| CPC A61B 34/74 (2016.02) [A61B 34/30 (2016.02); A61B 90/50 (2016.02); A61B 2017/00017 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00398 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0046 (2013.01); A61B 2034/742 (2016.02)] | 14 Claims |

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1. A method of operating a surgical system that comprises (i) an articulated mechanical arm having a surgical end effector at a distal end thereof, the arm comprising a plurality of arm joints having respective degrees of freedom, and (ii) an input-device array of one or more user-input devices configured to control flexing and rotating of arm joints, the method comprising:
a. in response to an electronic control-output from a first user-input device, retroflecting the distal end of the arm so as to deliver the end effector to a retroflex operating position, employing a first coordinate translation matrix defining a first x-y-z space to translate a user-input to a respective flexion and rotation of an arm joint;
b. in response to and contingent upon detecting that the end effector is in the retroflex operating position, transitioning to a second coordinate translation matrix defining a second x-y-z space that is based on the retroflex position of the end effector; and
c. after the transitioning and in response to an electronic control-output from a second user-input device, performing a surgical activity using the end effector, employing the second coordinate translation matrix to translate a user-input to a respective flexion and rotation of an arm joint.
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