Patents by Inventor Yohei Kuroda

Yohei Kuroda has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11950970
    Abstract: Provided is a medical support arm system including a support arm that is a multilink structure having a plurality of links connected by a joint unit including an actuator, and supports a medical unit. The medical support arm system further includes a control device including an external force estimation unit to estimate an external force acting on the joint unit on the basis of a drive characteristic of the actuator, and a joint control unit to control drive of the joint unit on the basis of an external torque estimated by the external force estimation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Matsuda, Fumiyasu Suzuki, Atsushi Miyamoto, Yohei Kuroda, Kenichiro Nagasaka
  • Publication number: 20240090759
    Abstract: There is provided a medical observation device that includes an imaging unit (200) that can image an environment inside an abdominal cavity of a living body, and the imaging unit includes a plurality of first pixels (302) that are aligned in a matrix, and an event detection unit (308) that detects that a luminance change amount of light incident on each of the plurality of first pixels exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: YOHEI KURODA, SHINJI KATSUKI, KEI TOMATSU, YUGO KATSUKI, DAISUKE NAGAO
  • Patent number: 11850014
    Abstract: There is provided a control system for controlling a surgical arm device of a multi-link structure in which a plurality of links is coupled together by a joint unit in a force control mode. In generalized inverse dynamics, the control system sets a motion purpose and a constraint condition in an operation space describing an inertia of force acting on a multi-link structural body and an acceleration of the multi-link structural body, and for implementing an operation space acceleration indicating the motion purpose, calculates a virtual force acting on the operation space on the basis of a motion equation relating to the operation space including a term of an operation space bias acceleration in consideration to gravity compensation according to inclination information of the surgical arm device, and calculates a torque command value for a joint unit on the basis of a real force converted from the virtual force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Matsuda, Jun Arai, Takara Kasai, Yohei Kuroda, Wataru Kokubo
  • Publication number: 20230293249
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing device (300) including a control unit (324) that controls a medical arm (102) to autonomously operate using a first learning model generated by machine learning a plurality of state information concerning an operation of the medical arm labeled as an operation that should be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: KAZUTO YOKOYAMA, YOHEI KURODA, TETSUHARU FUKUSHIMA, YUKI ITOTANI, KATSUFUMI SUGIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230282345
    Abstract: Provided is a medical support system that supports medical practice by a doctor. The medical support system includes: a control unit; a recognition unit that recognizes an operative field environment; and a machine learning model that estimates an operation performed by the medical support system on the basis of a recognition result of the recognition unit. The control unit outputs determination basis information regarding the operation estimated by the machine learning model to an information presentation unit. The control unit further includes a calculation unit that calculates reliability regarding an estimation result of the machine learning model, and outputs the reliability to the information presentation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: KENJI SUZUKI, YOHEI KURODA, DAISUKE NAGAO, KANA MATSUURA
  • Publication number: 20230142404
    Abstract: Systems and methods can comprise or involve predicting future movement information for a medical articulating arm using a learned model generated based on learned previous movement information from a prior non-autonomous trajectory of the medical articulating arm performed in response to operator input and using current movement information for the medical articulating arm, generating control signaling to autonomously control movement of the medical articulating arm in accordance with the predicted future movement information for the medical articulating arm, and autonomously controlling the movement of the medical articulating arm in accordance with the predicted future movement information for the medical articulating arm based on the generated control signaling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Yuka ARIKI, Masaru USUI, Daisuke NAGAO, Kazuto YOKOYAMA, Yohei KURODA
  • Publication number: 20230126611
    Abstract: To support easy arrangement of a robot, an information processing apparatus includes: a projection image generating section which generates a projection image that projects information specifying a range of motion of a target part of a medical arm onto the range of motion on the basis of first information regarding the range of motion and second information regarding a position and a posture of a projection device that projects an image in an operating room; and an output instruction section that outputs a projection instruction for the projection image to the projection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: YUKI ITOTANI, TETSUHARU FUKUSHIMA, YOHEI KURODA, KAZUTO YOKOYAMA, KATSUFUMI SUGIMOTO
  • Patent number: 11633245
