Abstract: A teleoperational system comprises a teleoperational control system and a teleoperational manipulator configured for operating an instrument in an environment. The teleoperational system also comprises an operator controller in communication with the teleoperational control system. The teleoperational control system includes a processing unit including one or more processors. The processing unit is configured to determine whether an operator of the operator controller has a head portion directed toward a display region of a display device and based on a determination that the operator's head portion is directed toward the display region, initiate an operator following mode in which movement of the operator controller provides a corresponding movement to the teleoperational manipulator. The teleoperational system may be a teleoperational medical system.

Abstract: An operator telerobotically controls tools to perform a procedure on an object at a work site while viewing real-time images of the object, tools and work site on a display. Tool information is provided by filtering a part of the real-time images for enhancement or degradation to indicate a state of a tool and displaying the filtered images on the display.

Abstract: In a minimally invasive surgical system, a plurality of video images is acquired. Each image includes a hand pose image. Depth data for the hand pose image is also acquired or synthesized. The hand pose image is segmented from the image using the depth data. The segmented image is combined with an acquired surgical site image using the depth data. The combined image is displayed to a person at a surgeon's console of the minimally invasive surgical system. Processing each of the video images in the plurality video images in this way reproduces the hand gesture overlaid on the video of the surgical site in the display.

Abstract: A method is provided for intra-surgical use of a surgical patient health record in a teleoperated surgical system that includes a surgical instrument and a surgical instrument actuator, comprising: receiving user input commands to control movement of a robotic surgical instrument; tracking robotic surgical instrument actuator state in response to the user input commands; and transitioning robotic surgical instrument actuator state to a safety mode in response to the robotic surgical instrument transitioning to a prescribed actuator state.

Abstract: A teleoperated surgical system is provided comprising: a first robotic surgical instrument; an image capture; a user display; a user input command device coupled to receive user input commands to control movement of the first robotic surgical instrument; and a movement controller coupled to scale a rate of movement of the first robotic surgical instrument, based at least in part upon a surgical skill level at using the first robotic surgical instrument of the user providing the received user input commands, from a rate of movement indicated by the user input commands received at the user input command device.

Abstract: In a minimally invasive surgical system, a plurality of video images is acquired. Each image includes a hand pose image. Depth data for the hand pose image is also acquired or synthesized. The hand pose image is segmented from the image using the depth data. The segmented image is combined with an acquired surgical site image using the depth data. The combined image is displayed to a person at a surgeon's console of the minimally invasive surgical system. Processing each of the video images in the plurality video images in this way reproduces the hand gesture overlaid on the video of the surgical site in the display.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving first shape data from a first elongated optical fiber section in a first shape sensor. The first elongated optical fiber section extends between a reference fixture and a first anatomic fixture coupled to a patient anatomy. The method further comprises determining a pose of the first anatomic fixture from the first shape data and tracking a pose change for the first anatomic fixture.

Abstract: A system and method of coordinated motion includes a device with one or more movable elements and one or more processors. The device is configured to discover a second device, determine a desired type of coordinated motion based on the discovery of the second device, request a movement token of a first type from a token service, the first type being selected based on the desired type of coordinated motion, receive the movement token from the token service, receive configuration data, kinematic data, or planned motion data for the second device, plan a first motion for a movable element of the movable elements based on the first type of the movement token and the configuration data, the kinematic data, or the planned motion data for the second device, and execute the first motion while the device holds the movement token.

Abstract: A teleoperated system includes a master grip and a ratcheting system coupled to the master grip. The ratcheting system is configured to be coupled to a slave instrument. The ratcheting system is further configured to align the master grip with the slave instrument by determining a commanded angular velocity for the slave instrument based on a command from the master grip, determining a current alignment error between an alignment of the master grip and an alignment of the slave instrument, and altering the commanded angular velocity for the slave instrument based on the current alignment error. In some embodiments, the ratcheting system is further configured to introduce a control system error to alter the commanded angular velocity. In some embodiments, the current alignment error is a rotation angle error between the alignment of the master grip and the alignment of the slave instrument.

Abstract: An operator telerobotically controls tools to perform a procedure on an object at a work site while viewing real-time images of the work site on a display. Tool information is provided in the operator's current gaze area on the display by rendering the tool information over the tool so as not to obscure objects being worked on at the time by the tool nor to require eyes of the user to refocus when looking at the tool information and the image of the tool on a stereo viewer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for registering a manipulator assembly and independently positionable surgical table are provided herein. In one aspect, methods include reading a fiducial marker on the surgical table with a sensor associated with the manipulator assembly and localizing the manipulator assembly and surgical table with respect to a common reference frame. Methods may further include translating a 3D configuration of the surgical table to a 2D frame of reference so as to estimate a 3D pose of the surgical table relative the manipulator assembly for use in coordinating movements therebetween.

