Intuitive Surgical Patent Grants

Backend mechanism of a catheter control system

Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number: 12048817
A control system for an elongate member actuated via a pull wire comprises a chassis fixable in place relative to the elongate member during use and a pulley carried by the chassis, the pulley having a first pull wire-supporting surface structurally configured to support the pull wire, the pulley being rotatable about a first axis. The system further comprises a wall carried by the chassis and a capstan carried by the chassis and rotatable about a second axis aligned at an orthogonal…

Master control device and methods therefor

Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number: 12048505
Implementations relate to a master control device. In some implementations, a master control device includes a control body comprising a proximal end, a thumb grip portion, and a finger grip portion. The control body has a length configured to engage the proximal end of the control body in the palm of a hand of the user while the hand engages the thumb grip portion with a thumb of the hand and the finger grip portion with a finger of the hand. The control body is configured to allow the…

Cable drive limited slip capstan and shaft

Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number: 12048504
Capstan slip-stop shoulders limit relative rotation of capstans: a drive is shaft rotatably inserted within first and second axially aligned annular capstans, the first capstan including a first tooth extending parallel to the drive shaft in a first direction, the second capstan including a second tooth extending parallel to the drive shaft in a second direction opposite the first direction, the first tooth including first and second circumferentially spaced first tooth slip-stop…

Convolutional neural networks for efficient tissue segmentation

Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number: 12045318
An imaging system is provided for pixel-level segmentation of images comprising: a camera to capture images of an anatomical object and to represent the images in two-dimensional (2D) arrangements of pixels; one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium with information including: CNN instructions to cause the one or more processors to implement a CNN configured to associate anatomical object classifications with pixels of the 2D arrangements of pixels; and…

Computer-assisted tele-operated surgery systems and methods

Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number: 12042238
Manipulator devices are used for computer-assisted tele-operated surgery. In some embodiments, the manipulator devices described herein include an arm with a proximal end that is configured to releasably couple with a set-up structure of a computer-assisted tele-operated surgery system. A first ring is rotatably coupled to a distal end portion the arm and is rotatably driven by a first gear motor within the arm. A second ring that is concentric with the first ring is also rotatably…

Touchscreen user interface for interacting with a virtual model

Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number: 12042236
Methods and systems are provided that can include accessing a three-dimensional (3D) model of an object with a visualization tool including a touchscreen, displaying, via the touchscreen, an image of the 3D model, detecting a pressure based and/or contact based input at the touchscreen, and changing a display parameter of a first component of the 3D model as a result of the input. Selecting the component and/or changing the display can be indicated by visual and/or haptic signals. A…

Insert guide members for surgical instruments, and related devices, systems, and methods

Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number: 12042209
A surgical instrument includes a shaft, an end effector, and a wrist coupling the end effector to the shaft. The wrist has a central channel extending along a length of the wrist. An insert guide member is positioned in the central channel. The insert guide member has an exterior lateral wall extending between a first end and a second end of the insert guide member and an interior lateral wall extending between the first end and the second end. A passage extends from the first end of the…

Joint assemblies with cross-axis flexural pivots

Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number: 12042164
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…

Methods and apparatus to shape flexible entry guides for minimally invasive surgery

Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number: 12042120
An apparatus for performing surgical procedures is disclosed including a flexible entry guide tube and a first steering device. The guide tube has one or more lumens extending along its length from a proximal end to substantially at or near a distal end. At least one of the one or more lumens is an instrument lumen with open ends to receive a flexible shaft of a surgical tool. The first steering device is insertable into the instrument lumen to shape the guide tube as it is inserted…

Medical imaging systems and methods

Granted: July 16, 2024
Patent Number: 12035997
A two-by-two pixel array within an image sensor includes a first pixel, a second pixel, a third pixel, and a fourth pixel. A red filter covers the first pixel, a first blue filter covers the second pixel, a second blue filter covers the third pixel, and a green filter covers the fourth pixel. The red filter is configured to allow the first pixel to collect a red component of visible light and prevent the first pixel from collecting blue and green components of the visible light. The…

