Automated surgical system and apparatus

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical method, comprising the steps of:

providing an endoscopic instrument assembly with a flexible insertion member, said endoscopic instrument assembly having a plurality of biopsy channels extending parallel to said insertion member;

also providing a plurality of flexible endoscopic tools having distal end portions;

inserting said insertion member into a patient's body;

obtaining a video image of internal body tissues inside said patient's body via said endoscopic instrument assembly;

transmitting, over an electromagnetic signaling link, a video signal encoding said video image to a remote location beyond a range of direct manual contact with said patient's body and said endoscopic instrument;

receiving actuator control signals from said remote location via said electromagnetic signaling link;

automatically inserting distal end portions of said tools into the patient's body via respective ones of said biopsy channels in response to the received actuator control signals; and

automatically operating said tools in response to the received actuator control signals to effect a surgical operation on said internal body tissues.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said endoscopic instrument assembly includes a pair of image transmission guides, said video signal including stereoscopic information from said image transmission guides, further comprising the step of providing stereoscopic visual information to a surgeon at said remote location.

3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein said step of providing stereoscopic visual information to a surgeon at said remote location includes the step of generating a single video image having staggered image components of different colors, filters over different eyes of a viewer serving to select between said staggered image components.

4. The method defined in claim 2 wherein said step of providing stereoscopic visual information to a surgeon at said remote location includes the steps of:

providing two video monitors attached to one another for mounting to a person's head; and

generating on said monitors two video images having staggered image components.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said endoscopic instrument assembly includes a pair of image transmission guides, further comprising the step of transmitting images of two different views of said internal tissues along said image transmission guides, said video signal including stereoscopic information from said image transmission guides, further comprising the step of providing stereoscopic visual information to a surgeon at said remote location.

6. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically bending said distal end portions of said tools said tools in response to the received actuator control signals.

7. A surgical system comprising:

an endoscopic instrument;

camera means attached to said endoscopic instrument for obtaining video images of internal body tissues inside a patient's body via said endoscopic instrument;

transmission means operatively connected to said camera means for transmitting, over an electromagnetic signaling link to a remote location beyond a range of direct manual contact with said patient's body and said endoscopic instrument, a video signal encoding said video image;

receiver means for receiving actuator control signals from said remote location via said electromagnetic signaling link;

a surgical instrument insertable into the patient's body and movable relative to the patient's body and said endoscopic instrument, said surgical instrument having a replaceable operative tip;

robot actuator means operatively connected to said surgical instrument and said receiver means for actuating said surgical instrument in response to the actuator control signals received by said receiver means from said remote location; and

robot selector means operatively connected to said surgical instrument and said receiver means for removing said operative tip and replacing said operative tip with a different operating tip in response to the actuator control signals received by said receiver means from said remote location.

8. The system recited in claim 7, further comprising means for automatically operating said endoscopic instrument in response to additional signals received by said receiver means from said remote location via said telecommunications link.

9. The system recited in claim 8 wherein said means for automatically operating said endoscopic instrument includes means for automatically operating said endoscopic instrument to vary said video image.

10. The system recited in claim 9 wherein said means for automatically operating said endoscopic instrument includes means for mechanically moving said endoscopic instrument with respect to the patient's body, thereby varying said video image.

11. The system defined in claim 7 wherein said robot actuator means is separate from said robot selector means.

12. The system defined in claim 7, further comprising additional camera means disposed permanently outside the patient and operatively connected to said transmission means for transmitting to said remote location a video image of a tool array disposed proximately to the patient.

13. The system defined in claim 7 wherein said camera means includes means for obtaining stereoscopic images of said internal body tissues.

14. The system defined in claim 7 wherein said robot actuator means includes means for operating said operative tip in response to the actuator control signals received by said receiver means from said remote location, said robot actuator means further including means for shifting said surgical instrument relative to the patient's body and said endoscopic instrument in response to the actuator control signals received by said receiver means from said remote location.

15. A surgical system comprising:

an endoscopic instrument;

camera means connected to said endoscopic instrument for obtaining stereoscopic video images of internal body tissues inside a patient's body via said endoscopic instrument;

transmission means operatively connected to said camera means for transmitting, over an electromagnetic signaling link to a remote location beyond a range of direct manual contact with said patient's body and said endoscopic instrument, a video signal encoding said video images;

receiver means for receiving actuator control signals from said remote location via said electromagnetic signaling link;

a surgical instrument insertable into the patient's body and movable relative to the patient's body and said endoscopic instrument; and

robot actuator means operatively connected to said surgical instrument and said receiver means for actuating said surgical instrument in response to the actuator control signals received by said receiver means from said remote location.

