Wearable user interface device

{
  "publication_number": "US11504200B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Wearable user interface device",
  "abstract": "Wearable user interface devices are described. A wearable user interface device can include a wearable base connected to a trackable device component by a linkage. The linkage can connect to a pivoted support that the trackable device is mounted on, and which maintains poses when the user interface device is not manipulated by a user's hand. The pivoted support has several orthogonal axes intersecting at a center of rotation located inside a device body of the trackable device. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A user interface device for manipulating a surgical instrument in a surgical robotic system, comprising: a wearable base to be worn on a user's hand; a linkage having a first end mounted on the wearable base, and a second end; a pivoted support coupled to the second end of the linkage and including a plurality of suspensions having respective axes, wherein the respective axes are orthogonal to each other; and a device body mounted on the pivoted support such that the orthogonal axes intersect at a center of rotation located inside the device body.",
    "2. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the second end of the linkage extends from the first end such that the center of rotation is positioned at fingertips of the user's hand.",
    "3. The user interface device of claim 2, wherein the linkage includes one or more support members coupled to each other via joints to provide one or more degrees of freedom of translation between the first end and the second end of the linkage.",
    "4. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the device body and the linkage maintain poses when the user interface device is not touched by fingertips of the user's hand.",
    "5. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of suspensions includes a roll suspension having a roll axis, a pitch suspension having a pitch axis, and a yaw suspension having a yaw axis, and wherein the device body is coupled to the roll suspension and the yaw suspension is coupled to the second end of the linkage.",
    "6. The user interface device of claim 5, wherein the device body is coupled to the roll suspension via a first joint, and wherein the pitch suspension is coupled to the yaw suspension via a second joint.",
    "7. The user interface device of claim 6, wherein a first resistance to rotation of the first joint is less than a second resistance to rotation of the second joint.",
    "8. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the wearable base includes one or more of a wrist piece or a hand piece to be worn around the user's hand.",
    "9. The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the linkage is coupled to the wearable base at the first end by a detachable coupling.",
    "10. The user interface device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of grip components pivotally coupled to the device body, wherein the grip components are configured to generate a grip signal for manipulating a grip motion of the surgical instrument.",
    "11. A user console for manipulating a surgical instrument in a surgical robotic system, comprising: a user interface device including a wearable base including one or more of a wrist piece or a hand piece to be worn around a hand of a user, a linkage having a first end mounted on the wearable base, and a second end, a pivoted support coupled to the second end of the linkage and including a plurality of suspensions having respective axes, wherein the respective axes are orthogonal to each other, and a device body mounted on the pivoted support such that the orthogonal axes intersect at a center of rotations located inside the device body; and a tracking system configured to track movements of the user interface device and to generate signals to control motions of the surgical instrument.",
    "12. The user console of claim 11, wherein the second end of the linkage extends from the first end such that the center of rotation is positioned at fingertips of the user's hand.",
    "13. The user console of claim 12, wherein the linkage includes one or more support members coupled to each other via joints to provide one or more degrees of freedom of translation between the first end and the second end of the linkage.",
    "14. The user console of claim 11, wherein the device body and the linkage maintain poses when the user interface device is not touched by fingertips of the user's hand.",
    "15. The user console of claim 11, wherein the plurality of suspensions include a roll suspension having the roll axis, a pitch suspension having the pitch axis, and a yaw suspension having the yaw axis, and wherein the device body is coupled to the roll suspension and the yaw suspension is coupled to the second end of the linkage.",
    "16. The user console of claim 15, wherein the device body is coupled to the roll suspension via a first joint, and wherein the pitch suspension is coupled to the yaw suspension via a second joint.",
    "17. The user console of claim 16, wherein a first resistance to rotation of the first joint is less than a second resistance to rotation of the second joint.",
    "18. A surgical robotic system, comprising: a surgical instrument mounted on a surgical robotic arm; a user interface device including a wearable base to be worn on a user's hand, a linkage having a first end mounted on the wearable base, and a second end, a pivoted support coupled to the second end of the linkage and including a plurality of suspensions having respective axes, wherein the respective axes are orthogonal to each other, and a device body mounted on the pivoted support such that the orthogonal axes intersect at a center of rotation located inside the device body; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the user interface device and the surgical instrument and configured to control motions of the surgical instrument based on tracked movements of the user interface device.",
    "19. The surgical robotic system of claim 18, wherein the second end of the linkage extends from the first end such that the center of rotation is positioned at fingertips of the user's hand.",
    "20. The surgical robotic system of claim 18, wherein the device body and the linkage maintain poses when the user interface device is not touched by fingertips of the user's hand."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Embodiments related to user interface devices are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments related to wearable user interface devices are disclosed.\n\nEndoscopic surgery involves looking into a patient's body and performing surgery inside the body using endoscopes and other surgical tools. For example, laparoscopic surgery can use a laparoscope to access and view an abdominal cavity. Endoscopic surgery can be performed using manual tools and/or a surgical robotic system having robotically-assisted tools.\n\nA surgical robotic system may be remotely operated by a surgeon to control a robotically-assisted tool located at an operating table. The surgeon may use a computer console located in the operating room, or it may be located in a different city, to command a robot to manipulate the surgical tool mounted on the operating table. The robotically-controlled surgical tool can be a grasper mounted on a robotic arm. Accordingly, the surgical robotic system may be controlled by the remote surgeon to grasp tissue during a robotic surgery.\n\nControl of the surgical robotic system may require control inputs from the surgeon. For example, the surgeon may hold in her hand a user input device such as a joystick or a computer mouse that she manipulates to generate the signals for the control commands that control motion of the surgical robotic system components, e.g., an actuator, a robotic arm, and/or a surgical tool of the robotic system.\n\nExisting user input devices include hand controllers used to command a surgical robotic system.",
  "cpc": [
    "A61B 34/74",
    "A61B 2017/0046",
    "A61B 2017/00477",
    "A61B 2034/2048",
    "A61B 2034/2051",
    "A61B 2034/2059",
    "A61B 2034/741",
    "A61B 34/25",
    "A61B 34/30",
    "A61B 34/37",
    "B25J 13/02",
    "G05G 1/04",
    "G06F 3/014",
    "G06F 3/017"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A61B 34/00",
    "A61B 34/30",
    "B25J 13/02",
    "G05G 1/04",
    "G06F 3/01"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Verb Surgical Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Joan Savall",
    "Richard Edward DeMartini",
    "Randall Blake Hellman",
    "Denise Ann Miller",
    "Anette Lia Freiin Von Kapri",
    "Pablo E. Garcia Kilroy"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-01-24",
  "publication_date": "2022-11-22",
  "grant_date": "2022-11-22",
  "priority_date": "2019-01-24",
  "application_number": "US-201916256888-A",
  "family_id": "71732036",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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}