ELECTROMAGNETIC TIP SENSOR
Granted: November 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130303945
A medical instrument having a distal tip through which a lumen extends can employ an electromagnetic sensor including a coil that is in the distal tip and winds around the lumen or a coil that is in the distal tip and defines an area having a normal direction that is perpendicular to an instrument axis that extends along the lumen. Three coils can be oriented so that normal directions of the areas defined by the coils are along three orthogonal axes.
OFF-AXIS ELECTROMAGNETIC SENSOR
Granted: November 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130303944
A sensing system includes an off-axis coil in which wire is wound in loops about a roll axis and at an angle to the roll axis. In particular, the loops define respective areas that have a normal direction at a non-zero angle relative to the roll axis. A field generator can generate a variable magnetic field through the coil, and sensor logic can be coupled to the coil and configured to determine a measurement of a roll angle of the coil about the first axis using an electrical signal…
POLARIZATION AND TEMPERATURE INSENSITIVE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT FORCE TRANSDUCER
Granted: October 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130282024
A force sensor apparatus, operatively mounted in a surgical instrument includes the force transducer. The force transducer includes a transducer body having a coefficient of thermal expansion, and at least one optic fiber, fixedly attached to the transducer body, including a Bragg grating; and having a coefficient of thermal expansion matched to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the transducer body to mitigate polarization and calibration drift effects on the force transducer. The…
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT CONTROL
Granted: October 10, 2013
Application Number:
20130267950
In a surgical instrument, a reciprocating element controls jaw opening and closing as it moves over a first range of motion and cuts tissue clamped between the jaws as it moves over a second range of motion. A first control input controls the reciprocating element's motion over the first range of motion, and a second control input controls the reciprocating element's motion over the second range of motion. As a result, over control by the first control input will not result in…
Method for robotic arms with strap drive trains
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130239392
In one embodiment of the invention, a robotic arm is provided including a linkage assembly and a strap drive train. The linkage assembly includes first, second, third, and fourth links pivotally coupled in series together at first, second, and third joints to define a parallelogram with an insertion axis. The strap drive train includes first and second sets of straps coupled to the linkage assembly. As the linkage assembly is moved about a pitch axis, the first set of straps ensures the…
RATCHETING FOR MASTER ALIGNMENT OF A TELEOPERATED MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130245641
A minimally-invasive surgical system includes a slave surgical instrument having a slave surgical instrument tip and a master grip. The slave surgical instrument tip has an alignment in a common frame of reference and the master grip, which is coupled to the slave surgical instrument, has an alignment in the common frame of reference. An alignment error, in the common frame of reference, is a difference in alignment between the alignment of the slave surgical instrument tip and the…
INTERACTIVE USER INTERFACES FOR ROBOTIC MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130245375
In one embodiment of the invention, a method for a minimally invasive surgical system is disclosed. The method includes capturing and displaying camera images of a surgical site on at least one display device at a surgeon console; switching out of a following mode and into a masters-as-mice (MaM) mode; overlaying a graphical user interface (GUI) including an interactive graphical object onto the camera images; and rendering a pointer within the camera images for user interactive control.…
[[Multi-Ply]] Strap guide system and methods thereof for robotic surgical arms Drive Trains for Robotic Arms
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130244820
In one embodiment of the invention, a robotic arm is provided including a linkage assembly and a strap drive train. The linkage assembly includes first, second, third, and fourth links pivotally coupled in series together at first, second, and third joints to define a parallelogram with an insertion axis. The strap drive train includes first and second sets of straps coupled to the linkage assembly. As the linkage assembly is moved about a pitch axis, the first set of straps ensures the…
Multi-Ply Strap Drive Trains for Robotic Arms
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130239735
In one embodiment of the invention, a robotic arm is provided including a linkage assembly and a strap drive train. The linkage assembly includes first, second, third, and fourth links pivotally coupled in series together at first, second, and third joints to define a parallelogram with an insertion axis. The strap drive train includes first and second sets of straps coupled to the linkage assembly. As the linkage assembly is moved about a pitch axis, the first set of straps ensures the…
ARTICULATING MECHANISM
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130239734
An articulating mechanism is provided with at least one pair of spherical joints interconnected by a set of tension members. Each joint includes a ball member, a socket member configured to pivotably receive at least a portion of the ball member, and at least one tension member extending through both the ball and socket members parallel to and offset from a central longitudinal axis of the joint.
