A tool driver for use in robotic surgery includes a base configured to couple to a distal end of a robotic arm, and a tool carriage slidingly engaged with the base and configured to receive a surgical tool. In one variation, the tool carriage may include a plurality of linear axis drives configured to actuate one or more articulated movements of the surgical tool. In another variation, the tool carriage may include a plurality of rotary axis drives configured to actuate one or more articulated movements of the surgical tool. Various sensors, such as a capacitive load cell for measuring axial load, a position sensor for measuring linear position of the guide based on the rotational positions of gears in a gear transmission, and/or a capacitive torque sensor based on differential capacitance, may be included in the tool driver.

A tool driver for use in robotic surgery includes a base configured to couple to a distal end of a robotic arm, and a tool carriage slidingly engaged with the base and configured to receive a surgical tool. In one variation, the tool carriage may include a plurality of linear axis drives configured to actuate one or more articulated movements of the surgical tool. In another variation, the tool carriage may include a plurality of rotary axis drives configured to actuate one or more articulated movements of the surgical tool. Various sensors, such as a capacitive load cell for measuring axial load, a position sensor for measuring linear position of the guide based on the rotational positions of gears in a gear transmission, and/or a capacitive torque sensor based on differential capacitance, may be included in the tool driver.

Embodiments of a system and method for surgical tracking and control are generally described herein. A system may include a robotic arm configured to allow interactive movement and controlled autonomous movement of an end effector, a cut guide mounted to the end effector of the robotic arm, the cut guide configured to guide a surgical instrument within a plane, a tracking system to determine a position and an orientation of the cut guide, and a control system to permit or prevent interactive movement or autonomous movement of the end effector.

Embodiments of a system and method for surgical tracking and control are generally described herein. A system may include a robotic arm configured to allow interactive movement and controlled autonomous movement of an end effector, a cut guide mounted to the end effector of the robotic arm, the cut guide configured to guide a surgical instrument within a plane, a tracking system to determine a position and an orientation of the cut guide, and a control system to permit or prevent interactive movement or autonomous movement of the end effector.

Various sensor assemblies are described herein that can measure axial and lateral forces and/or axial and lateral torques acting on an instrument independent of steady state temperature variations. In one embodiment, the sensor assembly has a sensor body for coupling to the instrument such that a shaft and tip of the instrument extend from opposing ends of the sensor body. The sensor body has first and second strain sensing regions. The sensor assembly further includes first and second strain sensors coupled to and configured to measure axial strain of the first and second regions, respectively. During use, when the sensor body is coupled to the instrument, each of the first and second regions experience an opposite one of a tensile axial strain and a compressive axial strain in response to an axial force or an axial torque acting on the tip of the instrument.

A catheter (14), advanced toward an anatomical site, has a proximal end and a steerable distal end. An anchor (32, 2332) is advanced through the catheter. An anchor driver (36) drives the anchor out of the catheter's distal end (104), anchoring the anchor at the site. A first constraining member (1602, 1652) engages tissue, and inhibits, after the anchor has been driven out of the catheter and before the anchoring, movement of at least the anchor driver's distal end, on a first axis between the anchor driver's distal end and a site at which the first constraining member engages the tissue. A second constraining member (26) inhibits, after the anchor has been driven out of the catheter and before the anchoring, movement of at least the anchor driver's distal end, on a second axis. Other embodiments are also described.

A method for automatically monitoring the penetration behavior of a trocar held by a robotic arm and monitoring system is provided. The method and system automatically monitors the penetration behavior of a trocar held by a robotic arm and/or an instrument guided through the trocar into a body cavity through an incision in the surface of the body of a patient during a surgical procedure. At least one measured value is recorded, by which a change in a force effect on the surface of the body of the patient may be determined, and automatic evaluation of the measured value with regard to a reference measured value is conducted. Comparison of the change in the measured value or the change in the force effect with a threshold value is made, and an indication in the event of the threshold value being exceeded is outputted.

The disclosed embodiments relate to systems and methods for a surgical tool or a surgical robotic system. One example system for handling hardstops includes one or more processors configured to calculate an articulation joint position for the articulation drive disk or the one or more corresponding rotary motors corresponding rotary motors, calculate an articulation joint torque for the articulation drive disk or the one or more corresponding rotary motors, determine a torque ratio based on the articulation joint position and the articulation joint torque, and adjust a commanded articulation joint position received from the user based on the torque ratio to compensate for collision involving the end effector.

A control system for controlling manipulation of a surgical instrument in response to manipulation of a remote surgeon input device at a remote surgeon's console, the surgical instrument being supported by a surgical robot arm, the surgical instrument comprising an end effector connected to a distal end of a shaft by an articulated coupling, the articulated coupling comprising one or more joints enabling the end effector to adopt a range of attitudes relative to the distal end of the shaft, the control system configured to: receive a command from an input actuated by a user to straighten the surgical instrument; and in response to the received command, to command driving forces to be applied to joint(s) of the articulated coupling to drive the instrument to adopt a predetermined configuration in which the profile of the end effector is most closely aligned with the profile of the distal end of the shaft.

Methods and system for characterizing ligament properties using elastography are disclosed. An ultrasound system capable of performing shear wave elasticity imaging and/or supersonic shear imaging may retrieve one or more images from a proposed surgical site. The one or more images may be provided to a surgical planning system that identifies one or more properties of ligaments proximate to the surgical site. Musculoskeletal simulations may be performed using the identified properties to preoperatively identify a surgical plan. Preoperative identification of a surgical plan may enable a surgeon to select from more fine-tuning options for a joint replacement than conventional systems.