System and method for radio based location of modular arm carts in a surgical robotic system

Abstract

A position and tracking system for radio-based localization in an operating room, includes a receiver, a mobile cart, a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor. The mobile cart includes a robotic arm and a transmitter in operable communication with the receiver. The memory has instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to receive, from the transmitter, a signal including a position of the mobile carts in a 3D space based on the signal communicated by the transmitter and determine a spatial pose of the mobile carts based on the received signal.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A position and tracking system for radio-based localization in an operating room, the system comprising:
 a receiver;   a mobile cart including:
 a transmitter in operable communication with the receiver; and 
 a robotic arm; 
   a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
 receive, from the transmitter, a signal including a position of the mobile cart in a 3D space; 
 determine a spatial pose of the mobile cart based on the received signal; and 
 determine a location to which to automatically move the mobile cart based on a surgical procedure and a type of patient. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:
 further determine a location to which to move the mobile cart based on a configuration of an operating room; and   automatically move the mobile cart to a new spatial pose based on the determined location.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the transmitter is a first transmitter, and wherein the system further includes a second transmitter located in proximity to a patient,
 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:
 determine a second spatial pose of the patient based on a signal communicated by the second transmitter; and 
 determine a position of the mobile cart relative to the patient based on the determined second spatial pose of the patient. 
   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the transmitter may include at least one of an RF transmitter, a microwave transmitter, or a millimeter-wave transmitter. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the receiver includes a plurality of antennae. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the signal from the transmitter includes a spread spectrum signal. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the spatial pose of the mobile cart by the receiver receiving an indication of a level of the signal from the transmitter. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the robotic arm includes a third transmitter in operable communication with the receiver. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:
 receive, from the third transmitter, a second signal including a position of the robotic arm in a 3D space; and   determine the spatial pose of the robotic arm based on the received second signal.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the robotic arm includes:
 a plurality of individual links, each of which includes a plurality of fourth transmitters in operable communication with the receiver.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:
 receive, from the plurality of fourth transmitters, a plurality of signals including a spatial pose of the plurality of individual links in a 3D space.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:
 receive at least one of kinematic information from the robotic arm or camera positioning information from the robotic arm;   receive shape information of the plurality of individual links; and   cross-reference the spatial pose of the plurality of individual links with the at least one of kinematic information or camera positioning information.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , further comprising a display, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to:
 predict a possible collision with a second robotic arm based on the cross-reference; and   display, on the display, an alert indicating the possibility of a collision.   
     
     
         34 . A method of performing robotic surgery in an operating room, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a transmitter of a mobile cart supporting a robotic arm, a signal including a position of the mobile cart in a 3D space;   determining a spatial pose of the mobile cart based on the received signal; and   determining a location to which to automatically move the mobile cart based on a surgical procedure and a type of patient.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 automatically moving the mobile cart to a new spatial pose based on the determined location.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the transmitter is a first transmitter, and further comprising:
 receiving, from a second transmitter of a robotic arm of the mobile cart, a second signal including a position of the robotic arm in a 3D space; and   determining a spatial pose of the robotic arm based on the received second signal.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a plurality of transmitters of individual links of the robotic arm, a plurality of signals including locations of each of the plurality of individual links in a 3D space; and   determining a spatial pose of each of the plurality of individual links of the robotic arm based on the received plurality of signals.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 determining a second spatial pose of a patient based on a signal communicated by the second transmitter located in proximity to the patient; and   determining a position of the mobile cart relative to a patient based on the determined second spatial pose of the patient.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising determining the spatial pose of the mobile cart by receiving, by the receiver, an indication of a level of the signal from the transmitter. 
     
     
         40 . A method of performing robotic surgery in an operating room, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a transmitter of a mobile cart supporting a robotic arm, a signal including a position of the mobile cart in a 3D space;   determining a spatial pose of the mobile cart based on the received signal; and   determining a location to which to automatically move the mobile cart based on at least one of a surgical procedure, a type of patient or a type of surgical table.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising:
 automatically moving the mobile cart to a new spatial pose based on the determined location.