16. The system defined in claim 15 wherein said camera means includes:

a first video camera and a second video camera;

first optical means including a first optical input for receiving light reflected from said internal body tissues of the patient during a surgical procedure, said first optical means being operatively connected to said first camera for focusing a first image of said internal body tissues on photoreceptive componentry of said first camera;

second optical means including a second optical input for receiving light reflected from said internal body tissues during said surgical procedure, said second optical means being operatively connected to said second camera for focusing a second image of said internal body tissues on photoreceptive componentry of said second camera; and

spacer means operatively connected to said first and said second optical means for maintaining said first input and said second input spaced from one another inside the patient during said surgical procedure.

17. The system defined in claim 16, further comprising an elongate rigid member provided at a distal end with a pair of prongs, said spacer means including said prongs, said first optical input and said second optical input being disposed at distal ends of respective ones of said prongs, also comprising means operatively connected to said prongs for shifting said prongs away from one another upon an insertion of said elongate rigid member through a laparoscopic trocar sleeve traversing a skin surface of a patient.

18. The system defined in claim 16 wherein said spacer means includes a laparoscopic trocar sleeve having two instrument insertion channels oriented at an acute angle relative to one another, further comprising two elongate rods, said first optical input and said second optical input being disposed at distal ends of respective ones of said rods, said rods being inserted through respective ones of said instrument insertion channels.

19. The system defined in claim 16, further comprising a first elongate rigid member, said spacer means including a second elongate rigid member pivotably connected to a distal end of said first elongate rigid member, said first optical input and said second optical input being disposed at opposite ends of said second elongate member, also comprising means operatively connected to said second elongate rigid member for pivoting said second elongate rigid member relative to said first elongate rigid member, whereby said second elongate rigid member can be pivoted from an insertion configuration parallel to said first elongate rigid member to a use configuration at a predetermined angle with respect to said first elongate rigid member.

20. The system defined in claim 16 wherein said spacer means includes means for adjusting a spacing between said first and said second optical means.

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a surgical system and a related method. More particularly, this invention relates to an endoscopic or laparoscopic surgical method and apparatus.

The advantages of laparoscopic and endoscopic surgical methods have become increasingly apparent to surgeons and to society at large. Such surgical techniques are minimally invasive, require less operating time, and reduce trauma and convalescence time required after surgery is completed. In general, noninvasive surgery using laparoscopic and endoscopic techniques will be used more and more frequently to reduce hospital and surgical costs.

In endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon is provided with visual information through optical fibers extending through the endoscope or laparoscope. Sometimes, the visual information is provided to the surgeon and other operating room personnel via video monitors which show images obtained by small video cameras (charge coupled devices) at the distal ends of the endoscopes or laparoscopes. Although this video information may be transmitted to other rooms in the hospital or other institutional clinical setting, the surgeon is always present in the operating room to manipulate the surgical instruments and thereby perform the surgical operation in response to the video images on a monitor.

The use of video images provides an opportunity for further reductions in the expense and time required for surgery.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which facilitates the performance of operations by surgeons from all over the world.

A related object of the present invention is to provide a method and/or associated apparatus for enabling a surgeon in one location to perform operations in different cities or different countries without the surgeon having to move from one room.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and/or associated apparatus which facilitates the performance of surgery, thereby reducing fatigue and incrementing efficiencies of surgeons.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which reduces costs of performing surgery such as endoscopic and laparoscopic and angioscopic surgery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A surgical method comprises, in accordance with the present invention, the steps of (a) providing an endoscopic instrument assembly with a flexible insertion member, the endoscopic instrument assembly having a plurality of biopsy channels extending parallel to the insertion member, (b) also providing a plurality of flexible endoscopic tools having distal end portions, (c) inserting the insertion member into a patient's body, (d) obtaining a video image of internal body tissues inside the patient's body via the endoscopic instrument assembly, (e) transmitting, over an electromagnetic signaling link, a video signal encoding the video image to a remote location beyond a range of direct manual contact with the patient's body and the endoscopic instrument, (f) receiving actuator control signals from the remote location via the electromagnetic signaling link, (g) automatically inserting distal end portions of the tools into the patient's body via respective ones of the biopsy channels in response to the received actuator control signals, and (h) automatically operating the tools in response to the received actuator control signals to effect a surgical operation on the internal body tissues.

Where the endoscopic instrument assembly includes a pair of image transmission guides and the video signal includes stereoscopic information from the image transmission guides, the method further comprises the step of providing stereoscopic visual information to a surgeon at the remote location.

The stereoscopic visual information may be provided at the remote location by generating a single video image having staggered image components of different colors, filters over different eyes of a viewer serving to select between the staggered image components.

