REDUCING ENERGY BUILDUP IN SERVO-CONTROLLED MECHANISMS
Granted: December 12, 2024
Application Number:
20240407868
A computer-assisted medical system includes a manipulator arm and a controller. The controller includes a computer processor. The controller is configured to servo at least one joint associated with at least one manipulator arm segment of the manipulator arm, the servoing including executing a servo loop. Executing the servo loop includes obtaining an actual state of the manipulator arm, computing a difference between a commanded state and the actual state, where the commanded state is…
ACTUATION MECHANISMS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS
Granted: December 12, 2024
Application Number:
20240407782
The present disclosure provides a surgical instrument, such as a tissue sealing instrument, with an elongate shaft and an end effector. The end effector includes a first jaw and a second jaw that includes a staple cartridge with a plurality of staples for engaging tissue. The instrument further includes a drive member for closing the jaws and engaging the staples, and an actuation mechanism, such as a coil, in contact with the drive member. The actuation mechanism is configured to…
UNIFORM SCALING OF HAPTIC ACTUATORS
Granted: December 5, 2024
Application Number:
20240398497
A surgical system is provided comprising: an input device; a first actuator and a second actuator; a controller for controlling the first actuator and the second actuator, the controller configured to apply a first scale factor to a first commanded output and a second commanded output for the first actuator the second actuator, respectively, when the first commanded output would fall outside a first predetermined working range of the first actuator, wherein the first scale factor adjusts…
HEAD MOVEMENT CONTROL OF A VIEWING SYSTEM
Granted: November 28, 2024
Application Number:
20240390092
A computer-assisted medical system includes a display unit configured to provide images to an operator of the display unit, a headrest configured to receive a mechanical input provided by a head of the operator in mechanical contact with the headrest, a headrest sensor interfacing with the headrest and configured to provide sensor signals based on the mechanical input, and a controller. The controller includes a computer processor, and is configured to process the sensor signals to…
LOW-FRICTION, SMALL PROFILE MEDICAL TOOLS HAVING EASY-TO-ASSEMBLE COMPONENTS
Granted: November 28, 2024
Application Number:
20240390090
A low-friction medical device includes a first link, a second link, and a tension member. The first link is coupled to an instrument shaft and a first guide path is defined in the first link. The second link is rotatable relative to the first link through an angular range. A distal end portion of the second link is rotatably coupled to a tool member. A curved guide path is defined within the second link between the tool member and the first guide path. A curved guide surface of the…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING WORKSPACE GEOMETRY FOR AN INSTRUMENT
Granted: November 28, 2024
Application Number:
20240390068
A computer-assisted system can comprise an instrument configured to be at least partially inserted through a body wall from an external workspace to an internal workspace within a body; and a controller configured to generate a first three-dimensional model of the internal workspace in which a first portion of the instrument is inserted during performance of a medical procedure using the instrument, generate a second three-dimensional model of an external workspace in which a second…
METHOD FOR POSITIONING AN ENDOSCOPE WITH FLEXIBLE SHAFT
Granted: November 28, 2024
Application Number:
20240389836
Systems and methods for endoscopic operations are described. For example, the disclosure provides an endoscopic system with an endoscope support configured to hold an endoscope. The endoscope includes a shaft and an image capturer positioned at a distal end of the shaft, the image capturer configured to capture an image. The endoscopic system further includes a cannula support configured to hold a cannula, with the image capturer being insertable through the cannula. The endoscopic…
COMPACT MECHANISM FOR SURGICAL TABLE MOTION
Granted: November 21, 2024
Application Number:
20240382361
A surgical table includes a tabletop with a top surface and an underside. The surgical table further includes a support column that elevates the tabletop relative to a floor along a column axis. In addition, the surgical table includes a compact tilt mechanism connecting the support column and the tabletop. The surgical table also includes at least one mechanical interface for attaching a device to the tabletop.
