Interface for Laparoscopic Surgeries - Movement Gestures

Abstract

A method of controlling a surgical tool includes capturing, with an endoscope, real-time images of surgical tools in a field of view within the body cavity. Image processing of the images is performed in real time to detect movement of at least a portion of a first one of the surgical tools. The system determines if the detected movement is within one of the plurality of predetermined protocols of input movement and, if it is, a corresponding predetermined output commands is carried out such that a second one of the surgical tools is robotically maneuvered or activated.

1 . A method of controlling a surgical tool, comprising:
 positioning an endoscope, a first surgical tool and a second surgical tool within a body cavity in which a surgical environment is located;   capturing, with the endoscope, real-time images of at least the first and second surgical tools in a field of view within the body cavity;   real-time image processing said images to detect movement of at least a portion of said first surgical tool;   determining if said detected movement is within one of the plurality of predetermined protocols of input movement;   if said detected movement is within a predetermined protocol of input movement, activating a corresponding predetermined output commands such that the second surgical tool is at least one of the following:   robotically maneuvered according to said at least one output protocol; and   activated according to said at least one output protocol.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second surgical tool is robotically maneuvered according to said at least one output protocol. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second surgical tool is activated according to said at least one output protocol. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein activating the second surgical tool comprises opening or closing an end effector of the tool. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein activating the second surgical tool comprises energizing an electrosurgical tool. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein activating the second surgical tool comprises activating a stapler. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein activating the second surgical tool comprises activating a stapler. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein activating the second surgical tool comprises opening or closing the second surgical tool. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein activating the second surgical tool comprises causing the second surgical tool to function or stop functioning. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein activating the second surgical tool comprises causing the second surgical tool to be introduced into the surgical environment or removed from the surgical environment. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said protocol of input movement is selected from a group consisting of: moving said first surgical tool parallel to the X axis; moving said first surgical tool parallel to the Y axis; moving said first one surgical tool parallel to the Z-axis; rotational movement of said first surgical tool around an axis parallel to the X axis; rotational movement of said first surgical tool around an axis parallel to the Y axis; rotational movement of said first surgical tool around an axis parallel to the Z axis; shaking said first surgical tool, moving said first surgical tool in at least a portion of a circle, moving said first surgical tool in at least a portion of an oval, moving said first surgical tool in at least a portion of an ellipse, moving said first surgical tool in a straight line, moving said first surgical tool in a zigzag, moving said first endoscope parallel to the X axis, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said protocol of input movement is selected from the group consisting of: at least a portion of said first surgical tool is positioned in a predetermined region of said field of view; at least a portion of said first surgical tool is positioned less than a predetermined distance from an edge of said field of view; at least a portion of said first surgical tool is oriented at a predetermined angle in said field of view; there exists a predetermined relationship between at least two articles in said field of view and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method includes robotically maneuvering at least one of the endoscope, first surgical tool and second surgical tool in least three dimensions. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the output protocol is an output movement protocol, and wherein a relationship between magnitude of an output movement and magnitude of said detected movement is selected from a group consisting of: the magnitude of said output movement is proportional to the magnitude of said detected movement; the magnitude of said output movement is substantially identical to the magnitude of said detected movement; the magnitude of said output movement is independent of the magnitude of said detected movement 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the output protocol is selected from an output movement protocol group consisting of an allowed output movement protocol, a restricted output movement protocol and any combination thereof of a member of a maneuverable object group consisting of said at least one endoscope, said first surgical tool, said second surgical tool and any combination thereof, wherein each member of said output movement protocol group is determinable from input movement protocols comprising historical movements of said member of said maneuverable object group according with historical movement patterns of said member of said maneuverable object group in at least one previous surgery. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each member of a group consisting of an allowed input movement protocol, a restricted input movement protocol and any combination thereof comprises, stored in said communicable database, each 3D spatial position of said member of said maneuverable object group according with at least two 3D spatial positions of said member of said maneuverable object group, such that each movement pattern of said member of said maneuverable object group and each 3D position of said member of said maneuverable object group according with the same is stored; in said associated allowed output protocol, said allowed movements of said member of said maneuverable object group are movements in which the same is located substantially in at least one of the endoscope 3D spatial positions according with at least one said 3D movement pattern, and said restricted movements are movements in which the location of said member of said maneuverable object group is substantially different from the n 3D spatial positions of the same according with the n movement patterns. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each member of a group consisting of an allowed output movement protocol, a restricted output movement protocol and any combination thereof comprises at least one rule according to which allowed and restricted movements of said second surgical tool are determined, such that each detected movement of said at least one surgical tool is determined as either an allowed movement or as a restricted movement according to said predetermined set of rules. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said allowed movement is permitted by said controller and said restricted movement is denied by said controller. 
     
     
         20 . A method of controlling a surgical tool, comprising:
 positioning an endoscope and a first surgical tool within a body cavity in which a surgical environment is located;   capturing, with the endoscope, real-time images of at least the first surgical tool in a field of view within the body cavity;   real-time image processing said images to detect at least one input command from said image of said field of view and to, if said input command is within one of a plurality of predetermined input protocols activate at least one of a predetermined plurality of output commands   
       wherein the input command is selected from the group consisting of:
 a. at least a portion of the first surgical tool is positioned in a predetermined region of said field of view; 
 b. at least a portion of the first surgical tool is positioned less than a predetermined distance from an edge of said field of view; 
 c. at least a portion of the first surgical tool is oriented at a predetermined angle in said field of view; 
 d. the first surgical tool is activated; 
 e. the first surgical tool is deactivated; 
 
       and wherein said output command is selected from a group consisting of:
 a. at least a portion of the first surgical tool is repositioned to a predetermined region of said field of view; 
 b. at least a portion of the first surgical tool is oriented at a predetermined angle in said field of view; 
 d. the first surgical tool is activated; 
 e. the first surgical tool is deactivated; 
 f. in the first surgical tool, at least one of a group consisting of an articulation angle, an articulation length and any combination thereof is altered; 
 g. the first surgical tool is tagged. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said activation is selected from a group consisting of: opening said first surgical tool, closing said first surgical tool, causing said first surgical tool to function, stopping said first surgical tool from functioning, introducing said first surgical tool to the surgical environment, and removing said first surgical tool from the surgical environment, and any combination thereof.