FORCE FEEDBACK USER INTERFACE FOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL SIMULATOR AND TELEOPERATOR AND OTHER SIMILAR APPARATUS

摘要

A robotic handle module actuates handles (28a, 28b) of a user interface for various robotic applications, including minimally invasive surgery (MIS). A modified MIS tool handle (18) has a pair of parallel shafts (24, 26) that translate relative to each other upon relative motion of the handles (28a, 28b). They are free to rotate relative to each other. A housing (88) engages both shafts (24, 26). The first shaft (26) is translationally fixed and rotatably free relative to the housing (88). The first shaft (26) is coupled to an actuator (92) that actuates rotation of the first shaft (26) relative to the housing (88). An encoder associated with the actuator measures the rotation of the shaft (26). The second shaft (24) is coupled to the housing (88) such that it is rotationally fixed about and translatable along the axis of its elongation. The second shaft (24) is fixed to a cartridge (90) that is a linear capstan and translates relative to the housing (88), in response to relative translation of the two shafts (24, 26).