System and method for variable velocity surgical instrument

US11291442B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Matthew A. Wixey · Rancho Santa Margarita, US
• Gabriel F. Brisson · Albany, US
• William A. Burbank · Sandy Hook, US
• Patrick Flanagan · San Diego, US
• Pushkar Hingwe · Los Altos, US
• David W. Weir · Redwood City, US
• Donald F. Wilson, Jr. · Santa Clara, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 27, 2017
• Grant date: Apr 5, 2022
• Expiry date: Oct 11, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05B15/02
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A system and method of variable velocity control of a surgical instrument in a computer-assisted medical device including an end effector located at a distal end of the instrument, an actuator, and drive mechanisms for coupling force or torque from the actuator to the end effector. To perform an operation with the instrument, the computer-assisted medical device sets a velocity set point of the actuator to an initial velocity, monitors force or torque applied by the actuator, reduces the velocity set point when the applied force or torque is above a first threshold, increases the velocity set point when the applied force or torque is below a second threshold, decreases the velocity set point to zero when the applied force or torque is above a maximum threshold, and drives the actuator based on the velocity set point. The first and second thresholds are lower than the maximum threshold.