A medical manipulator system including: a manipulator with a flexible insertion portion, a movable part at a distal end of the insertion portion, a detachable drive unit at a proximal end of the insertion portion, and a pair of tension transmission members transmitting a driving force generated in the drive unit to move the movable part; an input unit inputting an operation command for the manipulator; and a control unit controlling the drive unit based on the input operation command, the drive unit having a displacement sensor detecting displacement direction and amount of the tension transmission members and a tension-difference sensor detecting a tension difference between the tension transmission members, the control unit has a storage unit storing characteristics of the tension transmission members and a setting unit setting a control parameter for controlling the drive unit based on the characteristics and the detected tension difference, displacement amount and direction.

A surgical imaging system for presenting one or more operational parameters to a user in an augmented reality display disposed in a user's field of vision. The one or more operational parameters may be derived from or include signals from one or more sensors of a smart surgical instrument. The augmented reality display may comprise a transparent or semitransparent display positioned between the user and the surgical field such that the user may look through the augmented reality display to view the surgical field. In this regard, a user may observe the one or more operational parameters without diverting attention from the surgical field.

A control unit of a medical manipulator system has a position recognition unit that recognizes the positions of a first manipulator and a second manipulator, an interference prediction unit that predicts whether or not the first manipulator interferes with the second manipulator in a case where the first manipulator is moved along a first movement path, and a mode selection unit that selects any one of a first mode and a second mode such that the first mode is selected in a case where the interference prediction unit predicts that the first manipulator does not interfere with the second manipulator, and the second mode is selected in a case where the interference prediction unit predicts that the first manipulator interferes with the second manipulator, and selects one mode from a plurality of operation modes so as to shift from the first mode or the second mode to a third mode in a case where a torque sensor detects contact between the first manipulator and an obstacle while the control unit is operating in the first mode or the second mode.

Described herein are systems, apparatus, and methods for precise placement and guidance of tools during a surgical procedure, particularly a spinal surgical procedure. The system features a portable robot arm with end effector for precise positioning of a surgical tool. The system requires only minimal training by surgeons/operators, is intuitive to use, and has a small footprint with significantly reduced obstruction of the operating table. The system works with existing, standard surgical tools, does not required increased surgical time or preparatory time, and safely provides the enhanced precision achievable by robotic-assisted systems.

Telerobotic, telesurgical, and surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods selectively calibrate end effector jaws by bringing the jaw elements into engagement with each other. Commanded torque signals may bring the end effector elements into engagement while monitoring the resulting position of a drive system, optionally using a second derivative of the torque/position relationship so as to identify an end effector engagement position. Calibration can allow the end effector engagement position to correspond to a nominal closed position of an input handle by compensating for wear on the end effector, the end effector drive system, then manipulator, the manipulator drive system, the manipulator/end effector interfacing, and manufacturing tolerances.

Disclosed are devices and methods for creating a bore in bone. The devices and methods described involve driving a rotating bit in an axial direction such that both rotation and linear movement are controlled and measurable. The instrument is useful for a surgeon to control and simultaneously measure the travel of the tool into the bone and prevent injury to surrounding structures.

Disclosed are devices and methods for creating a bore in bone. The devices and methods described involve driving a rotating bit in an axial direction such that both rotation and linear movement are controlled and measurable. The instrument is useful for a surgeon to control and simultaneously measure the travel of the tool into the bone and prevent injury to surrounding structures.

Various cartridge assemblies for surgical instruments are provided. Cartridge assemblies can include active sensors for applying stimuli to a tissue clamped by an end effector of the surgical instrument and a circuit configured to determine a tissue type of the tissue according to a change in the tissue parameter detected by the sensor resulting from a stimulus from the active element. Cartridge assemblies can also include physical features and/or stored data that identify the cartridge. Surgical instruments further can be configured to resolve conflicts when the physical features and/or stored data are not consistent with each other in their identification of the cartridge type.

A medical manipulator system includes: a medical manipulator including an insertion portion having a bending portion and a wire connected to the bending portion; a drive device connected to the medical manipulator and driving the wire to bend the bending portion, wherein the drive device pulls the wire at a higher speed when the wire is slack than when the wire is not slack, and determines whether the wire is slack or not based on a comparison between a threshold tension estimated from a shape of the insertion portion and a tension of the wire.

A surgical tool includes a drive housing removably coupled to a tool driver of a robotic surgical system, a shaft extending from the drive housing, an end effector arranged at an end of the shaft, and a computer system. The computer system is programmed to send a command signal to a motor of the tool driver to drive rotation of a drive shaft mounted within the drive housing, monitor torque and rotational motion of the motor with a torque sensor and a rotary encoder, respectively, in communication with the computer system, measure an unexpected change in the torque or the rotational motion of the motor with the torque sensor or the rotary encoder when the surgical tool is manually bailed out by manually rotating the drive shaft and backdriving the motor, report the unexpected change as a bailout signal, and disable the surgical tool once the bailout signal is received.