METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COORDINATING USER ASSISTANCE
Granted: December 29, 2022
Application Number:
20220415492
A coordination system for coordinating remote assistance of a medical system involves a support agent executed by a computer processor. The support agent is configured to receive a first support request submitted by a user of the medical system, and identify a support person to respond to the first support request from a multitude of support persons by applying a support person identification logic to a system-internal context. The system-internal context is obtained from a system…
SIMULATOR SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL PROCEDURE TRAINING
Granted: December 29, 2022
Application Number:
20220415210
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…
SPREAD BRIDGE XY FORCE SENSOR
Granted: December 22, 2022
Application Number:
20220404218
A force sensor comprising a beam having a longitudinal center axis and a neutral axis that extends along a beam surface parallel to the center axis. A first half-bridge includes tension resistors. A second half-bridge includes tension resistors. A third half-bridge includes compression resistors. A fourth half-bridge includes compression resistors. The half-bridges are arranged on the beam surface such that redundant measurements of orthogonal components of a force imparted to the beam…
DEVICES AND METHODS FOR CRIMP INTERFACE FOR CABLE TENSION SENSOR
Granted: December 22, 2022
Application Number:
20220401171
A medical device comprises an end effector, a mechanical structure, a connector, and a force sensor unit. The connector extends from a drive component of the mechanical structure to the end effector. Motion of the drive component produces a tension force within the connector, which is associated with an end effector torque or force exerted by the end effector. The force sensor unit comprises a body, and the body is coupled in-line with the connector so that strain in the connector is…
SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, RELATED SYSTEMS, AND RELATED METHODS
Granted: December 15, 2022
Application Number:
20220395313
A method of assembling a surgical instrument comprising an end effector body and a retaining member includes inserting a distal end feature of a cable within a recess in the end effector body, the distal end feature extending radially outwardly from the cable. The method further includes positioning a retaining member over the recess in the end effector body to retain the distal end feature of the cable within the retaining member.
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH LOCKOUT MECHANISM
Granted: December 15, 2022
Application Number:
20220395270
Locking assemblies for surgical clamping and cutting instruments include a locking member and a switch. A drive member may be configured to releasably engage a knife and/or a shuttle of the surgical instrument for translating the knife and/or shuttle in a distal direction through a firing stroke. The locking member is movable from a first position permitting distal translation of the drive member through the firing stroke, and a second position inhibiting distal translation of the drive…
SPLIT BRIDGE CIRCUIT FORCE SENSOR
Granted: December 8, 2022
Application Number:
20220390300
A force sensor comprising a beam having a longitudinal axis and a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; a first Wheatstone bridge disposed on a first face of the beam, including multiple tension gauge resistors and multiple compression gauge resistors; a second Wheatstone bridge disposed on the first face of the beam, including multiple tension gauge resistors and multiple compression gauge resistors; wherein at least one tension gauge resistor and at least one compression gauge…
JOINT STRUCTURES AND RELATED DEVICES AND METHODS
Granted: December 1, 2022
Application Number:
20220378537
A joint structure includes a first link and a second link coupled to one another by a joint. The first link and the second link are articulatable relative to each other about the joint. An actuation element extends through a first guide channel in the first link and a second guide channel in the second link. The first guide channel terminates in an opening where the actuation element extends from the first link to extend across the joint to the second link. A first edge portion of the…
HAND PRESENCE SENSING AT CONTROL INPUT DEVICE
Granted: December 1, 2022
Application Number:
20220382364
Implementations relate to hand presence sensing at a control input device. In some implementations, a control input device includes a base member, a handle coupled to the base member and configured to be manually contacted at a grip portion of the handle and moved by a hand of a user in one or more degrees of freedom, one or more control input sensors configured to detect positions or orientations of the handle in the one or more degrees of freedom, and a presence sensor coupled to the…
CONFIGURABLE COUNTERBALANCE MECHANISM
Granted: December 1, 2022
Application Number:
20220378546
Implementations relate to a configurable counterbalance mechanism. In some implementations, a counterbalance apparatus includes a spring, a tension element coupled between the spring and a mechanical ground, a base element coupled to a load, and a configurable arm rotatably coupled to the base element. A first pulley and a second pulley are rotatably coupled to the configurable arm, the second pulley orbitable about the first axis, and the tension element is at least partially wrapped…
LATCH RELEASE FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT
