Abstract: Robotic and/or surgical devices, systems, and methods include kinematic linkage structures and associated control systems configured to facilitate preparation of the system for use. In some embodiments, actively driven joints will move a platform structure that supports multiple manipulators in response to movement of one of the manipulators, facilitating and expediting the arrangement of the overall system by moving those multiple manipulators as a unit into alignment with the workspace. Systems and methods are also provided to keep one, some, or all joints of the kinematic chain off a hardstop or physical range of motion limit associated with the joint or to otherwise maintain a desired range of motion for one, some, or all joints of the kinematic chain when exiting a set-up mode.

Abstract: A patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system includes at least one manipulator portion for holding a surgical instrument and a steering interface. The steering interface may include at least one sensor positioned to sense turning, fore, and aft forces exerted by a user to move the cart. The steering interface may further include a coupling mechanism to removably couple the steering interface with the patient side cart. The at least one sensor may be placed in signal communication with a drive control system of the patient side cart when the steering interface is in a coupled state with the patient side cart.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for reconfiguring a surgical manipulator by moving the manipulator within a null-space of a kinematic Jacobian of the manipulator arm. In one aspect, in response to receiving a reconfiguration command, the system drives a first set of joints and calculates velocities of the plurality of joints to be within a null-space. The joints are driven according to the reconfiguration command and the calculated movement so as to maintain a desired state of the end effector or a remote center about which an instrument shaft pivots. In another aspect, the joints are also driven according to a calculated end effector or remote center displacing velocities within a null-perpendicular-space of the Jacobian so as to effect the desired reconfiguration concurrently with a desired movement of the end effector or remote center.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for providing a desired movement of one or more joints of a manipulator arm having a plurality of joints with redundant degrees of freedom while effecting commanded movement of a distal end effector of the manipulator. Methods include defining a constraint, such as a network of paths, within a joint space defined by the one or more joints and determining a movement of the plurality of joints within a null-space to track the constraints with the one or more joints. Methods may further include calculating a reconfiguration movement of the joints and modifying the constraints to coincide with a reconfigured position of the one or more joints. Various configurations for devices and systems utilizing such methods are provided herein.

Abstract: A patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system may include a base, a column connected to the base, a boom connected to the column, a manipulator arm connected to the boom, and a vibration reduction member. The manipulator arm may be configured to support a surgical instrument. The vibration reduction member may be configured to be moved between deployed and retracted positions relative to the base. The vibration reduction member may engage a ground surface in the deployed position and not be in contact with the ground surface in the retracted position. Various exemplary embodiments also relate to carts including a vibration reduction member and methods of controlling a vibration reduction member.

Abstract: A surgical drape for a patient side cart of a teleoperated surgical system may include a body and an attachment device feature. The body may be sized and shaped to cover at least a portion of an arm or main column of the patient side cart. The attachment device feature may be connected to body. The attachment device feature may be configured to install the surgical drape to the arm or main column so as to cover at least a portion of the arm or main column with the surgical drape. The attachment device feature may be detectable by a sensor in an installed position of the surgical drape on the arm or main column. At least one of the main column and the arm may include a sensor to detect an attachment device feature of a surgical drape.

Abstract: Robotic and/or surgical devices, systems, and methods include kinematic linkage structures and associated control systems configured to control movement of passive or under-actuated joints by coordinated joint braking of the under-actuated joints concurrent with driving of one or more driven joints. In one aspect, the methods include driving a set-up structure by pivoting an orienting platform supporting multiple manipulators back-and-forth in opposite directions while selectively braking the under-actuated joints to inhibit passive joint movement away from a reference joint state and releasing braking to facilitate movement of the joints toward the reference until each of the under-actuated joints of the multiple manipulators are at the respective reference states. In an other aspect, a joint brake controller is provided that receives a motor torque input and converts the input to a brake control input by determining an impulse applied variable braking to deplete the impulse over time.

Abstract: Telerobotic, telesurgical, and/or surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods employ surgical robotic linkages that may have more degrees of freedom than an associated surgical end effector n space. A processor can calculate a tool motion that includes pivoting of the tool about an aperture site. Linkages movable along a range of configurations for a given end effector position may be driven toward configurations which inhibit collisions. Refined robotic linkages and method for their use are also provided.

Abstract: A system and method of recentering imaging devices and input controls includes a medical device having one or more end effectors, an imaging device, one or more input controls for teleoperating the one or more end effectors, and a control unit including one or more processors coupled to the end effectors, the imaging device, and the input controls. The control unit suspends teleoperated control of the end effectors by the input controls in response to a recentering request, determines a view recentering move for the imaging device so that the end effectors are contained within a view space of the imaging device, determines one or more input control recentering moves to provide positional and orientational harmony between each of the input controls and a corresponding one of the end effectors, executes the view and input control recentering moves, and reinstates teleoperated control of the end effectors by the input controls.

