CMR Surgical Limited

A robotic electrosurgical instrument includes a shaft, an end effector including opposing first and second end effector elements, a first joint drivable by a first driving element that is constrained around the first joint, a second joint permitting the first end effector element to rotate about a second axis that is transverse to both the first axis and the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the end effector including an insulating component that covers a proximal end of the first end effector element, the insulating component including a first groove that houses the second driving element as it extends around the second joint, and an electrical cable configured to provide electrical current to an electrical component of the first end effector element.

A surgical endoscope for manipulation by a surgical robot arm. The surgical endoscope comprises a shaft having a distal end for insertion into a patient and a proximal end. An endoscope interface is attached to the proximal end of the shaft. The endoscope interface is configured to engage a robot arm interface of the surgical robot arm. The endoscope interface comprises an endoscope wedge mechanism moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position. The endoscope wedge mechanism comprises endoscope wedge elements which are displaceable such that collective displacement of the endoscope wedge elements actuates the endoscope wedge mechanism between the unlocked position and the locked position.

A control system for controlling a surgical robot system, the surgical robot system comprising a surgical robot, the surgical robot comprising a base, and an arm extending from the base to an attachment for an instrument, the arm comprising a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered, the control system comprising: a main controller configured to: receive communications identifying inputs from an operator of the surgical robot; generate control signals for controlling the movement of the surgical robot arm based on the inputs; and send communications to the surgical robot identifying the control signals; and a safety device situated such that communications to and from the main controller pass through the safety device, the safety device being operable to selectively filter the communications to and/or from the main controller.

A method of reducing a data volume of a data stream in a surgical robotic system, the surgical robotic system comprising a robot having a base and an arm extending from the base to an attachment for an instrument, the arm comprising a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered, the method comprising: receiving a data stream captured by the surgical robotic system, the data stream comprising data relating to a surgical procedure and having a first data volume; identifying a feature in the received data stream indicative of an event in the surgical procedure; and modifying, in dependence on the identified feature, the received data stream to generate a modified data stream having a second data volume that is smaller than the first data volume.

A control system for a surgical robotic system, the surgical robotic system comprising a remote surgeon console and an articulated surgical robot arm comprising a series of joints extending from a base to a terminal end for attaching to an articulated surgical instrument. The control system comprises a central controller communicatively coupled to and remotely located from an arm controller of the surgical robot arm, the central controller also communicatively coupled to a surgeon input device of the surgeon console. The central controller is configured to: receive a command from the surgeon input device indicating a desired position of a distal end of the surgical instrument; transform the desired position of the distal end to (i) a desired wrist position of a wrist of the surgical robot arm, and (ii) desired instrument drive joint positions for those joints of the surgical robot arm which drive joints of the articulated surgical instrument; and transmit the desired wrist position and desired instrument drive joint positions to the arm controller.

A method is provided of anonymising data in a surgical robotic system. The surgical robotic system comprises a robot having a base and an arm extending from the base to an attachment for an instrument, the arm comprising a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered. The method comprises receiving a data stream captured by the surgical robotic system, the data stream comprising data relating to a surgical procedure and comprising personally-identifiable data; determining one or more personally-identifiable feature in the received data stream; and generating, in dependence on the determined personally-identifiable feature and the received data stream, an anonymised data stream omitting the personally-identifiable data.

A control system for implementing a safety mechanism for a surgical robot, the surgical robot operable in a clinical mode in which the surgical robot can perform surgery in response to inputs received at a surgeon input device of a remote surgeon console, the clinical mode comprising safety features, and the surgical robot operable in a service mode in which tests and diagnostics can be run on the surgical robot in response to inputs received from a service interface, the service mode mirroring the clinical mode except in that several of the safety features of the clinical mode are disabled, the control system configured to, in the safety mechanism: receive a transition command to transition the surgical robot to a surgical clinical mode or a calibration clinical mode in which the surgical robot is calibrated for surgery; in response to receiving the transition command, determine if the surgical robot is operating in the service mode; and if the surgical robot is determined to be operating in the service mode, prevent the surgical robot from being transitioned to the surgical clinical mode or the calibration clinical mode.

A surgical endoscope for manipulation by a surgical robot arm. The surgical endoscope comprises a shaft having a distal end for insertion into a patient and a proximal end. An endoscope interface is attached to the proximal end of the shaft. The endoscope interface is configured to engage a robot arm interface of the surgical robot arm. The endoscope interface comprises an endoscope wedge mechanism moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position. The endoscope wedge mechanism comprises endoscope wedge elements which are displaceable such that collective displacement of the endoscope wedge elements actuates the endoscope wedge mechanism between the unlocked position and the locked position.

A control system for controlling a surgical robot system, the surgical robot system comprising a surgical robot, the surgical robot comprising a base, and an arm extending from the base to an attachment for an instrument, the arm comprising a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered, the control system comprising: a main controller configured to: receive communications identifying inputs from an operator of the surgical robot; generate control signals for controlling the movement of the surgical robot arm based on the inputs; and send communications to the surgical robot identifying the control signals; and a safety device situated such that communications to and from the main controller pass through the safety device, the safety device being operable to selectively filter the communications to and/or from the main controller.

A control system for controlling manipulation of a surgical instrument in response to manipulation of a remote surgeon input device. The surgical instrument comprises opposable first and second end effector elements connected to a shaft by an articulated coupling. The control system: transforms commands from the surgeon input device to alter the opening angle between the first and second end effector elements according to a first control relationship to drive signals to drive the first and second end effector elements to rotate; receives sensed forces applied to the first and second end effector elements, and compares the sensed forces to a threshold force; and upon determining that the threshold force has been exceeded, transforms subsequent commands from the surgeon input device to alter the opening angle between the first and second end effector elements according to a second control relationship to drive signals to drive the first and second end effector elements to rotate, wherein the second control relationship is different to the first control relationship.