A robotic surgical system in which the system applies a scaling factor between user input from a user input device and corresponding movements of the robotic manipulator. Scaling factors may be applied or adjusted based on detected conditions such as the type of instrument being manipulated, detected distance between multiple instruments being manipulated, user biometric parameters.

A robotic system includes an electrosurgical instrument having an instrument housing having a shaft with an end effector assembly and first and second jaw members attached thereto movable to grasp tissue. An input is operably coupled to the instrument housing and is configured to move the jaw members. A handle is remotely disposed relative to the instrument housing and is configured to communicate with the input for controlling the jaw members, the handle having a lever configured to cooperate with the input to control the jaw members relative to movement of the lever. The lever moves between a homing position and a first position correlating to the jaw members closing with a pressure therebetween in the range of about 0.1 kg/cm.sup.2 to about 2 kg/cm.sup.2. The lever further movable to a seal position correlating to the jaw members closing about tissue with a pressure between about 3 kg/cm.sup.2 to about 16 kg/cm.sup.2 for sealing.

A steerable instrument (100) controllable by a robotic arm (200), having a proximal end (20) and a distal (40) end comprising: a cylindrical shaft (130), a cylindrical bendable proximal part (120) and a cylindrical bendable distal part (140), a connector (110) configured for dismountable attachment to the robotic arm (200), attached in fixed rotational relation to the bendable proximal part (120), an end effector (150) attached in fixed rotational relation to the bendable distal part (140), the steerable instrument (100) configured such that: the bendable distal part (140) bends responsive to bending of the bendable proximal part (120), and the end effector (150) is rotatable when the bendable distal part (140) is in a bent position by a complementary rotation of the connector (110), the shaft (130) is pivotable around a fulcrum zone (134) on the shaft (130) and changes direction responsive to a complementary movement of the connector (110), thereby providing control of the shaft (130) direction, bending of the bendable distal part (140), and rotation of the end effector (150) through robotic movement of the connector (110).

For control about a remote center of motion (RCM) of a surgical robotic system, possible configurations of a robotic manipulator are searched to find the configuration providing a greatest overlap of the workspace of the surgical instrument with the target anatomy. The force at the RCM may be measured, such as with one or more sensors on the cannula or in an adaptor connecting the robotic manipulator to the cannula. The measured force is used to determine a change in the RCM to minimize the force exerted on the patient at the RCM. Given this change, the configuration of the robotic manipulator may be dynamically updated. Various aspects of this RCM control may be used alone or in combination, such as to optimize the alignment of workspace to the target anatomy, to minimize force at the RCM, and/or to dynamically control the robotic manipulator configuration based on workspace alignment and force measurement.

A robotic surgical system is described. In some embodiments, the robotic surgical system includes a physician-side shaft controlled by a physician, the movement of which is tracked by a plurality of physician-side balls and transmitted to a plurality of patient-side balls, which in turn, move a patient-side shaft and attached surgical device, such as a stent retriever.

A control system for controlling manipulation of a surgical instrument in response to manipulation of a remote surgeon input device. The surgical instrument comprises opposable first and second end effector elements connected to a shaft by an articulated coupling. The control system: transforms commands from the surgeon input device to alter the opening angle between the first and second end effector elements according to a first control relationship to drive signals to drive the first and second end effector elements to rotate; receives sensed forces applied to the first and second end effector elements, and compares the sensed forces to a threshold force; and upon determining that the threshold force has been exceeded, transforms subsequent commands from the surgeon input device to alter the opening angle between the first and second end effector elements according to a second control relationship to drive signals to drive the first and second end effector elements to rotate, wherein the second control relationship is different to the first control relationship.

A variety of applications can include apparatus and/or methods that provide an axial force transducer. Two coils wound coaxially with respect to each other can be used with a magnet to determine a distance traveled based on application of an axial force to an instrument component. The two coils and magnet can be configured in a number of ways with respect to the instrument component. In various embodiments, the difference between an inductance associated with one of the two coils along with its relation to the magnet and an inductance associated with the other one of the two coils along with its relation to the magnet can be used to determine the axial force on the component of the instrument associated with the distance travelled. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

A device sized and shaped for insertion into a body comprising: at least one mechanical limb comprising: a support segment; a first flexible section extending from the support segment and terminating in a coupling section; and a second flexible section extending from the coupling section and terminating in a tool or a connector for a tool; wherein a long axis of one or more of the flexible sections is bendable in a single bending plane; wherein a long axis length of the first flexible section is at least double a maximum extent of the first flexible section perpendicular to a flexible section long axis; wherein a long axis length of the second flexible section is at least double a maximum extent of the second flexible section perpendicular to a flexible section long axis.

Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed for properly using and locating object retention wands via the use of at least one sensor located on or in the wand body for determining when the wand is capable of properly scanning a target area. In one form, a proximity sensor is used. In another form a motion sensor is used. In still other forms, both a proximity sensor and motion sensor are used. In some forms, the wand system further includes an indicator for indicating whether the wand is within proper read range, speed and/or orientation of a target area so as to confirm proper use of the wand to locate retained objects before concluding a procedure. In other forms one or more of a user interface, scanner and network interface may also be used with the system. Further systems, methods and apparatus are also disclosed herein.

A surgical system is provided comprising: an input device; and a controller for receiving control inputs from the input device and for providing haptic feedback at the input device, the controller configured to apply a staged transition from a first haptic feedback profile at the input device to a second haptic feedback profile at the input device.