| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080201017 | Medical tele-robotic system - A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080215065 | Medical robotic arm that is attached to an operating table - A system for performing minimally invasive cardiac procedures includes a pair of surgical instruments coupled to a pair of robotic arms with end effectors that can be manipulated to hold and suture tissue. The robotic arms are coupled to a pair of master handles by a controller to produce a corresponding movement of the end effectors. The movement of the handles is scaled such that the end effectors movement corresponds differently, typically smaller, than the movement performed by the hands of the surgeon. The input button allows the surgeon to adjust the position of the handles without moving the end effector, so that the handles can be moved to a more comfortable position. The system may include a robotically controlled endoscope allowing the surgeon to remotely view a surgical site. The surgeon may manipulate handles and move end effectors to perform a cardiac procedure. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080221731 | Method for operating a medical robotic system by stopping movement of a surgical instrument about a pivot point or issuing a warning if the pivot point moves beyond a thershold value - A system for performing minimally invasive cardiac procedures. The system includes a pair of surgical instruments that are coupled to a pair of robotic arms. The instruments have end effectors that can be manipulated to hold and suture tissue. The robotic arms are coupled to pair of master handles by a controller. The handles can be moved by the surgeon to produce a corresponding movement of the end effectors. The controller controls and limits movement of robotic arms relative to the patient. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080228196 | SURGICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL PROCEDURES - The system includes a pair of surgical instruments that are coupled to a pair of robotic arms. The instruments have end effectors that can be manipulated to hold and suture tissue. The robotic arms are coupled to a pair of master handles by a controller. The handles can be moved by the surgeon to produce a corresponding movement of the end effectors. The movement of the handles is scaled so that the end effectors have a corresponding movement that is different, typically smaller, than the movement performed by the hands of the surgeon. The scale factor is adjustable so that the surgeon can control the resolution of the end effector movement. The movement of the end effector can be controlled by an input button, so that the end effector only moves when the button is depressed by the surgeon. The input button allows the surgeon to adjust the position of the handles without moving the end effector, so that the handles can be moved to a more comfortable position. The system may also have a robotically controlled endoscope which allows the surgeon to remotely view the surgical site. A cardiac procedure can be performed by making small incisions in the patient's skin and inserting the instruments and endoscope into the patient. The surgeon manipulates the handles and moves the end effectors to perform a cardiac procedure such as a coronary artery bypass graft. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080255703 | Medical tele-robotic system - A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20090099576 | MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL TRAINING USING ROBOTICS AND TELECOLLABORATION - A medical system that allows a mentor to teach a pupil how to use a robotically controlled medical instrument. The system may include a first handle that can be controlled by a mentor to move the medical instrument. The system may further have a second handle that can be moved by a pupil to control the same instrument. Deviations between movement of the handles by the mentor and the pupil can be provided as force feedback to the pupil and mentor handles. The force feedback pushes the pupil's hand to correspond with the mentor's handle movement. The force feedback will also push the mentor's hand to provide information to the mentor on pupil's movements. The mentor is thus able to guide the pupil's hands through force feedback of the pupil handles to teach the pupil how to use the system. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090105881 | Medical Tele-Robotic System - A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090105882 | Medical Tele-Robotic System - A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090125147 | REMOTE CONTROLLED ROBOT SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES MEDICAL IMAGES - A remote controlled robot system that includes a mobile robot and a remote control station. The mobile robot is controlled by the remote control station and includes a robot monitor, and a robot camera that captures a robot image. The system also includes a medical image device that can be coupled to the robot. The remote control station includes a camera that captures a remote station image, and a monitor that displays the robot image captured by the robot camera in a robot view field, displays the remote station image in a station view field. The robot transmits the robot and medical images to the remote control station such that a larger portion of a network bandwidth is allocated for the medical image than the robot image. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090240371 | Remote presence system mounted to operating room hardware - A robot system that includes a remote station and a robot face. The robot face includes a camera that is coupled to a monitor of the remote station and a monitor that is coupled to a camera of the remote station. The robot face and remote station also have speakers and microphones that are coupled together. The robot face may be coupled to a boom. The boom can extend from the ceiling of a medical facility. Alternatively, the robot face may be attached to a medical table with an attachment mechanism. The robot face and remote station allows medical personnel to provide medical consultation through the system. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090259339 | Robotic based health care system - A robotic system that can be used to treat a patient. The robotic system includes a mobile robot that has a camera. The mobile robot is controlled by a remote station that has a monitor. A physician can use the remote station to move the mobile robot into view of a patient. An image of the patient is transmitted from the robot camera to the remote station monitor. A medical personnel at the robot site can enter patient information into the system through a user interface. The patient information can be stored in a server. The physician can access the information from the remote station. The remote station may provide graphical user interfaces that display the patient information and provide both a medical tool and a patient management plan. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20100010672 | Docking system for a tele-presence robot - A remote controlled robot system that includes a mobile robot with a robot camera and a battery plug module, and a remote control station that transmits commands to control the mobile robot. The system also includes a battery charging module that mates with the mobile robot battery plug module, and an alignment system that aligns the battery plug module with the battery charging module. The battery modules may also be aligned with the aid of video images of the battery charging module provided to the remote station by a camera located within the battery plug module. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100010673 | Tele-presence robot system with multi-cast features - A graphical user interface for a remote controlled robot system that includes a robot view field that displays information provided by a robot and an observer view field that display observer information about one or more observers that can receive the robot information. The interface has various features that allow a master user to control the observation and participation of the observers. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100070079 | MOBILE VIDEOCONFERENCING ROBOT SYSTEM WITH NETWORK ADAPTIVE DRIVING - A remote control station that controls a robot through a network. The remote control station transmits a robot control command that includes information to move the robot. The remote control station monitors at least one network parameter and scales the robot control command as a function of the network parameter. For example, the remote control station can monitor network latency and scale the robot control command to slow down the robot with an increase in the latency of the network. Such an approach can reduce the amount of overshoot or overcorrection by a user driving the robot. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100073490 | MOBILE ROBOT WITH A HEAD-BASED MOVEMENT MAPPING SCHEME - A robotic system that includes a mobile robot and a remote input device. The input device may be a joystick that is used to move a camera and a mobile platform of the robot. The system may operate in a mode where the mobile platform moves in a camera reference coordinate system. The camera reference coordinate system is fixed to a viewing image provided by the camera so that movement of the robot corresponds to a direction viewed on a screen. This prevents disorientation during movement of the robot if the camera is panned across a viewing area. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100100240 | TELEPRESENCE ROBOT WITH A CAMERA BOOM - A remote controlled robot with a head that supports a monitor and is coupled to a mobile platform. The mobile robot also includes an auxiliary camera coupled to the mobile platform by a boom. The mobile robot is controlled by a remote control station. By way of example, the robot can be remotely moved about an operating room. The auxiliary camera extends from the boom so that it provides a relatively close view of a patient or other item in the room. An assistant in the operating room may move the boom and the camera. The boom may be connected to a robot head that can be remotely moved by the remote control station. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100115418 | GRAPHICAL INTERFACE FOR A REMOTE PRESENCE SYSTEM - A robot system that includes a robot and a remote station. The remote station may be a personal computer coupled to the robot through a broadband network. A user at the remote station may receive both video and audio from a camera and microphone of the robot, respectively. The remote station may include a display user interface that has a variety of viewable fields and selectable buttons. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100131102 | SERVER CONNECTIVITY CONTROL FOR TELE-PRESENCE ROBOT - A robot system with a robot that has a camera and a remote control station that can connect to the robot. The connection can include a plurality of privileges. The system further includes a server that controls which privileges are provided to the remote control station. The privileges may include the ability to control the robot, joint in a multi-cast session and the reception of audio/video from the robot. The privileges can be established and edited through a manager control station. The server may contain a database that defines groups of remote control station that can be connected to groups of robots. The database can be edited to vary the stations and robots within a group. The system may also allow for connectivity between a remote control station at a user programmable time window. