Abstract: A surgical robot comprising a robot arm base connected to a distal robot arm link via a series of intermediate articulated robot arm links. A robot arm interface is attached to the distal robot arm link. The robot arm interface engages an instrument interface of a surgical instrument, and comprises an instrument engagement source and an instrument engagement detector. The instrument engagement detector is configured to only detect the instrument engagement source when the instrument engagement source is coupled to the instrument engagement detector by a coupler.

Abstract: A method of assembling a position sensing arrangement for sensing the position of a revolute joint of an articulated structure. The position sensing arrangement comprises a magnetic sensor assembly and a disc having a first magnetic ring with j magnetic pole pairs and a second magnetic ring with k magnetic pole pairs. A boundary of the disc is constrained by the articulated structure.

Abstract: A drive unit for providing drive from a robot arm to an instrument comprises a plurality of drive elements for engaging corresponding elements of the instrument, and a load cell structure. Each drive element is movable along a drive axis and the drive axes of each of the drive elements are substantially parallel to each other. The load cell structure includes a plurality of deflectable bodies coupled to the drive elements for sensing load on the drive elements parallel to their drive axes, and a frame. The frame includes an integral member supporting the deflectable bodies in such a way as to isolate each deflectable body from the load applied to the or each other deflectable body.

Abstract: A method of correcting a position reading from a position sensing arrangement. The position sensing arrangement is suitable for sensing the position of a revolute joint of an articulated structure, and comprises a disc having a magnetic ring with magnetic pole pairs and a magnetic sensor assembly comprising a magnetic sensor array for detecting the magnetic pole pairs of the magnetic ring.

Abstract: A robotic surgical instrument comprises an articulation at its shaft's distal end and an instrument interface at its proximal end. The articulation is driveable by pairs of driving elements to articulate an end effector. The instrument interface comprises instrument interface elements configured to drive the driving elements. The instrument interface elements engage drive assembly interface elements of a drive assembly interface of a surgical robot arm when the robotic surgical instrument engages the surgical robot arm. A guide bar is located at an external face of the instrument interface, which, on engaging the instrument interface with the drive assembly interface, is received in the drive assembly interface prior to the instrument interface elements. Once received in the drive assembly interface, the guide bar constrains a relative orientation at which the instrument interface and the drive assembly interface are permitted to engage so as to align their longitudinal attitudes.

Abstract: A robot comprising: a base; a flexible arm extending from the base having: a plurality of joints positioned throughout the arm, a plurality of drivers arranged to drive the joints, and an attachment structure for attaching a tool to the arm; and a control unit configured to control the drivers and to receive inputs from sensors, where the control unit (i) controls the drivers to permit the arm to be reconfigured by the action of an external force applied to the arm to cause the tool to be retracted from a port; and (ii) on receiving sensor input indicating that the arm has been reconfigured to cause the tool to be retracted from the port, controls the drivers to reconfigure the arm so as to agitate the tool transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tool.

Abstract: A circuit for sensing the driving current of a motor, the circuit comprising: a driver configured to generate a driving current for each phase of a multiple-phase motor, the instantaneous sum of all the driving currents being zero; a current sensor for each phase of the multiple-phase motor, each current sensor configured to measure the driving current of that phase and comprising a plurality of current sensor elements arranged with respect to each other such that each current sensor element has the same magnitude of driving current systematic error due to magnetic fields external to the driving current to be measured; and a controller configured to, for each phase of the multiple-phase motor, generate an estimate of the driving current of that phase to be the measured driving current of that phase minus 1/n of the total of the measured driving currents for all phases, n being the number of phases of the multiple-phase motor.

Abstract: Methods and systems for automatically augmenting an endoscope video for a task based on status data that describes the status of a surgical robot system that was used to at least partially perform the task. The system comprises an event detector and an augmenter. The event detector is configured to: receive the status data; and identify one or more patterns in the status data that indicate an event occurred during the task. The augmenter is configured to receive an endoscope video captured during the task, the endoscope video being time synchronised with the status data; and in response to the event detector identifying a pattern in the status data that indicates an event occurred, automatically augment metadata that forms part of or is associated with the endoscope video with information identifying the event and the time the event occurred with respect to the endoscope video.

Abstract: A method of correcting a position reading from a position sensing arrangement. The position sensing arrangement is suitable for sensing the position of a revolute joint of an articulated structure, and comprises a disc having a magnetic ring with magnetic pole pairs and a magnetic sensor assembly comprising a magnetic sensor array for detecting the magnetic pole pairs of the magnetic ring.

Abstract: A surgical robot arm (10) comprises a mounting portion (18). The mounting portion (18) comprises a reader (20) configured for reading location identifiers (26). The mounting portion (18) fits into a socket (22) comprising a location identifier (26). A signal output from the reader (20) allows determination of the location of the robot arm (10).

