or stainless steel, carbon fibers, glass fibers, or tough plastics. The saddle joint 62 can be made of a single piece of metal that can provide additional strength and durability to the end effector. The saddle joint 62 can be attached to the scalar 24 by the attachment point 68. There may be a plurality of attachment points 68 disposed around the saddle joint 62. The attachment point 68 may be recessed on the saddle joint 62, at the same height as the saddle joint 62, and / or disposed on the saddle joint 62. In some embodiments, screws, nuts and bolts, and / or any combination thereof, can pass through the attachment point 68 and anchor the saddle joint 62 to the scalar 24. Nuts and bolts can connect the saddle joint 62 to a motor not illustrated in the scalar 24. The motor can move the saddle joint 62 in any direction. The motor can further prevent the saddle joint 62 from moving due to accidental collision and / or accidental contact by actively servo-controlling at its current location or by applying a spring-loaded brake. it can.

The end effector coupler 22 may include a load cell 64 interposed between the saddle joint 62 and the connected passive end effector. The load cell 64 can be attached to the saddle joint 62 by any suitable mechanism, as illustrated in FIG. Suitable mechanisms can be, but are not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, threads, press fits, and / or any combination thereof.

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of the components of the surgical system 800 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the load cell 64 can be any suitable instrument used to detect and measure force. In some embodiments, the load cell 64 can be a 6-axis load cell, a 3-axis load cell, or a uniaxial load cell. The load cell 64 can be used to track the force applied to the end effector coupler 22. In some embodiments, the load cell 64 can communicate with a plurality of motors 850, 851, 852, 853, and / or 854. When the load cell 64 senses a force, information about the amount of force applied may be distributed from the switch array and / or multiple switch arrays to the controller 846. The controller 846 can acquire the force information from the load cell 64 and process it by the switch algorithm. The switch algorithm is used by the controller 846 to control the motor driver 842. The motor driver 842 controls the operation of one or more of the motors. The motor driver 842 can instruct a particular motor to generate, for example, an equal amount of force measured by the load cell 64 via the motor. In some embodiments, the force generated can be generated from multiple motors, eg, 850-854, as directed by controller 846. Further, the motor driver 842 can receive input from the controller 846. The controller 846 can receive information from the load cell 64 regarding the direction of the force sensed by the load cell 64. Controller 846 can process this information using a motion controller algorithm. This algorithm can be used to provide information to a particular motor driver 842. To replicate the direction of force, the controller 846 can activate and / or deactivate a particular motor driver 842. The controller 846 can control one or more motors, for example one or more of 850 to 854, to induce the passive end effector 1100 to move in the direction of the force sensed by the load cell 64. .. This force-controlled motion allows the operator to move the scalar 24 and the passive end effector 1100 effortlessly and / or with little resistance. The movement of the passive end effector 1100 allows the passive end effector 1100 to be placed in any suitable posture (ie, location and angle with respect to a defined three-dimensional (3D) orthogonal reference axis for use by healthcare professionals. It can be implemented to position in the orientation).

The connector 66 is configured to be connectable to the base of the passive end effector 1100 and is connected to the load cell 64. The connector 66 may include a mounting point 68, a sensing button 70, a tool guide 72, and / or a tool connection 74. As best illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 8, there may be multiple attachment points 68. The attachment point 68 can connect the connector 66 to the load cell 64. The attachment point 68 may be recessed onto the connector 66, at the same height as the connector 66, and / or disposed on the connector 66. The attachment points 68 and 76 can be used to attach the connector 66 to the load cell 64 and / or the passive end effector 1100. In some embodiments, attachment points 68 and 76 may include screws, nuts and bolts, press fits, magnetic attachments, and / or any combination thereof.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the sensing button 70 may be disposed around the center of the connector 66. When the passive end effector 1100 is connected to the scalar 24, the sensing button 70 can be pressed down. When the sensing button 70 is pressed down, the surgical robot 4 and thus the healthcare professional can be warned that the passive end effector 1100 is attached to the scalar 24. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the guide 72 can be used to facilitate proper attachment of the passive end effector 1100 to the scalar 24. The guide 72 may be recessed on the connector 66, at the same height as the connector 66, and / or disposed on the connector 66. In some embodiments, there may be a plurality of guides 72, which may have any suitable pattern and may be oriented in any suitable direction. The guide 72 may have any suitable shape to facilitate attachment of the passive end effector 1100 to the scalar 24. Suitable shapes can be, but are not limited to, circular, oval, square, polyhedral, and / or any combination thereof. Further, the guide 72 may be cut at an oblique angle, a straight line, and / or any combination thereof.

The connector 66 may have a mounting point 74. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the attachment point 74 can form a ledge and / or a plurality of ledges. The attachment point 74 can provide the connector 66 with a surface on which the passive end effector 1100 can be clamped. In some embodiments, the attachment points 74 are disposed around any surface of the connector 66 and are oriented with respect to the connector 66 in any suitable manner.

The boot assembly 60, best illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, may surround the connector 66. In some embodiments, the activation assembly 60 can take the form of a bracelet that wraps the connector 66. In some embodiments, the activation assembly 60 may be located within any suitable area within the surgical system 2. In some embodiments, the activation assembly 60 can be located on any part of the scalar 24, any part of the end effector coupler 22, and is worn by healthcare professionals and / or any combination thereof (and wirelessly). Communicate) get. The start-up assembly 60 can be made of any suitable material. Suitable materials can be, but are not limited to, neoprene, plastics, rubbers, gels, carbon fibers, fabrics, and / or any combination thereof. The activation assembly 60 may include a primary button 78 and a secondary button 80. The primary button 78 and the secondary button 80 may surround the entire connector 66.

The primary button 78 may be a single ridge that may surround the connector 66, as illustrated in FIG. In some embodiments, the primary button 78 may be disposed on the activation assembly 60 along the farthest end away from the saddle joint 62. The primary button 78 may be located on the primary start switch 82, which is best illustrated in FIG. The primary start switch 82 may be disposed between the connector 66 and the start assembly 60. In some embodiments, there may be a plurality of primary activation switches 82 that may be disposed adjacent to and directly below the primary button 78 along the overall length of the primary button 78. By pressing the primary button 78 on the primary start switch 82, the operator can move the scalar 24 and the end effector coupler 22. As discussed above, once installed, the scalar 24 and end effector coupler 22 cannot be moved until the operator has programmed the surgical robot 4 to move the scalar 24 and end effector coupler 22. Alternatively, it is moved using the primary button 78 and the primary start switch 82. In some embodiments, it may be necessary to depress at least two non-adjacent primary activation switches 82 before the scalar 24 and end effector coupler 22 respond to operator commands. By depressing at least two primary activation switches 82, accidental movement of the scalar 24 and end effector coupler 22 during medical procedure can be prevented.

When activated by the primary button 78 and the primary start switch 82, the load cell 64 can measure the magnitude and / or direction of the force exerted on the end effector coupler 22 by the operator, i.e., the healthcare professional. This information can be transferred to a motor in the scalar 24 that can be used to move the scalar 24 and the end effector coupler 22. The information about the magnitude and direction of the force measured by the load cell 64 allows the motor to move the scalar 24 and the end effector coupler 22 in the same direction as sensed by the load cell 64. Due to this force-controlled movement, the motor moves the scalar 24 and the end effector coupler 22, and at the same time, the operator moves the scalar 24 and the end effector coupler 22, so that the operator can easily and without great effort. It may be possible to move the 24 and the end effector coupler 22.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the secondary button 80 may be located at the end of the activation assembly 60 closest to the saddle joint 62. In some embodiments, the secondary button 80 may include multiple ridges. The plurality of ridges may be disposed adjacent to each other and may surround the connector 66. Further, the secondary button 80 may be disposed on the secondary start switch 84. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the secondary start switch 84 may be disposed between the secondary button 80 and the connector 66. In some embodiments, the secondary button 80 may be used by the operator as a "selection" device. During medical surgery, the surgical robot 4 can notify the healthcare professional of a particular situation by means of a display 34 and / or a light indicator 28. The healthcare professional may be prompted by the surgical robot 4 to select a function, mode and / or to evaluate the status of the surgical system 2. Pressing down the secondary button 80 once on the secondary activation switch 84 activates a particular function, mode and / or confirms information transmitted to the healthcare professional via the display 34 and / or the light indicator 28. can do. Further, pressing the secondary button 80 quickly and continuously multiple times on the secondary activation switch 84 activates additional functions, modes and / or to the healthcare professional via the display 34 and / or the light indicator 28. You can select the information to be transmitted. In some embodiments, at least two non-adjacent secondary activation switches 84 can be depressed before the secondary button 80 functions properly. This requirement can prevent a healthcare professional from accidentally colliding with the activation assembly 60 due to unintended use of the secondary button 80. The primary button 78 and the secondary button 80 can use software architecture 86 to communicate healthcare professional commands to the surgical system 2.

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of the components of the surgical system 800 that are configured according to some embodiments of the present disclosure and may correspond to the surgical system 2 described above. The surgical system 800 includes a platform subsystem 802, a computer subsystem 820, a motor control subsystem 840, and a tracking subsystem 830. The platform subsystem 802 includes a battery 806, a power distribution module 804, a connector panel 808, and a charging station 810. The computer subsystem 820 includes a computer 822, a display 824, and a speaker 826. The motion control subsystem 840 includes a driver circuit 842, motors 850, 851, 852, 853, 854, stabilizers 855, 856, 857, 858, end effector connectors 844, and controller 846. The tracking subsystem 830 includes a position sensor 832 and a camera converter 834. The surgical system 800 may also include a removable foot pedal 880 and a removable tablet computer 890.

The input power is supplied to the surgical system 800 via a power source that can be provided to the distribution module 804. The power distribution module 804 is configured to receive input power and produce different supply voltages provided to the other modules, components, and subsystems of the surgical system 800. The power distribution module 804 is provided from other components such as a computer 822, a display 824, a speaker 824, a driver 842, for example, to a power motor 850-854 and an end effector 844, and besides a camera converter 834 and a surgical system 800. It may be configured to provide a different voltage supply to the connector panel 808, which may be provided for the components of. The power distribution module 804 may also be connected to the battery 806, which serves as a temporary power source when the power distribution module 804 does not receive power from the input power. In other cases, the power distribution module 804 may help charge the battery 806.

