Intuitive Surgical Patent Applications

SURGICAL TRAINING MODEL INCLUDING A SIMULATED HUMAN PROSTATE AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

Granted: January 18, 2024
Application Number: 20240021105
A surgical training model for simulating human prostate surgery may include a harvested porcine urethra. A harvested porcine vagina surrounds a portion of the harvested porcine urethra to define a simulated human prostate.

ESTIMATION OF A POSITION AND ORIENTATION OF A FRAME USED IN CONTROLLING MOVEMENT OF A TOOL

Granted: January 18, 2024
Application Number: 20240016556
A system includes a control means for receiving an input from a user, a manipulator means configured to support a tool having a tool frame, and processing means configured to perform a method. The method involves receiving, from an image capturing system with an image frame, one or more images. The tool is visible in the one or more images. The method further involves determining an estimated frame transform based on the one or more images. The estimated frame transform is used in…

CONTROL OF MEDICAL FUNCTION UNITS, RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

Granted: January 18, 2024
Application Number: 20240016555
A system comprises a medical function unit comprising a connector interface configured to be operably coupled to control a medical function of a medical instrument, a control system operably coupled to control the medical function unit, a first user interface and a second user interface each operably coupled to the control system. The first user interface comprises one or more first control settings mapping to one or more corresponding settings of the medical function unit. The second…

WRIST ARCHITECTURE

Granted: January 11, 2024
Application Number: 20240008873
A method of using a medical instrument can include applying a distally-directed or proximally-directed load via a drive member to an end effector coupled to an elongated shaft via a wrist assembly so as to actuate the end effector; and reacting the distally-directed or proximally-directed load to an inner link of the wrist assembly that is pivotally coupled to a first outer link and a second outer link. The wrist assembly can be actuatable via drive cables and reacting the load maintains…

WRIST ARCHITECTURE

Granted: January 11, 2024
Application Number: 20240008873
A method of using a medical instrument can include applying a distally-directed or proximally-directed load via a drive member to an end effector coupled to an elongated shaft via a wrist assembly so as to actuate the end effector; and reacting the distally-directed or proximally-directed load to an inner link of the wrist assembly that is pivotally coupled to a first outer link and a second outer link. The wrist assembly can be actuatable via drive cables and reacting the load maintains…

SURGICAL SYSTEM STERILE DRAPE

Granted: January 4, 2024
Application Number: 20240000532
A drape includes a first drape portion configured to receive a manipulator arm of a surgical system and a pocket coupled to a distal portion of the first drape portion. The pocket is configured to receive a manipulator of the surgical system. The pocket includes a flexible membrane positionable between an output of the manipulator and an input of a surgical instrument mountable to the manipulator. In some embodiments, the flexible membrane is located at a distal end of the pocket. In…

ANATOMICAL MODEL AND METHOD FOR SURGICAL TRAINING

Granted: November 30, 2023
Application Number: 20230386366
Implementations relate to anatomical models and surgical training. In some implementations, an anatomical training model includes a base portion and a top portion that form a hollow space between the base portion and top portion. A plurality of holes are positioned in the top portion. The model includes a plurality of cannula supports, where each cannula support is aligned with one or more corresponding holes in the top portion.

DEVICES AND METHODS FOR COMPACT, REDUNDANT INDUCTIVE FORCE SENSOR

Granted: November 16, 2023
Application Number: 20230363849
A medical device includes a mechanical structure and a force sensor unit. The force sensor unit comprises a mounting bracket, a first rod, a second rod, a first magnet, a second magnet, a first coil coupled to the mounting bracket, and a second coil coupled to the mounting bracket. The first rod and the second rod each have a center axis defined between a proximal and distal portion of the respective first and second rods. The center axis of the second rod is noncoaxial with the center…

SURGICAL CANNULA MOUNTS AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

Granted: November 16, 2023
Application Number: 20230363840
A cannula mount for a surgical system includes a body configured to receive a portion of a cannula in a mounted state at the cannula mount; a pair of clamping components coupled to the body and configured to clamp the portion of the cannula in the mounted state of the cannula; and a latch assembly pivotably coupled to the body and slidably coupled to a clamping component of the pair of clamping components. At least one of the pair of clamping components is pivotable relative to the body…

FORCE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, AND RELATED DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS

Granted: November 9, 2023
Application Number: 20230355339
An instrument includes a movable end effector component coupled to a shaft; a force transmission mechanism; and an actuation mechanism coupled to the force transmission mechanism and the end effector, the actuation mechanism comprising a first actuation member segment and a second actuation member segment. The force transmission mechanism comprises: a first pulley coupled to a rotatable drive input and having a first axis of rotation, and a second pulley having a second axis of rotation…

GEARED GRIP ACTUATION FOR MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS

Granted: November 9, 2023
Application Number: 20230355328
An actuation mechanism for a medical instrument includes a pinion and a face gear that move a push-pull element. The pinion has a mounting that permits rotation of the pinion by an external control system such as a robot. The face gear meshes with the pinion. The push-pull element may have a proximal end coupled to the face gear and a distal end coupled to a tool at a distal end of an instrument shaft. A manipulator coupled for manual rotation of the actuation mechanism may include a…

MEDICAL DEVICES HAVING COMPACT END EFFECTOR DRIVE MECHANISMS WITH HIGH GRIP FORCE

Granted: November 9, 2023
Application Number: 20230355261
An end effector drive mechanism has first and second pulleys and first and second jaws configured as a torque-amplifying tool assemblies. Each pulley jaw pair is configured as kinematic assembly having a compact footprint that can amplify outputs to increase the grip force applied by the jaws. The end effector drive mechanism is within a pulley envelope defined by the first and second pulleys. In certain configurations, the tool assemblies are configured to produce a grip force…

AN OPTICAL FIBER WITH MICROGRATINGS FOR INCREASED MEASURABLE STRAIN RANGE

Granted: November 2, 2023
Application Number: 20230349733
An optical fiber with one or more microgratings is disclosed. Methods and apparatus are described for making an optical fiber with one or more microgratings. Methods and apparatus are described for an optical fiber with one or more microgratings. Optical sensing methods and an optical sensing system effectively decouple strain range from the laser tuning range, permit the use of a smaller tuning range without sacrificing strain range, and compensate for ambiguity in phase measurements…

SURGICAL TRAINING DEVICE FOR USE WITH THORACIC TISSUE MODEL AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

Granted: October 19, 2023
Application Number: 20230335013
A surgical training device for use with a thoracic tissue model includes a base having a thoracic tissue model receiving area. A first rib mounting member is slidably coupled to the base adjacent a first side of the thoracic tissue model receiving area and a second rib mounting member is slidably coupled to the base adjacent a second side of the thoracic tissue model receiving area opposite the first side. A plurality of simulated ribs each have a first end coupled to the first rib…

SURGICAL PORT FEATURES WITH ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE PORTIONS, RELATED DEVICES, AND RELATED METHODS

Granted: October 19, 2023
Application Number: 20230330406
A method of electrically grounding a medical instrument includes inserting a medical instrument through a channel of a surgical port extending from a first end of the surgical port to a second end of the surgical port and while the medical instrument is inserted through the channel, contacting the medical instrument with an electrically conductive material portion protruding into an interior of the channel and extending through a sidewall of the surgical port. Contact of the medical…

SURGICAL CANNULAS AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF IDENTIFYING SURGICAL CANNULAS

Granted: October 19, 2023
Application Number: 20230329836
A cannula for insertion of a medical instrument includes a tube portion and an attachment portion coupled to the tube portion. One or more magnets are arranged at the attachment portion and configured to encode identifying information of the cannula. The attachment portion comprises a plurality of encoding positions that each indicate part of the identifying information; and for each encoding position of the plurality of encoding positions, absence of one of the one or more magnets at…

DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT REPROCESSING

Granted: October 19, 2023
Application Number: 20230329814
A method of reprocessing a surgical instrument includes flowing a flow of irrigation fluid through an accessory drive device operably coupled to the surgical instrument, the accessory drive device comprising inflatable bladders, and the flow of irrigation fluid causing inflation of the bladders. The method further includes converting inflation of the bladders to motion of an input drive member of the surgical instrument; converting the motion of the input drive member to motion of an…

SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH SWITCHES FOR DEACTIVATING AND/OR IDENTIFYING STAPLER CARTRIDGES

Granted: October 19, 2023
Application Number: 20230329711
Surgical stapling instruments include mechanisms for identifying and/or deactivating stapler cartridge for use with the instruments. The stapling instrument includes a drive member for actuating a staple cartridge and a locking member movable from a disabled position permitting distal translation of the drive member through a staple firing stroke, to a locking position inhibiting distal translation of the drive member through the staple firing stroke. The staple cartridge may include a…

ARTICULATION CONTROL OF FLEXIBLE MEDICAL SYSTEMS

Granted: October 12, 2023
Application Number: 20230320711
Methods and systems for controlling articulation of a system are described. In some embodiments, a parameter related to a curvature of one or more portions of an articulable portion of elongated body may be determined. The elongated body may include a channel through which a tool may be inserted. Articulation of the articulable portion of the elongated body may be controlled based at least in part on the determined parameter in some modes of operation including when a tool is moved…

STAGED FORCE FEEDBACK TRANSITIONING BETWEEN CONTROL STATES

Granted: October 12, 2023
Application Number: 20230320802
A surgical system is provided comprising: an input device; and a controller for receiving control inputs from the input device and for providing haptic feedback at the input device, the controller configured to apply a staged transition from a first haptic feedback profile at the input device to a second haptic feedback profile at the input device.