DISSIMILAR CORES IN MULTICORE OPTICAL FIBER FOR STRAIN AND TEMPERATURE SEPARATION
Granted: December 28, 2017
Application Number:
20170370704
An optical fiber includes multiple optical waveguides configured in the fiber. An interferometric measurement system mitigates or compensates for the errors imposed by differences in a shape sensing optical fiber's response to temperature and strain. A 3-D shape and/or position are calculated from a set of distributed strain measurements acquired for a multi-core optical shape sensing fiber that compensates for these non-linear errors using one or more additional cores in the multicore…
Flexible Electromagnetic Sensor
Granted: December 28, 2017
Application Number:
20170367767
A medical system employs a sensing coil that includes a flexible core containing a magnetically permeable material and an electrical conductor wound around the flexible core. The electrical conductor may be wound in a manner that permits use of the sensing coil in a range of configurations from straight to bent with a minimum radius of curvature.
Surgical Instrument With Single Drive Input for Two End Effector Mechanisms
Granted: November 23, 2017
Application Number:
20170333065
Methods for treating tissue, and surgical assemblies and related methods are disclosed in which a single input is used to sequentially articulate two members. A medical device includes an input link movable through an input link range of motion, a jaw coupled with the input link, and a tissue manipulation member coupled to the input link and positioned to manipulate a tissue gripped by the jaw. The input link range of motion includes a first portion and a second portion. The input link…
Surgical Instrument With Stowing Knife Blade
Granted: November 23, 2017
Application Number:
20170333037
A surgical instrument with a stowing knife blade includes an elongated shaft, an end effector coupled to the shaft and including two opposed jaws, a housing included in one of the jaws, a first member mounted in the housing and movable distally, a knife pivotally coupled with the first member, and a second member. The knife is configured to cut when advanced distally. The first and second members are moved distally at the same rate during a cutting motion of the knife and the second…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR HAND PRESENCE DETECTION IN A MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL SYSTEM
Granted: November 9, 2017
Application Number:
20170319284
In a minimally invasive surgical system, a hand tracking system tracks a location of a sensor element mounted on part of a human hand. A system control parameter is generated based on the location of the part of the human hand. Operation of the minimally invasive surgical system is controlled using the system control parameter. Thus, the minimally invasive surgical system includes a hand tracking system. The hand tracking system tracks a location of part of a human hand. A controller…
MEDICAL DEVICE WITH ACTIVE BRAKE RELEASE CONTROL
Granted: November 2, 2017
Application Number:
20170312047
A computer-assisted medical device includes an articulated arm with a plurality of joints and a control unit coupled to the articulated arm. The control unit is configured to send a command to a plurality of brakes in the articulated arm to begin a release of the plurality of brakes in a predetermined staggered manner. In some embodiments the predetermined staggered manner prevents the simultaneous release of the plurality of breaks. In some examples, the predetermined staggered manner…
Determining Position of Medical Device in Branched Anatomical Structure
Granted: November 2, 2017
Application Number:
20170311844
Information extracted from sequential images captured from the perspective of a distal end of a medical device moving through an anatomical structure are compared with corresponding information extracted from a computer model of the anatomical structure. A most likely match between the information extracted from the sequential images and the corresponding information extracted from the computer model is then determined using probabilities associated with a set of potential matches so as…
COMBINATIONAL SCISSOR-GRASPER TOOL FOR USE IN LAPAROSCOPY
Granted: October 26, 2017
Application Number:
20170303951
Disclosed is a four-jawed combinational scissor-grasper surgical tool for use in laparoscopy, Cutting and grasping functionalities are respectively enabled via movement of a pair of such specially contoured jaw members sliding against or splaying apart from the other pair. Also disclosed are means for achieving selectable interlocking of jaw members and mechanical linkage for their actuation by human user.
DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS USING MATING CATHETER TIPS AND TOOLS
Granted: October 19, 2017
Application Number:
20170296038
A medical instrument system comprises an imaging probe including a distal tip terminating at a first distal end of the imaging probe and a lens disposed at the first distal end. The imaging probe including a first sealing feature on an external surface of the imaging probe. The medical instrument also comprises an elongated medical instrument including a distal portion terminating at a second distal end and including a working channel configured to slidably receive the imaging probe. The…
STAPLING CARTRIDGE
Granted: October 12, 2017
Application Number:
20170290586
A stapling cartridge having an elongated rail that provides support to a moveable clamping element and resists pulling or spreading forces caused by compressing and cutting tissue. The elongated rail can directly connect the stapling cartridge to the lower jaw and completely carry the moveable clamping element, which can couple and decouple to an anvil of an upper jaw.
