US 12,226,175 B2
Systems and methods for docking medical instruments
Mingyen Ho, Santa Clara, CA (US); Chauncey F. Graetzel, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Adrian Hairrell, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Auris Health, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Auris Health, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/055,387.
Application 18/055,387 is a continuation of application No. 16/990,193, filed on Aug. 11, 2020, granted, now 11,497,568.
Application 16/990,193 is a continuation of application No. 16/586,527, filed on Sep. 27, 2019, granted, now 10,765,487, issued on Sep. 8, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/738,483, filed on Sep. 28, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0146311 A1, May 11, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61M 25/01 (2006.01); A61B 34/00 (2016.01); A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 34/30 (2016.02) [A61B 34/71 (2016.02); A61B 2017/00477 (2013.01); A61B 2034/301 (2016.02); A61B 2034/302 (2016.02); A61B 2034/303 (2016.02); A61B 2090/066 (2016.02); A61B 2562/0261 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic medical system, comprising:
an instrument drive mechanism comprising:
a drive output configured to rotate and engage a corresponding drive input of a robotic medical instrument; and
a motor associated with the drive output and configured to rotate the drive output;
a sensor configured to detect when the robotic medical instrument is within a threshold loading distance from the instrument drive mechanism; and
at least one computer-readable memory in communication with at least one processor, the memory having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that cause the at least one processor to:
determine that the robotic medical instrument is within the threshold loading distance of the instrument drive mechanism based on an output of the sensor; and
cause activation of the motor associated with the drive output such that rotation of the drive output facilitates alignment of the drive output and the corresponding drive input.
 
12. A method for aligning a drive output of an instrument drive mechanism with a drive input of a robotic medical instrument, the method comprising:
receiving a distance signal from a sensor associated with at least one of the instrument drive mechanism or the robotic medical instrument, the distance signal indicative of a distance between the instrument drive mechanism and the robotic medical instrument;
comparing the distance signal to a threshold loading distance; and
in response to determining that the distance signal is within the threshold loading distance, causing activation of a motor associated with the drive output to rotationally align the drive output and a corresponding drive input of the robotic medical instrument.
 
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions configured to cause at least one processor to:
determine whether a robotic medical instrument is within a threshold docking distance of an instrument drive mechanism based on a first output of a distance sensor associated with the robotic medical instrument or the instrument drive mechanism;
activate a motor associated with a drive output of an instrument drive mechanism to rotate the drive output in a first direction such that the drive output rotationally aligns with a corresponding drive input of the robotic medical instrument;
determine that the robotic medical instrument is docked to the instrument drive mechanism based on a second output of the distance sensor; and
in response to determining that the robotic medical instrument is docked, deactivate the motor to stop rotation of the drive output.