    Abstract: There is provided is a robot arm apparatus including an arm unit made up of a plurality of links joined to each other by one or a plurality of a joint unit, the arm unit being connectable to an imaging unit; and a drive control unit that controls driving of the arm unit by causing each joint unit to be driven cooperatively. The drive control unit uses relative position information of a reference position with respect to the arm unit, the relative position information being based on a state of the arm unit and distance information about a distance between the imaging unit and the reference position, to control the driving of the arm unit in a manner that the reference position is positioned on an optical axis of the imaging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takara Kasai, Yasuhisa Kamikawa, Yohei Kuroda, Wataru Kokubo, Toshimitsu Tsuboi, Tetsuharu Fukushima, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Atsushi Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 11612306
    Abstract: [Problem] To prevent sight of an observation target from being lost from a visual field of a monitor. [Solution] A surgical arm system includes: an articulated arm in which a plurality of joints is rotatably connected by a plurality of links and which is capable of supporting an oblique-viewing endoscope at a tip; and a control system which controls the articulated arm to change a position and a posture of the oblique-viewing endoscope. The control system controls at least one of a rotation speed and a movement speed of the oblique-viewing endoscope in a visual field imaged through the oblique-viewing endoscope based on a position of the observation target in the visual field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohei Kuroda, Jun Arai, Masaru Usui, Takeshi Maeda
  • Publication number: 20230022929
    Abstract: A computer assisted surgery system comprising: a computerised surgical apparatus; and a control apparatus; wherein the control apparatus comprises circuitry configured to: receive information indicating a first region of a surgical scene from which information is obtained by the computerised surgical apparatus to make a decision; receive information indicating a second region of the surgical scene from which information is obtained by a medical professional to make a decision; determine if there is a discrepancy between the first and second regions of the surgical scene; and if there is a discrepancy between the first and second regions of the surgical scene: perform a predetermined process based on the discrepancy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher WRIGHT, Bernadette ELLIOTT-BOWMAN, Taro AZUMA, Yohei KURODA
  • Publication number: 20230017738
    Abstract: A system for controlling a medical image capture device during surgery, the system including: circuitry configured to receive a first image of the surgical scene, captured by the medical image capture device from a first viewpoint, and additional information of the scene; determine, for the medical image capture device, in accordance with the additional information and previous viewpoint information of surgical scenes, one or more candidate viewpoints from which to obtain an image of the surgical scene; provide, in accordance with the first image of the surgical scene, for each of the one or more candidate viewpoints, a simulated image of the surgical scene from the candidate viewpoint; control the medical image capture device to obtain an image of the surgical scene from the candidate viewpoint corresponding to a selection of one of the one or more simulated images of the surgical scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Bernadette ELLIOTT-BOWMAN, Christopher WRIGHT, Akinori KAMODA, Yohei KURODA
  • Patent number: 11553838
    Abstract: There is provided an endoscope including a main body including a coupler to which a cable is attached, a tubular section having a tubular form, a reflector having a reflection surface that reflects light introduced from the coupler to inside of the main body and introduces the light to inside of the tubular section, a first optical system that transmits the light introduced by the reflector to the inside of the tubular section to a front-end portion of the tubular section and irradiates a subject with the light from the front-end portion, and a second optical system that transmits reflected light of the subject from the front-end portion of the tubular section to the main body side. The coupler is provided to be rotatable in the main body around a central axis of the tubular section with respect to another portion. The cable is coupled to a light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Arai, Yohei Kuroda, Masaru Usui, Tetsuharu Fukushima, Daisuke Nagao
  • Patent number: 11540701
    Abstract: There is provided a medical holding apparatus including: a first actuator configured to cause a medical optical tool that guides light from a body cavity of a subject to a camera head during a surgical operation, to rotate about an optical axis of the medical optical tool and a rotation mechanism configured to support the camera head that acquires an image of the body cavity of the subject via the medical optical tool, the camera head being rotatable about the optical axis of the medical optical tool independently from the medical optical tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Arai, Yohei Kuroda, Masaru Usui, Tetsuharu Fukushima
  • Publication number: 20220409326
    Abstract: A system for controlling a medical image capture device during surgery is provided, the system including circuitry configured to acquire first image data from the medical image capture device, the first image data being of an appearance of a surgical scene at a first instance of time; determine, based on a predicted appearance of the surgical scene based on the first image data at a second instance of time after the first instance of time, one or more desired image capture properties of the medical image capture device; and control the medical image capture device at a third instance of time, the third instance of time being between the first instance of time and the second instance of time, in accordance with the one or more desired image capture properties of the medical image capture device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher WRIGHT, Bernadette ELLIOTT-BOWMAN, Akinori KAMODA, Yohei KURODA