The connector panel 808 may help connect different devices and components to the surgical system 800 and / or associated components and modules. The connector panel 808 may include one or more ports that accept wiring or connections from different components. For example, the connector panel 808 may include a ground terminal port for grounding the surgical system 800 to other equipment, a port for connecting the foot pedal 880, a position sensor 832, a camera converter 834, and a marker tracking camera 870. It may have a port that connects to subsystem 830. The connector panel 808 may also include other ports that allow USB, Ethernet, HDMI communication to other components such as computer 822.

The control panel 816 may provide various buttons or indicators that control the operation of the surgical system 800 and / or provide information from the surgical system 800 for the operator to observe. For example, the control panel 816 physically moves the surgical system 800 in order to power on and off the surgical system 800, to lift and lower the vertical column 16, and to engage with the casters 12. It may include a button for lifting and lowering stabilizers 855-858, which may be designed to lock against. Other buttons can stop the surgical system 800 in the event of an emergency, which can remove all motor power and apply mechanical brakes to stop the occurrence of all movements. it can. The control panel 816 may also have a wiring power indicator or an indicator that informs the operator of the status of a particular system, such as the charge status of the battery 806.

The computer 822 of the computer subsystem 820 includes an operating system and software for operating the assigned functions of the surgical system 800. The computer 822 can receive and process information from other components (eg, tracking subsystem 830, platform subsystem 802, and / or motor control subsystem 840) to display the information to the operator. .. In addition, the computer subsystem 820 can provide output to the operator via the speaker 826. The speaker may be part of a surgical robot, part of a head-mounted display component, or within another component of the surgical system 2. The display 824 may correspond to the display 34 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or an augmented reality (AR) that projects an image onto a see-through display screen and overlays it on a visible real-world object through the see-through display screen. ) It can be a head-mounted display that forms an image.

The tracking subsystem 830 may include a position sensor 832 and a camera converter 834. The tracking subsystem 830 may correspond to the camera tracking system 6 of FIG. The marker tracking camera 870 works with the position sensor 832 to determine the attitude of the DRA 52. This tracking can be performed in a manner consistent with the present disclosure, including the use of infrared or visible light technology to track the location of active or passive elements of the DRA 52, such as LEDs or reflective markers, respectively. Locations, orientations, and positions of structures with these types of markers, such as the DRA 52, are provided to the computer 822 and can be shown to the operator on the display 824. For example, a surgical saw 1240 (also referred to as a navigation space) having a DRA 52 or being connected to an end effector coupler 22 having a DRA 52 tracked in this manner, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Can be shown to the operator in relation to a three-dimensional image of the patient's anatomy.

The motion control subsystem 840 may be configured to physically move the vertical column 16, upper arm 18, lower arm 20 or rotate the end effector coupler 22. Physical movement can be performed by using one or more motors 850-854. For example, the motor 850 may be configured to vertically lift or lower the vertical column 16. The motor 851 may be configured to laterally move the upper arm 18 around an engagement point with the vertical column 16, as shown in FIG. The motor 852 may be configured to laterally move the lower arm 20 around an engagement point with the upper arm 18, as shown in FIG. Motors 853 and 854 may be configured to move the end effector coupler 22 to provide translational movement and rotation along a three-dimensional axis. The surgical planning computer 910 shown in FIG. 9 provides a control input to the controller 846 that guides the movement of the end effector coupler 22 to dissect the connected passive end effector during surgery. It can be positioned with respect to the scientific structure in a planned orientation (ie, orientation of location and angle with respect to a defined 3D orthogonal reference axis). The motion control subsystem 840 may be configured to use an integrated position sensor (eg, an encoder) to measure the position of the passive end effector structure. In one of the embodiments, the position sensor is directly connected to at least one joint of the passive end effector structure, but is positioned elsewhere in the structure, timing belt, wire interconnect, Alternatively, the joint position can be measured remotely by any other synchronous transmission interconnect.

FIG. 9 is separate from the surgical robot 800 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure and can be operably connected to the surgical robot 800 or at least a portion within the surgical robot 800. Illustrates a block diagram of a surgical system computer platform 900, including a surgical planning computer 910 that can be incorporated. Alternatively, at least a portion of the actions disclosed herein for the surgical planning computer 910 can be performed by components of the surgical robot 800, such as by computer subsystem 820.

Referring to FIG. 9, the surgical planning computer 910 includes a display 912, at least one processor circuit 914 (also referred to as a processor for brevity), and at least one memory circuit 916 containing computer-readable program code 918. Includes (also referred to as memory for brevity) and at least one network interface 920 (also referred to as network interface for brevity). The network interface 920 is the C-arm imaging device 104 of FIG. 10, the O-arm imaging device 106 of FIG. 11, another medical imaging device, an image database of medical images 950, components of the surgical robot 800, and / or other. It may be configured to connect to an electronic device.

When the surgical planning computer 910 is at least partially integrated within the surgical robot 800, the display 912 corresponds to the display 34 and / or the tablet 890 and / or the head-worn display of FIG. The network interface 920 may correspond to the platform network interface 812 of FIG. 8 and the processor 914 may correspond to the computer 822 of FIG.

Processor 914 may include one or more data processing circuits such as general purpose and / or dedicated processors such as microprocessors and / or digital signal processors. Processor 914 executes computer-readable program code 918 in memory 916 to perform operations that may include some or all of the operations described herein as performed by a surgical planning computer. It is composed.

The processor 914 may operate to display the bone image received from the image database 950 from one of the imaging devices 104 and 106 and / or via the network interface 920 to the display device 912. The processor 914 selects a location on the display 912 for a planned surgical amputation, such as by an operator touch, or by using a mouse-based cursor to define the location of the planned surgical amputation. Receives the operator's definition of the anatomical structure shown in one or more images, i.e., where one or more bones are cut.

Surgical Planning Computer 910 measures knee surgery, including measurements of various angles to determine hip center, angle center, natural landmarks (eg, epicondylline, whiteside, posterior condyle, etc.). Allows useful anatomical measurements. Some measurements may be automatic, but some others involve human input or assistance. The Surgical Planning Computer 910 allows the operator to select the correct implant for the patient, including size and match size selection. The surgical planning computer 910 enables automatic or semi-automatic (with human input) segmentation (image processing) for CT images or other medical images. The patient's surgical plan may be stored on a cloud-based server for retrieval by the surgical robot 800. During surgery, the surgeon uses an augmented reality interaction through a computer screen (eg, a touch screen) or, for example, a head-mounted display, which amputation (eg, posterior femur, proximal tibia, etc.). Select whether to do. The surgical robot 4 provides the surgical saw blade so that the planned cutting target surface is optimally placed within the work space of the passive end effector that interconnects the surgical saw blade and the robot arm 20. It can be automatically moved to the planned position. The commands that enable movement may be given by the user using various modalities, such as foot pedals.

In some embodiments, the surgical system computer platform 900 uses two DRAs to track the patient's anatomical position, one with respect to the patient's tibia and the other with respect to the patient's femur. Can be done. Platform 900 can use standard navigating instruments for alignment and confirmation (eg, pointers similar to those used in the Globus Excelsius GPS system for spinal surgery). Tracking markers that allow the detection of DRA movement in relation to the tracked anatomical morphology can also be used.

An important difficulty in knee surgery is how to plan the location of the knee implant, which many surgeons struggle to do on a computer screen, which is a 2D representation of the 3D anatomical form. doing. Platform 900 can address this issue by using an augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display to create an implant overlay around the actual patient's knee. For example, the surgeon can operably display a virtual handle to grab the implant and move it to the desired posture to adjust the planned implant placement. Then, during surgery, Platform 900 can render navigation via an AR head-mounted display to show the surgeon what is not directly visible. You can also view the progress of bone removal, such as depth or cutting, in real time. Other features that may be visible via AR include gap or ligament balance along the range of joint movement, ligament tension and / or ligament tension due to color or other graphic overlays of implant contact lines along the range of joint movement. Alternatively, relaxation and the like can be mentioned, but the present invention is not limited to these.

In some embodiments, a surgical planning computer 910 is used to perform standard implants such as posterior stabilization and cruciform retention implants, cement fixation and cementless implants, such as total or partial hip replacement, and / or It may be possible to plan the use of corrective systems for hip replacement and / or surgery for trauma.

Processor 912 can graphically illustrate on display 912 one or more cut surfaces that intersect the displayed anatomy at a location selected by the operator to cut the anatomy. Processor 912 is also one of the angular orientations and locations where the end effector coupler 22 must be positioned so that the cut and target planes of the surgical saw blade are aligned to perform the operator-specified cut. The above sets are determined and the set of orientations and locations of those angles is stored as data in the surgical planning data structure. Processor 912 uses a known range of movement of the passive end effector tool mounting mechanism to determine where the end effector coupler 22 mounted on the robot arm 20 needs to be positioned.

The computer subsystem 820 of the surgical robot 800 showed data from the surgical planning data structure, as well as the current orientation of the anatomical structure to be amputated, and was tracked via a passive end effector and / or DRA. Receives information from the camera tracking system 6 that indicates the current position of the surgical saw. The computer subsystem 820 determines the posture of the target plane based on the surgical plan that defines where the anatomical structure should be cut, and the posture of the anatomical structure. The computer subsystem 820 produces maneuvering information based on a comparison of the attitude of the target plane with the attitude of the surgical saw. Maneuvering information aligns the saw blade's cut plane with the target plane and positions the saw blade at a distance from the anatomical structure to be cut, within the range of movement of the passive end effector tool mounting mechanism. Indicates where the passive end effector needs to be moved so that it is.

As described above, a surgical robot comprises a robot base, a robot arm connected to the robot base, and at least one motor operably connected to move the robot arm relative to the robot base. ,including. Surgical robots also include at least one controller connected to at least one motor and configured to perform movements, such as computer subsystem 820 and motion control subsystem 840.

