David A Larkin

US Patent:

7379790, May 27, 2008

Filed:

May 4, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/839727

Inventors:

Gregory K. Toth - Mountain View CA, US
Nitish Swarup - Sunnyvale CA, US
Tom Nixon - Santa Clara CA, US
David Q. Larkin - Menlo Park CA, US
Steven J. Colton - Santa Clara CA, US

Assignee:

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

700245, 700250, 700251, 700256, 700257, 700264, 600101, 600105, 600106, 600107, 600118, 606 1, 606160, 901 1, 901 2, 901 9, 901 30, 901 33

Abstract:

Robotic devices, systems, and methods for use in robotic surgery and other robotic applications, and/or medical instrument devices, systems, and methods includes both a reusable processor and a limited-use robotic tool or medical treatment probe. A memory the limited-use component includes machine readable code with data and/or programming instructions to be implemented by the processor. Programming of the processor can be updated by shipping of new data once downloaded by the processor from a component, subsequent components can take advantage of the updated processor without repeated downloading.

US Patent:

7453227, Nov 18, 2008

Filed:

Dec 20, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/613962

Inventors:

Giuseppe M. Prisco - Mountain View CA, US
David Q Larkin - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

B25J 13/08

US Classification:

31856811, 31856821, 318610, 318619, 700254, 700264, 606130

Abstract:

A medical robotic system has a joint coupled to medical device or a slave manipulator or robotic arm adapted to hold and/or move the medical device for performing a medical procedure, and a control system for controlling movement of the joint according to user manipulation of a master manipulator. The control system includes at least one joint controller having a sliding mode control for reducing stick-slip behavior on its controlled joint during fine motions of the joint. The sliding mode control computes a distance to a sliding surface, computes a reaching law gain, and processes the distance and reaching law gain to generate a sliding mode control action that is in absolute value less that a maximum desired feedback control action. The sliding mode control action is then further processed to generate a feedback torque command for the joint motor.

US Patent:

7752920, Jul 13, 2010

Filed:

Oct 26, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/553303

Inventors:

Stephen J. Blumenkranz - Redwood City CA, US
David Q. Larkin - Menlo Park CA, US
Rajesh Kumar - Nasirpur, IN

Assignee:

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

G01D 7/00

US Classification:

73862045, 73862041

Abstract:

A modular force sensor apparatus, method, and system are provided to improve force and torque sensing and feedback to the surgeon performing a telerobotic surgery. In one embodiment, a modular force sensor includes a tube portion including a plurality of strain gauges, a proximal tube portion for operably coupling to a shaft of a surgical instrument that may be operably coupled to a manipulator arm of a robotic surgical system, and a distal tube portion for proximally coupling to a wrist joint coupled to an end portion.

US Patent:

7819859, Oct 26, 2010

Filed:

Jun 30, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/479144

Inventors:

Giuseppe Prisco - Mountain View CA, US
David Q. Larkin - Menlo Park CA, US
William C Nowlin - Los Altos CA, US

Assignee:

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

A61B 17/00

US Classification:

606 1, 345156, 606130

Abstract:

A robotic control system is placed in clutch mode so that a slave manipulator holding a surgical instrument is temporarily disengaged from control by a master manipulator in order to allow manual positioning of the surgical instrument at a surgical site within a patient. Control systems implemented in a processor compensate for internally generated frictional and inertial resistance experienced during the positioning, thereby making movement more comfortable to the mover, and stabler from a control standpoint. Each control system drives a joint motor in the slave manipulator with a saturated torque command signal which has been generated to compensate for non-linear viscous forces, coulomb friction, cogging effects, and inertia forces subjected to the joint, using estimated joint angular velocities, accelerations and externally applied torques generated by an observer in the control system from sampled displacement measurements received from a sensor associated with the joint.

US Patent:

7899578, Mar 1, 2011

Filed:

Oct 8, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/247346

Inventors:

Giuseppe M. Prisco - Mountain View CA, US
David Q. Larkin - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

B25J 13/08

US Classification:

700254, 901 2

Abstract:

A medical robotic system has a joint coupled to medical device or a slave manipulator or robotic arm adapted to hold and/or move the medical device for performing a medical procedure, and a control system for controlling movement of the joint according to user manipulation of a master manipulator. The control system includes at least one joint controller having a sliding mode control for reducing stick-slip behavior on its controlled joint during fine motions of the joint. The sliding mode control computes a distance to a sliding surface, computes a reaching law gain, and processes the distance and reaching law gain to generate a sliding mode control action that is in absolute value less that a maximum desired feedback control action. The sliding mode control action is then further processed to generate a feedback torque command for the joint motor.

US Patent:

7930065, Apr 19, 2011

Filed:

Jul 20, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/491384

Inventors:

David Q. Larkin - Menlo Park CA, US
David C. Shafer - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

A61B 1/00

US Classification:

700245, 600104, 600106, 600145, 606 1, 606 10, 606 13, 606 15

Abstract:

A surgical instrument is provided, including: at least one articulatable arm having a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one joint region disposed between the distal and proximal ends; an optical fiber bend sensor provided in the at least one joint region of the at least one articulatable arm; a detection system coupled to the optical fiber bend sensor, said detection system comprising a light source and a light detector for detecting light reflected by or transmitted through the optical fiber bend sensor to determine a position of at least one joint region of the at least one articulatable arm based on the detected light reflected by or transmitted through the optical fiber bend sensor; and a control system comprising a servo controller for effectuating movement of the arm.

US Patent:

7983793, Jul 19, 2011

Filed:

May 2, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/114082

Inventors:

Gregory K. Toth - Mountain View CA, US
Nitish Swarup - Sunnyvale CA, US
Thomas R. Nixon - Santa Clara CA, US
David Q. Larkin - Menlo Park CA, US
Steven J. Colton - Santa Clara CA, US

Assignee:

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

700245, 700250, 700254, 901 3, 901 30, 901 41

Abstract:

Robotic devices, systems, and methods for use in robotic surgery and other robotic applications, and/or medical instrument devices, systems, and methods includes both a reusable processor and a limited-use robotic tool or medical treatment probe. A memory the limited-use component includes machine readable code with data and/or programming instructions to be implemented by the processor. Programming of the processor can be updated by shipping of new data once downloaded by the processor from a component, subsequent components can take advantage of the updated processor without repeated downloading.

US Patent:

8004229, Aug 23, 2011

Filed:

May 19, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/133423

Inventors:

William C. Nowlin - Los Altos CA, US
Paul W Mohr - Mountain View CA, US
Bruce M. Schena - Menlo Park CA, US
David Q. Larkin - Menlo Park CA, US
Gary Guthart - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

B25J 3/02

US Classification:

31856821, 3185682

Abstract:

Telerobotic, telesurgical, and/or surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods employ surgical robotic linkages that may have more degrees of freedom than an associated surgical end effector n space. A processor can calculate a tool motion that includes pivoting of the tool about an aperture site. Linkages movable along a range of configurations for a given end effector position may be driven toward configurations which inhibit collisions. Refined robotic linkages and method for their use are also provided.