MECHANICAL TELEOPERATED DEVICE FOR REMOTE MANIPULATION

Abstract

A mechanical teleoperated device for remote manipulation is provided that is primarily intended for use in minimally invasive surgery. The device generally comprises a slave unit having a number of slave links interconnected by a plurality of slave joints, an end-effector connected to the distal end of the slave unit, a master unit having a corresponding number of master links interconnected by a plurality of master joints, and a handle connected to the distal end of the master unit for operating the mechanical teleoperated device. The device further comprises mechanical transmission means arranged to kinematically connect the slave unit with the master unit such that the movement applied on each master joint of the master unit is reproduced by the corresponding slave joint of the slave unit. In addition, the mechanical teleoperated device comprises improved kinematics and an improved arrangement of mechanical constraints, allowing for improved positioning of the device over a patient, increased workspace inside the patient and ease of workflow in an operating room.

Claims

1. A mechanical telemanipulator for remote manipulation comprising: a slave manipulator having a number of slave links interconnected by a plurality of slave joints; an end-effector connected to the distal end of the slave manipulator; a master manipulator having a corresponding number of master links interconnected by a plurality of master joints; a handle connected to the distal end of the master manipulator for operating the mechanical telemanipulator; first mechanical transmission means arranged to kinematically connect the slave manipulator with the master manipulator such that the movement applied on each master joint of the master unit is reproduced by the corresponding slave joint of the slave manipulator; second mechanical transmission means arranged to kinematically connect the end-effector with the handle such that the movements applied on the handle are reproduced by the end-effector, and at least one mechanical constraint applied on a link of the said mechanical telemanipulator so that it is guided to translate along a rotate about a stationary single point, when the mechanical telemanipulator is operated; wherein the at least one mechanical constraint is mounted on an articulated system so that its relative position towards the master and slave manipulators can be changed and blocked in three dimensional space.

2. The mechanical telemanipulator according claim 1, wherein the mechanical constraint is applied on a master link to enable the corresponding slave link to translate along and rotate about a second stationary single point.

3. The mechanical telemanipulator according claim 1, wherein the mechanical constraint is applied on a slave link to enable the corresponding master link to translate along and rotate about a second stationary single point.

4. The mechanical telemanipulator according claim 1, wherein the articulated system has at least one degree-of-freedom and comprises at least one moving link.

5. The mechanical telemanipulator according claim 4, wherein an incision pointer can be attached to the distal moving link of the articulated system in order to indicate the location of the second stationary single point.

6. The mechanical telemanipulator according claim 1, characterized in that the kinematic model of the chain formed by the plurality of slave links and corresponding slave joints of the slave manipulator, is substantially identical to the kinematic model of the chain formed by the plurality of master links and corresponding master joints of the master manipulator.

7. The mechanical telemanipulator according to claim 6, characterized in that the first mechanical transmission means are configured such that each slave link of said slave manipulator and the corresponding master link of the master manipulator move substantially parallel to each other when said mechanical telemanipulator is operated.

8. The mechanical telemanipulator according to claim 7, characterized in that the amplitude of the movement of the distal extremity of the distal master link of the master manipulator, when the mechanical telemanipulator is operated, is reproduced by the distal extremity of the distal slave link of the slave manipulator at a predetermined scale ratio which corresponds to the ratio between the length of each slave link and the length of the corresponding master link.

9. The mechanical telemanipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of slave and master joints of respective slave and master manipulators comprise pulleys and/or pinions and in that the first and second mechanical transmission means comprise a plurality of transmission loops of flexible and/or rigid elements mounted to transmit the motion from each of the plurality of master pulleys and/or pinions of the master manipulator to the corresponding slave pulleys or pinions of the slave manipulator.

10. The mechanical telemanipulator according to claim 9, characterized in that a plurality of transmission loops is composed by cables, ropes, belts or chains.

11. A surgical platform comprising at least two mechanical telemanipulators according to claim 1, wherein each mechanical telemanipulator is configured to be operated independently from the other.

12. A surgical platform according to claim 11, characterized in that each mechanical telemanipulator is mounted on an articulated positioning manipulator, each articulated positioning manipulator being connected to a separate movable base.

13. A surgical platform according to claim 11, characterized in that each mechanical telemanipulator is mounted on an articulated positioning manipulator, each articulated positioning manipulator being connected to a single movable base.

14. A surgical platform according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that each said articulated positioning manipulator comprises adjustment means to position said second stationary single point of each mechanical telemanipulator in correspondence with a surgical incision realized on a patient.