As described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 12-19, the passive end effector comprises a base configured to be attached to the activation assembly of the robot arm, a first mechanism, and a second mechanism. ,including. The first mechanism extends between the rotatable connection to the base and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. The second mechanism extends between the rotatable connection to the base and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. The first and second mechanisms may be configured to rotate around a rotatable connection and constrain the movement of the tool mounting mechanism to a range of movement within the work surface. The rotatable connection allows the movement of three DOFs, whether it is a swivel joint that allows one degree of freedom (DOF) movement or a universal joint that allows two DOFs to move. It may be a ball joint. The tool attachment mechanism is configured to connect to a surgical saw, including a saw blade for cutting. The first and second mechanisms may be configured to constrain the cut surface of the saw blade so that it is parallel to the working surface.

In some embodiments, the movement performed by at least one controller of the surgical robot coincides with the cut plane of the saw blade and the target plane, and the saw blade is a passive end effector tool mounting mechanism. Repositioning the passive end effector by controlling the movement of at least one motor based on maneuvering information so that it is positioned within range of movement and at a distance from the anatomical structure to be cut. Is also included. The maneuvering information may be displayed to guide the movement of the operator of the surgical saw and / or may be used by at least one controller to automatically move the surgical saw.

In one embodiment, the movement performed by at least one controller of the surgical robot coincides with the cut plane of the saw blade and the target plane, and the saw blade is the movement of the passive end effector tool mounting mechanism. It also includes providing maneuvering information to the display device for display to guide the operator's movements of the passive end effector so that it is positioned at a distance from the anatomical structure to be cut, within range. Is done. The display device may correspond to a display 824 (FIG. 8), a display 34 of FIG. 1, and / or a head-worn display.

For example, maneuvering information can be displayed on a head-mounted display that projects an image onto a see-through display screen and forms an augmented reality image that is overlaid on a visible real-world object through the see-through display screen. This movement can display a graphic representation of the target plane with postures overlaid on the bone and the relative orientation between them, and surgery to plan how to cut the bone. Correspond to the plan. This action can, in an alternative or additional manner, display a graphic representation of the cut surface of the saw blade, whereby the operator can see the cut surface and the planned target surface for cutting the bone. It can be matched more easily. This allows the operator to visually monitor and perform movements that match the cut and target surfaces of the saw blade, thereby allowing the saw blade to be in a planned posture with respect to the bone and passively. Positioned within the range of movement of the tool mounting mechanism of the end effector.

The automated imaging system can be used in conjunction with the surgical planning computer 910 and / or the surgical system 2 to acquire preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative, and / or real-time image data of the patient. An exemplary automatic imaging system is illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. In some embodiments, the automatic imaging system is a C-arm 104 (FIG. 10) imaging device or O-arm® 106 (FIG. 11). (O-arm® is copyrighted by Medtronic Navigation, Inc., which has offices in Louisville, Colorado, USA) Frequent manual repositioning of patients, which may be required for X-ray systems. It may be desirable to take X-rays of the patient from several different locations without the need for. The X-ray diagnostic instrument of the C-arm 104 can solve the problem of frequent manual repositioning and may be well known in the medical field of surgery and other intervening procedures. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the C-arm includes an elongated C-shaped member that terminates at the opposite distal end 112 of the "C" shape. The C-shaped member is attached to the X-ray source 114 and the image receiver 116. The space within the C-arm 104 of the arm provides room for the physician to accompany the patient with virtually no interference from the X-ray support structure.

The C-arm is mounted to allow rotational movement of the arm in two degrees of freedom (ie, centered on two orthogonal axes in spherical motion). The C-arm is slidably mounted on the X-ray support structure, which allows it to move in the orbital rotation direction around the center of curvature of the C-arm, allowing the X-ray source 114 and image receiver 116 to move vertically and vertically. / Or it can be made possible to selectively point in the horizontal direction. The C-arm also rotates laterally (ie, orthogonal to the orbital direction, which allows selectively adjustable positioning of the X-ray source 114 and image receiver 116 with respect to both the width and length of the patient). It may be possible. The spherical rotation aspect of the C-arm device allows the physician to image the patient's X-ray at an optimal angle determined for the particular anatomical situation being imaged.

The O-arm® 106 illustrated in FIG. 11 includes a gantry housing 124 that can surround a non-exemplified image capture portion. The image capture portion includes an X-ray source and / or emission portion and an X-ray reception and / or image reception portion, which are arranged at about 180 degrees to each other and a rotor (for tracking the image capture portion). Can be mounted on top (not shown). The image capture portion may be operable to rotate 360 degrees during image acquisition. The image capture portion can be rotated around a center point and / or axis, allowing the patient's image data to be captured from multiple directions or in multiple planes.

The O-arm® 106 with the gantry housing 124 has a central opening for positioning around the object to be imaged and a radiation source that is rotatable around the interior of the gantry housing 124. , The radiation source can be adapted to project radiation from multiple different projection angles. The detector system is adapted to detect radiation at each projection angle and capture object images from multiple projection planes in a pseudo-simultaneous manner. The gantry can be attached to a support structure O-arm® support structure, such as a wheeled mobile cart with wheels, in a cantilever fashion. The positioning unit translates and / or tilts the gantry to the planned position and orientation, preferably under the control of a computerized motion control system. The gantry may include sources and detectors arranged opposite each other on the gantry. The source and detector can be fixed to an electric rotor that can rotate the source and detector around the interior of the gantry in coordination with each other. The source can be pulsed in multiple positions and orientations over a partial and / or completely 360 degree rotation for multiplanar imaging of the target object located inside the gantry. The gantry can further be equipped with rails and bearing systems to guide the rotor as it rotates, which can carry sources and detectors. Both and / or both O-arm® 106 and C-arm 104 can be used as an automatic imaging system to scan patients and send information to surgical system 2.

The image captured by the automated imaging system may be displayed on the surgical planning computer 910, the surgical robot 800, and / or the display device of another component of the surgical system 2.

Here, various embodiments of passive end effectors configured for use in surgical systems are described in the context of FIGS. 12-19.

As described in more detail below, the various passive end effectors illustrated in FIGS. 12-19 each include a base, a first planar mechanism, and a second planar mechanism. The base is configured to be attached to an end effector coupler (eg, end effector coupler 22 of FIGS. 4 and 5) of a robot arm (eg, robot arm 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2) positioned by a surgical robot. Various clamping mechanisms can be used to securely attach the base to the end effector coupler, remove backlash and ensure suitable stiffness. Irreversible clamping mechanisms that can be used to attach the base to the end effector coupler include, but are not limited to, toggle joint mechanisms or irreversible locking screws (s). The user can activate or tighten the clamping mechanism using an additional tool such as a screw driver, torque wrench, or screwdriver. The first mechanism extends between the rotatable connection to the two bases and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. The second mechanism extends between the rotatable connection to the base and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. The first and second mechanisms rotate around a rotatable connection. The rotatable connection allows the movement of three DOFs, whether it is a swivel joint that allows one degree of freedom (DOF) movement or a universal joint that allows two DOFs to move. It may be a ball joint. When using swivel joints, the first and second mechanisms may be configured to constrain the movement of the tool mounting mechanism to a range of movement within the work surface. The tool mounting mechanism is configured to connect to a surgical saw with a saw blade that is configured to swing to cut. The first and second mechanisms may be configured to constrain the cut surface of the saw blade so that it is parallel to the working surface, for example, via a swivel joint with one DOF motion. Tool mounting mechanisms can be connected to surgical saws or saw blades via a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, clamps, latches, joints, press fits, or magnets. .. The DRA can be connected to a tool mounting mechanism or a surgical saw to allow the camera tracking system 6 (FIG. 3) to track the posture of the saw blade.

As described above, the surgical system (eg, surgical system 2 in FIGS. 1 and 2) is cut by a surgical robot (eg, surgical robot 4 in FIGS. 1 and 2) and a saw blade. Includes a tracking system configured to determine the orientation of the anatomical structure and to determine the orientation of the saw blade (eg, camera tracking system 6 in FIGS. 1 and 3). Surgical robots include a robot base and a robot arm rotatably connected to the robot base and configured to position a passive end effector. At least one motor is operably connected to move the robot arm relative to the robot base. At least one controller determines the orientation of the target plane based on a surgical plan that is connected to at least one motor and defines where the anatomical structure is cut, and the orientation of the anatomical structure. The surgical plan is generated by the surgical plan computer 910 of FIG. 9 based on input from an operator, eg, a surgeon or other surgical worker, to perform the movement, including the above. obtain. This movement further includes generating maneuvering information based on a comparison of the attitude of the target plane with the attitude of the surgical saw. The maneuvering information indicates where the passive end effector needs to be moved in order to position the working surface of the passive end effector so that the cut surface of the saw blade and the target surface coincide.

In some further embodiments, the movement performed by at least one controller coincides with the cut plane of the saw blade and the target plane, and the saw blade is the range of motion of the passive end effector tool mounting mechanism. It also includes repositioning the passive end effector by controlling the movement of at least one motor based on maneuvering information so that it is positioned at a distance from the internal, cut anatomy. Is done.

For this movement, the cut surface of the saw blade matches the target surface, and the saw blade is within the range of movement of the passive end effector tool mounting mechanism, at a distance from the anatomical structure to be cut. It may include providing maneuvering information to the display device for display to guide the operator's movements of the passive end effector so that it is positioned.

As described above, some surgical systems may include a head-worn display device that can be worn by a surgeon, a clinical nurse, and / or another person who assists the surgical procedure. .. The surgical system matched the wearer's more accurate positioning of the passive end effector and / or the saw blade with the target plane for cutting the planned location on the anatomical structure. In the state, it is possible to display information that makes it possible to confirm that the passive end effector has been correctly positioned. The motion of providing maneuvering information to the display device is an anatomical structure in which the cut and target surfaces of the saw blade are aligned and the saw blade is within the motion of the passive end effector tool mounting mechanism. Passive, configuring maneuvering information for display on a head-mounted display device with a see-through display screen that displays maneuvering information as an anatomical overlay to be cut so that it is positioned at a distance from Inducing the movement of the operator of a robotic end effector may be included.

