Virtual reality surgical device

Abstract

A system for use in surgery includes a central body, a visualization system operably connected to the central body, a video rendering system, a head-mounted display for displaying images from the video rendering system, a sensor system, and a robotic device operably connected to the central body. The visualization system includes at least one camera and a pan system and/or a tilt system. The sensor system tracks the position and/or orientation in space of the head-mounted display relative to a reference point. The pan system and/or the tilt system are configured to adjust the field of view of the camera in response to information from the sensor system about changes in at least one of position and orientation in space of the head-mounted display relative to the reference point.

1 . A system for use in surgery comprising:
 a central body;   a visualization system operably connected to the central body comprising:
 at least a first camera, and 
 at least one of a pan system or a tilt system; 
   a first processor and machine readable memory comprising instructions that when executed cause the first processor to generate images based on information from the at least one camera;   a head-mounted display configured to display images generated by the first processor;   a first sensor configured to track at least one of a position in space of the head-mounted display relative to a first reference point or an orientation in space of the head-mounted display relative to the first reference point, wherein the at least one of the pan system or the tilt system is configured to adjust the field of view of the first camera in response to information from the first sensor about changes in at least one of the position or the orientation in space of the head-mounted display relative to the first reference point;   a robotic device operably connected to the central body, wherein the robotic device includes a plurality of robot arm actuators;   a second sensor configured to track a series of changes in a position of a portion of an arm of a user;   a second processor and machine readable memory comprising instructions that when executed cause the second processor to determine a series of positions and orientations of at least two of the plurality of robot arm actuators of the robotic device in response to the series of changes in the position of the portion of the arm of the user based on degrees of freedom of a human arm, whereby the determined series of positions and orientations of the plurality of robot arm actuators of the robotic device replicate a motion achievable by the human arm; and   at least one servomotor configured to adjust at least one of positions or orientations of at least one of the plurality of robot arm actuators to cause the robotic device to follow the series of changes in position of the portion of the arm of the user according to the determined series of the positions and the orientations of the at least two of the plurality of robot arm actuators of the robotic device so that at least one of the plurality of robot arm actuators of the robotic device mimics the motion of the arm of the user.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first processor and the machine readable memory comprises instructions that when executed cause the first processor to digitally adjust the field of view of the generated images based on information from the first sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the visualization system further comprises a second camera. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the images generated by the first processor comprises stereoscopic images based on information from the first camera and the second camera. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein, in an insertion configuration, cross-sectional dimensions of the visualization system in a plane normal to an insertion axis are smaller than a center distance between the first camera and the second camera along the insertion axis. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the visualization system comprises a plurality of cameras. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the first processor and the machine readable memory comprises instructions that when executed cause the first processor to generate the images based on software interlacing of signal information from the plurality of cameras. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one camera sensor configured to measure at least one of a position and an orientation of the first camera. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the robotic device further comprises a positional actuator for changing a position of the robotic device relative to the central body such that the robotic device is used on either a first side or a second side of the central body. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the robotic device comprises a first robot arm and a second arm, wherein each of the first robot arm and the second robot arm includes the plurality of robot arm actuators. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of robot arm actuators includes a plurality of hinged actuators, wherein each of the plurality of hinged actuators comprises:
 a first body comprising:
 a proximal connection component for coupling a first one of the plurality of robot arm actuators to one or more proximal systems, and 
 a first bearing surface; 
   a second body comprising:
 a distal connection component for coupling a second one of the plurality of robot arm actuators to one or more distal systems, and 
 a second bearing surface forming a bearing with the first bearing surface whereby the bearing constrains the motion of the first body relative to the motion of the second body in at least one degree of freedom; 
   a pulley operably coupled with at least one of the first body and the second body;   an actuator cable configured to actuate the pulley; and   at least one contoured surface defined by each of the plurality of hinged actuators and forming a contoured pathway to allow a plurality of additional cables to pass through the contoured pathway from the one or more proximal systems coupled to the proximal connection component to the one or more distal systems coupled to the distal connection component, wherein a shape and a position of the contoured pathway is formed with lengths of the plurality of additional cables being substantially constant for substantially an entire range of motion for which each of the plurality of hinged actuators is used.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of robot arm actuators includes a plurality of hinged actuators, wherein each of the plurality of hinged actuators comprises:
 a first body comprising a proximal connection component;   a second body comprising a distal connection component;   a bearing system constraining the motion of the first body relative to the second body in all degrees of freedom except rotation about one axis perpendicular to the distal-proximal axis of the robotic actuator;   a pulley operably coupled with at least one of the first body and the second body;   an actuator cable configured to actuate the pulley; and   at least one contoured surface defined by the hinged actuator and forming a contoured pathway to allow a plurality of additional cables to pass through the contoured pathway from one or more proximal systems coupled to the proximal connection component to one or more distal systems coupled to the distal connection component, wherein a shape and a position of the contoured pathway is formed with lengths of the plurality of additional cables being substantially constant for substantially an entire range of motion for which the hinged actuator is used.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of robot arm actuators includes a plurality of rotational actuators, wherein each of the plurality of rotational actuators comprises:
 a first body comprising a proximal connection component;   a second body comprising a distal connection component, wherein the second body includes an elongated main body;   a bearing system constraining the motion of the first body relative to the second body in all degrees of freedom except rotation about the distal-proximal axis of the rotational actuator;   an actuator cable coupled to the elongated main body of the second body and configured to actuate the second body; and   a hole defined by the second body with an inner diameter of at least three times the diameter of the actuator cable, wherein a plurality of additional cables pass through the hole from one or more proximal systems coupled to the proximal connection component to one or more distal systems coupled to the distal connection component, wherein a shape and a position of the hole is formed with lengths of the plurality of additional cables being substantially constant for substantially an entire range of motion for which the rotational actuator is used.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the robotic device further comprises a surgical end-effector coupled to one of the plurality of robot arm actuators, wherein the surgical end-effector includes:
 a main grasper body;   a first grasper jaw operably coupled to the main grasper body;   a second grasper jaw operably coupled to the main grasper body;   an actuation cable; and   a linkage mechanism coupling at least one of the first grasper jaw and the second grasper jaw with the actuation cable wherein the linkage mechanism provides for non-linear movement of a distal end of at least one of the first grasper jaw or the second grasper jaw in response to movement of the actuation cable.   
     
     
         15 . The surgical grasper of  claim 14 , further comprising a strain gauge fixed to at least one of the main grasper body, the first grasper jaw, the second grasper jaw, the actuation cable, and the linkage mechanism, wherein a force value between a distal end of the first grasper jaw and a distal end of the second grasper jaw is determined based on information from the strain gauge. 
     
     
         16 . The surgical grasper of  claim 15 , further comprising an operator interface including a haptic feedback device for providing haptic feedback to a user of the operator interface based on the information from the strain gauge. 
     
     
         17 . The surgical grasper of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one of a spring operably coupled with at least one of the first grasper jaw and the second grasper jaw. 
     
     
         18 . The surgical grasper of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one of software and hardware control loops for controlling at least one of a force of the first and second grasper jaws and a position of the first and second grasper jaws. 
     
     
         19 . The surgical grasper of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one of a servomotor operably coupled with the actuation cable. 
     
     
         20 . The surgical grasper of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one of a position sensor configured to measure a position of at least one of the first grasper jaw and the second grasper jaw.