Arm with a combined shape and force sensor

{
  "publication_number": "US11116590B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Arm with a combined shape and force sensor",
  "abstract": "A system comprises an arm including a bendable section and a force transmission mechanism. The system also comprises an actuation mechanism coupled to the force transmission mechanism to bend the bendable section. The system also comprises an electronic data processor configured to receive sensor data about the bendable section and determine external force information about at least one of a magnitude or a direction of an external force applied to the arm from the sensor data. the processor is also configured to determine a pose of the bendable section from the sensor data and generate control information for the actuation mechanism to maintain the pose of the bendable section in a stationary configuration as the external force is applied to or withdrawn from the arm.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system comprising: an arm including a bendable section and a force transmission mechanism; an actuation mechanism coupled to the force transmission mechanism to bend the bendable section; and an electronic data processor configured to receive sensor data about the bendable section, determine external force information about at least one of a magnitude or a direction of an external force applied to the arm from the sensor data, determine a measured pose of the bendable section from the sensor data, and generate control information for the actuation mechanism to maintain a shape of the arm in a stationary configuration as the external force is applied to or withdrawn from the arm.",
    "2. The system of claim 1 further comprising: a stiffening element for providing a restoration force to the arm.",
    "3. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor data includes shape data about the bendable section.",
    "4. The system of claim 1 wherein the pose of the bendable section is further determined from information representing at least one mechanical property of the arm.",
    "5. The system of claim 1 further comprising: an end effector coupled to the bendable section of the arm.",
    "6. The system of claim 5 wherein the actuation mechanism is coupled to the force transmission mechanism to actuate the end effector.",
    "7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor apparatus that generates the sensor data about the bendable section.",
    "8. The system of claim 7 wherein the sensor apparatus includes an optical fiber.",
    "9. The system of claim 1 wherein the bendable section of the arm includes a plurality of rigid links.",
    "10. The system of claim 1 wherein the bendable section of the arm is continuously flexible.",
    "11. A method comprising: receiving, at a processor, sensor data about a bendable section of a manipulator arm, the manipulator arm including a force transmission mechanism controlled by an actuation mechanism; determining, by the processor and from the sensor data, external force information about at least one of a magnitude or a direction of an external force applied to the manipulator arm; determining, by the processor, a measured pose of the bendable section from the sensor data; and generating, by the processor, control information for the actuation mechanism to maintain a shape of the manipulator arm in a stationary configuration as the external force is applied to or withdrawn from the manipulator arm.",
    "12. The method of claim 11 wherein the manipulator arm includes a stiffening element and determining the pose of the bendable section includes combining the sensor data with restoration force information for the stiffening element.",
    "13. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensor data includes shape data about the bendable section.",
    "14. The method of claim 11 wherein the pose of the bendable section is further determined from information representing at least one mechanical property of the manipulator arm.",
    "15. The method of claim 11 further comprising: generating control information for the actuation mechanism to actuate an end effector coupled to the bendable section of the manipulator arm.",
    "16. The method of claim 15 further comprising operating the force transmission mechanism to actuate the end effector.",
    "17. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving the sensor data about the bendable section from a sensor apparatus.",
    "18. The method of claim 17 wherein the sensor apparatus includes an optical fiber.",
    "19. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the pose of the bendable section from the sensor data includes determining the pose of a plurality of rigid links comprising the bendable section.",
    "20. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the pose of the bendable section from the sensor data includes determining the pose of a continuously flexible portion of the bendable section."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of Invention Aspects of the invention relate to a system for using a sensor to monitor both the shape of an arm as well as an external force applied to that arm. Some aspects of the invention are particularly suited for monitoring flexible guide tubes and articulated arms used in robotic surgery. 2. Art There has been considerable effort in developing systems for performing minimally invasive surgery. One area of particular interest is robotically assisted surgery. In robotically assisted surgery, the surgeon typically operates a control device at a location that is remote from the patient to control the motion of surgical instruments at the patient's surgical site. The control device typically includes one or more manually operated input devices, such as multiple degree of freedom master tool manipulators, joysticks, exoskeletal gloves, or the like, which are coupled to the surgical instruments via servo motors for articulating the instruments at the surgical site. During the surgical operation, the control device controls a surgical robotic manipulator that provides mechanical articulation and functional control of a variety of surgical instruments, such as tissue graspers, needle drivers, electrosurgical cautery probes, etc., that each perform various functions for the surgeon, e.g., holding or driving a needle, grasping a blood vessel, dissecting, cauterizing, or coagulating tissue.\n\nSuch systems typically include at least one arm having a plurality of joints that interconnect small links to provide articulation. Some form of control mechanism is provided to move the arm into various poses.",
  "cpc": [
    "A61B 34/30",
    "A61B 2034/301",
    "A61B 34/77",
    "B25J 13/025",
    "B25J 18/06",
    "B25J 9/1689",
    "G01L 5/226",
    "Y10S 901/15",
    "Y10S 901/17",
    "Y10S 901/46"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A61B 34/00",
    "A61B 34/30",
    "B25J 13/02",
    "B25J 18/06",
    "B25J 9/16",
    "G01L 5/22"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "LARKIN DAVID Q",
    "DUINDAM VINCENT"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-09-24",
  "publication_date": "2021-09-14",
  "grant_date": "2021-09-14",
  "priority_date": "2009-06-24",
  "application_number": "US-201816139451-A",
  "family_id": "43381618",
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