The movements that make up the maneuvering information for display on a head-mounted display device include creating a graphic representation of the target plane that is moored to the anatomical structure to be cut and displayed as a matching overlay, and a saw. It may include producing another graphic representation of the cut surface of the saw blade that is moored to the blade and displayed as a matching overlay. Thereby, the wearer can move the surgical saw to provide a visually observed match between the graphically rendered target plane and the graphically rendered cut plane.

The action that composes maneuvering information for display on a head-mounted display device produces a graphic representation of the depth of cut made by the saw blade within the graphic representation of the anatomical structure being severed. Can be included. Therefore, to better monitor how the saw blade cuts through the bone, even though the wearer is directly observing that the cut is hampered by tissue or other structures. A graphic representation of the depth of the cut can be used.

The tracking system can be configured to determine the posture of the anatomical structure cut by the saw blade based on determining the posture of the tracking marker, eg, the DRA attached to the anatomical structure, surgery It may be configured to determine the posture of the surgical saw based on determining the posture of the tracking marker connected to at least one of the surgical saw and the passive end effector. The tracking system determines the posture of the surgical saw based on a rotary position sensor configured to measure the rotational position of the first and second mechanisms while the tool mounting mechanism is moving in the work plane. Can be configured to. As described above, the position sensor can be directly connected to at least one joint of the passive end effector structure, but can be positioned elsewhere in the structure, timing belt, wire interconnect, or optional. Joint position can also be measured remotely by other synchronous transmission interconnects. In addition, the posture of the saw blade can be determined based on tracking markers attached to the structural base, passive structural position sensors, and kinematic models of the structure.

The various passive end effectors disclosed herein may be sterilizable or non-sterile (covered with sterile drapes) passive three-DOF mechanical structures. A surgical saw or saw blade, such as a sagittal saw, along two translations (defining the cut plane) in a plane parallel to the saw blade and one rotation (instrument orientation) orthogonal to this cut plane. Allows mechanical guidance of. During surgery, the surgical robot 4 performs an end effector coupler 22 and a surgical operation attached to the passive end effector so that all the bone to be cut is within the work space of the passive end effector. Automatically move the saw to a position close to the knee or other anatomical structure. This position depends on the cutting performed, as well as the surgical plan and implant construct. As shown in FIG. 12, the passive end effector can have three DOFs to guide the sagittal saw or saw blade at the cut surface, with two translations (X and Y directions) and one. Provides a number of rotations (around the Z axis).

When the surgical robot 4 reaches the planned position, it holds that position (either by braking or active motor control) and does not move during the cutting of a particular bone. It is the passive end effector that allows the saw blade of the surgical saw to move along the planned target plane. Such planar amputations are particularly useful in classical total knee osteoarthritis, where all bone amputations are planar. Partial knee osteoarthritis has a special type of implant called "onlay" that can be used in conjunction with a saw-prepared bone surface. Various passive end effectors have a mechanical structure that can ensure the accuracy of guidance during cutting with higher accuracy than classical jigs, and the workspace range for cutting all planned bones. Despite the significant amount of vibration that can occur from the surgical saw, in addition to the force exerted by the surgeon and the reaction force of the bone (corresponding to the locked DOF). ) Provide sufficient lateral rigidity.

At the same time, it is preferable to measure the position of the passive end effector because the surgical robot 4 can inform the surgeon how much bone has been removed (procedure progress). One way to provide real-time information about bone removal is for the surgical robot 4 to measure where the saw blade has passed with respect to the bone, as the blade can only pass where the bone was cut. It is to be. To measure the position of the saw blade, the DRA can be attached to a surgical saw and / or a passive end effector. This allows the position of the saw in 3D space to be measured directly or indirectly. An alternative way to measure the position of the saw blade is to use a mathematical model of the defined relationship between the position of the passive end effector geometry and the position of the tip of the saw blade. Is to integrate a position (rotational or translational) sensor (eg, an encoder, a resolver) into the position information of a passive end effector to calculate.

In one embodiment, the conventional sagittal saw mechanism can be used with the surgical system computer platform 900 with little or no modification. Potential changes will involve adapting the external shield to allow the surgical saw to be easily attached to passive end effectors, but not necessarily with internal mechanical changes. .. The passive end effector can be configured, for example, to connect to a conventional sagittal saw provided by DeSoutter. In addition, the saw blade may be attached directly to the passive end effector without the saw handpiece.

When the surgical robot 4 positions the passive end effector, the saw prevents unintended movement of the passive end effector, for example, to prevent the surgical saw from falling onto the patient due to gravity. In addition, the passive end effector may include a locking mechanism that moves between engaging and disengaging movements. While engaged, the locking mechanism brakes or locks a particular joint of the end effector, either directly or passively, by locking the degree of freedom (DOF) of the surgical saw. By doing so, it indirectly blocks the movement of the saw blade with respect to the robot end effector coupler. While disengaged, the first and second mechanisms of the passive end effector can move relative to the base without interference from the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism may also be used when the surgeon holds the surgical saw and controls the movement of the surgical robot 4 by applying force and torque to the surgical saw. The surgical robot 4 uses the load cells 64 of FIGS. 6 and 7, integrated at the distal end of the robot arm 22, to measure the applied force and torque and to respond the force and torque to the robot arm 22. To produce above, the surgeon can more easily move the passive end effector back and forth and left and right to apply rotation around various axes.

A first embodiment of a passive end effector is shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 12, the passive end effector 1200 is an end effector coupler (eg, end effector coupler of FIGS. 4 and 5) of a robot arm (eg, robot arm 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2) positioned by a surgical robot. Includes a base 1202 configured to be attached to 22). The passive end effector 1200 further includes first and second mechanisms extending between the rotatable connection to the base 1202 and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. The rotatable connection allows the movement of three DOFs, whether it is a swivel joint that allows one degree of freedom (DOF) movement or a universal joint that allows two DOFs to move. It may be a ball joint. The first and second mechanisms form a parallel architecture that positions the axis of rotation of the surgical saw on the cut plane.

The first and second connecting segments 1210a and 1220a form the first planar mechanism, and the third and fourth connecting segments 1210b and 1220b form the second planar mechanism. The first connecting segment 1210a extends between the rotatable connection to the first location on the base 1202 and the rotatable connection to the end of the second connecting segment 1220a. The third connecting segment 1210b extends between the rotatable connection to the second location on the base 1202 and the rotatable connection to the end of the fourth connecting segment 1220b. The first and second locations on the base 1202 are spaced apart from each other on both sides of the base collar rotation axis when rotated by the robot arm. The tool mounting mechanism is formed by a fifth connecting segment extending between the base 1202 and a rotatable connection to the distal end of the second connecting segment 1220a and the fourth connecting segment 1220b. The first and second mechanisms (first and second connecting segments 1210a to 1220a, and third and fourth connecting segments 1210b to 1220b) rotate around their rotatable connections and are tools. The movement of the mounting mechanism 1230 is restricted to the range of movement within the work surface. The tool mounting mechanism 1230 is configured to connect to a surgical saw 1240 having a saw blade 1242 configured to swing to cut. The first and second mechanisms (first and second connecting segments 1210a-1220a, and third and fourth connecting segments 1210b-1220b) are, for example, via a swivel joint with one DOF motion. It may be configured to constrain the cut surface of the saw blade 1242 so that it is parallel to the work surface. The tool mounting mechanism 1230 may be connected to the surgical saw 1240 via a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, clamps, latches, joints, press fits, or magnets. The DRA 52 can be connected to the tool mounting mechanism 1230 or the surgical saw 1240 to allow the camera tracking system 6 (FIG. 3) to track the posture of the saw blade 1242.

The passive end effector 1200 provides passive guidance for the surgical saw 1240, constraining the saw blade 1242 to a defined cut surface and limiting its mobility to three degrees of freedom (DOF), the saw blade 1242. It is reduced to two translations Tx and Ty in a plane parallel to the cut plane and one rotation Rz about an axis orthogonal to the cut plane.

In some embodiments, the tracking system will determine the orientation of the saw blade 1242 based on a rotary position sensor connected to at least some of the rotating joints of the passive end effector 1200 coupling segment. It is composed of. The rotary position sensor is configured to measure the rotational position of the joined connecting segment while the tool mounting mechanism is moving within the work surface. For example, a rotary position sensor can be configured to measure the rotation of the first coupling segment 1210a with respect to the base 1202, and another rotary position sensor can have a second coupling segment with respect to the first coupling segment 1210a. It can be configured to measure the rotation of the 1220a, and another rotary position sensor can be configured to measure the rotation of the tool mounting mechanism 1230 with respect to the second connecting segment 1220a. The surgical saw 1240 may be connected so as to have a fixed orientation with respect to the tool mounting mechanism 1230. A series of kinematic chains of passive end effectors 1200 connecting the saw blade 1242 and the robot arm 22, with serialized connecting segments and swivel joints, provides the surgical saw 1240 with the required mobility. .. The position of the tip of the saw blade 1242 in a plane, defined by a passive kinematic chain, is the joint angle sensed via a rotary position sensor, and the structural geometry of the interconnected connecting segments. It can be completely determined by the shape. Thus, for example, the saw blade 1242 in the cutting space by measuring the relative angle between each connected segment along one or more interconnect paths between the base 1202 and the surgical saw 1240. The position of the tip of the saw can be computerized using the proposed forward kinematic model. If the position and orientation of the distal end of the robot arm 22 with respect to the bone is known, the position and orientation of the saw blade 1242 with respect to the bone can be computerized and displayed as feedback to the surgeon. In an exemplary implementation where the saw blade is mounted directly on a passive end effector, the measurement frequency provided by the rotary position sensor is the amplitude of the saw blade to measure the position of the saw blade, even within the amplitude. It can be at least twice as high as the frequency.

