SURGICAL INSTRUMENT DRIVE ELEMENT, AND RELATED DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS
Granted: March 2, 2017
Application Number:
20170056098
A surgical instrument includes a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and end effector coupled to the distal end of the shaft. An electrical transmission conduit extends along the shaft from the proximal end to the distal end and is configured to deliver electrical energy to energize the end effector. A connector assembly electrically couples the electrical transmission conduit to the end effector, and the end effector is pivotably coupled to the connector assembly. In another…
APPLICATION OF FORCE FEEDBACK OF AN INPUT DEVICE TO URGE ITS OPERATOR TO COMMAND AN ARTICULATED INSTRUMENT TO A PREFERRED POSE
Granted: February 9, 2017
Application Number:
20170035521
A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulated instruments extending out of its distal end. A controller is configured to command manipulation an articulated instrument in response to operator manipulation of an associated input device while generating a force command to the input device that nudges the operator to command the instrument to a preferred pose. When a transition is to occur between first and second preferred poses, one is phased in while the other is…
APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING TREATMENT OF TISSUE VIA IMPROVED DELIVERY OF ENERGY BASED AND NON-ENERGY BASED MODALITIES
Granted: February 2, 2017
Application Number:
20170027419
Methods and apparatus for accessing and treating regions of the body are disclosed herein. Using an endoscopic device having an automatically controllable proximal portion and a selectively steerable distal portion, the device generally may be advanced into the body through an opening. The distal portion is selectively steered to assume a selected curve along a desired path within the body which avoids contact with tissue while the proximal portion is automatically controlled to assume…
ACTUATION ELEMENT GUIDE WITH TWISTING CHANNELS
Granted: January 26, 2017
Application Number:
20170020616
An actuation element guide for a surgical instrument comprises a first piece, a second piece, at least one guide channel defining a twisted path about a longitudinal axis of the guide. The guide channel may be between the inner piece and the outer piece. A cross-section of the at least one guide channel, at a location along an axial length of the guide, may be defined by a surface portion of the first piece and by a surface portion of the second piece. Exemplary embodiments further…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SPECULAR REFLECTION DETECTION AND REDUCTION
Granted: January 19, 2017
Application Number:
20170014029
A system and method of specular reflection detection and reduction includes a processing unit including one or more processors and an imaging unit coupled to the processing unit. The imaging unit includes one or more first illuminators for providing illumination of a region of interest, one or more first detectors for detecting reflections of the illumination, one or more second illuminators for triggering fluorescing of one or more fluorescent materials in the region of interest, and…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECENTERING IMAGING DEVICES AND INPUT CONTROLS
Granted: January 5, 2017
Application Number:
20170000574
A system and method of recentering imaging devices and input controls includes a medical device having one or more end effectors, an imaging device, one or more input controls for teleoperating the one or more end effectors, and a control unit including one or more processors coupled to the end effectors, the imaging device, and the input controls. The control unit suspends teleoperated control of the end effectors by the input controls in response to a recentering request, determines a…
ROBOTIC LINKAGE
Granted: January 5, 2017
Application Number:
20170000315
A method may include articulating a first link and a second link relative to each other about a pair of outer hinge portions on a first end of a first link and in mating engagement with a pair of inner hinge portions on a second end of a second link. Each outer hinge portion comprises an outer ear extending in a first axial direction away from the first end of the first link, and an inner bearing surface substantially oriented in the first axial direction, and each inner hinge portion…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MOVING A PLURALITY OF ARTICULATED INSTRUMENTS IN TANDEM BACK TOWARDS AN ENTRY GUIDE
Granted: December 29, 2016
Application Number:
20160374767
A medical robotic system includes articulated instruments extending out of a distal end of an entry guide. Prior to pivoting the entry guide to re-orient it and the instruments, the instruments are moved in tandem back towards the entry guide after a delay. Haptic cues and velocity limits are provided to assist the operator in the retraction of the instruments. After retraction, the entry guide may then be pivoted without concern that the instruments will harm patient anatomy. The…
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING STAPLE CARTRIDGE MISFIRE OR FAILURE
Granted: December 29, 2016
Application Number:
20160374676
A method of controlling a surgical stapler system includes transmitting an actuation force to a staple cartridge to actuate a staple firing procedure, the staple cartridge being removably received by a portion of an end effector of a surgical instrument, measuring the transmitted actuation force, and controlling continued transmission of the actuation force based on a comparison of the measured actuation force to a range defined from a minimum threshold actuation force to a maximum…
Method for Engaging Surgical Instrument with Teleoperated Actuator
Granted: December 15, 2016
Application Number:
20160361126
