Intuitive Surgical Patent Grants

Systems and methods for masking a recognized object during an application of a synthetic element to an original image

Granted: May 6, 2025
Patent Number: 12293472
An exemplary object masking system is configured to mask a recognized object during an application of a synthetic element to an original image. For example, the object masking system accesses a model of a recognized object depicted in an original image of a scene. The object masking system associates the model with the recognized object. The object masking system then generates presentation data for use by a presentation system to present an augmented version of the original image in…

Instrument drape

Granted: May 6, 2025
Patent Number: 12290333
A surgical drape for providing a localized instrument sterility barrier includes: a tube having a proximal end and a distal end, the tube defining an interior bore sized to receive an elongated shaft of a surgical instrument; and a port coupler at the distal end of the tube, the port coupler configured to couple the distal end of the tube to a surgical port through which the elongated shaft extends. The tube is collapsible to accommodate relative movement between the instrument and the…

Modular clamps for mounting surgical manipulators

Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number: 12285301
A system generally includes a surgical manipulator configured to control motion of a surgical tool, and a clamping apparatus having a mounting location configured to support the surgical manipulator and couple to a mounting structure. The clamping apparatus may include a body, a first jaw coupled to the body and configured to engage a first portion of the mounting structure, and a second jaw coupled to the body and configured to engage a second portion of the mounting structure. At least…

Anatomical scene visualization systems and methods

Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number: 12285153
An illustrative system may be configured to obtain a visual image of an anatomical scene that includes an imaging probe and to augment the visual image with a synthetic element that indicates, within the visual image, an area of the anatomical scene being imaged by the imaging probe. The synthetic element may include spatial markers. The visualization system may be further configured to direct a display device to display the augmented image. The visualization system may be further…

Support apparatus for a medical retractor device

Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number: 12285161
A support apparatus for a medical device includes a first sleeve, a second sleeve, and a flexible contact member. The first sleeve is configured to be coupled to a first tool member of an end effector assembly that includes the first tool member, a second tool member, and a clevis, in which the first and second tool members are each rotatably coupled to the clevis such that second tool member can be moved relative to the first tool member between a first and a second orientation. The…

Systems and methods of registration for image-guided surgery

Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number: 12285223
A method comprises receiving a set of model points of a model of one or more passageways of a patient. The method further comprises receiving a set of measured points collected from within the one or more passageways of the patient. Each point comprises coordinates within a medical environment occupied by the patient. The method further comprises matching each measured point to a model point to generate a set of matches. The method further comprises assigning a weight to each of the…

Flux disambiguation for teleoperated surgical systems

Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number: 12285226
A method includes receiving at a controller of a teleoperated surgical system a first signal indicating that a surgical instrument is in an installed position at a patient side cart of the teleoperated surgical system, receiving at the controller a second signal indicating that the surgical instrument is in a flux connection state, and outputting a signal via the controller to provide feedback indicating that the surgical instrument is in the flux connection state.

Cable tensioning in a robotic surgical system

Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number: 12285232
A cable tensioning system of a surgical system comprises a base, an arm, and a moveable idler pulley rotatably coupled to a first end of the arm and positioned between a first pulley system and a second pulley system. A closed loop cable drive extends between the first pulley system and the second pulley system, and the closed loop cable drive passes over the moveable idler pulley. The cable tensioning system also comprises a translation mechanism slidably coupling a second end of the…

Systems and methods for detecting tissue contact by an ultrasound probe

Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number: 12285288
A contact detection system is configured to classify each pixel in a plurality of pixels included in an ultrasound image captured by an ultrasound probe located within a patient as either showing tissue or showing non-tissue; determine an average pixel classification representative of a number of pixels classified as showing tissue compared to a number of pixels classified as showing non-tissue; determine, if the average pixel classification is above a first contact state threshold, that…

Configurable counterbalance mechanism

Granted: April 22, 2025
Patent Number: 12279920
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…