Illustrative types of rotary position sensors that can be used with passive end effectors herein include potential difference meter sensors, optical sensors, capacitive sensors, rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) sensors, linear variable. Differential transformer (LVDT) sensors, Hall effect sensors, and incoder sensors can be mentioned, but are not limited to.

A potentiometer-based sensor is a passive electronic component. The potentiometer works by changing the position of the sliding contacts across a uniform resistor. In potentiometers, the entire input voltage is applied across the entire length of the resistor and the output voltage is the voltage drop between the fixed and sliding contacts. In order to receive, and absolute position, calibration position is required. The potentiometer may have a measurement range smaller than 360 °.

The optical encoder may include a rotating disk, a light source, and a photodetector (optical sensor). On the disc mounted on the rotating shaft, opaque and transparent sector patterns are encoded on the disc. As the disc rotates, these patterns block the light shining on the photodetector, producing a digital or pulsed signal output. By encoding the signal on the disc, absolute and relative measurements as well as multi-turn measurements are possible.

Capacitive encoders use high frequency reference signals to detect capacitance changes. This is achieved with three main parts: fixed transmitter, rotor, and fixed receiver. Capacitive encoders may also be provided in a two-part configuration with a rotor and transmitter / receiver combination. The rotor may be etched in a sinusoidal pattern, which pattern modulates the transmitter's high frequency signal in a predictable manner as the rotor rotates. The encoder may be a multi-turn encoder, but absolute measurement is difficult to realize. Calibration at startup is required.

The RVDT and LVDT sensors operate when the transformer core is in the null position, and the output voltages of the two primary and secondary windings are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction. The overall output at the null position is always zero. The angular displacement from the null position induces a total differential output voltage. Therefore, the total angular displacement is directly proportional to the linear differential output voltage. The differential output voltage increases clockwise and decreases counterclockwise. This encoder works with absolute measurements and may not be compatible with multi-turn. Calibration at the time of assembly is required.

In Hall effect sensors, current is applied along a thin strip of metal. In the presence of a magnetic field, the electrons in the metal strip deflect towards one edge, creating a voltage gradient across the short side of the strip, i.e., orthogonal to the feed current. In its simplest form, the sensor acts as an analog transducer and returns the voltage directly. A known magnetic field can be used to determine the distance from the hole plate. A group of sensors can be used to estimate the relative position of the magnets. By combining a plurality of sensor elements and a patterned magnet plate, it is possible to detect an absolute position and a relative position in the same manner as an optical encoder.

The incoder sensor functions in a manner similar to a rotary variable transformer sensor, brushless resolver, or synchro. The stator receives DC power and creates a low power AC electromagnetic field between the stator and the rotor. This magnetic field is modified by the rotor depending on the angle. The stator senses the resulting magnetic field and outputs the rotation angle as an analog or digital signal. Unlike resolvers, incoders use multilayer circuits rather than winding spools. This technology allows the incoder to have a compact form, low mass, low inertia, and high precision without the need for high precision installation. A signal (Z) for counting one full rotation is transmitted. Multi-turn and absolute sensing are possible.

A second embodiment of the passive end effector is shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 13, the passive end effector 1300 is an end effector coupler (eg, end effector coupler of FIGS. 4 and 5) of a robot arm (eg, robot arm 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2) positioned by a surgical robot. Includes a base 1302 configured to be attached to 22). The passive end effector 1300 further includes first and second mechanisms that extend between the rotatable connection to the base 1302 and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. The rotatable connection is a ball joint that allows the movement of three DOFs, whether it is a swivel joint that allows the movement of one DOF or a universal joint that allows the movement of two DOFs. It may be. The first and second connecting segments 1310a and 1320a form the first planar mechanism, and the third and fourth connecting segments 1310b and 1320b form the second planar mechanism. The first connecting segment 1310a extends between a rotatable connection to a first location on the base 1302 and a rotatable connection to the end of the second connecting segment 1320a. The third connecting segment 1310b extends between a rotatable connection to a second location on the base 1302 and a rotatable connection to the end of the fourth connecting segment 1320b. The first and second locations on the base 1302 are spaced apart from each other on both sides of the base collar rotation axis when rotated by the robot arm. The distal ends of the second connecting segment 1320a and the fourth connecting segment 1320b from the base 1302 are rotatably connected to each other and to the tool mounting mechanism 1330. The first and second mechanisms (first and second connecting segments 1310a to 1320a, and third and fourth connecting segments 1310b to 1320b) are centered around their rotatable connections, eg, one. It may be configured to swivel through a swivel joint with DOF motion to constrain the movement of the tool mounting mechanism 1330 to a range of movement within the work surface. The tool mounting mechanism 1330 is configured to connect to a surgical saw 1240 having a saw blade 1242 configured to swing to cut. The first and second mechanisms (first and second connecting segments 1310a to 1320a, and third and fourth connecting segments 1310b to 1320b) cut the saw blade 1242 so that they are parallel to the working surface. Constrain. The tool mounting mechanism 1330 may be connected to the surgical saw 1240 via a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, clamps, latches, joints, press fits, or magnets. The DRA can be connected to the tool mounting mechanism 1330 or the surgical saw 1240 to allow the camera tracking system 6 (FIG. 3) to track the posture of the saw blade 1242.

A third embodiment of the passive end effector is shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 14, the passive end effector 1400 is an end effector coupler (eg, end effector coupler of FIGS. 4 and 5) of a robot arm (eg, robot arm 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2) positioned by a surgical robot. Includes a base 1402 configured to be attached to 22). The base 1402 includes first and second elongated base segments 1404a and 1404b extending from isolated locations on both sides of the rotation axis of the base 1402 when rotated by a robot arm. The first and second elongated base segments 1404a and 1404b extend away from the robot arm's end effector coupler when attached to the passive end effector 1400. The passive end effector 1400 further includes first and second mechanisms extending between the rotatable connection to the elongated base segments 1404a and 1404b and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. .. One or more of the rotatable connections disclosed for this embodiment are swivel joints that allow the movement of one DOF or universal joints that allow the movement of two DOFs. It may also be a ball joint that allows the movement of three DOFs.

The first mechanism includes a first concatenated segment 1411a, a second concatenated segment 1410a, a third concatenated segment 1420a, and a fourth concatenated segment 1430a. The first and second connecting segments 1411a and 1410a have a rotatable connection to an isolated location on the first elongated base segment 1404a and rotation to an isolated location on a third connecting segment 1420a. It extends parallel to each other with possible connections. The end of the third connecting segment 1420a is rotatably connected to the end of the fourth connecting segment 1430a.

The second mechanism includes a fifth connecting segment 1411b, a sixth connecting segment 1410b, and a seventh connecting segment 1420b. The fifth and sixth connecting segments 1411b and 1410b have a rotatable connection to a distance on the second elongated base segment 1404b and rotation to a distance on the seventh connection segment 1420b. It extends parallel to each other with possible connections. The tool mounting mechanism includes an eighth connecting segment 1440 extending from the base 1402 to a rotatable connection to the distal ends of the fourth and seventh connecting segments 1430a and 1420b. In a further embodiment, the eighth connecting segment 1440 of the tool mounting mechanism includes a mounting member 1442 extending away from the base 1402 to a rotatable connector configured to connect to the surgical saw 1240. .. The mounting member 1442 extends from a location on the eighth connecting segment 1440, which is closer to the fourth connecting segment 1430a than the seventh connecting segment 1420b.

The first and second mechanisms (a set of connecting segments 1411a, 1410a, 1420a, 1430a, and a set of connecting segments 1411b, 1410b, 1420b) rotate around their rotatable connections to provide a tool mounting mechanism. The movement of 1440 may be configured to constrain the range of movement within the work plane. The tool mounting mechanism 1440 is configured to connect to a surgical saw 1240 having a saw blade 1242 configured to swing to cut. The first and second mechanisms may be configured to constrain the cut plane of the saw blade 1242 so as to be parallel to the working plane, for example, via a swivel joint with one DOF motion. The tool mounting mechanism 1440 may be connected to the surgical saw 1240 via a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, clamps, latches, joints, press fits, or magnets. The DRA can be connected to a tool mounting mechanism 1440, such as a mounting member 1442, or a surgical saw 1240 to allow the camera tracking system 6 (FIG. 3) to track the posture of the saw blade 1242.

The passive end effector 1400 of FIG. 14 has a parallel architecture that allows the surgical saw to be positioned around the axis of rotation on the cut plane. Synchronous and / or different movements of the transverse parallelogram allow the axis of rotation of the surgical saw to be positioned on the cut surface.

A fourth embodiment of the passive end effector is shown in FIG. The passive end effector 1500 is attached to an end effector coupler (eg, end effector coupler 22 of FIGS. 4 and 5) of a robot arm (eg, robot arm 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2) positioned by a surgical robot. Includes base 1502, configured in. The base 1502 may include first and second elongated base segments that, when rotated by a robotic arm, extend from spaced locations on either side of the axis of rotation of the base 1502. The first and second elongated base segments extend away from each other. The passive end effector 1500 further includes first and second mechanisms extending between the rotatable connection to the base 1502 and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. One or more of the rotatable connections disclosed for this embodiment are swivel joints that allow the movement of one DOF or universal joints that allow the movement of two DOFs. It may also be a ball joint that allows the movement of three DOFs.

The first mechanism includes a first connecting segment 1510a. The second mechanism includes a second segment 1510b. The tool mounting mechanism includes a third connecting segment 1520, a fourth connecting segment 1530, a fifth connecting segment 1540a, a sixth connecting segment 1540b, and a seventh connecting segment 1550. The first and second connecting segments 1510a and 1510b are rotatable to first and second locations on the base 1502, eg, first and second elongated base segments extending away from the base 1502, respectively. Extends between the connection and the rotatable connections at both ends of the third connecting segment 1520. The first and second locations on the base 1502 are separated from each other on both sides of the rotation axis of the base when rotated by the robot arm. The fourth connecting segment 1530 extends in the direction from the third connecting segment 1520 toward the base 1502. Fifth and sixth connecting segments 1540a and 1540b are rotatable to isolated locations on the fourth connecting segment 1530 and rotatable to isolated locations on the seventh connecting segment 1550. It extends parallel to each other with the connection. The seventh connecting segment 1550 is configured to have a rotatable connector configured to connect to the surgical saw 1240.