Abstract: A surgical robotic drape for enveloping a surgical robotic arm includes a covering for enveloping the robotic arm to define a sterile boundary thereover; an interface element attached to the covering, the interface element being configured to engage a drive assembly interface and an instrument interface to couple the drive assembly to an instrument to thereby provide drive to the instrument through the drape; and a guiding structure attached to the covering for locating the interface element relative to the drive assembly interface. The guiding structure is deformable between a storage configuration for when the drape is to be stored, and an operative configuration in which the guiding structure is configured to attach to the robotic arm to position the interface element with respect to the interface of the drive assembly for engagement therewith.

Abstract: A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb (310) of the arm relative to another limb (311) of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes (20, 21), the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier (28) attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear (33) disposed about the first rotation axis and fast with the carrier, whereby rotation of the carrier relative to the first limb about the first rotation axis can be driven; a second drive gear (37) disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with the second one of the limbs, whereby rotation of the second one of the limbs about the second rotation axis relative to the carrier can be driven; at least one of the first and second drive gears being a sector gear.

Abstract: A robot arm having a compound joint between a first limb of the arm and a second limb of the arm, the second limb of the arm being distal of the first limb, the arm comprising: a coupler element coupled to the first limb of the arm by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to the second limb of the arm by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; first and second rotational position sensors for sensing the configuration of the arm about the first and second joints respectively; first and second torque sensors for sensing the torque applied about the first and second joints respectively; a control unit for controlling the operation of the arm; a first communications unit borne by the arm and located proximally of the coupler and a second communications unit borne by the arm and located distally of the coupler, each communications unit being capable of encoding data received from one or more of the position and/or torque sensors in a first data format into data packets and transmit

Abstract: A locator of a surgical port of a surgical robot system, the surgical robot system comprising an instrument attached to a robot arm, the instrument having an instrument shaft able to pass through the surgical port to a surgical site, the locator comprising: an interface configured to couple to the surgical port; a mechanism configured to permit relative linear and/or rotational motion of the interface and the instrument shaft; and a controller comprising a processor operable to estimate the position of a part of the robot arm, the controller configured to control the mechanism in dependence on the estimated position of the part of the robot arm such that as the robot arm retracts the instrument from the patient, the locator moves the port away from the robot arm and provides a reaction force to keep the port in place.

Abstract: A cooling structure and a method of cooling a surgical robot arm. The surgical robot arm extends from a proximal end attached to a base to a distal end attachable to a surgical instrument via a series of links interspersed by articulations. The cooling structure comprises a loop for circumscribing the surgical robot arm. The loop comprises a hollow interior for feeding cooling fluid through the loop, and a series of orifices directed towards the surgical robot arm for feeding cooling fluid from the loop towards the surgical robot arm. The cooling structure further comprises a feeder conduit attached to the loop for feeding cooling fluid from a cooling fluid source to the loop.

Abstract: A surgical robotic system comprising: a surgical robot arm (7, 8, 9) having at least six degrees of freedom, the arm having a distal end for attachment to a surgical tool (5) and a proximal end; and a mounting structure (10, 11, 12) configured to mate to the proximal end of the arm for holding the proximal end of the arm spatially fixed, the mounting structure comprising an electrical connection for powering the surgical robot arm; wherein the system comprises a manually operable latching mechanism (6) whereby the arm can be attached to and released from the mounting structure.

Abstract: A user interface device for controlling a robot manipulator having an end effector comprising at least one movable element, the user interface device comprising: a body for being held by a user, the body comprising an elongate grip portion configured to be gripped by one or more of a user's second to fourth fingers; a trigger extending transversely to the direction of elongation of the grip portion, the trigger being supported by the body so as to be capable of rotating relative to the body about a rotation axis passing through the grip portion; and a drive mechanism at least partially housed in the grip portion, the drive mechanism being coupled to the trigger for applying a torque to the trigger.

Abstract: A robotic surgical instrument including: a shaft; an end effector including a first end effector element and a second end effector element; an articulation connecting the end effector to the shaft, the articulation including: a first joint driveable by a first pair of driving elements, the first joint permitting the end effector to rotate about a first axis transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft; a second joint driveable by a second pair of driving elements, the second joint permitting the first end effector element to rotate about a second axis transverse to the first axis; and a third joint driveable by a third pair of driving elements, the third joint permitting the second end effector element to rotate about the second axis; the robotic surgical instrument further including a pulley arrangement around which the second and third pairs of driving elements are constrained to move, the second and third pairs of driving elements having symmetrically opposing paths around the pulley arrangement.

Abstract: A robotic surgical instrument including: a shaft; an end effector element; an articulation connecting the end effector element to the shaft, the articulation including: joints permitting the end effector element to adopt a range of orientations relative to a longitudinal axis of the shaft; pairs of driving elements configured to drive the joints; a supporting body having a bevelled surface; and are directing pulley mounted on the bevelled surface such that the redirecting pulley rotates about a redirecting pulley axis transverse to the bevelled surface.