TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to surgical robotic systems, and more specifically to systems and methods to plan for a surgical robotic procedure.

BACKGROUND

Minimally-invasive surgery (MIS), such as laparoscopic surgery, involves techniques intended to reduce tissue damage during a surgical procedure. For example, laparoscopic procedures typically involve creating a number of small incisions in the patient (e.g., in the abdomen), and introducing one or more tools and at least one camera through the incisions into the patient. The surgical procedures can then be performed by using the introduced surgical tools, with the visualization aid provided by the camera.

Generally, MIS provides multiple benefits, such as reduced patient scarring, less patient pain, shorter patient recovery periods, and lower medical treatment costs associated with patient recovery. MIS can be performed with surgical robotic systems that include one or more robotic arms for manipulating surgical tools based on commands from a remote operator. A robotic arm may, for example, support at its distal end various devices such as surgical end effectors, imaging devices, cannulas for providing access to the patient's body cavity and organs, etc. Thus, a surgical robotic arm can assist in performing surgery.

Control of such robotic systems may require control inputs from a user (e.g., surgeon or other operator) via one or more user interface devices that translate manipulations or commands from the user into control of the robotic system. For example, in response to user commands, a tool driver having one or more motors may actuate one or more degrees of freedom of a surgical tool when the surgical tool is positioned at the surgical site in the patient.

SUMMARY

It may be desirable to plan a surgical robotic workflow that describes an arrangement of surgical robotic arms in advance of a procedure. By determining the arrangement prior to surgery with the processes discussed herein, one can improve the repeatability of success of the operation and beneficially determine which physical environments (e.g., operating rooms in a health facility) will be adequate for a particular surgical robotic environment. The arrangement (e.g., location and orientation) of the surgical robotic system (e.g., the surgical robotic arms, the surgical robotic platform, the user console, the control tower, and other surgical robotic equipment) can be planned and optimized based on the processes discussed herein.

In some embodiments, a system and process for planning surgical robotic workflow with a surgical robotic system is described. A virtual surgical environment is generated, having one or more virtual surgical robotic arms and a virtual patient. A workspace is determined in the virtual patient. A position of each of one or more virtual tools is determined based on the workspace. A position of each of the one or more virtual surgical robotic arms is determined based on the positions of the virtual tools, to maintain a reach of the virtual tool in the workspace.

In some embodiments, determining surgical robotic workflow and layout for a surgical robotic procedure can be incrementally improved. A workflow and a layout of virtual surgical equipment is determined. The layout is used as a reference to arrange a physical layout. The physical layout can then be used as a reference to re-arrange the virtual surgical robotic equipment. Thus, a two-way improvement process can help setup of a surgical robotic system in a physical environment. For example, a virtual operating room (OR) and virtual surgical equipment can be generated based on existing OR models and existing equipment models. Sensor feedback is received defining a physical OR having physical equipment including a surgical robotic system within the physical OR. The virtual OR and the virtual surgical equipment is updated based on the sensor feedback. The layout of the virtual surgical equipment is optimized in the virtual OR. The optimized layout of the virtual surgical equipment can be rendered on a display, which can be used as reference to rearrange the physical surgical equipment in the physical OR. The process can be repeated.

