A surgical system includes an instrument drive unit having a plurality of motors, two of which are high-side motors and two of which are low-side motors. The instrument drive unit is coupled to an instrument having an end effector with a first jaw and a second jaw. The instrument also includes a plurality of cables, two of which are high-side cables actuatable by the high-side motors and two of which are low-side cables actuatable by the low-side motors. The high-side cables are used to close the first and second jaw members and the low-side cables are used to open the first and second jaw members. The system also includes a controller for determining whether one of the low-side cables is broken based on a derivative of jaw angle between the first and second jaws exceeding a jaw angle derivative threshold and a sum of motor torques of the high-side motors exceeding combined high-side torque threshold.

A surgical robotic system comprises a surgeon console, remote surgical robot, and a control unit. The surgeon console comprises a base connected to a hand controller by a linkage, the linkage comprising a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the linkage can be altered. The surgeon console comprises a driver to drive each joint to move. The surgeon console further comprises a presence sensor to sense the presence of a surgeon's hand on the hand controller. The control unit receives user inputs from the hand controller, converts the received user inputs into command signals for driving manipulation of the surgical robot, receives sensory inputs from sensors including the presence sensor, and responds to, during a surgical operation, concurrently detecting from the received sensory inputs (i) the lack of a surgeon's hand on the hand controller, and (ii) an external force additional to gravity acting on the hand controller, by controlling the drivers to drive the joints with a damped response in the direction of the external force.

A surgical robot system includes a robot having a robot base and a robot arm coupled to the robot base, and a surgical retractor. The surgical retractor includes a retractor frame, a coupler, blades, a force and/or torque sensor, and a force and/or torque feedback determination unit. The retractor frame includes arms that are translatably and/or pivotably connected to the retractor frame. The coupler releasably attaches the retractor frame to the robot arm. The blades are each coupled to and extend away from a distal end of one of the arms. The force and/or torque sensor is connected to the blades and indicates an amount of force and/or torque being applied to the blades from contact with material of a surgical site. The force and/or torque feedback determination unit determines the amount of force and/or torque being applied to the blades based on the indication.

To achieve in vivo repair of severed mammalian nerve tissue, a system can be employed to induce distraction neurogenesis. At least a portion of the system can be anchored at an injury site, such as between distal and proximal nerve ends. The system can be attached to the proximal nerve end and can place the nerve under micro-tension for an extended period of treatment. The system may also deliver medication or treatment to encourage neurogenesis and to reduce pain in the subject receiving treatment. After the course of treatment, the device can be removed from the injury site, and the nerve ends rejoined.

A surgical manipulator operates in a manual mode in which a user applies forces and torques to the surgical instrument to cause movement of the energy applicator. The surgical manipulator also operates in a semi-autonomous mode in which the surgical manipulator moves the energy applicator along a tool path. A controller monitors output of a force/torque sensor as the energy applicator is being moved along the tool path in the semi-autonomous mode and transitions from the semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode in response to the output exceeding a limit.

This disclosure covers various concepts to use for obtaining measurement of tension in catheter pullwires to improve controllability of a robotic surgical system.

A robotic surgical system configured for the articulation of a catheter comprises an input device, a control computer, and an instrument driver having at least one motor for displacing the pull-wire of a steerable catheter wherein the control computer is configured to determine the desired motor torque or tension of the pull-wire of a catheter based on user manipulation of the input device. The control computer is configured to output the desired motor torque or tension of the pull-wire to the instrument driver, whereby at least one motor of the instrument driver implements the desired motor torque to cause the desired pull-wire tension to articulate the distal tip of the catheter. The present embodiment further contemplates a robotic surgical method for the articulation of a steerable catheter wherein an input device is manipulated to communicate a desired catheter position to a control computer and motor torque commands are outputted to an instrument driver. The robotic system may further comprise a torque sensor. The robotic system may also incorporate closed loop feedback in which data from the torque measuring device is used to ensure that the torque in the motor or tension in the pull-wire closely matches the motor torque command from the control computer.

The present invention provides a handheld robot for orthopedic surgery and a control method thereof. The handheld robot of the present invention includes a main body, a grip, a kinematic mechanism, a tool connector, a tool, a force sensor and a positioning unit. The handheld robot of the present invention combines the position/orientation information of the tool acquired by the positioning unit with the force/torque information acquired by the force sensor, and utilizes the combined information to adjust the position of the tool so as to keep the tool within the range/path of a predetermined operation plan. In this way, the precision of the orthopedic surgery can be enhanced, and the error occurred during the surgery can be minimized.

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.

The disclosure relates to a dental screwdriver having a shaft portion made of a smart type alloy that bends with little or no resistance along an arch forming portion thereof and without imparting torqueing forces along a distal front end portion thereof onto which is connected a drive tip designed to interface with an appropriately sized screw. The smart alloy automatically assumes its original shape in the absence of twisting forces on the shaft along the arch forming portion. In an alternate embodiment, assuming the original shape involves applying heat and/or subtle finger pressure. The dental screwdriver may be part of a set of screwdrivers, each having a distal front end portion which is uniquely weighted, sized and/or dimensioned to accommodate different driver tips, handle different torqueing functions, and/or configured to bend to a specific maximum angular arch without permanent deformation. A dental prosthetic having a curved bore cavity is also described.