HERMETICALLY SEALED ENDOSCOPE WITH OPTICAL COMPONENT ATTACHED TO INNER PROTECTIVE WINDOW
Granted: August 4, 2016
Application Number:
20160220107
In one embodiment, an endoscopic camera for a robotic surgical system includes a stereo camera module mounted to a robotic arm of a patient side cart. The optical and electro-optic components of the camera module are hermetically sealed within a first housing. Signals from an electro-optic component travel through traces in a ceramic substrate forming one side of the hermetically sealed first housing. A second housing surrounds the first housing and optical fibers are dispersed between…
RIBBED FORCE SENSOR
Granted: July 28, 2016
Application Number:
20160216167
In one embodiment, a force sensor apparatus is provided including a tube portion having a plurality of radial ribs and a strain gauge positioned over each of the plurality of radial ribs, a proximal end of the tube portion that operably couples to a shaft of a surgical instrument that operably couples to a manipulator arm of a robotic surgical system, and a distal end of the tube portion that proximally couples to a wrist joint coupled to an end effector.
GRIP FORCE CONTROL FOR ROBOTIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENT END EFFECTOR
Granted: July 28, 2016
Application Number:
20160213437
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…
CONSTRAINT BASED CONTROL IN A MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL APPARATUS
Granted: July 21, 2016
Application Number:
20160206389
A medical robotic system that includes a robotically controlled surgical instrument. The system includes a constraint controller that constrains the movement of the instrument based on a predetermined parameter. The parameter may be a surgical space, wherein the instrument cannot be moved into, or alternatively cannot be moved out of, the space. The surgically constrained spaced may be defined through a telestrator screen that allows a surgeon to point and click the boundaries of the…
SURGICAL PATIENT SIDE CART WITH STEERING INTERFACE
Granted: July 14, 2016
Application Number:
20160199143
A patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system includes at least one manipulator portion for holding a surgical instrument and a steering interface. The steering interface may include at least one sensor positioned to sense turning, fore, and aft forces exerted by a user to move the cart. The steering interface may further include a coupling mechanism to removably couple the steering interface with the patient side cart. The at least one sensor may be placed in signal…
INSTRUMENT STERILE ADAPTER DRIVE FEATURES
Granted: July 14, 2016
Application Number:
20160199138
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…
SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS OF CLEANING SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS
Granted: July 7, 2016
Application Number:
20160193012
In accordance with at least one exemplary embodiment, a surgical instrument comprises a shaft comprising a distal end a proximal end, a wall extending from the distal end to the proximal end and having an exterior surface and an interior surface. At least a first portion of the shaft may include openings that penetrate the interior and exterior surfaces of the wall and provide flow communication from an exterior of the shaft to an interior of the shaft. At least one transverse…
INSTRUMENT SHAFT FOR COMPUTER-ASSISTED SURGICAL SYSTEM
Granted: July 7, 2016
Application Number:
20160193001
A shaft for a surgical instrument comprises an outer tube having a proximal end and a distal end, a central lumen extending through the outer tube, and a plurality of stiffening rods positioned around the central lumen. The plurality of stiffening rods may comprise a nonconductive material. The shaft may form part of an electrosurgical instrument. In another embodiment, a surgical instrument may comprise an end effector and a shaft having an outer tube having a proximal end and a distal…
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ASSIGNING INPUT DEVICES TO TELEOPERATED SURGICAL INSTRUMENT FUNCTIONS
Granted: July 7, 2016
Application Number:
20160192998
A method of assigning an auxiliary input device to control a surgical instrument in a robotic surgical system may include detecting a first surgical instrument coupled to a first manipulator interface assembly of a teleoperated surgical system, the manipulator interface assembly being controlled by a first input device; detecting which one of a user's left and right hands operates the first input device; and assigning control of an auxiliary function of the first surgical instrument to a…
PRELOADED SURGICAL INSTRUMENT INTERFACE
Granted: June 30, 2016
Application Number:
20160184037
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…
VARIABLE INSTRUMENT PRELOAD MECHANISM CONTROLLER
Granted: June 30, 2016
Application Number:
20160184036
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…
ACTUATOR INTERFACE TO INSTRUMENT STERILE ADAPTER
Granted: June 30, 2016
Application Number:
20160184035
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…
INSTRUMENT STERILE ADAPTER DRIVE INTERFACE
Granted: June 30, 2016
Application Number:
20160184034
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…
ROBOTIC INSTRUMENT DRIVEN ELEMENT
Granted: June 30, 2016
Application Number:
20160184033
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…
DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT REPROCESSING
Granted: June 23, 2016
Application Number:
20160175062
An accessory drive device includes a housing, a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a drive mechanism, and an output drive member. The output drive member may be driven by the drive mechanism and engage with an input drive member on a transmission mechanism of a surgical instrument. The drive mechanism may be configured to be driven by a motive force produced by fluid flowing through the housing from the inlet to the outlet, with the fluid being delivered by a fluid source of a reprocessing…
REUSABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH SINGLE-USE TIP AND INTEGRATED TIP COVER
Granted: June 23, 2016
Application Number:
20160175060
A surgical instrument (203) includes a reusable instrument portion (204) and a disposable tip assembly (205). The disposable tip assembly (205) includes an end effector assembly (206) that in turn includes an end effector. The disposable tip assembly (205) also includes a locking tip cover (410) that locks the disposable tip assembly (205) to a lock interface element (448B) of a tip interface (245) of the reusable instrument portion (204). To facilitate mounting the disposable tip…
METHODS FOR HANDLING AN OPERATOR COMMAND EXCEEDING A MEDICAL DEVICE STATE LIMITATION IN A MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM
Granted: June 16, 2016
Application Number:
20160166344
A medical robotic system has a robotic arm holding a medical device, and a control system for controlling movement of the arm according to operator manipulation of an input device. If the medical device is being commanded to a state exceeding a limitation by a threshold amount, then the control system disengages control of the medical device by the input device, servos the arm so that it remains in its current state, servos the input device so that it is set at a position such that a…
MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM WITH REMOTE CURRENT CONTROLLER FOR CONTROLLING A PLURALITY OF DISTALLY HOUSED MOTORS
Granted: June 16, 2016
Application Number:
20160166339
A medical robotic system includes a manipulator having links that form housings which are movable by motor actuated joints. Motors for actuating the joints and sensors for sensing states of the motors are housed in one or more distal housings formed from corresponding links or other structure(s) of the manipulator. A position controller is housed in a proximal housing and provides current commands for the motors to a remote current controller that is housed in an intermediate housing and…
INDICATOR FOR TOOL STATE AND COMMUNICATION IN MULTIARM ROBOTIC TELESURGERY
Granted: June 9, 2016
Application Number:
20160157943
Medical and/or robotic devices, systems and methods can provide an indicator associated with each manipulator assembly of a multi-arm telerobotic or telesurgical system. The exemplary indicator comprises a multi-color light emitting diode (LED) mounted to a manipulator moving an associated surgical instrument, allowing the indicator to display any of a wide variety of signals. The invention may provide an additional user interface to facilitate communications between the telesurgical…
COMPACT COUNTER BALANCED ARMS
Granted: June 9, 2016
Application Number:
20160157946
In one embodiment of the invention, a counter balanced arm is disclosed including, a first link having a first rotating transmission device, a second link having a first rotating transmission device and a compression spring, a third rotating transmission device coupled between the first and second links, and a cable routed over the rotating transmission devices coupled between the second link and the compression spring. The compression spring forms a tension in the cable to counter…