Abstract: A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with surgical tools and a camera extending out of its distal end. To supplement the view provided by an image captured by the camera, an auxiliary view including articulatable arms of the surgical tools and/or camera is generated from sensed or otherwise determined information about their positions and orientations and displayed on a display screen from the perspective of a specified viewing point. Intuitive control is provided to an operator with respect to the auxiliary view while the operator controls the positioning and orienting of the camera.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for reconfiguring a surgical manipulator by moving the manipulator within a null-space of a kinematic Jacobian of the manipulator arm. In one aspect, in response to receiving a reconfiguration command, the system drives a first set of joints and calculates velocities of the plurality of joints to be within a null-space. The joints are driven according to the reconfiguration command and the calculated movement so as to maintain a desired state of the end effector or a remote center about which an instrument shaft pivots. In another aspect, the joints are also driven according to a calculated end effector or remote center displacing velocities within a null-perpendicular-space of the Jacobian so as to effect the desired reconfiguration concurrently with a desired movement of the end effector or remote center.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for providing a desired movement of one or more joints of a manipulator arm having a plurality of joints with redundant degrees of freedom while effecting commanded movement of a distal end effector of the manipulator. Methods include defining a constraint, such as a network of paths, within a joint space defined by the one or more joints and determining a movement of the plurality of joints within a null-space to track the constraints with the one or more joints. Methods may further include calculating a reconfiguration movement of the joints and modifying the constraints to coincide with a reconfigured position of the one or more joints. Various configurations for devices and systems utilizing such methods are provided herein.

Abstract: A patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system includes at least one manipulator portion for holding a surgical instrument and a steering interface. The steering interface may include at least one sensor positioned to sense turning, fore, and aft forces exerted by a user to move the cart. The steering interface may further include a coupling mechanism to removably couple the steering interface with the patient side cart. The at least one sensor may be placed in signal communication with a drive control system of the patient side cart when the steering interface is in a coupled state with the patient side cart.

Abstract: A method of assigning an auxiliary input device to control a surgical instrument in a robotic surgical system may include detecting a first surgical instrument coupled to a first manipulator interface assembly of a teleoperated surgical system, the manipulator interface assembly being controlled by a first input device; detecting which one of a user's left and right hands operates the first input device; and assigning control of an auxiliary function of the first surgical instrument to a first auxiliary input device disposed in a left position relative to a second auxiliary input device if the user's left hand is detected to operate the first input device, or assigning control of an auxiliary function of the first surgical instrument to a second auxiliary input device disposed in a right position relative to the first auxiliary input device if the user's right hand is detected to operate the first input device.

Abstract: A patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system includes at least one manipulator portion for holding a surgical instrument and a steering interface. The steering interface may include at least one sensor positioned to sense turning, fore, and aft forces exerted by a user to move the cart. The steering interface may further include a coupling mechanism to removably couple the steering interface with the patient side cart. The at least one sensor may be placed in signal communication with a drive control system of the patient side cart when the steering interface is in a coupled state with the patient side cart.

Abstract: A method of assigning an auxiliary input device to control a surgical instrument in a robotic surgical system can include automatically assigning an auxiliary input device to control an auxiliary function of a surgical instrument based on a position of the auxiliary input device and which of a user's hands is operating another input device operably coupled to control movement of the surgical instrument. A system for controlling a surgical instrument may include an input device of a surgical system that is operably coupled to generate and transmit an input control signal to control movement of a surgical instrument operably coupled to the surgical system. The system may further include an auxiliary input device, and a control system operably coupling the auxiliary input device to control an auxiliary function of the surgical instrument based on a position of the auxiliary input device and which of a user's hands is operating the input device.

Abstract: A patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system can include at least one manipulator arm portion for holding a surgical instrument, a steering interface, and a drive system. The steering interface may be configured to detect a force applied by a user to the steering interface indicating a desired movement for the teleoperated surgical system. The drive system can include at least one driven wheel, a control module, and a model section. The control module may receive as input a signal from the steering interface corresponding to the force applied by the user to the steering interface. The control module may be configured to output a desired movement signal corresponding to the signal received from the steering interface. The model section can include a model of movement behavior of the patient side cart, the model section outputting a movement command output to drive the driven wheel.

Abstract: A method comprises generating a command to move a surgical robotic manipulator to a predetermined safety configuration and locking the robotic manipulator in the safety configuration in response to receiving the command. The method further comprises detecting if a mock instrument has been mounted on the robotic manipulator when the robotic manipulator is in the safety configuration. If the mock instrument is detected, an override command is generated to unlock the robotic manipulator from the safety configuration.

Abstract: A flux supply unit for supplying a flux to a plurality of surgical instruments may include a plurality of connectors and a user control interface. The plurality of connectors may be configured to supply flux to the surgical instruments when the surgical instruments are operationally coupled to respective connectors. The user control interface may include a continuous display screen including a plurality of graphical display screen sections on the same display screen that display controls for surgical instruments operationally coupled to the plurality of connectors. The plurality of graphical display screen sections may display controls for different types of surgical instruments on the same continuous display screen. The plurality of graphical display screen sections may be arranged relative to the plurality of connectors to visually couple respective graphical display screen sections and connectors to indicate respective associations of the graphical display screen sections with the connectors.

Abstract: A patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system may include a base, a column connected to the base, a boom connected to the column, a surgical instrument manipulator arm connected to the boom, and an obstacle indication system comprising an illumination source that directs light in a path of the boom. Various exemplary embodiments also encompass methods of providing obstacle indication via a patient side cart of a teleoperated surgical system, including directing light onto an object in a path of the boom to indicate that the object is located in a path of the boom, and methods of determining a predetermined height to be stored in a patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system, including illuminating an object in the path of the patient side cart and storing a current height of the patient side cart as the predetermined height.