The first to sixth connecting segments 1510a and b, 1520, 1530, and 1540a and b rotate around their rotatable connections to move the seventh connecting segment 1550 in the working plane. Can be configured to constrain the range of. The seventh connecting segment 1550 is configured to connect to a surgical saw 1240 having a saw blade 1242 configured to swing to cut. The first to sixth connecting segments 1510a and b, 1520, 1530, and 1540a and b cut the saw blade 1242 parallel to the work surface, for example, via a swivel joint with one DOF motion. It can be configured to constrain faces. The seventh connecting segment 1550 is connected to the surgical saw 1240 via a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, clamps, latches, joints, press fits, or magnets. obtain. The DRA can be connected to a seventh connecting segment 1550 or surgical saw 1240 to allow the camera tracking system 6 (FIG. 3) to track the posture of the saw blade 1242.

A fifth embodiment of the passive end effector is shown in FIG. The passive end effector 1600 is to be attached to an end effector coupler (eg, end effector coupler 22 of FIGS. 4 and 5) of a robot arm (eg, robot arm 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2) positioned by a surgical robot. Includes a base 1602, configured in. The passive end effector 1600 further includes first and second mechanisms that extend between the rotatable connection to the base 1502 and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. The first mechanism includes a first connecting segment 1610a. The second mechanism includes a second segment 1610b. The tool mounting mechanism includes a third connecting segment 1620, a fourth connecting segment 1630, a fifth connecting segment 1640a, a sixth connecting segment 1640b, and a seventh connecting segment 1650. One or more of the rotatable connections disclosed for this embodiment are swivel joints that allow the movement of one DOF or universal joints that allow the movement of two DOFs. It may also be a ball joint that allows the movement of three DOFs.

The first and second connecting segments 1610a and 1610b have a rotatable connection to the first and second locations on the base 1602 and a rotatable connection at both ends of the third connecting segment 1620, respectively. It extends between and. The first and second locations on the base 1602 are separated on both sides of the axis of rotation of the base 1602 when rotated by the robot arm. The fourth connecting segment 1630 extends away from the base 1602 from the third connecting segment 1620. Fifth and sixth connecting segments 1640a and 1640b are rotatable to isolated locations on the fourth connecting segment 1630 and rotatable to isolated locations on the seventh connecting segment 1650. It extends parallel to each other with various connections. The seventh connecting segment 1650 is configured to have a rotatable connector configured to connect to the surgical saw 1240.

The first to sixth connecting segments 1610a and b, 1620, 1630, and 1640a and b rotate around their rotatable connections to move the seventh connecting segment 1650 in the working plane. Can be configured to constrain the range of. The seventh connecting segment 1650 is configured to connect to a surgical saw 1240 having a saw blade 1242 configured to swing to cut. The first to sixth connecting segments 1610a and b, 1620, 1630, and 1640a and b may be configured to swivel while constraining the cut plane of the saw blade 1242 so as to be parallel to the working plane. The seventh connecting segment 1650 is connected to the surgical saw 1240 via a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, clamps, latches, joints, press fits, or magnets. obtain. The DRA can be connected to a seventh connecting segment 1650 or surgical saw 1240 to allow the camera tracking system 6 (FIG. 3) to track the posture of the saw blade 1242.

The passive end effector 1600 provides two orthogonal translational movements for positioning the axis of rotation of the surgical saw on the cut plane, the two translations being implemented by a parallelogram.

A sixth embodiment of the passive end effector is shown in FIG. The passive end effector 1700 is attached to an end effector coupler (eg, end effector coupler 22 of FIGS. 4 and 5) of a robot arm (eg, robot arm 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2) positioned by a surgical robot. Includes a base 1702, configured in. The passive end effector 1700 further includes first and second mechanisms that extend between the rotatable connection to the base 1702 and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. One or more of the rotatable connections disclosed for this embodiment are swivel joints that allow the movement of one DOF or universal joints that allow the movement of two DOFs. It may also be a ball joint that allows the movement of three DOFs. The first and second mechanisms are connected to provide translation along the distance from the center of the parallelogram to each side. The first mechanism includes first and second connecting segments 1710 and 1720b. The first connecting segment 1710 extends between a rotatable connection to the base 1702 and a rotatable connection to the end of the second connecting segment 1720b. The second mechanism includes a third connecting segment 1720a. The tool mounting mechanism includes a fourth connecting segment 1730. The second and third connecting segments 1720b and 1720a are separated from the rotatable connection on the first connecting segment 1710 and on the fourth connecting segment 1730 in a direction away from the base 1702. It extends parallel to each other with a rotatable connection to the location. The fourth connecting segment 1730 includes a mounting member 1732 extending away from the base to a rotatable connector configured to connect to the surgical saw 1240. The mounting member 1732 extends from a location on the fourth connecting segment 1730 that is closer to the third connecting segment 1720a than the second connecting segment 1720b.

The first to third connecting segments 1710, 1720b, 1720a rotate around their rotatable connections to constrain the movement of the fourth connecting segment 1730 to the range of movement within the work plane. Can be configured. The fourth connecting segment 1730 is configured to connect to a surgical saw 1240 having a saw blade 1242 configured to swing to cut. The first to third connecting segments 1710, 1720b, 1720a may be configured to constrain the cut surface of the saw blade 1242 so that it is swiveled and parallel to the working surface. The fourth connecting segment 1730, eg, its mounting member 1732, may include, but is not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, clamps, latches, joints, press fits, or magnets via various mechanisms. Can be connected to a surgical saw 1240. The DRA can be connected to a fourth connecting segment 1730, such as a mounting member 1732, or a surgical saw 1240 to allow the camera tracking system 6 (FIG. 3) to track the posture of the saw blade 1242.

A seventh embodiment of the passive end effector is shown in FIG. The passive end effector 1800 is attached to an end effector coupler (eg, end effector coupler 22 of FIGS. 4 and 5) of a robot arm (eg, robot arm 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2) positioned by a surgical robot. Includes a base 1802, configured in. The passive end effector 1800 further includes first and second mechanisms that extend between the rotatable connection to the base 1802 and the rotatable connection to the tool mounting mechanism. One or more of the rotatable connections disclosed for this embodiment are swivel joints that allow the movement of one DOF or universal joints that allow the movement of two DOFs. It may also be a ball joint that allows the movement of three DOFs. The first mechanism includes a first connecting segment 1810a. The second mechanism includes a second connecting segment 1810b. The tool mounting mechanism includes a third connecting segment 1820. The first and second connecting segments 1810a and 1810b have a rotatable connection to the first and second locations on the base 1802 and a rotatable connection at both ends of the third connecting segment 1820, respectively. It extends between and. The first and second locations on the base 1802 are separated from each other on both sides of the axis of rotation of the base 1802 when rotated by the robot arm. The third connecting segment 1820 includes a mounting member 1822 extending away from the base 1802 to a rotatable connector configured to connect to the surgical saw 1240. The mounting member 1822 extends from a location on the third connecting segment 1820 that is closer to the first connecting segment 1810a than the second connecting segment 1810b. One or more of the rotatable connections disclosed for this embodiment are swivel joints that allow the movement of one DOF or universal joints that allow the movement of two DOFs. It may also be a ball joint that allows the movement of three DOFs.

The first and second connecting segments 1810a and 1810b swivel between the base 1802 and the third connecting segment 1820 about their rotatable connection to move the mounting member 1822 in the working plane. Can be configured to constrain the range of movement of. In some other embodiments, one or more of the rotatable connections are three, even universal joints that allow the movement of two DOFs so that movement is not constrained to the work surface. It may be a ball joint that allows the movement of the DOF. The attachment member 1822 is configured to connect to a surgical saw 1240 having a saw blade 1242 configured to swing to cut. The first and second connecting segments 1810a and 1810b rotate while constraining the cut surface of the saw blade 1242 so as to be parallel to the working surface. The mounting member 1822 may be connected to the surgical saw 1240 via a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to, screws, nuts and bolts, clamps, latches, joints, press fits, or magnets. The DRA can be connected to a third connecting segment 1820, such as a mounting member 1822, or a surgical saw 1240 to allow the camera tracking system 6 (FIG. 3) to track the posture of the saw blade 1242.

An eighth embodiment of the passive end effector is shown in FIG. The passive end effector 1900 is attached to an end effector coupler (eg, end effector coupler 22 of FIGS. 4 and 5) of a robot arm (eg, robot arm 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2) positioned by a surgical robot. Includes base 1902, configured in. The passive end effector 1900 further includes a first concatenated segment 1910 and a second concatenated segment 1920. The first connecting segment 1910 extends between a rotatable connection to the base 1902 and a rotatable connection to one end of the second connecting segment 1920. The other end of the second connecting segment 1920 is rotatably connected to the tool mounting mechanism. The axes q1, q2, and q3 are parallel to each other so as to provide a planar cut surface for the blade 1242. Therefore, the movements of the three DOFs of the saw 1240 include the x-direction Tx, the y-direction Ty, and the rotational direction Rz about the z-axis. One or more of the rotatable connections disclosed for this embodiment are swivel joints that allow the movement of one DOF or universal joints that allow the movement of two DOFs. It may also be a ball joint that allows the movement of three DOFs.

Real-time location of blade 1242 and blade tip to the bone of the patient being amputated using tracking markers attached to the end effector base 1902 and saw 1240, along with tracking markers on bone (eg, tibia and femur). Can be monitored accurately and continuously. Although not explicitly shown in other figures, in all embodiments a tracking marker is attached to the saw 1240 and all end effectors 1902 to track the location of the blade relative to the bone of the patient being cut. Can be done. Although not shown, as an alternative to tracking markers, or in addition to tracking markers, encoders are always positioned within each of the connecting segments 1910 and 1920 to determine exactly where the tip of the saw blade is. be able to.