Alternatively, the stereoscopic visual information may be provided at the remote location by providing two video monitors attached to one another for mounting to a person's head and, generating on the monitors, two video images having staggered or parallax-shifted image components.

According to another feature of the present invention, the method further comprises the step of automatically bending the distal end portions of the tools the tools in response to the received actuator control signals.

A surgical system comprises, in accordance with the present invention, an endoscopic instrument, camera componentry attached to the endoscopic instrument for obtaining video images of internal body tissues inside a patient's body via the endoscopic instrument, and a transmitter operatively connected to the camera componentry for transmitting, over an electromagnetic signaling link to a remote location beyond a range of direct manual contact with the patient's body and the endoscopic instrument, a video signal encoding the video image. A receiver is provided for receiving actuator control signals from the remote location via the electromagnetic signaling link. A surgical instrument insertable into the patient's body and movable relative to the patient's body and the endoscopic instrument has a replaceable operative tip and is operatively connected to a robotic actuator which actuates the surgical instrument in response to the actuator control signals received by the receiver from the remote location. A robotic selector is operatively connected to the surgical instrument and the receiver for removing the operative tip and replacing the operative tip with a different operating tip in response to the actuator control signals received by the receiver from the remote location.

According to another feature of the present invention, means are provided for automatically operating the endoscopic instrument in response to additional signals received by the receiver from the remote location via the telecommunications link.

The robotic actuator may be a separate mechanism from the robotic selector. The two cooperate with one another, however, in an instrument tip replacement procedure. To enable the remote user (surgeon) to control the replcament procedure, additional camera componentry is disposed permanently outside the patient and is operatively connected to the transmitter for transmitting to the remote location a video image of a tool array disposed proximately to the patient.

According to a further feature of the present invention, the camera componentry includes means for obtaining stereoscopic images of the internal body tissues.

A surgical system comprises, in accordance with another conceptualization of the present invention, an endoscopic instrument, camera componentry connected to the endoscopic instrument for obtaining stereoscopic video images of internal body tissues inside a patient's body via the endoscopic instrument, and a transmitter operatively connected to the camera componentry for transmitting, over an electromagnetic signaling link to a remote location beyond a range of direct manual contact with the patient's body and the endoscopic instrument, a video signal encoding the video images. A receiver is provided for receiving actuator control signals from the remote location via the electromagnetic signaling link, while a surgical instrument is insertable into the patient's body and movable relative to the patient's body and the endoscopic instrument. A robotic actuator is operatively connected to the surgical instrument and the receiver for actuating the surgical instrument in response to the actuator control signals received by the receiver from the remote location.

According to an additional feature of this conceptualization of the present invention, the camera componentry includes a first video camera and a second video camera. A first optical input is provided for receiving light reflected from the internal body tissues of the patient during a surgical procedure, the first optical input being operatively connected to the first camera for focusing a first image of the internal body tissues on photoreceptive componentry of the first camera. A second optical input receives light reflected from the internal body tissues during the surgical procedure and is operatively connected to the second camera for focusing a second image of the internal body tissues on photoreceptive componentry of the second camera. A spacer element is operatively connected to the first and the second optical inputs for maintaining the inputs spaced from one another inside the patient during the surgical procedure.

According to a more particular embodiment of the present invention, the cmaera assembly incpudes an elongate rigid member provided at a distal end with a pair of prongs. The spacer includes the prongs. The first optical input and the second optical input are disposed at distal ends of respective ones of the prongs, while shifting componentry is operatively connected to the prongs for shifting the prongs away from one another upon an insertion of the elongate rigid member through a laparoscopic trocar sleeve traversing a skin surface of a patient.

According to an alternative particular embodiment of the present invention, the spacer includes a laparoscopic trocar sleeve having two instrument insertion channels oriented at an acute angle relative to one another. The optical inputs are disposed at distal ends of respective elongate rods which are inserted through respective instrument insertion channels of the trocar sleeve.

According to a further alternative particular embodimetn of the present invention, the camera componentry comprises a first elongate rigid member, the spacer including a second elongate rigid member pivotably connected to a distal end of the first elongate rigid member. The optical inputs are disposed at opposite ends of the second elongate Member. The second elongate rigid member is pivoted relative to the first elongate rigid member from an insertion configuration parallel to the first elongate rigid member to a use configuration at a predetermined angle with respect to the first elongate rigid member.

A robotic surgery system and methodology in accordance with the present invention facilitates the performance of surgery by having the surgeon spaced from the patient. The surgeon may be in another room, or in another city.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a remotely controlled operating system, in accordan