Patent · US Expired

Alignment of master and slave in a minimally invasive surgical apparatus

US6364888B1 · kind B1 · utility

2,497Cited by
20References
66Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 7, 1999
Grant dateApr 2, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 7, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N23/555
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

This invention relates to establishing alignment or a desired orientational relationship between a master and a slave of a telerobotic system. The invention can advantageously be used in a surgical apparatus. A method of establishing a desired orientational relationship between a hand-held part of a master control and an end effector of an associated slave as viewed in an image displayed on a viewer is provided. The method includes causing the end effector to remain stationary, determining a current orientation of the end effector relative to a viewing end of an image capturing device operatively associated with the viewer and determining a desired corresponding orientation of the hand-held part of the master control relative to the viewer, at which orientation the desired orientational relationship between the hand-held part of the master control and the end effector would be established. The method further includes causing the hand-held part of the master control to be moved into the desired corresponding orientation. The invention extends to a control system arranged to cause the desired orientational relationship between the hand-held part of the master control and the end effe…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.