Safety logic for surgical suturing systems

Abstract

A surgical suturing tracking system is disclosed. The surgical suturing tracking system is configured to detect and guide a suturing needle during a surgical suturing procedure. The surgical suturing track system comprises a control circuit configured to predict a path of a needle suturing stroke after receiving an input from a clinician, detect an embedded tissue structure, and assess proximity of the predicted path and the detected embedded tissue structure.

1 . A surgical suturing system, comprising:
 a grasper configured to be manipulated automatically by a surgical robot and manually by a clinician;   a suturing needle configured to be actuated through a suturing stroke by the grasper; and   a control circuit configured to:
 receive an input from the clinician to cause the surgical robot to actuate the needle through the suturing stroke automatically; 
 determine a distance between the needle and a tissue structure; 
 compare the distance to a predefined critical distance; and 
 adjust control motions applied to the grasper by the surgical robot if the determined distance is less than or equal to the predefined critical distance. 
   
     
     
         2 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined critical distance is selectable by the clinician. 
     
     
         3 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a spectral light emitter and a waveform sensor configured to detect spectral light reflections to detect the position of the needle and the position of the tissue structure. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting control motions applied to the grasper comprises applying reversing control motions to reverse the suturing stroke. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting control motions applied to the grasper comprises pausing the application of control motions to the grasper to pause the suturing stroke. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 5 , wherein adjusting control motions applied to the grasper further comprises giving manual control of the grasper the clinician. 
     
     
         7 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting control motions applied to the grasper comprises automatically adjusting the control motions applied to the grasper to navigate away from the tissue structure and continuing the suturing stroke. 
     
     
         8 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to alert the clinician if the determined distance is less than or equal to the predefined critical distance. 
     
     
         9 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the determined distance comprises the distance between a tip of the needle and the tissue structure. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the input corresponding to the position of the needle is generated by at least one of an ultrasonic device, a magnetic sensor, and a capacitive sensor. 
     
     
         11 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A surgical suturing system, comprising:
 a grasper selectively manipulatable by a surgical robot or a clinician;   a suturing needle configured to be actuated through a suturing stroke by the grasper; and   a control circuit configured to:
 receive an input from the clinician to cause the surgical robot to actuate the needle through the suturing stroke; 
 determine a distance between the needle and a tissue structure; 
 compare the distance to a predefined critical distance; and 
 adjust control motions applied to the grasper by the surgical robot based on the comparison. 
   
     
     
         23 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 22 , wherein the predefined critical distance is selectable by the clinician. 
     
     
         24 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 22 , further comprising a spectral light emitter and a waveform sensor configured to detect spectral light reflections to detect the position of the needle and the position of the tissue structure. 
     
     
         25 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 22 , wherein adjusting control motions applied to the grasper comprises applying reversing control motions to reverse the suturing stroke. 
     
     
         26 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 22 , wherein adjusting control motions applied to the grasper comprises pausing the application of control motions to the grasper to pause the suturing stroke. 
     
     
         27 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 26 , wherein adjusting control motions applied to the grasper further comprises giving manual control of the grasper the clinician. 
     
     
         28 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 22 , wherein adjusting control motions applied to the grasper comprises automatically adjusting the control motions applied to the grasper to navigate away from the tissue structure and continuing the suturing stroke. 
     
     
         29 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 22 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to alert the clinician if the determined distance is less than or equal to the predefined critical distance. 
     
     
         30 . The surgical suturing system of  claim 22 , wherein the determined distance comprises the distance between a tip of the needle and the tissue structure. 
     
     
         31 . A surgical suturing system, comprising:
 a grasper selectively manipulatable by a surgical robot or a clinician;   a suturing needle configured to be actuated through a suturing stroke by the grasper; and   a control circuit configured to:
 receive an input from the clinician to cause the surgical robot to actuate the needle through the suturing stroke; 
 determine a distance between the needle and a tissue structure; 
 detect the determined distance reaching or surpassing a predefined critical distance; and 
 adjust control motions applied to the grasper by the surgical robot based on the detection of the distance reaching or surpassing the predefined critical distance.