US5825982A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Head cursor control interface for an automated endoscope system for optimal positioning
Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Inc
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Filing: 1995-09-15
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Granted: 1998-10-20
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Expires: 2015-09-15
Abstract
Abstract An interface that allows a surgeon to remotely control surgical devices and conditions of an operation room. The surgeon views a video image that is displayed by a monitor. The monitor may be coupled to a video device such as a laparoscopic camera that is attached to the end of an endoscope. Static graphic images and a dynamic graphic cursor are overlayed onto the video image. The graphic cursor has a pixel location on the monitor which corresponds to a spatial location of a pointer signal. The pointer signal is transmitted by a transmitter worn on the head of the surgeon. The pointer signal may be a laser which is directed to a screen that is located adjacent to a detection camera. The surgeon may move the graphic cursor relative to the video image by tilting his head and varying the spatial location of the pointer signal. The interface may have a controller which generates output signals in response to the movement of the pointer signal. The output signals may move a robotic arm which controls the position of the endoscope. The controller may also generate command signals when the graphic cursor is moved into a static graphic image. The command may vary a condition of the operating room such as the position of the operating table.
Inventors
- 👤 James Wright
- 👤 Hamid Wasti
- 👤 Darrin R. Uecker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 17:27
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/033; G06F3/038; G06F3/0386; A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/00002; A61B1/00039; A61B1/00042; A61B1/313; A61B90/00; A61B90/36; A61B1/04; A61B1/05; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00017; A61B2017/00216; A61B34/00; A61B34/70; A61B90/30; H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/50; H04N23/555
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
An interface for controlling a surgical robot in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the surgical robot moves a surgical instrument that provides a video image to a monitor, comprising: a transmitter that is mounted to the operator's head, said transmitter for transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location, said pointer signal spatial location moves in response to a movement of the operator's head; a detector for detecting said pointer signal spatial location; and, a controller that is coupled to said detector, said controller for correlating said pointer signal spatial location to a robot spatial location of the surgical robot and for generating an output signal to move the surgical robot to the robot spatial location.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
122 words
An interface for controlling a surgical robot in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the surgical robot moves a surgical instrument that provides a video image to a monitor, comprising: a transmitter that is mounted to the operator's head, said transmitter for transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location, said pointer signal spatial location moves in response to a movement of the operator's head; a detector for detecting said pointer signal spatial location; and, a controller that is coupled to said detector, said controller for correlating said pointer signal spatial location to a robot spatial location of the surgical robot and for generating an output signal to move the surgical robot to the robot spatial location.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a graphic overlay processor for overlaying a dynamic graphic cursor onto the video image, said dynamic graphic cursor having a cursor pixel location that corresponds to said pointer signal spatial location.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The interface as recited in claim 2, wherein said graphic overlay processor for overlaying a static graphic image onto the video image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The interface as recited in claim 3, wherein said controller for generating output signals when said dynamic graphic cursor location resides within said graphic image.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmitter includes a laser for generating a laser beam.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The interface as recited in claim 5, wherein said detector includes a camera for detecting said laser beam.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
161 words
An interface for controlling a surgical site, which has at least one surgical device, in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the operator views a video image on the monitor, comprising: a transmitter that is mounted to the operator's head, said transmitter for transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location, said pointer signal spatial location moves in response to a movement of the operator's head; a detector for detecting said pointer signal spatial location; a graphic overlay processor for overlaying a dynamic graphic cursor and a static graphic image onto the video image, said dynamic graphic cursor has a cursor pixel location; and, a controller that is coupled to said detector and said graphic overlay processor, said controller for correlating the cursor pixel location of said dynamic graphic cursor to said pointer signal spatial location for generating an output signal for the surgical device when said dynamic graphic cursor resides within said static graphic image.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
161 words
An interface for controlling a surgical site, which has at least one surgical device, in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the operator views a video image on the monitor, comprising: a transmitter that is mounted to the operator's head, said transmitter for transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location, said pointer signal spatial location moves in response to a movement of the operator's head; a detector for detecting said pointer signal spatial location; a graphic overlay processor for overlaying a dynamic graphic cursor and a static graphic image onto the video image, said dynamic graphic cursor has a cursor pixel location; and, a controller that is coupled to said detector and said graphic overlay processor, said controller for correlating the cursor pixel location of said dynamic graphic cursor to said pointer signal spatial location for generating an output signal for the surgical device when said dynamic graphic cursor resides within said static graphic image.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The interface as recited in claim 7, wherein said transmitter includes a laser for generating a laser beam.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The interface as recited in claim 8, wherein said detector includes a camera for detecting said laser beam.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The interface as recited in claim 9, wherein said laser beam is directed to a screen that is in a field of view of said camera.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
106 words
