Method and apparatus for performing minimally invasive surgical procedures

Abstract

The system includes a pair of surgical instruments that are coupled to a pair of robotic arms. The instruments have end effectors that can be manipulated to hold and suture tissue. The robotic arms are coupled to a pair of master handles by a controller. The handles can be moved by the surgeon to produce a corresponding movement of the end effectors. The movement of the handles is scaled so that the end effectors have a corresponding movement that is different, typically smaller, than the movement performed by the hands of the surgeon. The scale factor is adjustable so that the surgeon can control the resolution of the end effector movement. The movement of the end effector can be controlled by an input button, so that the end effector only moves when the button is depressed by the surgeon. The input button allows the surgeon to adjust the position of the handles without moving the end effector, so that the handles can be moved to a more comfortable position. The system may also have a robotically controlled endoscope which allows the surgeon to remotely view the surgical site. A cardiac procedure can be performed by making small incisions in the patient's skin and inserting the instruments and endoscope into the patient. The surgeon manipulates the handles and moves the end effectors to perform a cardiac procedure such as a coronary artery bypass graft.

1 - 4 . (canceled)  
     
     
         5 . A surgical robotic system comprise: 
 an input device having a first handle, the first handle movable in a first handle coordinate system;    a first surgical instrument having a tip;    a first robotic arm movably supporting the first surgical instrument, the first robotic arm having a plurality of actuators in a second coordinate system; and    a controller coupling the first robotic arm to the input device, the controller configured to apply a transformation so that a first input movement of the first handle in the first handle coordinate system results in a proportionally scaled movement of the tip of the first surgical instrument in the second coordinate system.    
     
     
         6 . The surgical robotic system of  claim 5 , we the controller is configured to calculate a position of a pivot point of a shaft of the surgical instrument when the pivot point is disposed between a proximal end of the shaft and a distal end of the shaft, and wherein the controller uses the pivot point in determining the movement of the surgical instrument tip.  
     
     
         7 . The surgical robotic system of clam  5 , wherein the controller comprises a tremor filter for filtering a hand-tremor of the first input movement so as to inhibit associated tremor of the surgical instrument tip.  
     
     
         8 . The surgical robotic system of  claim 5 , wherein the controller determines a first desired tip vector of the surgical instrument tip using the first handle movement, and wherein the controller comprises inverse kinematic computing software for generating control signals to be sent to the first robotic arm in response to the first desired tip vector, the inverse kinematic software modeling a passive fling of the robotic arms.  
     
     
         9 . The surgical robotic system of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 a second handle of the input device;    a second surgical instrument having a tip;    a second robotic arm movably supporting the second surgical instrument, the second robotic arm having a plurality of actuators;    wherein the controller couples the second robotic arm to the input device so that a second input movement of the second handle results in a proportionally scaled movement of the tip of the second surgical instrument.