Teleoperated surgical instruments

Granted: July 16, 2024
Patent Number: 12035992
Systems and methods for computer-assisted systems using robotic technology are described. For example, this disclosure describes systems and methods that can be used in various contexts such as, but not limited to, minimally invasive computer-assisted tele-operated surgery using robotic technology. The disclosure describes instruments and mechanisms for actuating and controlling the motions of such instruments. The instruments and actuator mechanisms may be used in medical operations and…

System and method for integrated surgical table motion

Granted: July 16, 2024
Patent Number: 12035987
A computer-assisted device includes an articulated arm configured to support an end effector and a control unit. When coupled to the articulated arm and a table, the control unit is configured to detect movement of the articulated arm caused by movement of the table, determine a movement of the table based on motion data received from the table, and drive one or more first joints of the articulated arm based on the movement of the articulated arm and the determined movement of the table.

Systems and methods for segmentation of anatomical structures for image-guided surgery

Granted: July 9, 2024
Patent Number: 12033325
A method for image segmentation comprises receiving volumetric image data for an anatomical region and generating a first volumetric patch from the volumetric image data. The method also comprises generating a second volumetric patch from the first volumetric patch by weighting at least one of a plurality of volumetric units in the first volumetric patch and receiving the second volumetric patch as an input to a convolutional neural network. The weighting that at least one of the…

Software center and highly configurable robotic systems for surgery and other uses

Granted: July 9, 2024
Patent Number: 12029513
Telerobotic, telesurgical, and/or surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods employ surgical robotic linkages that may have more degrees of freedom than an associated surgical end effector in space. A processor can calculate a tool motion that includes pivoting of the tool about an aperture site. Linkages movable along a range of configurations for a given end effector position may be driven toward configurations which inhibit collisions. Refined robotic linkages and methods for…

Increased usable instrument life in telesurgical systems

Granted: July 9, 2024
Patent Number: 12029512
A telesurgical system may comprise a teleoperated manipulator and a control system to execute instructions to perform operations. The operations may comprise determining a remaining usable life value of a surgical instrument. The surgical instrument may comprise a distal end component and an actuation component coupled to move the distal end component when driven by the teleoperated manipulator. The operations may also comprise monitoring an amount of use of the actuation component…

Surgical instruments having a jaw locking mechanism

Granted: July 9, 2024
Patent Number: 12029473
A surgical instrument having a jaw lock includes first jaw and second jaws that are moveable from an open position to a closed position. At least one of the jaws includes a jaw slot having a jaw closing portion and a jaw locking portion. A pin positioned within the jaw slot is advanced by a blade. The blade includes a cutting edge and a notch defining a first edge configured to advance the pin to move the jaws to, and secure the jaws in, the closed position.

Endoscopic purse string suture surgical device

Granted: July 9, 2024
Patent Number: 12029426
A surgical stapler for applying a suture to tissue includes a first jaw and a second jaw configured to receive a cartridge. An actuation mechanism translates a drive member distally through the first and second jaws to apply staples to tissue such that a suture, in combination with the staples, forms a purse string when the stapler activated. The cartridge includes a first upper portion and a second lower portion.

Systems and methods for dynamic trajectory control

Granted: July 2, 2024
Patent Number: 12023066
A non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, are adapted to cause the one or more processors to: receive a command to initiate a medical procedure at a target location with a medical instrument; retrieve a predefined dynamic trajectory for the medical procedure; move the medical instrument according to the predefined dynamic trajectory to perform the medical procedure at the target location; detect a force received at a…

Surgical instrument sterile adapter with optical coupler

Granted: July 2, 2024
Patent Number: 12023118
A connector system is provided to connect a carriage that includes a rotatable drive member to a surgical instrument that includes a driven member, comprising. a mechanical interface that includes a drive transmission member configured to receive a rotational drive force provided by the drive member at the internal surface region and to provide a corresponding rotational drive force to the driven member at the external surface region; and a support to mount an end portion of an optical…

Passive preload and capstan drive for surgical instruments

Granted: July 2, 2024
Patent Number: 12023114
An instrument system includes a flexible shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion, a backend mechanism coupled to the proximal portion of the flexible shaft, and a plurality of tendons. The backend mechanism includes a plurality of capstans. Each capstan engages a respective drive motor that rotates to cause rotation of the capstan. A first capstan of the plurality of capstans is engageable with a first respective drive motor while a second capstan of the plurality of…