Abstract: The distal end of a surgical instrument is movable in all six Cartesian degrees of freedom independently of other components of a telemanipulated surgical system. The surgical instrument extends trough a guide tube. The distal end is moved by actuators that are telemanipulatively controlled.

Abstract: A guide probe is telemanipulatively advanced past an intermediate tissue structure. The guide probe is locked in position and a guide tube is advanced over the guide probe. The guide tube is then locked in position, the guide probe is withdrawn, and a surgical instrument is inserted through the guide tube. In aspects of the invention, the guide tube and the surgical instrument are telemanipulatively controlled.

Abstract: A medical robotic system has a robot arm holding an instrument for performing a medical procedure, and a control system for controlling movement of the arm and its instrument according to user manipulation of a master manipulator. The control system includes at least one joint controller that includes a controller having programmable parameters for setting a steady-state velocity error and a maximum acceleration error for the joint's movement relative to a set point in response to an externally applied and released force.

Abstract: A medical robotic system has a robotic arm holding a medical device, and a control system for controlling movement of the arm according to operator manipulation of an input device. If the medical device is being commanded to a state exceeding a limitation by a threshold amount, then the control system disengages control of the medical device by the input device, servos the arm so that it remains in its current state, servos the input device so that it is set at a position such that a force being applied on the input device remains at its current level, requests the operator to lighten hold of the input device, sets a parameter associated with the input device upon detecting such lightened hold so that the medical device is commanded to a different state that does not exceed the limitation, and reengages control of the medical device by the input device.

Abstract: A method is provided for recommending proper tire pressure using a tire pressure recommendation system having a processor. The method comprises obtaining a cold placard tire pressure (PPl) for a cold placard air temperature (TPl) and obtaining a measured outside air temperature (TOutside). The cold placard tire pressure (PPl), the cold placard air temperature (TPl) and the measured outside air temperature (TOutside) are entered into the tire pressure recommendation system. The recommended tire pressure (PRe) is then calculated with the processor for the measured outside air temperature (TOutside), the recommended tire pressure (PRe) being based upon the cold placard tire pressure (PPl).

Abstract: Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. Examples of in vivo accessories include fastening accessories such as surgical clips for use with a clip applier, single working member accessories such as a blade which can be grasped and manipulated by a grasping tool for cutting, sheath accessories that fit over working members of a tool, flow tubes for providing suction or introducing a fluid into the surgical site, and a retraction member resiliently biased to retract a tissue to expose an area in the surgical site for treatment. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for detecting whether a tire rotation event or tire inflation even has occurred on a vehicle. The method comprises determining a first front average temperature (FAT) of a first front tire and a second front tire, determining a first rear average temperature (RAT) of a first rear tire and a second rear tire, and calculating a first ratio of the first FAT to the first RAT. The method further comprise determining a second FAT of the first front tire and the second front tire after determining the first FAT, determining a second RAT of the first rear tire and the second rear tire after determining the first RAT, calculating a second ratio of the second FAT to the second RAT, and identifying the tire rotation event based at least in part upon a comparison of the first ratio and the second ratio.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for determining the cause of tire pressure change. The method includes obtaining a first tire pressure (P1) at a first tire temperature (T1) and obtaining a measured second tire pressure (P2) at a second tire temperature (T2). The tire pressure is then estimated (Pest) at the second tire temperature (T2) and the estimated tire pressure (Pest) is compared to the second tire pressure (P2). A diagnostic message is then generated indicative of the cause of tire pressure change, the diagnostic message being responsive to the comparing of the measured second tire pressure (P2) with the estimated tire pressure (Pest).

Abstract: An articulate minimally invasive surgical instrument with a flexible wrist to facilitate the safe placement and provide visual verification of the ablation catheter or other devices in Cardiac Tissue Ablation (CTA) treatments is described. In one embodiment, the instrument is an endoscope which has an elongate shaft, a flexible wrist at the working end of the shaft, and a vision scope lens at the tip of the flexible wrist. The flexible wrist has at least one degree of freedom to provide the desired articulation. It is actuated and controlled by a drive mechanism located in the housing at the distal end of the shaft. The articulation of the endoscope allows images of hard-to-see places to be taken for use in assisting the placement of the ablation catheter on the desired cardiac tissue.