Exemplary Surgical Procedures Examples of exemplary surgical procedures using the surgical robot 4 in the operating room (OR) include:
Optional step: Surgery is planned preoperatively based on medical images.

1. 1. The surgical robot 4 system is outside the operating room (OR). The nurse carries the system to OR when the patient is preparing for surgery.

2. The nurse turns on the robot and deploys the robot arm. The nurse verifies the accuracy of the robot and tracking system.

3. 3. For sterilized passive end effectors, operating room nurses attach sterile drapes on the robot arm and mount passive end effectors with sagittal saws on the robot arm. The operating room nurse locks the passive end effector with a locking mechanism. The operating room nurse attaches the DRA to the passive structure via a drape (if required). For non-sterile passive end effectors, the drape is placed after mounting the passive end effector on the robot arm, and the DRA is mounted on the passive end effector with a drape in between and sterilized. The saw or saw blade is attached to a passive end effector with a drape in between. Engage the locking mechanism to secure the position of the saw blade with respect to the end effector coupler.

4. The surgeon attaches navigation markers to the patient's bones (s), such as the tibia and femur. The bone is aligned with the camera tracking system 6 using, for example, a horn point-to-point algorithm, a face-to-face algorithm, or other algorithm. An assessment of soft tissue balance can be performed, which allows the system to, for example, be relative to the femur and tibia when the surgeon applies force in different directions (eg, varus / valgus force). Tracking movement allows the surgeon to assess soft tissue balance in the operating room. The soft tissue balance information can be used to change the surgical plan (eg, implant part movement, implant type change, etc.).

5. When the surgeon is ready to cut the bone, the operating room nurse brings the surgical robot 4 to the operating table near the knee to be operated on and stabilizes the surgical robot 4 on the floor. The system can guide the nurse in locating the robot 4 so that all cut surfaces are in the working space of the robot and passive structures.

6. The surgeon selects different parameters on the screen of the surgical robot 4 according to the surgeon's plan to make the first cut (bone to be cut, desired cut surface, etc.).

7. In the surgical robot 4, the cutting surface of the saw blade coincides with the target surface, and the saw blade is within the movement of the passive end effector tool mounting mechanism, and the distance from the anatomical structure to be cut. The robot arm 22 is automatically moved to reposition the passive end effector so that it is positioned at.

8. The surgeon unlocks the passive end effector.

9. The surgeon makes a cut constrained to the cut surface provided by the passive end effector. The surgical robot 4 can provide a real-time display of the tracked location of the saw blade against the bone, which allows the surgeon to monitor the progress of bone removal. In one method, the tracking subsystem processes the location of the saw relative to the bone in real time based on camera images and various tracking markers attached to the saw, robotic arm, end effector, femur, and tibia. .. The surgeon can then use the locking mechanism to lock the passive end effector once the amputation is complete.

10. The surgeon selects the next cut to be performed on the screen and continues as before.

11. The surgeon can perform trial implant placement and intermediate soft tissue balance assessments, and based on them, can modify the implant plan and associated amputation.

12. After completing all cuts, the nurse removes the surgical robot 4 from the operating table and disengages the passive end effector from the robot arm.

13. The surgeon places the implant and completes the surgery.

In step 9 above, the tissue and ligaments around the bone, the debris produced by the amputation, and other surgical instruments near the bone make it difficult for the physician to visually see the progress of the amputation. In some cases. Even if visual confirmation is acceptable, there are areas of bone that are not visible to the doctor, such as amputation of the posterior part of the bone.

Advantageously, one embodiment of the robotic system of the present invention provides a way for a physician to confirm the progress of a multidimensional cut of bone. The camera tracking system 6 includes a tracking sub, along with tracking markers attached to the end effector base (1100, 1202, 1302, 1402, 1502, 1602, 1702, 1802, 1902), robot arm 20, and saw (1140, 1240). The system 830 and computer subsystem 820 allow the exact position of the saw blade with respect to the bone to be calculated in real time, allowing the surgeon to monitor the progress of bone removal.

FIG. 20 is a screenshot of a display showing the progress of bone cutting during a surgical procedure. FIG. 20 shows subsystems 830 and 820 that display three images: side view, AP view, and top view. In each image, the display 34 shows the real-time location of the saw blade 1242 with respect to the bone (eg, tibia 2000). Side and top views may be particularly useful to the physician as they display the position of the saw blade that is not easily visible. At the top of the display, computer subsystems 830, 820 show the number of disconnect programs and what programs are currently running. For example, as the screenshot shows, the doctor may have programmed six planar cuts, the current cutting program being the first cut. In addition, subsystems 830 and 820 can track where the blade may have advanced with a tracking marker, thus indicating how much bone cutting (cut area) of a particular cutting program has been completed. It can be determined and the progress rate is shown on the display 34. The bone image itself is preferably obtained from an actual image of the patient's body for a more accurate representation. Bone images are augmented by subsystem 820 with contours showing cortical bone 2004 and cancellous bone 2002. This can be important for physicians as the amount of resistance to amputation varies widely between the two types of bone.

When an augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display is used, the computer subsystem 820 produces the same contours that show cortical and cancellous bones, which are continuous as the physician moves his or her head. Can be layered on the actual leg. The already cut area can be overlaid on the actual bone in dark shades. In addition, the implant inserted over the cut area can be overlaid on the bone to indicate that the doctor is performing the cut correctly along the plane of the implant. This is all possible because subsystems 830 and 820 can track the position of the blade and the history of blade movement with respect to the bone along with the tracking markers and camera subsystem.

Here, with reference to FIGS. 21 to 22, exemplary embodiments of a direct blade guidance system in the context of orthopedic surgery are described. As shown in FIGS. 21, 22, 29, and 30, the direct blade guidance system 2100 may include a robotic system that holds the end effector arm (EEA) 2102. The EEA2102 may include a base configured to attach to the end effector coupler of the robot arm. Other exemplary embodiments of the end effector arm that are consistent with the principles of the present disclosure are described with respect to FIGS. 12-19. To achieve planar cutting, the saw blade 2104 should be guided in the plane in which it vibrates. The high vibration frequency of the saw blade (eg 200-300 Hz) makes it difficult to achieve mechanical induction. The EEA2102 may include several joints and joints 2106, 2108 that can be used to achieve planar movement of the tip 2110 of the EEA2102. Similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 12-18, the tip 2110 of the EEA2102 may have three degrees of freedom, movement in two directions on a plane, and rotation about an axis perpendicular to that plane. EEA2102 allows for planar cutting and can approach the target bone from all angles. The system 2100 can also include a handpiece 2112 and a blade adapter 2114, each connected to an EEA 2102 and a blade 2104.

The concept of directly guiding the saw blade 2104 includes aligning the axis of rotation of the distal end of the connection 2110 (the distal rotary joint of EEA2102) with the axis of vibration of the blade. Sagittal saws are present in most mounting mechanisms that produce small rotational movements (vibrations / amplitudes) of the saw blade around an axis near the saw blade attachment. By aligning the axis of rotation with the distal rotary joint 2116 of the EEA2102 (at the distal end of the connection 2108), the joint 2116 allows the rotation of a common saw handpiece and allows the saw blade to vibrate. Can be configured to:

The saw blade 2104 may be configured to be connected to the distal joint rotation axis of the EEA2102 by a blade adapter 2114. The blade adapter 2114 may be configured to clamp the saw blade 2104. By adapting the blade adapter 2114, different sagittal saws can be integrated into the system 2100. An exemplary configuration of the blade adapter 2114 that is consistent with the present disclosure will be considered below. An exemplary blade adapter is illustrated in FIG.
Permanently Fixed In a permanently fixed configuration, the blade 2104 can be permanently clamped to the blade adapter 2114. The user (eg, operating room nurse) can assemble the blade 2104 to the blade adapter 2114 while the surgeon prepares the surgical field. An exemplary permanent fixed configuration may include:

The blade 2104 can be securely clamped to the blade adapter 2114 using components such as screws or spring-loaded latches that are configured to provide clamping force to the blade 2104.

The blade 2104 may include an interface such as a through hole configured to secure the blade 2104 to the blade adapter 2114.

The blade 2104 and blade adapter 2114 can be manufactured as a single reusable device later provided on the EEA2102. An exemplary implementation involves a metal blade attached to a PEEK or stainless steel blade adapter. Assembly of the blade to the blade adapter is performed by an operating room nurse.

The blade 2104 and blade adapter can also be manufactured as a disposable (single-use) device delivered in a sterile condition. An exemplary implementation example involves a metal blade overmolded using plastic injection molding technology.

FIG. 22 illustrates System 2200, which is an exemplary embodiment consistent with the principles of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the blade adapter can be permanently attached to the saw blade within a base that can rotate about the axis of rotation of the saw blade and a clamp component that clamps the blade to the blade adapter base by a screw. it can. FIG. 23 illustrates a blade 2204, a blade adapter 2214, a distal rotary joint 2216, and a clamp 2218 that are consistent with this configuration. These components may or may be the same as those described above with respect to FIG.
Separable Fixation The separable fixation configuration allows the blade to be quickly attached to and separated from the blade adapter in the field. The blade adapter integrates a clamping mechanism that may be active (usually closed and opened by an electrical signal) or passive (rapid coupling and / or rapid release mechanism).
Moment of inertia The blade adapter 2114 can significantly increase the moment of inertia of a coupled "blade / blade adapter" that rotates about the axis of rotation of the blade. As soon as the blade adapter 2114 vibrates with the saw blade 2104, the imbalanced inertia creates dynamic forces and torques that are delivered to the mechanical structure and to the surgeon's hands. In order to optimize the mounting example, the inertia of the vibrating element centered on the vibrating axis can be minimized. That is, the mass of the vibrating element is lighter than that of the vibrating shaft, and the closer it is, the better. The moment of inertia of the saw blade element centered on the vibration axis related to the concept of handpiece induction is as follows.

