Intuitive Surgical Patent Applications

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…

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…

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…

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…

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT PORTS CONFIGURED FOR USE WITH WOUND RETRACTORS, AND RELATED DEVICES AND METHODS

Granted: August 2, 2018
Application Number: 20180214681
A surgical port includes an end face with a channel extending through the end face. The channel has a cross section shaped to receive a surgical instrument cannula. A lateral wall extends around a perimeter of the end face. The lateral wall and end face enclose an open volume. A rim extends radially inward from the lateral wall and projects into the open volume. An apron portion extends radially outward from the lateral wall and in a direction axially away from the end face. Surgical…

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…

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…

CURVED CANNULA SURGICAL SYSTEM

Granted: July 26, 2018
Application Number: 20180206927
A method may include coupling a proximal end of a first cannula to a first manipulator of a surgical system, the first manipulator being configured to remotely actuate movement of the first cannula, wherein the first cannula comprises a rigid portion disposed between the proximal end and a distal end of the first cannula, the rigid portion having a curved longitudinal axis, and coupling a proximal end of a second cannula to a second manipulator of a surgical system, the second…

CONTROL OF MULTIPLE DEVICES

Granted: July 26, 2018
Application Number: 20180206925
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for controlling surgical systems. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining, at a control subsystem associated with a surgical system, hardware configuration information from a first patient side subsystem that is communicatively coupled to and controlled by the control subsystem; determining a software version to be used by the control subsystem and the first patient side subsystem, wherein determining the software version includes selecting the…

CONTROLLER ASSISTED RECONFIGURATION OF AN ARTICULATED INSTRUMENT DURING MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF AN ENTRY GUIDE

Granted: July 26, 2018
Application Number: 20180206924
To perform a tool exchange in a medical robotic system, tool is retracted back into an entry guide from a deployed position and pose so that an assistant in the operating room may replace it with a different tool. While the tool is being retracted back towards the entry guide by user action, its configuration is changed to an entry pose while avoiding collisions with other objects so that it may fit in the entry guide. After the tool exchange is completed, a new tool is inserted in the…

SURGICAL SYSTEM WITH OBSTACLE INDICATION SYSTEM

Granted: July 5, 2018
Application Number: 20180185106
A patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system may comprise a column extending from a base, the column having a first end connected to the base and a second end opposite the first end. The patient side cart may further include a surgical instrument manipulator arm coupled proximate the second end of the column, and an obstacle indication system comprising an illumination source mounted on the patient side cart at a height above a location the surgical instrument manipulator arm…

CANULA FIXATION DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND RELATED METHODS

Granted: June 21, 2018
Application Number: 20180168684
A cannula fixation device for insertion at a surgical incision includes a sleeve having a passage configured to receive a cannula, and a clamp configured to rotatably couple the cannula to the sleeve and to maintain an axial position of the cannula relative to the sleeve.