Patents by Inventor Paul Christopher Roberts
Paul Christopher Roberts 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).
-
Publication number: 20210045804Abstract: An electrosurgical connection unit for a surgical robot arm to connect an electrosurgical instrument attached to the arm to an electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical connection unit includes an input port connectable to the electrosurgical generator, the input port configured to receive a driving electrosurgical signal and output one or more activation signals; an output port connectable to the electrosurgical instrument, the output port configured to output the driving electrosurgical signal received on the input port; one or more activation switch units, wherein activation of an activation switch unit causes an activation signal to be output from the input port indicating a driving electrosurgical signal with a desired waveform is to be activated; and a control unit configured to selectively activate one of the one or more activation switch units in response to a control signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2020Publication date: February 18, 2021Inventors: Simon Schofield, Paul Christopher Roberts, Gordon Thomas Deane
-
Patent number: 10919156Abstract: 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 transmitType: GrantFiled: July 22, 2016Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: CMR Surgical LimitedInventors: Paul Christopher Roberts, Edward John Mottram, Andrew Murray Scholan
-
Patent number: 10912580Abstract: A medical device is described having a handle, a shaft coupled to the handle and an end effector coupled to the shaft. In one embodiment, the device includes an ultrasonic transducer and is arranged so that ultrasonic or electrical energy can be delivered to a vessel or tissue to be treated. Various novel sensing circuits are described to allow a measure of the drive signal to be measured and fed back to a controller. An active fuse circuit is also described for protecting one or more batteries of the device from an over-current situation.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2014Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: Ethicon LLCInventors: Alan Edward Green, Paul Christopher Roberts, Mark David Tuckwell, Peter Ralph Bonham
-
Patent number: 10881471Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2018Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: CMR SURGICAL LIMITEDInventors: Christopher James Roach, Nikki Priyam Su-Ling Phoolchund, Paul Christopher Roberts
-
Publication number: 20200232825Abstract: A device for sensing the relative rotary position of first and second parts about a rotation axis, the device comprising a follower constrained to move on a first track fast with the first part and on a second track fast with the second part, the first track being linear and the second track comprising a plurality of circular arcs and at least one transition section connecting one of the circular arcs to another, the tracks being arranged so as to convert relative rotation of the parts into linear motion of the follower, wherein the second track is generally spiral, each circular arc is of constant radius about the rotation axis and the first track is perpendicular to the rotation axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2020Publication date: July 23, 2020Inventors: Keith Marshall, Christopher James Roach, Paul Christopher Roberts, Steven James Randle
-
Patent number: 10627260Abstract: A device for sensing the relative rotary position of first and second parts about a rotation axis, the device comprising a follower constrained to move on a first track fast with the first part and on a second track fast with the second part, the first track being linear and the second track comprising a plurality of circular arcs and at least one transition section connecting one of the circular arcs to another, the tracks being arranged so as to convert relative rotation of the parts into linear motion of the follower, wherein the second track is generally spiral, each circular arc is of constant radius about the rotation axis and the first track is perpendicular to the rotation axis.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2016Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: CMR Surgical LimitedInventors: Keith Marshall, Christopher James Roach, Paul Christopher Roberts, Steven James Randle
-
Publication number: 20200110936Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2019Publication date: April 9, 2020Inventors: Luke David Ronald Hares, Paul Christopher Roberts, Rupert Menzies, Mark Clifford Slack
-
Publication number: 20200107897Abstract: A surgical robotic system comprising: a surgical robot; a user interface console coupled to the surgical robot whereby a user can control motion of the surgical robot; a data logger for logging data from a surgical procedure performed by means of the robot; and a portable user terminal; the system further comprising: a display controllable by one of the data logger and the user terminal, that one of the data logger and the user terminal being configured for displaying a machine-readable code whereby the data logger or a user of the user terminal can be identified; and a camera coupled to the other of the data logger and the user terminal; the said other of the data logger and the user terminal being configured to, on receiving from the camera an image of a machine-readable code, decode that code to identify the data logger or a user of the user terminal and to cause the identified entity to be logged in association with a procedure performed by means of the robot.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2019Publication date: April 9, 2020Inventors: Rupert Menzies, Paul Christopher Roberts
-
Publication number: 20190317136Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2017Publication date: October 17, 2019Applicant: CMR SURGICAL LIMITEDInventors: Paul Christopher Roberts, Edward John Mottram
-
Publication number: 20190277667Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2017Publication date: September 12, 2019Inventors: Edward John Mottram, Paul Christopher Roberts
-
