US 11,890,069 B2
Sensors for touch-free control of surgical robotic systems
Berk Gonenc, Cupertino, CA (US); Xin Liu, Milpitas, CA (US); Bernhard A. Fuerst, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Jose Luis Cordoba, Malaga (ES); and Pablo E. Garcia Kilroy, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Assigned to VERB SURGICAL INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Verb Surgical Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/699,794.
Application 17/699,794 is a continuation of application No. 16/418,726, filed on May 21, 2019, granted, now 11,278,361.
Prior Publication US 2022/0202512 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61B 90/50 (2016.01); G06F 3/044 (2006.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 34/30 (2016.02) [A61B 90/50 (2016.02); G06F 3/017 (2013.01); G06F 3/0444 (2019.05); G06F 3/0446 (2019.05); A61B 2017/00207 (2013.01); A61B 2562/0257 (2013.01); G06F 2203/04108 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surgical robotic system comprising:
a surgical robotic arm having a plurality of robotic arm links and a plurality of j oints operable to move according to multiple degrees of freedom;
a proximity sensor coupled to the surgical robotic arm, the proximity sensor comprising a plurality of sensing pads, at least one of the sensing pads of the plurality of sensing pads having a triangular shape, and the plurality of sensing pads are operable to detect a movement of a nearby controlling object prior to contact with the surgical robotic arm; and
a processor configured to determine a desired position of the surgical robotic arm based on the detected movement of the nearby controlling object and drive a movement of more than one of the plurality of robotic arm links or the plurality of j oints to achieve the desired position of the surgical robotic arm.
 
8. A control system for a surgical robotic arm, the control system comprising:
a sensor coupled to a surgical robotic arm and comprising a plurality of sensing pads arranged to form a circular sensing region and operable to detect a linear movement or an angular movement of a nearby controlling object prior to contact with a plurality of robotic arm links or a plurality of j oints of the surgical robotic arm; and
a processor configured to determine a desired position of the surgical robotic arm based on the detected movement of the nearby controlling object and drive a movement of more than one of the plurality of robotic arm links or the plurality of j oints to achieve the desired position of the surgical robotic arm.
 
15. A method for touch-free control of a surgical robotic arm based on proximity sensing, the method comprising:
receiving at least one sensor signal generated by a proximity sensor comprising a conductive material printed directly onto a surface of a surgical robotic arm, the at least one sensor signal corresponding to a movement of a nearby controlling object prior to contact with the surgical robotic arm, and the surgical robotic arm comprising a plurality of robotic arm links and a plurality of joints operable to move according to multiple degrees of freedom;
determining a desired position of the surgical robotic arm based on a detected movement of the nearby controlling object; and
controlling a movement of more than one of the plurality of robotic arm links or the plurality of joints to achieve the desired position of the surgical robotic arm.