D is the distance between the blade vibration axis and the distal joint rotation axis, M is the weight of the blade (weight of the saw blade element), and I _d is the moment of inertia of the saw blade element centered on the blade vibration axis. Is. The moment of inertia is then reduced by ^{MD 2} using the concept of direct blade induction. This is minimized when the distance between the vibrating shaft and the blade vibrating shaft is 0 (the shafts are combined).

FIG. 24 illustrates a system using a standard jig 2402. Under the principles discussed herein, direct blade induction provides an effective cutting length for the blade, which is longer than that provided by standard jigs such as the jig 2402 illustrated in FIG. obtain. L _G represents a leading elongate (length saw blade is derived), L _E represents the effective length of the blade. Since the induction length can be shortened by the concept of direct blade induction, the effective length of the blade becomes long as a result. This can be more comfortable for the surgeon, who can cut through more bone.

Cutting accuracy includes a robot system, EEA2102, handpiece sagittal saw, saw blade amplitude mechanism (blade adapter 2114 or 2214), and saw blade 2104, 2204, from floor to saw blade tip, robot system. It depends on the rigidity of the various constituent elements. With direct blade guidance, the saw blade is fastened directly to the blade adapter, which can significantly minimize or completely prevent backlash and inaccuracy of the handpiece.

In addition, the concept of direct blade guidance may facilitate integration with various existing sagittal saws. Blade adapters can simplify the shape. Therefore, it may not be necessary to construct components that are unique to the shape of the sagittal saw (manufacturer specific). In addition, the blade adapter can be easily sterilized. It is a small, lightweight and relatively simple mechanical element that can be made in such a way that it can be easily disassembled without any narrow space. As mentioned above, blades, including blade adapters, may be delivered as a single reusable device.
Tracking FIG. 25 illustrates a direct blade guidance system 2100 that may include a navigation marker or a series of markers 2500 attached to the sagittal saw handpiece 2112. The marker 2500 allows the sagittal saw to be tracked by a camera such as the camera tracking system 6. Optical tracking allows the position of the saw to be measured, but it can be difficult to measure the position of the saw blade directly during cutting (high frequency of blade vibration). Moreover, due to the low stiffness of the blade / saw handpiece connection, tracking will directly measure the deflection of the saw handpiece 2112 with respect to the blade 2104.

To measure the position of the saw blade directly, FIG. 26 illustrates a system 2100 with encoders 2600, 2602, and 2604 integrated into the joints of the EEA2102. Encoder measurements can usually be made at higher frequencies and rotational accuracy than using optical tracing. For example, the measurement frequency may be at least twice as high as the frequency of the saw blade amplitude. The blade position signal provides additional useful information such as the vibration frequency of the saw, the on / off state, and the saw blade getting stuck in the bone (eg, by interpreting the vibration and its derivatives). Can be extracted.

In an exemplary embodiment consistent with the principles of the present disclosure, vibration of the sagittal saw handpiece held by the surgeon can be reduced. By reducing the vibration of the handpiece, tactile feedback can be improved and cutting efficiency can be increased. As mentioned above, the vibrations transmitted to the surgeon's hand result from the transmitted dynamic forces and torques produced by the unbalanced inertia of the blade / blade adapter coupling around the blade rotation axis.

By filtering vibrations, one approach can be achieved to reduce vibrations. In FIG. 27, the damping element 2700 may be connected between the handpiece 2112 and the EEA2102. It can be implemented using rubber, pneumatic, or hydraulic cylinders.

Another approach to reducing vibration can be achieved by dynamically balancing the inertia of the coupled saw / saw adapter around the axis of rotation of the saw. This can be implemented by dynamically compensating for the transmitted forces and torques produced by the oscillating saw blade, using compensating inertia that carries out the opposite movements in the same dynamics. FIGS. 28 and 32 illustrate exemplary embodiments in which the corrected inertia can be coupled to the main inertia to maintain balance using the mechanical inverter 2800.
Further provisions and embodiments:
In the above description of various embodiments of the concept of the invention, the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing a particular embodiment only and are not intended to limit the concept of the invention. I want you to understand. Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the concepts of the invention belong. .. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and related arts, and are defined herein. It will be further understood that it is not interpreted in such an idealized or overly formal sense.

When an element is referred to as being "connected", "coupled", "responsive", or a variant thereof to another element, that An element can directly connect to, join, or respond to other elements, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, one element is "directly connected" to another, "directly coupled", "directly respond", or a variant thereof. When referenced as, there are no intervening elements. Similar numbers refer to similar elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, "coupled," "connected," "responsive," or variants thereof, are wirelessly bound and connected. , Or can include responding. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural form unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. Well-known functions or structures may not be described in detail for brevity and / or clarity. The term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

Although various elements / actions may be described herein using terms such as first, second, and third, these elements / actions should not be limited by these terms. Will be understood. These terms are used only to distinguish one element / action from another. Therefore, the first element / action in some embodiments can be referred to as the second element / action in other embodiments without departing from the teaching of the concept of the present invention. The same reference number or the same reference code indicates the same or similar elements throughout the specification.

As used herein, "comprise," "comprising," "comprises," "include," "include," "includes." , "Have", "has", "having", or variants thereof, without limitation, one or more described features, integers, elements, steps, Includes components or functions, but does not preclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, integers, elements, steps, components, functions, or groups thereof. Furthermore, as used herein, the general abbreviation "eg (eg)" derived from the Latin word "eg (exempli gratia)" is a general example (s) of the above items. ) May be used to introduce or specify, and is not intended to limit such items. The general abbreviation "ie (ie)" derived from the Latin "ie (id est)" may be used to specify a particular item from a more general enumeration.

Exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to block diagrams and / or flow charts showing computer mounting methods, devices (systems and / or devices) and / or computer program products. It is understood that the blocks in the block diagram and / or the flow chart and the combination of blocks in the block diagram and / or the flow chart can be implemented by computer program instructions executed by one or more computer circuits. These computer program instructions can be provided to the processor circuits of general purpose computer circuits, dedicated computer circuits, and / or other programmable data processing circuits to generate machines, thereby computer processors and / or others. Instructions executed through the programmable data processing equipment of the computer transform and control transistors, values stored in memory locations, and other hardware components in such networks to block diagrams and /. Or means (functions) and means for implementing the function / action specified in the flowchart block (s) and thereby implementing the function / action specified in the block diagram and / or the flowchart block (s). / Or create a structure.

These computer program instructions are also such that the instructions stored on a computer-readable medium produce a manufactured article containing instructions that implement a function / action specified in a block diagram and / or flow chart block or blocks. Alternatively, it may be stored on a tangible computer-readable medium that can instruct other programmable data processing equipment to function in a particular manner. Accordingly, embodiments of the concept of the present invention are hardware and / or software (firmware) running on a processor, such as a digital signal processor, which may be collectively referred to as a "network," "module," or variant thereof. , Including resident software, microcode, etc.).

It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions / actions described in the blocks may occur in a different order than described in the flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may be executed in reverse order, depending on the function / action involved. Further, the function of a given block of the flowchart and / or block diagram may be separated into multiple blocks, and / or the function of two or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram may be at least partially. It may be integrated. Finally, other blocks may be added / inserted between the blocks shown and / or blocks or actions may be omitted without departing from the scope of the concept of the present invention. In addition, it should be understood that although some figures include arrows on the communication path to indicate the main direction of communication, communication may occur in the opposite direction of the drawn arrows. ..

Many changes and modifications can be made to embodiments without substantially departing from the principles of the concept of the present invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be incorporated herein within the scope of the concepts of the invention. Therefore, the subject matter disclosed above should be considered exemplary rather than limiting, and the examples of the accompanying embodiments are all such modifications within the spirit and scope of the concepts of the present invention. It is intended to cover enhancements and other embodiments. Therefore, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the scope of the concept of the invention should be determined by the broadest acceptable interpretation of the present disclosure, including examples of the following embodiments and their equivalents. , Should not be restricted or limited by the detailed description above.

Claims (20)

A direct blade guidance system
With a robot arm configured to be positioned by a surgical robot,
A plurality of end effector arms including a base configured to be attached to an end effector coupler of the robot arm, wherein the end effector arm includes a distal joint disposed at the distal end of the end effector arm. End effector arm, including multiple joints connected by joints,
A blade adapter connected to the end effector arm via the distal joint,
The blade connected to the blade adapter and
A direct blade guidance system comprising a handpiece connected to the blade. The system according to claim 1, wherein the handpiece is a sagittal saw handpiece. The system of claim 1, further comprising an encoder disposed on each joint. The system of claim 3, wherein the tracking camera is configured to track the encoder and measure the position of the blade. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade is clamped to the blade adapter. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade is screwed onto the blade adapter. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade and blade adapter are integrated as a single unit. The system according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axis of the distal joint and the vibration axis of the blade coincide with each other. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade adapter and the blade are attached via an active clamping mechanism. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade adapter and the blade are attached via a passive clamping mechanism. Surgical system
A tracking system configured to determine the orientation of the anatomical structure cut by the saw blade and to determine the orientation of the saw blade.
Surgical robot
Robot base,
A robot arm connected to the robot base,
A surgical robot comprising at least one motor operably connected to the robot base to move the robot arm.
The blade guidance system comprises a blade guidance system.
A plurality of end effector arms including a base configured to be attached to an end effector coupler of the robot arm, wherein the end effector arm includes a distal joint disposed at the distal end of the end effector arm. End effector arm, including multiple joints connected by joints,
A blade adapter connected to the end effector arm via the distal joint,
The blade connected to the blade adapter and
A surgical system comprising a handpiece connected to the blade. The system according to claim 1, wherein the handpiece is a sagittal saw handpiece. The system of claim 1, further comprising an encoder disposed on each joint. The system of claim 3, wherein the tracking system is configured to track the encoder and measure the position of the blade. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade is clamped to the blade adapter. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade is screwed onto the blade adapter. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade and blade adapter are integrated as a single unit. The system according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axis of the distal joint and the vibration axis of the blade coincide with each other. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade adapter and the blade are attached via an active clamping mechanism. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade adapter and the blade are attached via a passive clamping mechanism.

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