Publication number: 20190269457Abstract: An electrosurgical connection unit for a surgical robot arm to connect an electrosurgical instrument attached to the arm to an electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical connection unit includes an input port connectable to the electrosurgical generator, the input port configured to receive a driving electrosurgical signal and output one or more activation signals; an output port connectable to the electrosurgical instrument, the output port configured to output the driving electrosurgical signal received on the input port; one or more activation switch units, wherein activation of an activation switch unit causes an activation signal to be output from the input port indicating a driving electrosurgical signal with a desired waveform is to be activated; and a control unit configured to selectively activate one of the one or more activation switch units in response to a control signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2019Publication date: September 5, 2019Inventors: Simon Schofield, Paul Christopher Roberts, Gordon Thomas Deane
-
Publication number: 20190265069Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2017Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Paul Christopher Roberts, Edward John Mottram
-
Publication number: 20190152056Abstract: A method for controlling a mechanical system having a plurality of components interlinked by a plurality of driven joints, the method comprising: measuring torques or forces about or at the driven joints and forming a load signal representing the measured torques or forces; receiving a motion demand signal representing a desired state of the system; implementing an impedance control algorithm in dependence on the motion demand signal and the load signal to form a target signal indicating a target configuration for each of the driven joints; measuring the configuration of each of the driven joints and forming a state signal representing the measured configurations; and forming a set of drive signals for the joints by, for each joint, comparing the target configuration of that joint as indicated by the target signal to the measured configuration of that joint as indicated by the state signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2019Publication date: May 23, 2019Applicant: Cambridge Medical Robotics LimitedInventors: Edward John Mottram, Gordon Thomas Deane, Edward Tucker, Graham Veitch, Paul Christopher Roberts
-
Publication number: 20190083182Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2018Publication date: March 21, 2019Applicant: CMR Surgical LimitedInventors: Christopher James ROACH, Nikki Priyam Su-Ling PHOOLCHUND, Paul Christopher ROBERTS
-
Patent number: 10232510Abstract: A method for controlling a mechanical system having a plurality of components interlinked by a plurality of driven joints, the method comprising: measuring torques or forces about or at the driven joints and forming a load signal representing the measured torques or forces; receiving a motion demand signal representing a desired state of the system; implementing an impedance control algorithm in dependence on the motion demand signal and the load signal to form a target signal indicating a target configuration for each of the driven joints; measuring the configuration of each of the driven joints and forming a state signal representing the measured configurations; and forming a set of drive signals for the joints by, for each joint, comparing the target configuration of that joint as indicated by the target signal to the measured configuration of that joint as indicated by the state signal.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: CMR Surgical LimitedInventors: Edward John Mottram, Gordon Thomas Deane, Edward Tucker, Graham Veitch, Paul Christopher Roberts
-
Publication number: 20190001501Abstract: 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 transmitType: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2016Publication date: January 3, 2019Inventor: Paul Christopher Roberts
-
Publication number: 20180209819Abstract: A device for sensing the relative rotary position of first and second parts about a rotation axis, the device comprising a follower constrained to move on a first track fast with the first part and on a second track fast with the second part, the first track being linear and the second track comprising a plurality of circular arcs and at least one transition section connecting one of the circular arcs to another, the tracks being arranged so as to convert relative rotation of the parts into linear motion of the follower, wherein the second track is generally spiral, each circular arc is of constant radius about the rotation axis and the first track is perpendicular to the rotation axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2016Publication date: July 26, 2018Inventors: Keith Marshall, Christopher James Roach, Paul Christopher Roberts, Steven James Randle
-
Publication number: 20180194003Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2016Publication date: July 12, 2018Inventors: Thomas Bates Jackson, Edward John Mottram, Gordon Thomas Deane, Keith Marshall, Paul Christopher Roberts, Ricardo Michael Henderson Da Silva
-
Patent number: 9983240Abstract: A circuit configured to sense the driving current of a motor, the circuit comprising: a driver configured to generate a driving current for a motor; a first current sensor configured to sense the driving current thereby forming a first sensed current; a second current sensor configured to sense the driving current thereby forming a second sensed current, the second current sensor being more thermally stable than the first current sensor; a comparator configured to compare the first sensed current and the second sensed current below a threshold frequency to generate a thermal calibration output; and a calibrator configured to calibrate the first sensed current by the thermal calibration output to form a sensed driving current.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2016Date of Patent: May 29, 2018Assignee: CMR SURGICAL LIMITEDInventors: Paul Christopher Roberts, Luke David Ronald Hares
-
Patent number: 9975366Abstract: Systems and apparatus relating to motor control (e.g., for thermal transfer printing) include, according to at least one implementation, a motor control system including: a position controller to receive a demanded position (PD) input for controlling a motor; a torque controller coupled with the position controller, the torque controller to receive a torque bias (TB) input for controlling the motor; and a feedback circuit coupled with the torque controller and the position controller; wherein the feedback circuit is configured and arranged to combine an output from the position controller, the output being generated based on the demanded position (PD) input, with the torque bias (TB) input to generate a torque demand (TD) input to the torque controller.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2016Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: Markem-Imaje Industries LimitedInventors: Simon Starkey, Phillip Lakin, Paul Christopher Roberts, Jonathan Michael Gloag