Abstract: A system and method for reducing mechanical oscillations in a multi-axis control system provides a first command for a dynamic notch filter at a first update rate to multiple motor drives. Each motor drive is operatively connected to a motor for an axis in the multi-axis control system. Each motor drive receives a second command for desired operation of the motor at a second update rate. Operation of the dynamic notch filter in each motor drive is changed as a function of the first command at the first update rate, and each motor drive generates a desired output voltage for desired operation of the motor at a third update rate. The third update rate is faster than the second update rate, the second command is passed through the dynamic notch filter to generate a filtered command, and the desired output voltage is generated as a function of the filtered command.

Abstract: A sleeve configured to be dispositioned between an endoscope and an ultrasound accessory selectively attachable to the endoscope is disclosed herein. The sleeve can include a rigid body configured to maintain a structural integrity of the sleeve, a first flexible layer positioned about an inner surface of the rigid body, and a second flexible layer positioned about an outer surface of the rigid body. The first flexible layer can create a friction fit between the inner surface of the rigid body and an outer surface of the endoscope and the second flexible layer can create a friction fit between the outer surface of the rigid body and the ultrasound accessory. The sleeve can be inserted into an inner bushing that includes a connecting plate configured for alignment with a positioning plate of the ultrasound accessory such that the ultrasound accessory is properly positioned when selectively attached to the endoscope.

Abstract: A robotic system is provided. The robotic system includes a publishing node including at least one first synchronization database that includes a plurality of attributes, each of the attributes including a tag identifying the attribute and data, a flag associated with each of the attributes, and a subscriber list. The system also includes a subscriber node including at least one second synchronization database. The publishing node is configured to set the flag associated with the attributes when the attributes are written in the at least one first synchronization database or when the data included in the attributes are modified and publish the flagged attributes to the subscriber node.

Abstract: A method is provided to produce a multi-modality image of a surgical scene comprising: capture light reflected from the surgical scene; producing first image information corresponding to a first modality image; producing second image information corresponding to a second modality image; selecting a portion of the second image modality based at least in part upon anatomical structure information included within the selected portion; and producing simultaneously within a display at least a portion of the first modality image of the surgical scene and the selected portion of the second modality image.

Abstract: A method is provided to produce a multi-modality image of a surgical scene comprising: capture light reflected from the surgical scene; producing first image information corresponding to a first modality image; producing second image information corresponding to a second modality image; selecting a portion of the second image modality based at least in part upon anatomical structure information included within the selected portion; and producing simultaneously within a display at least a portion of the first modality image of the surgical scene and the selected portion of the second modality image.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a controller of a computer-assisted surgical system receives a visible image captured by an image capture unit of a surgical system, receives a plurality of hyperspectral images captured at a same waveband by the image capture unit of the surgical system, generates a composite hyperspectral image from the plurality of hyperspectral images, and spatially registering the composite hyperspectral image with the visible image.

Abstract: A method includes using at least one processor to detect that a tool coupled to an end effector of a robot having multiple joints is contacting a surface. The robot includes multiple joint motors configured to control multiple motions of the multiple joints. One or more control systems are configured to control each of the joint motors in a joint position mode. The method also includes identifying, via the at least one processor, a first joint of the multiple joints in response to detecting that the tool is contacting the surface. The method also includes sending, via the at least one processor, a command to at least one of the one or more control systems associated with a first joint motor of the multiple joint motors that corresponds to the first joint. The command is configured to cause the at least one of the one or more control systems to operate in a torque mode. The method also includes sending, via the at least one processor, a joint torque value to the at least one of the one or more control systems.

Abstract: An exemplary surgical instrument tracking system includes at least one physical computing device that determines, based on endoscopic imagery of a surgical area and using a trained neural network, an observation for an object of interest depicted in the endoscopic imagery, associates, based on a probabilistic framework and kinematics of a robotically-manipulated surgical instrument located at the surgical area, the observation for the object of interest to the robotically-manipulated surgical instrument, and determines a physical position of the robotically-manipulated surgical instrument at the surgical area based on the kinematics of the robotically-manipulated surgical instrument and the observation associated with the robotically-manipulated surgical instrument.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing energy loss in a multiple inverter system provides a DC voltage to multiple inverters via a shared DC bus. Each inverter is configured to control operation of a motor operatively connected to a corresponding inverter. An amplitude of the DC voltage present on the DC bus is monitored, and each inverter selectively draws current from or delivers current to the DC bus. An amplitude of the current drawn from or delivered to the DC bus is monitored by each inverter. A level of energy delivered by at least one of the inverters to the DC bus is determined when the amplitude of the DC voltage exceeds a predefined threshold during a first operation of the multiple inverter system. At least one subsequent operation of the multiple inverter system is adapted responsive to the level of energy delivered to the DC bus.