Abstract: A minimally invasive surgical instrument includes a first mechanism including a periphery and an opening in the periphery, a second mechanism including a surface and a helical slot in the surface, a pin extending through the opening of the first mechanism and into the helical slot of the second mechanism, and a surgical device coupled to an end of the first mechanism. A first axial axis of rotation is defined for the first mechanism. A second axial axis of rotation is defined for the second mechanism. The second axial axis of rotation is coincident with the first axial axis of rotation. Rotation of the first mechanism relative to the second mechanism results in motion of the second mechanism along the second axial access of rotation relative to the first mechanism.

Abstract: A system includes a robotic manipulator including a serial chain comprising a first joint, a second joint, and a first link. The system further includes a processing unit including one or more processors. The processing unit is configured to receive first link data from a first sensor system located at the first link, generate a first joint state estimate of the first joint based on the first link data, and generate a second joint state estimate of the second joint. The processing unit is further configured to apply a first weight to the first joint state estimate to generate a first weighted joint state estimate, apply a second weight to the second joint state estimate to generate a second weighted joint state estimate, and control the first and second joints based on the first weighted joint state estimate and second weighted joint state estimate.

Abstract: A system includes a robotic manipulator including a serial chain comprising a first joint, a first link, and a second link. The second link is between the first joint and the first link in the serial chain. The system further includes a processing unit including one or more processors. The processing unit is configured to receive first link data from a first sensor system located at the first link, generate a first joint state estimate of the first joint based on the first link data and a kinematic model of the robotic manipulator, and control the first joint based on the first joint state estimate.

Abstract: An operator telerobotically controls tools to perform a procedure on an object at a work site while viewing real-time images of the work site on a display. Tool information is provided in the operator's current gaze area on the display by rendering the tool information over the tool so as not to obscure objects being worked on at the time by the tool nor to require eyes of the user to refocus when looking at the tool information and the image of the tool on a stereo viewer.

Abstract: A system and method of coordinated motion among heterogeneous devices includes a medical device with one or more movable elements and one or more processors. Any of the processors uses a shared interface to access services. The medical device requests a movement token from a token service through the shared interface, receive the movement token from the token service, exchange configuration data, kinematic data, or planned motion data through the shared interface, plan a first motion for a first movable element of the movable elements based on the movement token and the configuration data, the kinematic data, or the planned motion data, and execute the first motion. In some embodiments, the movement token is selected from a group consisting of an exclusive-motion token, a master follow-me token, a slave follow-me token, a master collision-avoidance token, a slave collision-avoidance token, and a passive collision-avoidance token.

Abstract: A minimally-invasive surgical system includes a slave surgical instrument having a slave surgical instrument tip and a master grip. The slave surgical instrument tip has an alignment in a common frame of reference and the master grip, which is coupled to the slave surgical instrument, has an alignment in the common frame of reference. An alignment error, in the common frame of reference, is a difference in alignment between the alignment of the slave surgical instrument tip and the alignment of the master grip. A ratcheting system (i) coupled to the master grip to receive the alignment of the master grip and (ii) coupled to the slave surgical instrument, to control motion of the slave by continuously reducing the alignment error, as the master grip moves, without autonomous motion of the slave surgical instrument tip and without autonomous motion of the master grip.

Abstract: Methods and systems for registering a manipulator assembly and independently positionable surgical table are provided herein. In one aspect, methods include reading a fiducial marker on the surgical table with a sensor associated with the manipulator assembly and localizing the manipulator assembly and surgical table with respect to a common reference frame. Methods may further include translating a 3D configuration of the surgical table to a 2D frame of reference so as to estimate a 3D pose of the surgical table relative the manipulator assembly for use in coordinating movements therebetween.

Abstract: A stereo imaging system comprises a stereoscopic camera having left and right image capturing elements for capturing stereo images; a stereo viewer; and a processor configured to modify the stereo images prior to being displayed on the stereo viewer so that a disparity between corresponding points of the stereo images is adjusted as a function of a depth value within a region of interest in the stereo images after the depth value reaches a target depth value.

Abstract: A synthetic representation of a robot tool for display on a user interface of a robotic system. The synthetic representation may be used to show the position of a view volume of an image capture device with respect to the robot. The synthetic representation may also be used to find a tool that is outside of the field of view, to display range of motion limits for a tool, to remotely communicate information about the robot, and to detect collisions.