Abstract: A robotic surgery system comprises a mounting base, a plurality of surgical instruments, and an articulate support assembly. Each instrument is insertable into a patient through an associated minimally invasive aperture to a desired internal surgical site. The articulate support assembly movably supports the instruments relative to the base. The support generally comprises an orienting platform, a platform linkage movably supporting the orienting platform relative to the base, and a plurality of manipulators mounted to the orienting platform, wherein each manipulator movably supports an associated instrument.

Abstract: Tool force information is provided to a user of a telesurgical system using an alternative modality other than force reflection on a master manipulator, such as providing the information on user-visible, user-audible, or haptic “buzz” or “viscosity” indicators, so as to allow expanded processing, including amplification, of the information, while not significantly affecting the stability of the telesurgical system or any closed-loop control systems in the telesurgical system.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an articulate minimally invasive surgical instrument with a flexible wrist to facilitate the safe placement and provide visual verification of the ablation catheter or other devices in Cardiac Tissue Ablation (CTA) treatments. In one embodiment, the instrument is an endoscope which has an elongate shaft, a flexible wrist at the working end of the shaft, and a vision scope lens at the tip of the flexible wrist. The flexible wrist has at least one degree of freedom to provide the desired articulation. It is actuated and controlled by a drive mechanism located in the housing at the distal end of the shaft. The articulation of the endoscope allows images of hard-to-see places to be taken for use in assisting the placement of the ablation catheter on the desired cardiac tissue.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing a surgical procedure on a beating heart of a patient. Methods are provided which include positioning an end effector in close proximity to a surgical site on the heart, the end effector being mounted on a robotically controlled arm. The motion of the surgical site is monitored and end effector tracking command signals computed in response to the monitored motion of the surgical site. The tracking command signals are forwarded to actuators operatively associated with the robotically controlled arm to cause the arm to move the end effector generally to track motion of the surgical site. The method further includes inputting an end effector movement command signal, and forwarding the end effector movement command signal to the actuators to cause the end effector to move relative to the surgical site so as to perform at least part of the surgical procedure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of characterizing for tire pressure imbalances in a set of tires of vehicle, the vehicle having four wheels, and each wheel having a sensor generating a pulse for a predetermined amount of distance traveled by the wheel including entering a first characterization mode, accumulating a number of pulses from each sensor and adding the number of pulses from each sensor to generate a first record total pulse count in the characterization mode, generating a second record total pulse count in the characterization mode, determining if the first record is similar to the second record, and discarding at least one of the first and second records if the first and second records do not meet a criteria.

Abstract: Surgical methods and devices allow closed-chest surgery to be performed on a heart of a patient while the heart is beating. A region of the heart is stabilized by engaging a surface of the heart with a stabilizer without having to stop the heart. Motion of the target tissues is inhibited sufficiently to treat the target tissues with robotic surgical tools which move in response to inputs of a robotic system operator. A stabilizing surface of the stabilizer is coupled to a drive system to position the surface from outside the patient, preferably by actuators of the robotic servomechanism. Exemplary stabilizers includes a suture or other flexible tension member spanning between a pair of jointed bodies, allowing the member to occlude a coronary blood vessel and/or help stabilize the target region between the stabilizing surfaces.

Abstract: A printing process for a substantially light-insensitive thermographic monosheet material having two edges parallel to one another and >12 cm apart (non-label) for obtaining a desired optical density and a desired colour tone comprising: selecting a thermographic monosheet material, the selected thermographic monosheet material being a black and white thermographic monosheet material having a support and a thermosensitive element; supplying image data to a processing unit of a thermal printer including a printhead having energizable heating elements arranged in a column C; converting the image data which are not zero into at least one activation pulse per pixel to be printed; energising the heating elements printing-line by printing-line adjacent to the selected substantially light-insensitive thermographic monosheet material thereby producing an image; transporting the imaging material past and adjacent to the printhead in a transport direction with a transport system; forming an image dot with a h