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 medical robot system, comprising:
 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; and   a processor coupled to the robot and the optical tracking system, the processor providing image registration data of the patient and the robot system to the display,   wherein the optical tracking system includes optical markers positioned on the reference base and the end effector,   wherein the processor implements a planned trajectory causing the robot arm to position the end effector along the planned trajectory,   wherein the planned trajectory is non-linear,   wherein the arm is configured to independently move the end effector along x, y, and z axes and configured for selective rotation about one of the x, y, and z axes, and wherein the arm does not provide six degrees of freedom,   wherein the arm is configured to move on a cartesian positioning system, wherein movements of the arm occur in different axes independently of one another.   
     
     
         2 . The system 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 system of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector element comprises a needle. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector is coupled with a curved guide tube. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the laser light is positioned at a top portion of the end effector. 
     
     
         6 . The system 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 system 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 system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises a specially-configured computer. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector position can only be moved along the planned trajectory. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claims 1 , wherein the end effector position can be locked at a fixed distance from the patient. 
     
     
         11 . A medical robot system, comprising:
 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; and   a processor coupled to the robot and the optical tracking system, the processor providing image registration data of the patient and the robot system to the display,   wherein the optical tracking system includes optical markers positioned on the reference base and the end effector,   wherein the processor is configured to implement a non-linear three-dimensional planned trajectory between entry of the patient and a target, causing the robot arm to position the end effector along the planned trajectory in a selected sequence of movements to simultaneously vary at least two or more of the x-axis, y-axis, roll and pitch of the end effector.   
     
     
         12 . The system 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 system of  claim 11 , wherein the end effector element comprises a needle. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the end effector is configured to match the curvature of the planned trajectory. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor modifies the planned trajectory based on the intra-operative imaging. 
     
     
         16 . The system 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 system 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 system of  claim 11 , wherein the end effector position can only be moved along the planned trajectory autonomously by the robotic arm. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claims 11 , wherein the end effector position can be locked at a fixed distance from the patient. 
     
     
         20 . A medical robot system, comprising:
 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; and   a processor coupled to the robot and the optical tracking system, the processor providing image registration data of the patient and the robot system to the display,   wherein the optical tracking system includes optical markers positioned on the arm, the reference base and the end effector,   wherein the processor implements a non-linear three dimensional planned trajectory between entry of the patient and a target, causing the robot arm to position the end effector along the planned trajectory in a selected sequence of movements to simultaneously vary at least two or more of the x-axis, y-axis, roll and pitch of the end effector,   wherein the processor registers the planned trajectory with data associated with the optical markers and radiographic imaging,   wherein the planned trajectory is modified based intra-operative imaging.