received by the International Bureau on 07 May 2019 (07.05.19)

What is claimed is:

1 , A robotic cutting system comprising:

a robotic manipulator;

a cutting tool to be coupled to the robotic manipulator, the cutting tool having a blade configured to cut a bone along a cutting plane; and

a controller coupled to the robotic manipulator to control the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to:

perform an initial stage of cutting along an initial plane prior to performing a final stage of cutting along the cutting plane, the initial plane being at a different orientation than the cutting plane, wherein the controller is configured to facilitate cutting along the initial plane with the blade to create a notch for the blade; and

facilitate reorienting the blade from the initial plane to the cutting plane for performing the final stage of cutting along the cutting plane and wherein the notch is configured to capture the blade to limit skiving of the blade during the final stage of cuting

2, The robotic cutting system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to facilitate reorienting the blade while the blade is located in the notch.

3 The robotic cutting system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to facilitate reorienting the blade while the blade is oscillating.

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4. The robotic cutting system of claim 1, wherein the initial plane is defined by a first virtual boundary and the controller is configured to control the robotic manipulator to perform the initial stage of cutting along the initial plane by constraining movement of the blade using the first virtual boundary.

5. The robotic cutting system of claim 4, wherein the cutting plane is defined by a second virtual boundary, different than the first virtual boundary, and the controller is configured to deactivate the first virtual boundary after forming the notch.

6. The robotic cutting system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to facilitate cutting along the initial plane by at least one of: autonomously moving the cutting tool; and constraining movement of the cutting tool.

7. The robotic cutting system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to reorient the blade from the initial plane to the cutting plane by at least one of: autonomously moving the cutting tool; and constraining movement of the cutting tool.

8. The robotic cutting system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to autonomously align the saw blade with the initial plane.

9. The robotic cutting system of claim 1, wherein the initial plane is defined as being normal to an outer surface of the bone.

10. The robotic cutting system of claim 1, wherein the cutting tool comprises an oscillating saw.

11. The robotic cutting system of claim 1, wherein the blade has a rounded cutting end.

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12. A method of cutting bone using a robotic cutting system including a robotic manipulator, a cutting tool coupled to the robotic manipulator and having a blade configured to cut a bone along a cutting plane, and a controller coupled to the robotic manipulator, the method comprising:

controlling the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool for cutting along an initial plane with the blade to create a notch for the blade; and

controlling the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool for reorienting the blade from the initial plane to the cutting plane for performing the final stage of cutting along the cutting plane, the initial plane being at a different orientation than the cutting plane, and wherein the notch captures the blade for limiting skiving of the blade during the final stage of cutting.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool for reorienting the blade from the initial plane to the cutting plane comprises controlling the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool for reorienting the blade with the blade located in the notch.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to facilitate reorienting the blade from the initial plane to the cutting plane comprises controlling the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to reorient the blade while the blade is oscillating.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to facilitate cutting along the initial plane with the blade to create the notch for the blade comprises constraining movement of the blade using a first virtual boundary defining the initial plane.

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16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cutting plane is defined by a second virtual boundary, different than the first virtual boundary, and the controller is configured to deactivate the first virtual boundary after forming the notch.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to facilitate cutting along the initial plane with the blade to create the notch for the blade comprises at least one of: autonomously moving the cutting tool; and constraining movement of the cutting tool.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to facilitate reorienting the blade from the initial plane to the cutting plane comprises at least one of: autonomously moving the cutting tool; and constraining movement of the cutting tool.

19. A robotic cutting system comprising:

a robotic manipulator;

a cutting tool to be coupled to the robotic manipulator, the cutting tool having a blade configured to cut a bone along a cutting plane and the blade comprising a longitudinal axis; and a controller coupled to the robotic manipulator to control the robotic manipulator to reciprocate the blade along the longitudinal axis and along the cutting plane to create a notch for the blade prior to resecting the bone along the cutting plane.

20. A robotic cutting system comprising:

a robotic manipulator;

a cutting tool to be coupled to the robotic manipulator, the cutting tool having a blade configured to cut a bone along a cutting plane;

a bur to be coupled to the robotic manipulator; and

4 a controller coupled to the robotic manipulator to control the robotic manipulator to perform an initial stage of burring a notch into the bone for the blade prior to performing a final stage of cutting along the cutting plane with the blade.

21. A robotic cutting system comprising:

a robotic manipulator;

a cutting tool to be coupled to the robotic manipulator, the cutting tool having a blade configured to cut a bone along a cutting plane;

a controller coupled to the robotic manipulator to control the robotic manipulator to perform cutting along the cutting plane; and

a blade guide coupled to the robotic manipulator, wherein the controller is configured to control the robotic manipulator and the cutting tool to facilitate cutting along the cutting plane while guiding the blade with the blade guide, the blade guide being capable of retracting as the blade penetrates into the bone along the cutting plane.

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