MAKO Surgical Corp.

Robotic surgical systems and methods involving employing machine learning models to improve surgical robotic performance in task space and/or joint space. The robotic manipulator includes a plurality of links and joints and supports a surgical tool. A control system is coupled to the robotic manipulator. For task space control, the control system computes haptic forces that are intended to constrain specified degrees of freedom of the surgical tool and implements the machine learning model to refine the computed haptic forces in attempt to achieve constraint of the surgical tool according to the specified degrees of freedom. For joint space control, the control system computes joint torques for the joints of the robotic manipulator and implement the machine learning model to refine the computed joint torques in attempt to achieve desired joint positions. The machine learning models may use data-driven control schemes.

The present teachings provide for a hand-held robotic instrument for use with a surgical tool. The robotic instrument includes a housing configured to be held by a user, and defining a mount location, a tool support to support the tool, a first linkage extending from the mount location on the housing to the tool support, a first actuator coupled to the first linkage and configured to cause the first linkage to extend from a first length to a second length, and a second actuator coupled to the first linkage and configured to cause the first linkage to pivot about the mount location on the housing.

A system is provided comprising a robotic instrument for use with a tool. In some versions, the robotic instrument comprises a hand-held portion to be held by a user and a tool support movably coupled to the hand-held portion by an actuator assembly. The actuator assembly configured to move the tool support relative to the hand-held portion in a plurality of degrees of freedom. The robotic instrument may include a shroud coupled to and extending between the tool support and the hand-held portion. The shroud may comprise a crease formed between the hand-held portion and the tool support, the crease defining a plane configured to be displaced when the tool support is manipulated relative to the hand-held portion. The plane providing a visual indication of a pose of the tool support relative to the hand-held portion.

Disclosed herein are methods for determining resection depths for a knee arthroplasty procedure. The method may comprise the steps of determining a joint translation threshold, determining a joint translation of the femur with respect to the tibia during a joint gap measurement, setting a final joint gap measurement and determining knee resection depths based on the final joint gap measurement. The joint translation threshold may be defined as a translation distance of a femur with respect to a tibia. The joint translation may be less than or equal to the joint translation threshold.

A support arm includes a first component, a second component, and a joint coupled to the first component and positionally supporting the second component. The joint includes a clutch assembly to selectively prevent rotation of the second component. The clutch assembly includes a shaft moveable between first and second shaft positions and a center structure defining a longitudinal bore for receiving the shaft and defining a transverse bore. A plunger is disposed in the transverse bore and is moveable between first and second plunger positions. A moveable member is coupled to the center structure and moveable between a first member position associated with the first plunger position, and a second member position associated with the second plunger position. The moveable member is in contact with the inner joint surface of the joint in the second member position to positionally lock the second component relative to the first component.

The present teachings provide for a hand-held robotic system for use with a saw blade or other surgical tool. The hand-held robotic system also includes an instrument with a hand-held portion, a blade support coupled to the hand-held portion by a plurality of actuators, the actuators configured to move the blade support or tool support in a plurality of degrees of freedom relative to the hand-held portion. The system includes a localizer and a control system coupled to the localizer and the plurality of actuators. The control system is configured to control each of the plurality of actuators and/or the tool drive motor.

A surgical method includes operating, by a surgical robot, in a first mode, detecting a crossing of an object from a first side of a boundary to a second side of the boundary, switching, in response to the crossing of the object from the first side of the boundary to the second side of the boundary, the surgical robot from the first mode to a second mode, and operating, by the surgical robot, in the second mode.

A surgical tracker assembly for facilitating tracking of a bone includes a tracking unit having a plurality of tracking elements and a tracker support arm with a first end and an opposing second end. The tracker support arm is configured to couple to the tracking unit at the first end and includes a receiver at the opposing second end that defines a cavity. A base is provided with at least one aperture configured to receive a fastener to fix the base to the bone. A post extends from the base and presents a spherical coupler. The receiver is configured to receive and attach to the spherical coupler to connect the tracker support arm to the base.

Surgical systems and methods involve an illumination assembly including a light module operable to generate and direct a visible light and a plurality of actuators to move the light module. Controller(s) coupled to the illumination assembly detect a condition related to a surgical object that is remote from the illumination assembly. The controller(s) control the actuators of the illumination assembly to move the light module to remotely direct the visible light at the surgical object such that the visible light is reflected by the surgical object to visibly communicate the detected condition.

Surgical tracking systems and methods employ multiple tracking devices, each incorporating a controller, camera, and wireless communication interface. Each tracking device can detect other tracking devices through its camera and can be detectable by cameras of the other tracking devices. The controllers determine the relative pose of a target anatomy and the relative poses among the tracking devices. Pose information is wirelessly shared to establish a common coordinate system in which the target anatomy is localized. The controllers detect a tracking conditions or criteria to dynamically select a subset of tracking devices to track the target anatomy within the common coordinate system.