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100131103 | SERVER CONNECTIVITY CONTROL FOR TELE-PRESENCE ROBOT - A robot system with a robot that has a camera and a remote control station that can connect to the robot. The connection can include a plurality of privileges. The system further includes a server that controls which privileges are provided to the remote control station. The privileges may include the ability to control the robot, joint in a multi-cast session and the reception of audio/video from the robot. The privileges can be established and edited through a manager control station. The server may contain a database that defines groups of remote control station that can be connected to groups of robots. The database can be edited to vary the stations and robots within a group. The system may also allow for connectivity between a remote control station at a user programmable time window. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100191375 | DOCUMENTATION THROUGH A REMOTE PRESENCE ROBOT - A robotic system that is used in a tele-presence session. For example, the system can be used by medical personnel to examine, diagnose and prescribe medical treatment in the session. The system includes a robot that has a camera and is controlled by a remote station. The system further includes a storage device that stores session content data regarding the session. The data may include a video/audio taping of the session by the robot. The session content data may also include time stamps that allow a user to determine the times that events occurred during the session. The session content data may be stored on a server that accessible by multiple users. Billing information may be automatically generated using the session content data. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100268383 | TELE-PRESENCE ROBOT SYSTEM WITH SOFTWARE MODULARITY, PROJECTOR AND LASER POINTER - A remote control station that accesses one of at least two different robots that each have at least one unique robot feature. The remote control station receives information that identifies the robot feature of the accessed robot. The remote station displays a display user interface that includes at least one field that corresponds to the robot feature of the accessed robot. The robot may have a laser pointer and/or a projector. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20110050841 | PORTABLE REMOTE PRESENCE ROBOT - A tele-presence system that includes a portable robot face coupled to a remote station. The robot face includes a robot monitor, a robot camera, a robot speaker and a robot microphone. The remote station includes a station monitor, a station camera, a station speaker and a station microphone. The portable robot face can be attached to a platform mounted to the ceiling of an ambulance. The portable robot face can be used by a physician at the remote station to provide remote medical consultation. When the patient is moved from the ambulance the portable robot face can be detached from the platform and moved with the patient. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110071702 | PROTOCOL FOR A REMOTELY CONTROLLED VIDEOCONFERENCING ROBOT - A robotic system that includes a robot and a remote station. The remote station can generate control commands that are transmitted to the robot through a broadband network. The control commands can be interpreted by the robot to induce action such as robot movement or focusing a robot camera. The robot can generate reporting commands that are transmitted to the remote station through the broadband network. The reporting commands can provide positional feedback or system reports on the robot. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110087238 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING MINIMALLY INVASIVE CARDIAC PROCEDURES - A system for performing minimally invasive cardiac procedures. The system includes a pair of surgical instruments that are coupled to a pair of robotic arms. The instruments have end effectors that can be manipulated to hold and suture tissue. The robotic arms are coupled to a pair of master handles by a controller. The handles can be moved by the surgeon to produce a corresponding movement of the end effectors. The movement of the handles is scaled so that the end effectors have a corresponding movement that is different, typically smaller, than the movement performed by the hands of the surgeon. The scale factor is adjustable so that the surgeon can control the resolution of the end effector movement. The movement of the end effector can be controlled by an input button, so that the end effector only moves when the button is depressed by the surgeon. The input button allows the surgeon to adjust the position of the handles without moving the end effector, so that the handles can be moved to a more comfortable position. The system may also have a robotically controlled endoscope which allows the surgeon to remotely view the surgical site. A cardiac procedure can be performed by making small incisions in the patient's skin and inserting the instruments and endoscope into the patient. The surgeon manipulates the handles and moves the end effectors to perform a cardiac procedure such as a coronary artery bypass graft. | 04-14-2011 |