Granted: November 17, 2022
Application Number:
20220361975
A medical instrument comprises an instrument control surface configured to mate with an instrument sterile adapter to receive input drive forces through the sterile adapter to control actuation of the surgical instrument, the instrument control surface comprising a first opening defined in the instrument control surface. A latch structure of the instrument comprises a locking surface configured to engage a latch arm in response to the latch arm being received in the opening, wherein in…
INDICATOR MECHANISM FOR AN ACTUATOR CONTROLLED SURGICAL INSTRUMENT
Granted: November 10, 2022
Application Number:
20220354598
A method for providing a visual indication regarding a state of an instrument comprises sensing usage information about the instrument and using a motor to rotate an indicator body from a first position to a second position in response to sensing the usage information meets a predetermined condition. The method further comprises holding the indicator body in the first position or the second position, respectively. In the first position a first portion of the indicator body is visible on…
LOW-FRICTION, SMALL PROFILE MEDICAL TOOLS HAVING EASY-TO-ASSEMBLE COMPONENTS
Granted: November 10, 2022
Application Number:
20220354474
A low-friction medical device includes a first link, a second link, and a tension member. The first link is coupled to an instrument shaft and a first guide path is defined in the first link. The second link is rotatable relative to the first link through an angular range. A distal end portion of the second link is rotatably coupled to a tool member. A curved guide path is defined within the second link between the tool member and the first guide path. A curved guide surface of the…
SYMMETRIC TRIMMING OF STRAIN GAUGES
Granted: October 27, 2022
Application Number:
20220341796
A circuit is provided that includes a strain gauge resistor having a center axis and multiple conductor layer segments and a trim region extending along the center axis; wherein a first portion of the strain gauge resistor is located on one side of the center axis and a second portion of the strain gauge resistor is located on an opposite side of the center axis.
STAGED FORCE FEEDBACK TRANSITIONING BETWEEN CONTROL STATES
Granted: October 20, 2022
Application Number:
20220331039
A surgical system is provided comprising: an input device; and a controller for receiving control inputs from the input device and for providing haptic feedback at the input device, the controller configured to apply a staged transition from a first haptic feedback profile at the input device to a second haptic feedback profile at the input device.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING INSTRUMENT GRIP BEHAVIOR
Granted: October 20, 2022
Application Number:
20220331025
A computer-assisted medical system includes a robotic manipulator arm configured to support an instrument. The instrument includes an instrument shaft and jaws disposed at a distal end of the instrument shaft. The computer-assisted medical system further includes a controller coupled to the manipulator arm. The controller includes a computer processor and is configured to track a movement of the instrument along an insertion axis of the instrument, and coordinate a size of a jaw aperture…
JOINT ASSEMBLIES WITH CROSS-AXIS FLEXURAL PIVOTS
Granted: October 20, 2022
Application Number:
20220330967
The embodiments described herein can be used in a variety of grasping, cutting, and manipulating operations. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first joint member, a second joint member, and a flexure. The first joint member includes a first connection portion and a contact surface. The second joint member including a second connection portion. A first end portion of the flexure is coupled to the first connection portion, and a second end portion of the flexure is coupled to…
UNGROUNDED MASTER CONTROL DEVICES AND METHODS OF USE
Granted: October 6, 2022
Application Number:
20220313379
A mechanically ungrounded master control device comprises a rigid chassis for engagement with one or more fingers of a user's hand and at least one pivotable finger engagement device for controlling movement of a tool end effector. The control device also includes at least one sensor for detecting a position and orientation of the rigid chassis in a surgical environment and a switch coupled to the rigid chassis and manipulatable by a finger of the user's hand while another finger of the…
CUTTING DEVICES FOR SUTURING TOOLS AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Granted: September 29, 2022
Application Number:
20220304674
A needle driver device comprises an arcuate-shaped distal end portion defining an aperture opening at a distal end of the needle driver device and a cutting element disposed an exterior surface portion of the needle driver device. The cutting element is configured to cut suturing material. Devices, systems, and methods relate to cutting suturing material.
SURGICAL SYSTEM INSTRUMENT MOUNTING
Granted: September 22, 2022
Application Number:
20220296322
A surgical system comprises a base, an arm assembly operably coupled to the base, and an instrument manipulator assembly coupled to a distal link of the arm assembly. The instrument manipulator assembly comprises an instrument manipulator interface to removably couple with a medical instrument and transfer actuation forces to the medical instrument. The instrument manipulator interface comprises a mounting surface and a plurality of actuator outputs to operably engage with respectively…