An interface for controlling a surgical robot in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the surgical robot moves a surgical instrument and the operator views a video image to a monitor, comprising: transmitter means for transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location, said pointer signal spatial location moves in response to a movement of the operator's head; detector means for detecting said pointer signal spatial location; and, controller means for correlating said pointer signal spatial location to a robot spatial location of the surgical robot and generating an output signal for moving the surgical robot to the robot spatial location.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
106 words
An interface for controlling a surgical robot in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the surgical robot moves a surgical instrument and the operator views a video image to a monitor, comprising: transmitter means for transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location, said pointer signal spatial location moves in response to a movement of the operator's head; detector means for detecting said pointer signal spatial location; and, controller means for correlating said pointer signal spatial location to a robot spatial location of the surgical robot and generating an output signal for moving the surgical robot to the robot spatial location.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
The interface as recited in claim 11, further comprising graphic overlay means for overlaying a dynamic graphic cursor control onto the video image, said dynamic graphic cursor having a cursor pixel location that corresponds to said pointer signal spatial location.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The interface as recited in claim 12, wherein said graphic overlay means for overlaying a static graphic image onto the video image.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The interface as recited in claim 13, wherein said controller means for generating output signals when said dynamic graphic cursor resides within said static graphic image.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The interface as recited in claim 11, wherein said transmitter means includes a laser for generating a laser beam.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
The interface as recited in claim 15, wherein said receiver means includes a camera for detecting said laser beam.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
139 words
An interface for controlling a surgical site, which has at least one surgical device, in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the operator views a video image on a monitor, comprising: transmitter means for transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location, said pointer signal spatial location moves in response to a movement of the operator's head; detector means for detecting said pointer signal spatial location; graphic overlay means for overlaying a dynamic graphic cursor and a static graphic image onto the video image, said dynamic graphic cursor has a cursor pixel location; and, controller means for correlating said cursor pixel location of said dynamic graphic cursor to said pointer signal spatial location and for generating an output signal for the surgical device when said dynamic graphic cursor resides within said static graphic image.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
139 words
An interface for controlling a surgical site, which has at least one surgical device, in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the operator views a video image on a monitor, comprising: transmitter means for transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location, said pointer signal spatial location moves in response to a movement of the operator's head; detector means for detecting said pointer signal spatial location; graphic overlay means for overlaying a dynamic graphic cursor and a static graphic image onto the video image, said dynamic graphic cursor has a cursor pixel location; and, controller means for correlating said cursor pixel location of said dynamic graphic cursor to said pointer signal spatial location and for generating an output signal for the surgical device when said dynamic graphic cursor resides within said static graphic image.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
The interface as recited in claim 17, wherein said transmitter means includes a laser for generating a laser beam.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
The interface as recited in claim 18, wherein said receiver means includes a camera for detecting said laser beam.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
The interface as recited in claim 19, wherein said laser beam is directed to a screen that is in a field of view of said camera.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for moving a surgical robot in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the surgical robot moves a surgical instrument that provides a video image to a monitor, comprising the steps of: a) transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location; b) moving the operator's head so that said pointer signal moves to a new pointer signal spatial location; c) detecting said new pointer signal spatial location; d) correlating said new pointer signal spatial location of said pointer signal to a robot spatial location; and, e) moving the surgical robot to the robot spatial location.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for moving a surgical robot in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the surgical robot moves a surgical instrument that provides a video image to a monitor, comprising the steps of: a) transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location; b) moving the operator's head so that said pointer signal moves to a new pointer signal spatial location; c) detecting said new pointer signal spatial location; d) correlating said new pointer signal spatial location of said pointer signal to a robot spatial location; and, e) moving the surgical robot to the robot spatial location.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
131 words
A method for controlling a surgical device in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the operator views a video image on a monitor, comprising the steps of: a) transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location; b) moving the operator's head so that said pointer signal moves to a new pointer signal spatial location; c) detecting said new pointer signal spatial location; d) overlaying a static graphic image onto the video image; e) overlaying a dynamic graphic cursor which has a cursor pixel location onto the video image; f) correlating said cursor pixel location of said dynamic graphic cursor to said new pointer signal spatial location; and, g) generating an output signal for the surgical device when said dynamic graphic cursor resides within said graphic image.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
131 words
A method for controlling a surgical device in response to a movement of an operator's head, wherein the operator views a video image on a monitor, comprising the steps of: a) transmitting a pointer signal to a pointer signal spatial location; b) moving the operator's head so that said pointer signal moves to a new pointer signal spatial location; c) detecting said new pointer signal spatial location; d) overlaying a static graphic image onto the video image; e) overlaying a dynamic graphic cursor which has a cursor pixel location onto the video image; f) correlating said cursor pixel location of said dynamic graphic cursor to said new pointer signal spatial location; and, g) generating an output signal for the surgical device when said dynamic graphic cursor resides within said graphic image.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-10-19 | 2002-04-20 | 2002-10-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-10-19 | 2006-04-20 | 2006-10-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-10-19 | 2010-04-20 | 2010-10-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |