Intuitive Surgical Patent Applications

WHEELED CART WITH VIBRATION REDUCTION DEVICE, AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

Granted: November 8, 2018
Application Number: 20180319023
A method of controlling a vibration reduction member of a patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system includes detecting an occurrence of a first event corresponding to preparation of the patient side cart for a surgical procedure, and issuing a command signal to an actuation device to deploy the vibration reduction member to contact a ground surface upon which the patient side cart is located.

Telescoping Cannula Arm

Granted: November 8, 2018
Application Number: 20180318020
A surgical system includes a link of a manipulator arm and a telescoping cannula mount assembly. The link includes a curved end. The telescoping cannula mount assembly is positioned in the curved end of the link. The telescoping cannula mount assembly includes a curved cannula mount arm. In a first state, the curved cannula mount arm is parked within the curved end of the link. In a second state, the curved cannula mount arm extends from the curved end of the link and is locked in an…

PASSIVE PRELOAD AND CAPSTAN DRIVE FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS

Granted: November 1, 2018
Application Number: 20180311001
A system comprises a medical instrument including a rotatable capstan. The rotatable capstan includes a capstan coupling member that can engage with a drive shaft coupling member such that rotation of the drive shaft causes rotation of the capstan about a drive axis concentric with the drive shaft, and can disengage from the drive shaft coupling member such that rotation of the drive shaft does not cause rotation of the capstan.

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MOTOR TORQUE COMPENSATION

Granted: October 25, 2018
Application Number: 20180309395
A method includes receiving a torque limit for a motor, monitoring a torque output of the motor, determining an amplitude and a phase of a torque ripple of the torque output, and determining a compensated torque limit for the motor, the compensated torque limit including a first component at the torque limit and a second component at an adjusted torque limit.

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CLEANING A MINIMALLY INVASIVE INSTRUMENT

Granted: October 25, 2018
Application Number: 20180303328
A method of operating an anatomical probe system comprises providing an elongated flexible body including a channel and providing an operational component extending within the channel of the flexible body. The method also comprises providing a support member at a distal end of the flexible body. The support member includes a fluid director. The method also includes conveying fluid through the channel and into contact with the fluid director to direct the fluid toward the operational…

GRIP FORCE CONTROL FOR ROBOTIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENT END EFFECTOR

Granted: October 18, 2018
Application Number: 20180296287
A method of controlling an end effector of a robotically-controlled surgical instrument may include receiving a first input signal indicative of a high grip level input at a master grip input mechanism that controls a slave gripping force of the end effector; receiving a second input signal indicative of a user's readiness to operate the surgical instrument to perform a first surgical procedure; and outputting a locking signal in response to receiving the first input signal and the…

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BREAKAWAY CLUTCHING IN AN ARTICULATED ARM

Granted: October 18, 2018
Application Number: 20180296284
A system and method of breakaway clutching in a computer-assisted medical device includes an articulated arm having one or more first joints and a control unit coupled to the articulated arm and having one or more processors. The control unit operates each of the first joints in multiple states. The multiple states include a locked state, wherein movement of respective first joints is restricted, and a float state, wherein movement of the respective first joints is permitted. The control…

ROBOTIC INSTRUMENT DRIVEN ELEMENT

Granted: October 4, 2018
Application Number: 20180280097
A surgical system (200) includes a surgical instrument (260) that is sensitive to backlash that would adversely affect the transmission of controlled torque and position to the surgical instrument. The surgical instrument (260) is coupled to motors in a surgical instrument manipulator assembly (240) via a mechanical interface. The combination of the mechanical interface and surgical instrument manipulator assembly (240) have low backlash, e.g., less than 0.7 degrees. The backlash is…

MOVABLE SURGICAL MOUNTING PLATFORM CONTROLLED BY MANUAL MOTION OF ROBOTIC ARMS

Granted: September 20, 2018
Application Number: 20180263718
Robotic and/or surgical devices, systems, and methods include a manipulator configured to be mounted to a cannula and a processor. The processor is configured to detect a mounting state of the cannula, detect an input indicating the system is to be in a set-up mode, and inhibit transition of the system to the set-up mode in response to the detected mounting state. In some embodiments, detecting the input indicating the system is to be in the set-up mode includes detecting an activation…

INSTRUMENT HAVING RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USE

Granted: September 13, 2018
Application Number: 20180256288
A system for determining a position of an endoscopic instrument comprises an endoscopic instrument having an elongate body portion, the elongate body portion being configured to be moved along a path, and a plurality of sensible elements disposed at differing axial positions along the elongate body portion, wherein each sensible element transmits unique information indicative of the respective differing axial position of the sensible elements. The system further comprises a sensing…

SPLAYED CABLE GUIDE FOR A MEDICAL INSTRUMENT

Granted: August 30, 2018
Application Number: 20180243036
An apparatus includes a housing, a cable guide, a first cable, and a second cable. The housing is coupled to a shaft of a medical instrument. The cable guide is coupled to the housing, and defines a shaft opening into a passageway defined by the shaft. A first guide groove and a second guide groove are defined by the cable guide, with each of the first guide groove and the second guide groove being splayed outward from the shaft opening. The first cable is routed within the first guide…

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL SYSTEM

Granted: August 30, 2018
Application Number: 20180242824
The distal end of a surgical instrument is movable in all six Cartesian degrees of freedom independently of other components of a telemanipulated surgical system. The surgical instrument extends through a guide tube. The distal end is moved by actuators that are telemanipulatively controlled.

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC VIRTUAL COLLISION OBJECTS

Granted: August 23, 2018
Application Number: 20180235565
A system and method of dynamic virtual collision objects includes a control unit for a medical device. The control unit includes one or more processors and an interface coupling the control unit to the medical device. The control unit is configured to determine a position of a first movable segment of the medical device, a volume occupied by the first movable segment being approximated by one or more first virtual collision objects (VCOs); adjust, based on the position and motion goals…

SURGICAL SYSTEM WITH HERMETICALLY SEALED ENDOSCOPE

Granted: August 16, 2018
Application Number: 20180228351
In one embodiment, a minimally invasive surgical system includes a patient side manipulator, a hermetically sealed endoscopic camera instrument, a vision cart, and a monitor. The patient side manipulator has a robotic arm. The endoscopic camera instrument has a housing at a proximal end to couple to the robotic arm. The endoscopic camera instrument further has a hermetically sealed camera sensor at a distal end, a shaft coupled to the housing, and a wristed joint coupled between the…

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

Granted: August 9, 2018
Application Number: 20180221639
A surgical port includes a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a longitudinal axis extending through the first end and the second end. An outer sidewall extends between the first end and the second end. First and second channels extend through the port from the first end to the second end. A first electrically conductive portion extends from the first channel to the outer sidewall, and a second electrically conductive portion extends from the second channel to the outer…

CURVED CANNULA SURGICAL SYSTEM CONTROL

Granted: August 9, 2018
Application Number: 20180221101
A robotic system includes a master device and a slave manipulator configured to support an instrument. The instrument includes an instrument shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, and an end effector coupled to the distal end. The instrument shaft is optionally configured to be inserted into an inserted position through a port so as to provide the end effector with access to a site. A control system is operably coupled to the master device and to the slave manipulator. In response…

USER INTERFACES AND DISPLAYS FOR FLUX SUPPLY UNITS

Granted: August 9, 2018
Application Number: 20180221100
A surgeon console for a teleoperated surgical system includes a user input mechanism configured to be actuated to command a flux supply unit to supply a flux to a surgical instrument operatively coupled to the surgeon console; and a user interface configured to display setting information of the flux supply unit, wherein the user interface comprises actuatable control features configured to change a control setting of the flux supply unit.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT TO PROVIDE NEEDLE-BASED THERAPY

Granted: August 9, 2018
Application Number: 20180221095
A surgical instrument is provided that includes a first input mechanism having axial slots formed in a periphery and a second input mechanism having helical slots formed in a surface. The instrument also includes an insert having pins extending from a surface thereof, the insert coupled to the second input mechanism such that the one or more pins extend into the helical slots, and a surgical device coupled to an end. The surgical device is moved in a first degree of freedom in response…

MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM WITH IMAGE REFERENCED CAMERA CONTROL USING PARTITIONABLE ORIENTATIONAL AND TRANSLATIONAL MODES

Granted: August 2, 2018
Application Number: 20180214014
A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulatable instruments such as surgical tools and a camera extending out of its distal end. The camera instrument is manipulatable by a camera manipulator, which has a first mechanism for pivoting a focal point of the camera instrument about a pivot of the camera instrument and a second mechanism for positioning the pivot within a three-dimensional space in response to translational commands received from one or a coupled pair of…

SURGICAL SYSTEM INSTRUMENT MANIPULATOR

Granted: August 2, 2018
Application Number: 20180214176
An instrument manipulator and a robotic surgical system including an instrument manipulator are provided. In one embodiment, an instrument manipulator includes a plurality of independent actuator drive modules, each of the plurality of actuator drive modules including an actuator output, wherein each of the actuator outputs are configured to independently actuate a corresponding actuator input of a surgical instrument without force input from another actuator output. The instrument…