15. A surgical platform according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that each said articulated positioning manipulator is gravity-compensated by means of systems of counterweights and/or springs so that it can be more easily moved by the users.

16. A surgical platform according to claim 15, characterized in that said each articulated positioning manipulator comprises a system of clutches/brakes on each one of the joints so that they are blocked by default and can be released and moved when a switch is pressed.

17. A surgical platform according to claim 16, characterized in that each said articulated positioning manipulator can bring each said telemanipulator to a protected location substantially over the said single or separate movable base when the said telemanipulators are not in operation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0015] The invention will be better understood according to the following detailed description of several embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the invention disclosed in WO2013014621;

[0017] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the invention disclosed in WO2013014621;

[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates some of the limitations of the mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the invention disclosed in WO2013014621;

[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates some advantages of the mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention over the mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the invention disclosed in WO2013014621;

[0020] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention;

[0021] FIG. 6 shows the kinematic and constraint difference between the mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention and the mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the invention disclosed in WO2013014621;

[0022] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention in a first active position;

[0023] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention in a second active position;

[0024] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention in a third active position;

[0025] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention in a fourth active position;

[0026] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention in a fifth active position;

[0027] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to the preferred embodiment of the current invention in a sixth active position;

[0028] FIG. 13 shows a schematic view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention where the position of the mechanical constraint can be changed in relation to the ground to which the first degree-of-freedom of the mechanical telemanipulator is attached;

[0029] FIG. 14 shows a schematic view of a mechanical telemanipulator according to another embodiment of the current invention where the position of the mechanical constraint can be changed in relation to the ground to which the first degree-of-freedom of the mechanical telemanipulator is attached;

[0030] FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of a surgical platform comprising at least one mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention;

[0031] FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of a surgical platform comprising at least one mechanical telemanipulator according to an embodiment of the current invention, a movable base and at least one articulated positioning manipulator;

[0032] FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of the movable base and at least one articulated positioning manipulator of the surgical platform of FIG. 16;

[0033] FIG. 18 illustrates a first solution of how the mechanical telemanipulators of the surgical platform of FIG. 16 can be removed from the surgical area during a surgical procedure;

[0034] FIG. 19 illustrates a second solution of how the mechanical telemanipulators of the surgical platform of FIG. 16 can be removed from the surgical area during a surgical procedure;

[0035] FIG. 20 shows a first perspective view of the surgical platform of FIG. 16 in a compact storage configuration;

[0036] FIG. 21 shows a second perspective view of the surgical platform of FIG. 16 in a compact storage configuration;

[0037] FIG. 22 shows the kinematics of a mechanical telemanipulator having a constraint on the slave manipulator and a RCM on the master manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] FIG. 23 shows the kinematics of a mechanical telemanipulator with constraints on both the master and slave manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] FIG. 24 shows the kinematic model of an embodiment of the current invention where an incision pointer is mounted on the mechanical telemanipulator so that the RCM can be localized and precisely with the body incision of the patient;

[0040] FIGS. 25 and 26 show two different views of the surgical platform, in a detailed stage of design, using two mechanical telemanipulators according to an embodiment of the current invention;

[0041] FIG. 27 shows a perspective view of a mechanical telemanipulator, in a detailed stage of design, according to an embodiment of the current invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] The mechanical telemanipulator 34, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is intended to be used in a surgical platform, like the mechanical telemanipulator 1 shown in FIG. 1, whose description is fully disclosed in WO2013014621 and which description is fully incorporated herein by reference as if presented herein in full.

[0043] One of the key features of this type of mechanical telemanipulators consists of its master-slave architecture, which enables a natural replication of the user hand movements, on a proximal handle 2, by a distal end-effector 3 on a remote location.

[0044] According to FIG. 2, the mechanical telemanipulator 1 may comprise: i) a master manipulator 4 having a number of master links 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, rotating over a plurality of master joints 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, a ii) a handle 2 for operating the mechanical telemanipulator 1, connected to the distal end of the master manipulator 4, iii) a slave manipulator 5 having a number of slave links 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 (generally corresponding to the master links 7, 8, 9, 10, 11), and rotating over a plurality of slave joints 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 (generally corresponding to the master joints 12, 13, 14, 15, 16); and iv) an end-effector 3 (instrument/tool or a gripper/holder) connected to the distal end of the slave manipulator 5. More particularly, the kinematic chain formed by the plurality of articulated slave links 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and corresponding slave joints 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the slave manipulator 5, may be substantially identical to the kinematic chain formed by the plurality of articulated master links 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and corresponding master joints 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 of the master manipulator 4.

