Surgical robot platform

Abstract

A medical robot system, including a robot coupled to an effectuator element with the robot configured for controlled movement and positioning. The system may include a transmitter configured to emit one or more signals, and the transmitter is coupled to an instrument coupled to the effectuator element. The system may further include a motor assembly coupled to the robot and a plurality of receivers configured to receive the one or more signals emitted by the transmitter. A control unit is coupled to the motor assembly and the plurality of receivers, and the control unit is configured to supply one or more instruction signals to the motor assembly. The instruction signals can be configured to cause the motor assembly to selectively move the effectuator element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for performing a medical procedure using a medical robot system, comprising:
 providing a medical robot system including:
 a robot including a display and an arm; 
 an end effector coupled to the arm; 
 a dynamic reference base capable of being coupled to a patient; 
 an optical tracking system configured to track the position of the arm, the end effector and the reference base, wherein the optical tracking system includes optical markers positioned on the reference base and the end effector; and 
 a processor coupled to the robot and the optical tracking system, 
   providing, via the processor, image registration data of the patient and the robot system to the display; and   implementing, via the processor, a planned trajectory causing the robot arm to position the end effector along the planned trajectory, and   wherein the planned trajectory is non-linear.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector is a tube having a pitch axis, a roll axis and a tube axis defining an axis of rotation of the tube. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector element comprises a needle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector is coupled with a curved guide tube. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the laser light is positioned at a top portion of the end effector. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the end effector coincides with the planned trajectory, an auditory feedback is provided to indicate the desired trajectory has been achieved. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processor autonomously causes the robot arm to be adjusted to position the end effector at the planned trajectory based on detected optical markers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises a specially-configured computer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector position can only be moved along the planned trajectory. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector position can be locked at a fixed distance from the patient 
     
     
         11 . A method for performing a medical procedure using a medical robot system, comprising:
 providing a medical robot system including:
 a robot including a display and an arm; 
 an end effector coupled to the arm; 
 a dynamic reference base capable of being coupled to a patient; 
 an optical tracking system configured to track the position of the arm, the end effector and the reference base, wherein the optical tracking system includes optical markers positioned on the reference base and the end effector; and 
 a processor coupled to the robot and the optical tracking system, 
   providing image registration data of the patient and the robot system to the display,   implementing a planned trajectory causing the robot arm to position the end effector along the planned trajectory, and   wherein the planned trajectory is curved.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the end effector is a tube having a pitch axis, a roll axis and a tube axis defining an axis of rotation of the tube. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the end effector element comprises a needle. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the end effector is configured to match the curvature of the planned trajectory. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the processor modifies the planned trajectory based on the intra-operative imaging. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein when the end effector coincides with the trajectory vector an auditory feedback is provided to indicate the desired trajectory has been achieved. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the processor autonomously causes the robot arm to be adjusted to position the end effector at the planned trajectory based on detected optical markers. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the end effector position can only be moved along the planned trajectory autonomously by the robotic arm. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the end effector position can be locked at a fixed distance from the patient. 
     
     
         20 . A method of performing a medical procedure using a medical robot system, comprising:
 providing a medical robot system including:
 a robot including a display and an arm; 
 an end effector coupled to the arm; 
 a dynamic reference base capable of being coupled to a patient; 
 an optical tracking system configured to track the position of the arm, the end effector and the reference base, wherein the optical tracking system includes optical markers positioned on the arm, the reference base and the end effector; and 
 a processor coupled to the robot and the optical tracking system, 
   providing image registration data of the patient and the robot system to the display,   implementing a planned trajectory causing the robot arm to position the end effector along the planned trajectory,   registering the planned trajectory with data associated with the optical markers and radiographic imaging,   wherein the planned trajectory is non-linear and is modified based intra-operative imaging.