PSMA TARGETED FLUORESCENT AGENTS FOR IMAGE GUIDED SURGERY
Granted: October 5, 2017
Application Number:
20170283384
Compositions and methods for visualizing tissue under illumination with near-infrared radiation, including compounds comprising near-infrared, closed chain, sulfo-cyanine dyes and prostate specific membrane antigen ligands are disclosed.
FLEXIBLE MEDICAL INSTRUMENT
Granted: October 5, 2017
Application Number:
20170281288
A medical system including a flexible instrument such as a lung catheter or bronchoscope provides a control mode in which direct manual control of insertion can be used with computer-assisted control of instrument characteristics such as the orientation or rigidity of a portion of the instrument. To facilitate manual insertion control, a mechanism can provide low inertia and friction for movement along an insertion axis. One implementation employs a manual grip of the instrument for…
SYSTEM WITH GUIDES AND TOOLS OF DIFFERENT FLEXIBILITY
Granted: October 5, 2017
Application Number:
20170281287
A robotic medical system with a flexible guide tube such as a lung catheter can record the shape of the guide tube in a target configuration. If the shape includes a bend that is sharper than a sharpest permitted bend for insertion or removal of a tool such as a biopsy needle, a control system can find any locations of sharp bends and automatically retract the guide tube to a location associated with a sharp bend. With the tip backed up to that location, the needle can be inserted into…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADAPTIVE INPUT MAPPING
Granted: September 21, 2017
Application Number:
20170265956
A method of controlling a movement of a medical instrument comprises receiving an input instruction from an operator input device movement and determining a control factor based on the input instruction. The method also comprises receiving a motion scaling parameter determined from the control factor and mapping the input instruction to an output instruction for a medical instrument movement. The mapping includes applying the motion scaling parameter to the input instruction to create…
STAPLER WITH CABLE-DRIVEN ADVANCEABLE CLAMPING ELEMENT AND DISTAL PULLEY
Granted: September 21, 2017
Application Number:
20170265865
A surgical tool is provided comprising: a jaw assembly that includes a first and second elongated jaws each having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the first jaw is mounted to be rotatable about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position; first parallel side edges secured to the first jaw that extend parallel to a longitudinal first axis of the first jaw; second parallel side edges secured to the second jaw that extend parallel to a…
ENDOSCOPIC INSTRUMENT WITH COMPLIANT THERMAL INTERFACE
Granted: September 14, 2017
Application Number:
20170258309
An endoscopic instrument includes a heat-generating component that is thermally coupled to a heat sink via a movable contact structure. The movable contact structure accommodates the relative motion between the thermal conduit and heat sink to maintain the thermal coupling between those elements, and prevent damage to such thermal coupling when the instrument is exposed to elevated temperatures, such as during autoclaving.
SURGICAL PATIENT SIDE CART WITH STEERING INTERFACE
Granted: September 7, 2017
Application Number:
20170253270
A patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system can include one or more wheels positioned to support the cart for wheeled motion on a ground surface, at least one manipulator portion for holding a surgical instrument, a steering interface having a grasping portion and comprising a sensor positioned to sense turning, fore, and aft forces exerted on the grasping portion to move the cart, wherein the sensor is in signal communication with a drive control system of the patient side…
METHOD OF DETERMINING THE SHAPE OF A BENDABLE INSTRUMENT
Granted: September 7, 2017
Application Number:
20170251905
A method for determining a shape of a bendable instrument can include placing the bendable instrument in a neutral position; moving a first control element a first amount until slack is removed from the first control element; moving a second control element a second amount until slack is removed from the second control element; sensing a position of the first control element after moving the first control element the first amount, the sensed position of the first control element being…
FORCE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Granted: August 17, 2017
Application Number:
20170231703
A force transmission mechanism for a surgical instrument includes a worm drive, a lever arm, and an actuation element. The lever arm may include a follower member at a first end of the lever arm. The follower member engages the worm drive and is configured to be driven by the worm drive. The actuation element is connected the lever arm. The actuation element is configured to transmit force to actuate an end effector of the surgical instrument. Rotational movement of the worm drive…
TOOL POSITION AND IDENTIFICATION INDICATOR DISPLAYED IN A BOUNDARY AREA OF A COMPUTER DISPLAY SCREEN
Granted: July 27, 2017
Application Number:
20170210012
An endoscope captures images of a surgical site for display in a viewing area of a monitor. When a tool is outside the viewing area, a GUI indicates the position of the tool by positioning a symbol in a boundary area around the viewing area so as to indicate the tool position. The distance of the out-of-view tool from the viewing area may be indicated by the size, color, brightness, or blinking or oscillation frequency of the symbol. A distance number may also be displayed on the symbol.…