[0045] Referring still to FIG. 2, the proximal master joint 12 and the proximal slave joint 22 can be considered to be merged in a single joint connecting the mechanical telemanipulator 1 to a ground 27. In the same way, the proximal master link 7 and the proximal slave link 17 can also be considered to be merged in a single connecting link.

[0046] The configuration of the mechanical telemanipulator 1 can also be described by considering the end-effector 3 to be part of the slave manipulator 5 and the handle 2 to be part of the master manipulator 4. In a broader sense, the links and joints composing the end-effector 3 can be considered distal slave links and joints, while the links and joints composing the handle 2 can be considered distal master links and joints.

[0047] The mechanical telemanipulator 1 further comprises mechanical transmission systems arranged to kinematically connect the slave manipulator 5 with the master manipulator 4 such that the movement (angle of joint) applied on each master joint of the master manipulator 4 is reproduced by the corresponding slave joint of the slave manipulator 5.

[0048] For each degree of freedom of the mechanical telemanipulator 1, different types of mechanical transmissions can be used. In order to minimize the system's overall friction, the mechanical transmission between the majority of the master and slave joints is essentially in the form of pulley-routed flexible elements, where each driven pulley of the slave joint is connected to the respective driving pulley of the master joint, by a multi-stage closed cable loop transmission. However, other types of mechanical transmission can be used, comprising rigid and/or geared elements.

[0049] Another key feature of the mechanical telemanipulator 1 disclosed in WO2013014621 lies in the mechanical constraint 28 of the mechanical telemanipulator which is configured to constraint movements of the slave manipulator 5 in correspondence with the constraints imposed by an incision realized on a patient. Referring to FIG. 2, in an embodiment of the invention, the mechanical constraint 28 is configured to ensure that, when the mechanical telemanipulator 1 is in operation, the master link 11 of the master manipulator 4 always translates along and rotates about a single point so that the corresponding slave link 21 always translates along and rotates about a fixed point in the space 29, also known as the Remote-Center-of-Motion, RCM.

[0050] Therefore, the movement applied on the handle 2, forces the movement of the master joints 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 of the master manipulator 4, by the direct mechanical transmission system and the mechanical constraint 28, to drive the respective movement of the slave joints 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the slave manipulator 5. As a result, the multi-articulated end-effector 3 connected to the distal end of the slave manipulator 5 is moved in an equivalent movement of the handle 2, while the slave link 21 always translates along and rotates about the RCM 29.

[0051] During a minimally invasive surgical procedure, the RCM 29 is brought in coincidence with the surgical incision point, reducing trauma to the patient and improving cosmetic outcomes of the surgery.

[0052] Some embodiments of the invention disclosed in WO2013014621 may have a few limitations in terms of its positioning over the patient. As can be seen in FIG. 3, with this specific kinematic model, an alignment 33 between the 1.sup.st degree-of-freedom, DOF, of the mechanical telemanipulator 1 and the incision 29 on the patient 30 is required. This prerequisite, together with the fact that the neutral position of instrument shaft 21 is perpendicular with the alignment line 33, limits the forward angulation that can be reached inside the patient and forces the distance between the master manipulator 4 and the slave manipulator 5 to be large in order to avoid collisions of the handle 2 with the patient 30 and surgical table 31. In addition, the fact that the handle 2 cannot be positioned over the patient 30, limits the ranges of procedures that can be done.

[0053] To overcome the above mentioned set of limitations, another embodiment of WO2013014621 can be formulated, as can be seen in FIG. 4. Due to its new kinematics and constraint setup (shown in FIG. 5), with this mechanical telemanipulator 34 the RCM 29 (and therefore the incision point on the patient) doesn't have to be aligned with the first DOF of the mechanical telemanipulator 34 and the neutral position of the instrument shaft 21 doesn't have to be perpendicular with any alignment line. As can be seen in FIG. 4, these features allow for much more flexibility in positioning the mechanical telemanipulator 34 over the patient 30, while allowing shorter distances between the master manipulator 4 and the slave manipulator 5, which results in a lighter and more compact system 1 that can be more easily integrated in the operating room workflow.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows the new kinematic model of the system, with a total of 6 degrees-of-freedom (excluding the three degrees-of-freedom of the handle 2 and end-effector 3) and the constraint 28, which is now fixed to a second ground 37 and not to the proximal master link 7, as in the embodiment 1. As can be seen in FIG. 6, this kinematics of the embodiment 34 has one more DOF that the kinematics of the embodiment 1, which consist in the master joint 35 and the correspondent slave joint 36.