Sterile channel pre-drape assembly

Granted: April 22, 2025
Patent Number: 12279847
An apparatus includes a sterile channel pre-drape assembly comprising a plurality of legs radiating from a common center region. Each of the plurality of legs has one or more sterile interior surfaces and one or more outer surfaces. The sterile interior surfaces of a pair of the plurality of legs define a sterile channel that is bounded by the outer surfaces of the pair of the plurality of legs. The sterile channel pre-drape assembly also includes an attachment element affixed to the…

Surgical system sterile drape

Granted: April 15, 2025
Patent Number: 12274523
A drape includes a first drape portion configured to receive a manipulator arm of a surgical system and a pocket coupled to a distal portion of the first drape portion. The pocket is configured to receive a manipulator of the surgical system. The pocket includes a flexible membrane positionable between an output of the manipulator and an input of a surgical instrument mountable to the manipulator. In some embodiments, the flexible membrane is located at a distal end of the pocket. In…

Graphical user interface for displaying guidance information during an image-guided procedure

Granted: April 15, 2025
Patent Number: 12274514
A method for displaying guidance information during an image-guided surgical procedure comprises receiving, by one or more hardware processors, data from a tracking system associated with an elongate device comprising a flexible body and calculating, by the one or more hardware processors, at least one condition along a length of the flexible body based on the data. The method further comprises determining, by the one or more hardware processors, supplemental guidance information based…

Systems and methods of device control with operator and motion sensing

Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number: 12271541
A system comprises an input device structurally configured to be utilized by an operator to control a medical device. The system further comprises a motion sensor associated with the input device and configured to detect a displacement distance of the input device. The system further comprises a control unit configured to determine a velocity cap defining a maximum velocity of the medical device based on the detected displacement distance. The control system is further configured to…

Medical imaging systems and methods that facilitate use of different fluorescence imaging agents

Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number: 12268469
An exemplary medical imaging system includes a visible light illumination system configured to selectively emit one of a first visible light biased to a first wavelength and a second visible light biased to a second wavelength, a fluorescence excitation illumination system configured to selectively emit one of a first fluorescence excitation illumination having a third wavelength and a second fluorescence excitation illumination having a fourth wavelength, and an illumination source…

Physical medical element affixation systems, methods, and materials

Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number: 12268459
An exemplary system is configured to access image data representative of an image of an internal space of a patient, the image depicting a physical medical element positioned over an anatomical surface within the internal space, identify a region, within the image, that depicts a fiducial marker on the physical medical element, determine, based on the identified region, an affixation target location on the physical medical element, and assist, based on the determined affixation target…

Steerable apparatus having a slideable imaging probe and associated methods of use

Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number: 12268363
An apparatus of the present technology generally includes an elongated shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion, a first elongated channel extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion, a second channel extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion, and a slidable imaging probe disposed within the first elongated channel. The apparatus can be manually, robotically, and/or teleoperably steerable and is configured for delivery to a subject and/or…

Imaging systems and methods of use

Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number: 12268361
A system may comprise a catheter including a wall having an inner surface defining a main lumen. The system may also comprise a device including an elongate flexible shaft configured to be slideably inserted within the catheter main lumen and a structure disposed around an outer surface of the elongate flexible shaft. The structure may be configured to engage with a plurality of flat surfaces comprising a portion of the inner surface to prevent rotation of the device within the main…

Systems and methods for using a robotic medical system

Granted: April 1, 2025
Patent Number: 12262965
A support structure comprises a base joint coupling a proximal link of the support structure to a base. The proximal link is configured to rotate about a first axis associated with the base joint. The support structure further comprises a linkage mechanism. The linkage mechanism maintains an orientation of an instrument support relative to the base as the support structure is moved from a first configuration to a second configuration. In the second configuration, the support structure is…

Medical instrument electrically energized using drive cables

Granted: April 1, 2025
Patent Number: 12262938
An electrically energized medical instrument uses one or more drive cables to both actuate mechanical components of a wrist mechanism or an effector and to electrically energize the effector. Electrical isolation can be achieved using an insulating main tube through which drive cables extend from a backend mechanism to the effector, an insulating end cover that leaves only the desired portions of the effector exposed, and one or more seals to prevent electrically conductive liquid from…