A teleoperated surgical system has an instrument manipulator that includes a first carriage driver and a second carriage driver that each provide independent rotary motion. Each carriage driver includes a first engagement feature. A surgical instrument includes two instrument drivers that each receive the rotary motion from one of the two carriage drivers. Each instrument driver includes a second engagement feature that engages the first engagement feature to positively couple the…
METHOD FOR VIDEO PROCESSING USING A BUFFER
Granted: December 8, 2016
Application Number:
20160360159
A method for processing video can include storing input video frame data at a video data buffer and outputting the stored video frame data from the video data buffer at an output video frame rate based on at least an amount of video frame data stored at the video data buffer.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC VIRTUAL COLLISION OBJECTS
Granted: December 1, 2016
Application Number:
20160345929
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…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PROVIDE UPDATED PATIENT IMAGES DURING ROBOTIC SURGERY
Granted: November 24, 2016
Application Number:
20160338797
In a method and an apparatus to provide updated images during a robotically-implemented surgical procedure, 3D data are obtained of a volume of a patient, which includes anatomy involved in the procedure. The anatomy is segmented from a reconstructed image of the volume. During the procedure, the surgeon applies forces on the anatomy, causing a geometric change of the anatomy. Force sensors in the surgical robot detect these forces, which are supplied to a processor that controls display…
ADAPTABLE INTEGRATED ENERGY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTROSURGICAL TOOLS IN ROBOTIC SURGICAL SYSTEMS
Granted: November 24, 2016
Application Number:
20160338786
A teleoperated surgical system may comprise a plurality of teleoperated surgical instruments; a user input device; and a controller operably coupled to the user input device and to the plurality of surgical instruments. The user input device may be configured to transmit an activation command to cause activation of a function of a first one of the plurality of surgical instruments in response to input at the user input device, the function being supported by remote-control supply…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ENDOSCOPIC COLECTOMY
Granted: November 17, 2016
Application Number:
20160331376
Apparatus and methods for endoscopic colectomy are described herein. A colectomy device having a first and a second tissue approximation device is mounted on a colonoscope separated from one another. During deployment of the colectomy device, a diseased portion of the colon is positioned inbetween the tissue approximation devices. The tissue approximation devices are radially expanded such that they contact and grasp the colon wall at two sites adjacent to the diseased portion of the…
TELESCOPING BIOPSY NEEDLE
Granted: November 17, 2016
Application Number:
20160331358
What is described is a minimally invasive system comprising an elongate sheath and an elongate instrument slidably disposed within a lumen of the sheath. The sheath includes a flexible tube portion including a plurality of slots, a sheath element, and a rigid tube section, wherein the flexible tube portion is fixedly coupled to a distal end of the sheath element, and the rigid tube section is fixedly coupled to a distal end of the flexible tube. The lumen extends through the sheath…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING THREE-DIMENSIONAL ORIENTATION OF A STEERABLE DISTAL TIP OF AN ENDOSCOPE
Granted: November 17, 2016
Application Number:
20160331331
The present invention relates, generally, to reporting the approximate three-dimensional orientation of the steerable distal portion of an endoscope to the user of the endoscope. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing the endoscope-user a display from which to more easily determine the approximate three-dimensional orientation of the steerable distal portion of the endoscope, thereby facilitating navigation of the endoscope. The present…
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH CONTROL FOR DETECTED FAULT CONDITION
Granted: November 10, 2016
Application Number:
20160324588
A method of controlling a surgical instrument comprising an end effector may comprise detecting a first signal indicating that an end effector component of a surgical instrument is positioned between a first position and a second position; and automatically controlling operation of the end effector component when a second signal is not detected within a predetermined delayed response time period after detecting the first signal, wherein the second signal indicates that the end effector…
INSTRUMENT INTERFACE
Granted: October 27, 2016
Application Number:
20160310115
A mechanical interface for a robotic medical instrument permits engagement of the instrument and a drive system without causing movement of an actuated portion of the instrument. An instrument interface can include a symmetrical, tapered or cylindrical projection on one of a medical instrument or a drive system and a complementary bore in the other of the drive system or the medical instrument. Symmetry of the projection and the bore allows the projection to be compression fit to the…
SIMULATOR SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL PROCEDURE TRAINING
Granted: October 27, 2016
Application Number:
20160314710
Implementations relate to medical simulations for medical procedure training. In some implementations, a system includes a simulation processing component including at least one processor and which generates a virtual environment using position signals that describe at least one of a position and a configuration of a physical surgical instrument relative to a physical surgical site. The simulation processing component updates the virtual environment according to changes in the position…