[0055] FIGS. 7 to 12 show the mechanical telemanipulator 34 in different working configurations.

[0056] A key feature of this invention consist in the possibility to move the constraint 28 (and therefore the RCM 29) in the 3D space in relation to the ground 27, to which the mechanical telemanipulator 34 is fixed by the first joint 12 (FIGS. 13 and 14). This can be achieved by and articulated system 38 that can be fixed to a second ground 37 (FIG. 13) or directly to the ground 27 (FIG. 14). This feature allows for an increased flexibility in reaching an optimal position of the telemanipulator 34 over the patient, while allowing for a desired workspace inside the patient with an ideal ergonomy for the surgeon.

[0057] A surgical platform 45, which comprises at least one mechanical telemanipulator 34, can be seen in FIG. 15. It is arranged in a way that the mechanical telemanipulators 34 can be placed over the surgical table 31, while having their RCM 39 merged with the incision points in the patient.

[0058] According to FIGS. 16 and 17, the surgical platform 45, may further comprise a movable base 39, and at least one articulated positioning manipulator 40, whose distal extremity 41 is fixed to the mechanical telemanipulator 34 so that it can be moved over the surgical table 31 and stably fixed in specific positions of the 3D space. In other embodiments of the current invention, instead of a single movable base 39, each one of the two articulated positioning manipulators 40 may be mounted on a separate movable base, independent from the movable base of the other articulated positioning manipulator 40.

[0059] Each articulated positioning manipulator 40 should be gravity-compensated (together with the mechanical telemanipulator 34 that is being carried) by means of systems of counterweights and/or springs. In addition, each articulated positioning manipulator 40 should be provided with a system of clutches/brakes on each one of the joints so that they are blocked by default and can be released and moved when a switch 43 is pressed. By pressing the switch 43, the mechanical telemanipulator 34 can be moved in the 3D space to be positioned over the patient or to be removed from the surgical area 42 to a remote location 44, in particular during a surgical procedure (FIGS. 18 and 19) but also before or after. This feature is critical for an easy integration of the surgical platform with the operating room workflow, were the mechanical telemanipulators can be used interactively with other types of surgical instrumentation (for instance, standard laparoscopic instruments) during the same surgical procedure.

[0060] In order to be precisely positioned over the patient and aligned with the body incision of the patient, an incision pointer 47 (FIG. 24) can be mounted on each mechanical telemanipulator 34 during their positioning over the patient, when the detachable instrument containing the end-effector 3 is still not mounted on the mechanical telemanipulator 34. As can be seen in FIG. 24, the incision pointer 47 can be rigidly attached to the distal moving link 49 of the articulated system 38 so that its distal extremity is pointing to the RCM 29 of the mechanical telemanipulator 34 (whose 3D position with respect to the ground 27 is changing according to the positional configuration of the articulated system 38). Then, as soon as the distal extremity of the incision pointer 47 is brought to be substantially coincident to the incision of the patient body (where a surgical trocar may be in place) the 3D position of the mechanical telemanipulator 34 is blocked in the 3D space but releasing the switch 43 of the articulated positioning manipulator 40.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the surgical platform 45 allows for a compact storing position, where the mechanical telemanipulators 34 are brought by the articulated positioning manipulators 40 to a protected location over the platform's movable base 39. In the shown embodiment, the position of both telemanipulators is substantially vertical but in other embodiments of the current invention they may be in other special configurations (for instance, substantially horizontal).

[0062] FIGS. 25 and 26 show two different views of the surgical platform 45 in a more detailed stage of design, while FIG. 27 shows an embodiment of the current invention, used on the mechanical telemanipulator 34, where the articulated system 38 provides 2 degrees-of-freedom L1, L2 (corresponding to the linear displacement between the link 48 and the ground 27 and the linear displacement between the distal link 49 and the link 48) to the constraint 28.

[0063] While this invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For instance, knowing that each master joint 12, 13, 14, 35, 15, 16 is kinematically connected with the corresponding slave joint 22, 23, 24, 36, 25, 26 another embodiment of the current invention can be achieved by placing the constraint 28 on a slave link 21 to have the RCM 29 on the master manipulator 4, around which the master link 11 would always rotate about and translate along (FIG. 22). Similarly, a different embodiment of the present invention could be reached by having the constraint 28m in the master link 11 and placing a second constraint 28s on the slave manipulator 5 (FIG. 23), so that the slave link 21 would always rotate about and translate along a point that is coincident with the incision.