The present disclosure provides a system for enabling autonomous or semi-autonomous surgical operations. The system comprises: one or more processors that are individually or collectively configured to: process an image data stream comprising one or more images of a surgical site; fit a parametric model to a tissue surface identified in the one or more images; determine a direction for aligning a tool based in part on the parametric model; determine an optimal path for automatically moving the tool to perform a surgical procedure at the surgical site; and generate one or more control signals for controlling i) a movement of the tool based on the optimal path and ii) a tension force applied to the tissue by the tool during the surgical procedure.

A surgical system includes a surgical instrument that is sensitive to backlash that would adversely affect the transmission of controlled torque and position to the surgical instrument. The surgical instrument is coupled to motors in a surgical instrument manipulator assembly via a mechanical interface. The combination of the mechanical interface and surgical instrument manipulator assembly have low backlash, e.g., less than 0.7 degrees. The backlash is controlled in the surgical instrument manipulator assembly. From the drive output disk in the surgical instrument manipulator assembly to the driven disk of the surgical instrument, the mechanical interface has zero backlash for torque levels used in surgical procedures.

A motion feedthrough for a surgical drape, the motion feedthrough comprising a drive transfer element comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being releasably engageable with a portion of a robot arm and the second portion being releasably engageable with a portion of an instrument, the drive transfer element being movable relative to a bulk portion of the drape so as to transfer drive between the robot arm and the instrument.

A computer-assisted teleoperated surgical system includes one or more manipulator devices and other components. A manipulator device includes a first link, a second link coupled to a distal end of the first link, a third link coupled to the second link, and an instrument actuator coupled to the third link. A joint that couples the second link to the first link defines a yaw axis. A joint that couples the third link to the second link defines a pitch axis. The instrument actuator defines an insertion axis. The yaw, pitch, and insertion axes are fixed in relation to each other and intersect at a remote center of motion. The instrument actuator may insert a surgical instrument along the insertion axis roll and may roll the surgical instrument around the insertion axis. The proximal end of the first link may be coupled to a repositionable setup structure, which may optionally be mechanically grounded to an operating room table. A user control unit includes a processor that acts as a controller, and user inputs at the user control unit teleoperated the manipulator device via the controller.

A robotic surgical tool is disclosed. The robotic surgical tool can comprise an end effector comprising a firing member; a drive system responsive to a motor-driven input; and a proximal housing comprising a retraction mechanism. The retraction mechanism can comprise a control responsive to a manual input. The control can be rotatable in a first direction through a retraction motion and rotatable in a second direction through a reset motion. The retraction mechanism can further comprise a clutch coupled to the control. The clutch can be configured to drivingly engage the drive system as the control rotates through the retraction motion to supply a proximal retraction stroke to a firing bar and drivingly disengaged from the drive system as the control rotates through the reset motion to prevent any displacement of the firing bar by the retraction mechanism until the control is reset for a subsequent retraction motion.

A motion feedthrough for a surgical drape, the motion feedthrough comprising a drive transfer element comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being releasably engageable with a portion of a robot arm and the second portion being releasably engageable with a portion of an instrument, the drive transfer element being movable relative to a bulk portion of the drape so as to transfer drive between the robot arm and the instrument.

A surgical robot calibration device configured to be used when calibrating a surgical robotic system to perform a minimally invasive procedure through a natural orifice, the surgical robotic system comprising a surgical robotic arm and a surgical instrument having a rigid linear shaft, the surgical robot calibration device comprising a resistive spacer configurable to hold a calibration port in a fixed position spaced from the natural orifice, such that when the calibration port is held in the resistive spacer, the surgical instrument is insertable into the natural orifice via the calibration port to enable a fulcrum about which the surgical instrument pivots whilst the surgical instrument is inserted into the calibration port to be determined.

A continuum instrument includes: at least one proximal continuum, at least one distal continuum, a drive connection part, and a drive transmission mechanism. The drive connection part is connected to a proximal stop disk of the proximal continuum, and includes an input end located at a proximal side of the proximal stop disk. An output end of the drive transmission mechanism is connected to the input end of the drive connection part, and the output end is configured to drive the input end such that the proximal stop disk turns to drive the distal continuum to bend by means of proximal structural backbones of the proximal continuum and distal structural backbones of the distal continuum.

A locator of a surgical port of a surgical robot system, the surgical robot system comprising an instrument attached to a robot arm, the instrument having an instrument shaft able to pass through the surgical port to a surgical site, the locator comprising: an interface configured to couple to the surgical port; a mechanism configured to permit relative linear and/or rotational motion of the interface and the instrument shaft; and a controller comprising a processor operable to estimate the position of a part of the robot arm, the controller configured to control the mechanism in dependence on the estimated position of the part of the robot arm such that as the robot arm retracts the instrument from the patient, the locator moves the port away from the robot arm and provides a reaction force to keep the port in place.

A surgical assembly for kinematically coupling two surgical components is provided. The surgical assembly includes a first surgical component having a receiver, which defines a cavity and has a plurality of constraint surfaces accessible in the cavity. The surgical assembly further includes second surgical component having a key, which has a triplicity of kinematic elements to repeatably position the key in the receiver. The surgical assembly further includes a preloading mechanism having a load member arranged to secure the key in the receiver such that the kinematic elements contact the receiver at the plurality of constraint surfaces such that the key is kinematically constrained to the receiver by being constrained by six points of contact with the receiver.