  • Patent number: 11478133
    Abstract: A medical observation system includes a multi-link structure in which a plurality of links is mutually coupled by joint parts, a medical observation apparatus attached on the multi-link structure, a control part configured to control the multi-link structure or the medical observation apparatus, and a user interface part by which a user inputs an instruction to change a visual field of the medical observation apparatus. When a user instructs to move a visual field of the medical observation apparatus vertically or horizontally, to rotate an oblique-viewing endoscope, or to change a magnification of the visual field via the user interface part, the control part controls the multi-link structure or the medical observation apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takara Kasai, Yohei Kuroda, Takeshi Maeda, Seiji Wada
  • Patent number: 11458637
    Abstract: [Object] To enable further suppression of the movement amount of an arm section when switching states. [Solution] There is provided a control apparatus configured to execute a current tracking control on a basis of a measurement value of a torque sensor of an actuator provided in at least one of multiple joint sections included in an arm section of a medical support arm apparatus, the current tracking control causing a motor of the actuator to output torque by which a position and an attitude of the arm section are maintained, and switch a first state in which the motor is driven in accordance with a predetermined control method, and a second state in which the joint section is locked using a brake of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohei Kuroda, Tetsuharu Fukushima, Fumiyasu Suzuki, Toshimitsu Tsuboi
  • Publication number: 20220287787
    Abstract: There is provided a control system for controlling a surgical arm device of a multi-link structure in which a plurality of links is coupled together by a joint unit in a force control mode. In generalized inverse dynamics, the control system sets a motion purpose and a constraint condition in an operation space describing an inertia of force acting on a multi-link structural body and an acceleration of the multi-link structural body, and for implementing an operation space acceleration indicating the motion purpose, calculates a virtual force acting on the operation space on the basis of a motion equation relating to the operation space including a term of an operation space bias acceleration in consideration to gravity compensation according to inclination information of the surgical arm device, and calculates a torque command value for a joint unit on the basis of a real force converted from the virtual force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro MATSUDA, Jun ARAI, Takara KASAI, Yohei KURODA, Wataru KOKUBO
  • Patent number: 11395709
    Abstract: There is provided a control system for controlling a surgical arm device of a multi-link structure in which a plurality of links is coupled together by a joint unit in a force control mode. In generalized inverse dynamics, the control system sets a motion purpose and a constraint condition in an operation space describing an inertia of force acting on a multi-link structural body and an acceleration of the multi-link structural body, and for implementing an operation space acceleration indicating the motion purpose, calculates a virtual force acting on the operation space on the basis of a motion equation relating to the operation space including a term of an operation space bias acceleration in consideration to gravity compensation according to inclination information of the surgical arm device, and calculates a torque command value for a joint unit on the basis of a real force converted from the virtual force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Matsuda, Jun Arai, Takara Kasai, Yohei Kuroda, Wataru Kokubo
  • Patent number: 11382715
    Abstract: To provide a jig holding apparatus and medical observation apparatus, which enable linear motion of a jig without increasing the size of a holding mechanism configured to hold the jig. A jig holding apparatus (1) includes: a holding mechanism (100) including a holding section (173) configured to detachably hold a predetermined jig (10) from a periphery of the jig (10), and a linear motion driving section (130) provided around the jig (10) held by the holding section (173) and configured to cause the jig (10) to linearly move.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Arai, Yohei Kuroda, Yasuhisa Kamikawa, Wataru Kokubo
  • Publication number: 20220211464
    Abstract: To realize torque control based on an estimated external force and to cope with more various situations. Provided is a medical support arm system including: a support arm that is a multilink structure having a plurality of links connected by a joint unit including an actuator, and configured to support a medical unit; and a control device including an external force estimation unit configured to estimate an external force acting on the joint unit on the basis of a drive characteristic of the actuator, and a joint control unit configured to control drive of the joint unit on the basis of an external torque estimated by the external force estimation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: YASUHIRO MATSUDA, FUMIYASU SUZUKI, ATSUSHI MIYAMOTO, YOHEI KURODA, KENICHIRO NAGASAKA