Abstract: A method of mapping a gingival surface of a patient's jaw using at least one spatially trackable reference object in a fixed spatial relation to that jaw and a spatially trackable mapping tool. A plurality of gingival surface coordinate sets are captured in a coordinate frame of the jaw. Each of the gingival surface coordinate sets is captured when the mapping tool is in contact with a corresponding gingival surface location on the gingival surface. A geometrical gingival surface descriptor is computed from the plurality of gingival surface coordinate sets.

Abstract: Surgical systems and methods of controlling a surgical instrument are provided. The system includes a surgical instrument having a cutting portion and a body, the body having a handle, a drive motor for driving the cutting portion in a rotating, a reciprocating or a vibrating motion, a plurality of adjustment motors for adjusting a cutting pose of the cutting portion relative to the handle; and, a controller configured to measure the deviations between the cutting pose and a desired pose of the cutting portion and to activate the adjustment motors to reduce those deviations. The method involves coupling a cutting portion of a surgical instrument to a plurality of adjustment motors; holding the handle of the surgical instrument; operating a controller to measure deviations between a cutting pose and a desired pose; and operating the adjustment motors to adjust the cutting pose relative to the handle to reduce the deviations.

Abstract: Surgical systems and methods of controlling a surgical instrument are provided. The system includes a surgical instrument having a cutting portion and a body, the body having a handle, a drive motor for driving the cutting portion in a rotating, a reciprocating or a vibrating motion, a plurality of adjustment motors for adjusting a cutting pose of the cutting portion relative to the handle; and, a controller configured to measure the deviations between the cutting pose and a desired pose of the cutting portion and to activate the adjustment motors to reduce those deviations. The method involves coupling a cutting portion of a surgical instrument to a plurality of adjustment motors; holding the handle of the surgical instrument; operating a controller to measure deviations between a cutting pose and a desired pose; and operating the adjustment motors to adjust the cutting pose relative to the handle to reduce the deviations.