Intuitive Surgical Patent Grants

Connector assembly for a surgical instrument

Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number: D989299

Systems and methods for detecting environmental forces on an elongate device

Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number: 11672412
A medical device includes a flexible elongate instrument, an actuator for inserting and retracting the instrument, and a control unit configured to determine at least one of a force being exerted by the actuator or an amount of force applied at a proximal end of the instrument. The control unit is configured to determine a force exerted by the instrument on tissue of a patient based on a shape of the instrument and at least one of the force exerted by the actuator or the force applied at…

Methods and system for performing 3-D tool tracking by fusion of sensor and/or camera derived data during minimally invasive robotic surgery

Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number: 11672606
Methods and system perform tool tracking during minimally invasive robotic surgery. Tool states are determined using triangulation techniques or a Bayesian filter from either or both non-endoscopically derived and endoscopically derived tool state information, or from either or both non-visually derived and visually derived tool state information. The non-endoscopically derived tool state information is derived from sensor data provided either by sensors associated with a mechanism for…

Secondary instrument control in a computer-assisted teleoperated system

Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number: 11672616
Systems and methods for a teleoperational system and control thereof are provided. An exemplary system includes a first manipulator configured to support an instrument moveable within an instrument workspace, the instrument having an instrument frame of reference, and includes an operator input device configured to receive movement commands from an operator. The system further includes a control system to implement the movement commands by comparing an orientation of the instrument with…

System and method for integrated surgical table motion

Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number: 11672618
A computer-assisted device includes a first articulated arm and a control unit coupled to the first articulated arm. The first articulated arm is configured to support an end effector. The control unit is configured to determine a virtual coordinate frame, the virtual coordinate frame being of an imaging device for capturing images of a workspace of the end effector, and the virtual coordinate frame being detached from an actual imaging coordinate frame of the imaging device; receive,…

Ratcheting for master alignment of a teleoperated minimally-invasive surgical instrument

Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number: 11672619
A teleoperated system includes a master grip and a ratcheting system coupled to the master grip. The ratcheting system is configured to align the master grip with a slave instrument commanded by the master grip by determining grip rotation values describing an orientation of the master grip, determining instrument rotation values describing an orientation of the instrument, determining an orientation error between an orientation of the master grip and the orientation of the instrument…

Light displays in a medical device

Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number: 11672621
An example medical device may include a first component including an interface, a light feature surrounding at least part of the interface, and a controller coupled to the light feature and including a memory in which are stored instructions for the controller causing a first illumination state of the light a feature corresponding to a first state of the interface, and the controller causing a second illumination state of the Sight feature corresponding to a second state of the…

Method and system for enhanced image sensor timing

Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number: 11671581
A stereoscopic image capture device includes a first image sensor, a second image sensor, a first frame timer, and a second frame timer. The first and second frame timers are different frame timers. The first image sensor includes a first plurality of rows of pixels. The second image sensor includes a second plurality of rows of pixels. The first and second image sensors can be separate devices or different areas of a sensor region in an integrated circuit. The first frame timer is…

System and method for an articulated arm based tool guide

Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number: 11666413
A tool guide may be used with a computer-assisted medical device. The tool guide comprises an elongated body comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The tool guide also comprises a joint attached to the first end of the elongated body and a mounting arm coupled to the elongated body via the joint. The tool guide also comprises a tool sleeve attached to the second end of the elongated body. The mounting arm is configured to be attached to a first articulated arm of…

End effector force feedback to master controller

Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number: 11666402
A teleoperated surgical system is provided that includes a surgical instrument that includes an end effector mounted for rotation about a slave pivot axis; a master control input includes a mount member, first and second master grip rotatably secured at the mount member for rotation about a master pivot axis; sensor to produce a sensor signal indicative of a slave grip counter-force about the slave pivot axis; one or more motors to impart a shear force to the mount member, perpendicular…

Automated structure with pre-established arm positions in a teleoperated medical system

Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number: 11666400
A teleoperational medical system for performing a medical procedure in a surgical field includes a teleoperational assembly having a plurality of motorized surgical arms configured to assist in a surgical procedure. It also includes an input device configured to receive an input to move all the arms of the plurality of motorized surgical arms to a pre-established position. A processing system is configured to receive the input form the input device and output control signals to each arm…

Flexible medical instrument

Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number: 11666398
A system comprises a flexible instrument, a first user input device spaced from the flexible instrument, and a second user input device including a first state and a second state. The system further comprises a control system configured to, based on an input received from the first user input device, control an orientation of the flexible instrument. The control system is further configured to, based on an input received from the second user input device, adjust a stiffness of the…

Systems and methods for robotic medical system integration with external imaging

Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number: 11666397
A medical system comprises a memory for receiving intraoperative external image data for at least a portion of a patient anatomy. The memory further receives intraoperative pose data for a medical instrument of the medical system. The medical system further comprises a processor configured for generating a first model of the patient anatomy. The processor is further configured for, based on the intraoperative external image data, intraoperatively generating an updated model of the…

Medical instrument with jaw with friction-coupled drive cable

Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number: 11666374
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…

Systems and methods for reducing measurement error using optical fiber shape sensors

Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number: 11666243
An apparatus includes an instrument that comprises an elongated, flexible body including an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface is shaped to define a lumen extending through at least a portion of the elongated, flexible body. The instrument further comprises a plurality of portions extending along a length of the elongated, flexible body. The apparatus further comprises a radiopaque material incorporated into a first portion of the plurality of portions and a…

Minimally invasive surgical system

Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number: 11666204
A patient-side support system includes a base, a platform movably coupled to the base, manipulator assemblies coupled to the platform, instruments, each of the instruments being coupled to a different one of the manipulator assemblies, each of the instruments including a body and a shaft extending from the body, and a guide tube common to the instruments. A first part of the shaft of each individual one of the instruments extends distally from the guide tube to the body. a second part of…

User-installable part installation detection techniques

Granted: May 30, 2023
Patent Number: 11662270
Techniques are described for testing whether an end effector, or component thereof, is correctly or incorrectly installed to a manipulation system. In an example, a manipulation system can include a manipulator arm configured to receive an end effector having a first moveable jaw, a transducer configured to provide first effort information of the end effector as the end effector moves, and a processor configured to provide a command signal to effect a first test move of the first…

System and method for breakaway clutching in an articulated arm

Granted: May 30, 2023
Patent Number: 11660154
A system and method of breakaway clutching in a device includes an arm including a first joint and a control unit coupled to the arm. The control unit includes one or more processors. The control unit switches the first joint from a first state of the first joint to a second state of the first joint in response to an external stimulus applied to the arm exceeding a first threshold, wherein movement of the first joint is more restricted in the first state of the first joint than in the…

Robotic surgical system with patient support

Granted: May 30, 2023
Patent Number: 11660151
A robotic surgery system for supporting a patient and a robotic surgical manipulator. The robotic surgery system includes a base, a pillar coupled to the base at a first end and extending vertically upwardly to an opposing second end, and an attachment structure coupled to the second end of the pillar. A patient table is coupled to the attachment structure. A robot support arm has a first end coupled to the attachment structure. The robot support arm extends vertically upwardly from the…

Minimally invasive surgical system

Granted: May 30, 2023
Patent Number: 11659978
A surgical system comprises a manipulator arm, configured to secure to a base, and an actuator assembly. The actuator assembly includes an instrument mounting bracket and a plurality of actuator disks supported on a first end of the instrument mounting bracket. The surgical system also includes a surgical instrument including a plurality of interface disks supported on a face of the surgical instrument. The plurality of interface disks is configured to mate with the plurality of actuator…