Abstract: A system may access an image that is captured by an imaging device and that depicts an operational scene illuminated by close-range light. The system may also access a depth map of the operational scene. Based on the image and the depth map, the system may generate a processed image depicting the operational scene as being illuminated by a virtual light source that is to be simulated to be illuminating the operational scene and may provide the processed image for presentation on a display screen. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A motor controller executes an axis module for each of multiple motors coupled to a shared load. A first control module passes at least one state variable to a second control module without experiencing communication delays between the axis modules. In order to decouple interaction between axes, the first control module determines the desired state variable at a periodic update rate and stores the desired state variable in memory. The first control module provides an indication to the second control module that the desired state variable is available. Within the same period at which the desired state variable is determined, the second control module receives the indication that the desired state variable is available and reads the state variable from the memory of the controller. The second control module executes using the desired state variable to reduce coupling between the two control modules.

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 motor drive receives a position feedback signal from a position sensor operatively connected to a motor. The motor drive receives a command signal defining a desired operation of the motor. A processor in the motor drive generates an acceleration feedforward signal from the command signal and an acceleration reference signal from the command signal and the position feedback signal. The processor also generates an estimated disturbance acceleration from the acceleration reference signal. The acceleration feedforward signal is multiplied by a first gain to obtain a first product, and the estimated disturbance acceleration by a second gain to obtain a second product. The first and second gains are functions of first and second portions of the system inertia. A current reference signal is generated based on the first product and second products, and an output voltage to the motor is generated from the current reference signal.

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: An imaging system is provided for pixel-level segmentation of images comprising: a camera to capture images of an anatomical object and to represent the images in two-dimensional (2D) arrangements of pixels; one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium with information including: CNN instructions to cause the one or more processors to implement a CNN configured to associate anatomical object classifications with pixels of the 2D arrangements of pixels; and multiple sets of weights, to differently configure the CNN based upon different camera image training data; and a display screen configured to display the two-dimensional (2D) arrangements of classified pixels and the anatomical object classifications.

Abstract: An exemplary surgical instrument tracking system includes at least one physical computing device that determines, based on endoscopic imagery of a surgical area and using a trained neural network, an observation for an object of interest depicted in the endoscopic imagery, associates, based on a probabilistic framework and kinematics of a robotically-manipulated surgical instrument located at the surgical area, the observation for the object of interest to the robotically-manipulated surgical instrument, and determines a physical position of the robotically-manipulated surgical instrument at the surgical area based on the kinematics of the robotically-manipulated surgical instrument and the observation associated with the robotically-manipulated surgical instrument.

Abstract: A method includes using at least one processor to detect that a tool coupled to an end effector of a robot having multiple joints is contacting a surface. The robot includes multiple joint motors configured to control multiple motions of the multiple joints. One or more control systems are configured to control each of the joint motors in a joint position mode. The method also includes identifying, via the at least one processor, a first joint of the multiple joints in response to detecting that the tool is contacting the surface. The method also includes sending, via the at least one processor, a command to at least one of the one or more control systems associated with a first joint motor of the multiple joint motors that corresponds to the first joint. The command is configured to cause the at least one of the one or more control systems to operate in a torque mode. The method also includes sending, via the at least one processor, a joint torque value to the at least one of the one or more control systems.

Abstract: A motor drive receives a position feedback signal from a position sensor operatively connected to a motor. The motor drive receives a command signal defining a desired operation of the motor. A processor in the motor drive generates an acceleration feedforward signal from the command signal and an acceleration reference signal from the command signal and the position feedback signal. The processor also generates an estimated disturbance acceleration from the acceleration reference signal. The acceleration feedforward signal is multiplied by a first gain to obtain a first product, and the estimated disturbance acceleration by a second gain to obtain a second product. The first and second gains are functions of first and second portions of the system inertia. A current reference signal is generated based on the first product and second products, and an output voltage to the motor is generated from the current reference signal.

Abstract: A teleoperational system comprises a teleoperational assembly configured to support an instrument and an imaging device. The instrument has an instrument tip and a processing unit including one or more processors. The processing unit is configured to determine an instrument position of the instrument, determine an instrument position error relative to the imaging device, and determine, based on the instrument position and the instrument position error, that at least a portion of the instrument is outside a field of view of the imaging device. The processing unit is further configured to in response to determining that at least a portion of the instrument is outside the field of view of the imaging device and based on a mode of operation of the teleoperational system, cause an out-of-view indication for the instrument to be presented.

Abstract: A system for distributed multi-axis motion control includes a controller having a memory configured to store a control program and a processor configured to execute the control program. A desired motion trajectory is determined for a multi-axis system having multiple axes, and an axis command is generated for each of the axes as a function of the desired motion trajectory. The system also includes multiple motors and multiple motor drives. Each of the motors corresponds to one axis for the multi-axis system, and each of the motor drives controls at least one of the motors responsive to receiving the axis command for the corresponding motor. Each of the motor drives also determines a motion state for a link driven by the motor as a function of the axis command and transmits at least a portion of the motion state to another motor drive controlling another axis.