ADAPTABLE INTEGRATED ENERGY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTROSURGICAL TOOLS IN ROBOTIC SURGICAL SYSTEMS
Granted: September 5, 2013
Application Number:
20130231681
A method for a minimally invasive surgical system is disclosed including reading first tool information from a storage device in a first robotic surgical tool mounted to a first robotic arm to at least determine a first tool type; reading equipment information about one or more remote controlled equipment for control thereof; comparing the first tool information with the equipment information to appropriately match a first remote controlled equipment of the one or more remote controlled…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MOVING A PLURALITY OF ARTICULATED INSTRUMENTS IN TANDEM BACK TOWARDS AN ENTRY GUIDE
Granted: September 5, 2013
Application Number:
20130231680
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…
CONTROL SYSTEM CONFIGURED TO COMPENSATE FOR NON-IDEAL ACTUATOR-TO-JOINT LINKAGE CHARACTERISTICS IN A MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM
Granted: August 29, 2013
Application Number:
20130226197
A medical robotic system having non-ideal actuator-to-joint linkage characteristics, includes a control system including a proximal control loop with actuator sensor feedback to control dynamic response of an actuator coupled to a distal joint which in turn, is coupled to an end effector to provide a degree of freedom movement of the end effector, a distal control loop with distal joint sensor feedback and feedforward to the actuator to ensure steady-state convergence of the distal joint…
MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM HAVING ENTRY GUIDE CONTROLLER WITH INSTRUMENT TIP VELOCITY LIMITING
Granted: August 22, 2013
Application Number:
20130218172
A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulatable instruments extending out of its distal end, an entry guide manipulator providing controllable four degrees-of-freedom movement of the entry guide, and a controller configured to limit joint velocities in the entry guide manipulator so as to prevent movement of tips of the articulatable instruments from exceeding a maximum allowable linear velocity when the entry guide manipulator is being used to move the entry guide.
MEDICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM HAVING ENTRY GUIDE CONTROLLER WITH INSTRUMENT TIP VELOCITY LIMITING
Granted: August 22, 2013
Application Number:
20130218171
A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulatable instruments extending out of its distal end, an entry guide manipulator providing controllable four degrees-of-freedom movement of the entry guide, and a controller configured to limit joint velocities in the entry guide manipulator so as to prevent movement of tips of the articulatable instruments from exceeding a maximum allowable linear velocity when the entry guide manipulator is being used to move the entry guide.
LINK SYSTEMS AND ARTICULATION MECHANISMS FOR REMOTE MANIPULATION OF SURGICAL OR DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS
Granted: August 22, 2013
Application Number:
20130218141
Articulating mechanisms, link systems, and components thereof, useful for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to, the remote manipulation of instruments such as surgical or diagnostic instruments or tools are provided. The link systems include links wherein at least two adjacent links are pivotable relative to one another around two distinct pivot points. Mechanisms for locking the links are also provided.
TOOL WITH END EFFECTOR FORCE LIMITER
Granted: August 22, 2013
Application Number:
20130218140
The invention provides surgical or diagnostic tools and associated methods that offer improved user control for operating remotely within regions of the body. In some embodiments these tools include a proximally-located actuator for the operation of a distal end effector, as well as proximally-located actuators for articulational and rotational movements of the end effector. Control mechanisms and methods refine operator control of end effector actuation and of these articulational and…
METHOD OF USER INTERFACES FOR ELECTROSURGICAL TOOLS IN ROBOTIC SURGICAL SYSTEMS
Granted: August 22, 2013
Application Number:
20130217967
A method for a minimally invasive surgical system is disclosed including capturing camera images of a surgical site; generating a graphical user interface (GUI) including a first colored border portion in a first side and a second colored border in a second side opposite the first side; and overlaying the GUI onto the captured camera images of the surgical site for display on a display device of a surgeon console. The GUI provides information to a user regarding the first electrosurgical…
COMPACT NEEDLE MANIPULATOR FOR TARGETED INTERVENTIONS
Granted: August 15, 2013
Application Number:
20130209208
Embodiments of an instrument manipulator are disclosed. An instrument manipulator can include a track; a translational carriage coupled to ride along the track; a shoulder yaw joint coupled to the translational carriage; a shoulder pitch joint coupled to the shoulder yaw joint, the shoulder pith joint including an arm, a wrist mount coupled to the arm, struts coupled between the wrist mount and the shoulder yaw joint, and a shoulder pitch mechanism coupled to the arm; a yaw-pitch-roll…
MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT TO PROVIDE NEEDLE-BASED THERAPY
Granted: August 15, 2013
Application Number:
20130211401
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…