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT CABLE CONTROL AND ROUTING STRUCTURES
Granted: November 21, 2024
Application Number:
20240382279
A medical device includes a chassis component having a bottom and an opening defined in the bottom, and a capstan including an upper portion, a lower portion, and a spool between the upper and lower portions. The upper portion of the capstan is supported within the opening of the chassis component. The spool comprises a cable wrap surface and a side wall opposing the bottom of the upper chassis. The side wall of the spool can optionally slope away from the bottom of the chassis…
INTERACTION BETWEEN USER-INTERFACE AND INSTRUMENT MOTION CONTROLLER
Granted: November 7, 2024
Application Number:
20240370080
A method is provided to control actuation of a click event by a hand-actuated selector moveably mounted to a mount structure, comprising: in a first control state, imparting a maintaining force to the hand-actuated selector; in a second control state, imparting a haptic force to the hand-actuated selector that increases as a function of increasing displacement of the hand-actuated selector from the neutral displacement position; imparting a click event signal to cause an occurrence of…
CABLE DRIVE LIMITED SLIP CAPSTAN AND SHAFT
Granted: November 7, 2024
Application Number:
20240366329
Capstan slip-stop shoulders limit relative rotation of capstans: a drive is shaft rotatably inserted within first and second axially aligned annular capstans, the first capstan including a first tooth extending parallel to the drive shaft in a first direction, the second capstan including a second tooth extending parallel to the drive shaft in a second direction opposite the first direction, the first tooth including first and second circumferentially spaced first tooth slip-stop…
SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR POSITIONING A MANIPULATOR ARM BY CLUTCHING WITHIN A NULL-PERPENDICULAR SPACE CONCURRENT WITH NULL-SPACE MOVEMENT
Granted: November 7, 2024
Application Number:
20240366322
Devices, systems, and methods for positioning an end effector or remote center of a manipulator arm by floating a first set of joints within a null-perpendicular joint velocity sub-space and providing a desired state or movement of a proximal portion of a manipulator arm concurrent with end effector positioning by driving a second set of joints within a null-space orthogonal to the null-perpendicular space. Methods include floating a first set of joints within a null-perpendicular space…
HARD STOP PROTECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD
Granted: October 24, 2024
Application Number:
20240350219
Disclosed herein are apparatus and method for resisting external articulation of one or more joints of a manipulator assembly when the joints are approaching mechanical limits. For example, an articulable system may include a joint mechanism, an actuator coupled to the joint mechanism, a sensor system for sensing a joint state and a controller. The controller can operate the articulable system in an external articulation facilitation mode. The controller can command the actuator to…
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH LINEAR AND PURSE STRING SUTURE STAPLES
Granted: October 24, 2024
Application Number:
20240350143
A surgical stapling instrument is configured to dissect tissue, apply a linear staple line along one side of the tissue dissection and apply a suture, such as a purse string suture, to the other side of the tissue dissection. The instrument comprises an elongate shaft, first and second jaws configured to open and close and a cutting element. The instrument includes a first row of staples in each of the first and second jaws having a suture extending therethrough and a second row of…
LOW-FRICTION MEDICAL TOOLS HAVING ROLLER-ASSISTED TENSION MEMBERS
Granted: October 17, 2024
Application Number:
20240341887
A low-friction medical device is provided having roller-assisted tension members and a friction-reducing curved guide path. The device includes a first link, a second link, and a tension member. A proximal end portion of the first link is coupled to an instrument shaft. A proximal end portion of the second link is rotatably coupled to a distal end portion of first link about a first axis. The second link defines a curved guide path and a cable extends from the first link through the…
ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE REDUCER DEVICE, RELATED SYSTEMS, AND RELATED METHODS
Granted: October 17, 2024
Application Number:
20240341807
A method of making a reducer device for a cannula comprising forming a tubular member having a proximal end opening, a distal end opening, and an interior passage extending between the proximal end opening and the distal end opening; forming a protrusion extending radially outwardly from an exterior surface of the tubular member; and coupling an electrically conductive structure to the tubular member such that the electrically conductive structure forms an electrically conductive pathway…
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SHEARS
Granted: October 17, 2024
Application Number:
20240341799
A medical device includes a blade support, a blade supported by the blade support, and a pin. The blade support includes a bore with an inner portion oriented toward the blade and an outer portion oriented away from the blade. A discontinuity is located at a boundary between the inner and outer portions of the bore. The pin includes a longitudinal axis and a yaw plane is defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. A rotational yaw degree of freedom is defined about the longitudinal…
JOINT ASSEMBLIES WITH CROSS-AXIS FLEXURAL PIVOTS
Granted: October 17, 2024
Application Number:
20240341793
The embodiments described herein can be used in a variety of grasping, cutting, and manipulating operations. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first joint member, a second joint member, and a flexure. The first joint member includes a first connection portion and a contact surface. The second joint member including a second connection portion. A first end portion of the flexure is coupled to the first connection portion, and a second end portion of the flexure is coupled to…
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH LOCKOUT MECHANISM
Granted: October 10, 2024
Application Number:
20240335194
Locking assemblies for surgical clamping and cutting instruments include a locking member and a switch. A drive member may be configured to releasably engage a knife and/or a shuttle of the surgical instrument for translating the knife and/or shuttle in a distal direction through a firing stroke. The locking member is movable from a first position permitting distal translation of the drive member through the firing stroke, and a second position inhibiting distal translation of the drive…
CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS FOR EFFICIENT TISSUE SEGMENTATION
Granted: October 10, 2024
Application Number:
20240338421
An imaging system is provided for pixel-level segmentation of images comprising: a camera to capture images of an anatomical object and to represent the images in two-dimensional (2D) arrangements of pixels; one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium with information including: CNN instructions to cause the one or more processors to implement a CNN configured to associate anatomical object classifications with pixels of the 2D arrangements of pixels; and…
