US 12,064,197 B2
System and methods for positioning a manipulator arm by clutching within a null-perpendicular space concurrent with null-space movement
Nitish Swarup, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Arjang M. Hourtash, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/122,896.
Application 18/122,896 is a continuation of application No. 17/390,722, filed on Jul. 30, 2021, granted, now 11,638,619.
Application 17/390,722 is a continuation of application No. 16/859,892, filed on Apr. 27, 2020, granted, now 11,109,924, issued on Sep. 7, 2021.
Application 16/859,892 is a continuation of application No. 16/284,815, filed on Feb. 25, 2019, granted, now 10,687,908, issued on Jun. 23, 2020.
Application 16/284,815 is a continuation of application No. 15/885,685, filed on Jan. 31, 2018, granted, now 10,251,715, issued on Apr. 9, 2019.
Application 15/885,685 is a continuation of application No. 15/235,103, filed on Aug. 12, 2016, granted, now 9,907,619, issued on Mar. 6, 2018.
Application 15/235,103 is a continuation of application No. 14/218,788, filed on Mar. 18, 2014, granted, now 9,415,510, issued on Aug. 16, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/799,920, filed on Mar. 15, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2023/0210617 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61B 34/37 (2016.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 18/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 34/30 (2016.02) [A61B 34/37 (2016.02); B25J 9/1607 (2013.01); B25J 9/1638 (2013.01); B25J 9/1666 (2013.01); B25J 18/007 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a manipulator arm configured to support an instrument having an end effector, the manipulator arm comprising a distal portion, a proximal portion coupled to a base, and a plurality of joints between the distal portion and the base, the plurality of joints providing sufficient degrees of freedom to allow a range of differing joint states of the plurality of joints for a state of the distal portion; and
a processor coupled to the manipulator arm, the processor configured with a manipulation mode and a first clutch mode, the first clutch mode selected from the group consisting of: an arm-null-perpendicular-clutch mode, a port-null-perpendicular-clutch mode, and an arm-port-null-perpendicular-clutch mode, wherein the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:
in the manipulation mode, driving the plurality of joints to move an end effector of the instrument while pivoting the instrument about a remote center, and
in the first clutch mode, operating the plurality of joints in accordance with the first clutch mode;
wherein the arm-null-perpendicular-clutch mode corresponds to concurrently:
servoing the plurality of joints in a null-perpendicular space of the remote center to maintain a position of the remote center,
floating the plurality of joints in a first subspace while applying friction compensation or gravity compensation, the first subspace being a portion of a null-perpendicular space of the end effector orthogonal to the null-perpendicular space of the remote center, and
controlling motion of the plurality of joints in an intersection of a null-space of the remote center and a null-space of the end effector;
wherein the port-null-perpendicular-clutch mode corresponds to concurrently:
servoing the plurality of joints in a null-perpendicular space of the end effector to maintain a position of the end effector,
floating the plurality of joints in a second subspace while applying friction compensation or gravity compensation, the second subspace being a portion of the null-perpendicular space of the remote center orthogonal to the null-perpendicular space of the end effector, and
controlling the motion of the plurality of joints in the intersection of the null-space of the remote center and the null-space of the end effector; and
wherein the arm-port-null-perpendicular-clutch mode corresponds to concurrently:
floating the plurality of joints in a union of the null-perpendicular space of the remote center and the null-perpendicular space of the end effector while applying friction compensation or gravity compensation, and
controlling the motion of the plurality of joints in the intersection of the null-space of the remote center and the null-space of the end effector.