Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Gregory F Richmond

Gary S Guthart

A computer-assisted surgical system comprises a master grip input mechanism, a surgical instrument comprising an end effector configured to apply a gripping force, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a first input signal in response to grip input at the master grip input mechanism. The controller is further configured to receive a second input signal after receiving the first input signal, wherein the second input signal is received in response to a procedure input at a master input device, with the procedure input being different from the grip input at the master grip input mechanism and further being indicative of a user's readiness to operate the surgical instrument to perform a first surgical procedure. The controller is further configured to, in response to receiving the first input signal and the second input signal, cause one or more degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument to be placed in a locked state.

Grip force control for robotic surgical instrument end effector

A method of controlling an end effector of a robotically-controlled surgical instrument may include receiving a first input signal indicative of a high grip level input at a master grip input mechanism that controls a slave gripping force of the end effector; receiving a second input signal indicative of a user's readiness to operate the surgical instrument to perform a first surgical procedure; and outputting a locking signal in response to receiving the first input signal and the second input signal together to lock one or more degrees of freedom of the surgical instrument during the first surgical procedure.

Methods of controlling a gripping force of an end effector of a robotically-controlled surgical instrument are provided. The method includes receiving a first input signal indicative of a high grip level input at a master gripping mechanism that controls a slave gripping force of the end effector; receiving a second input signal indicative of a user's readiness to operate the surgical instrument to perform a surgical procedure; and outputting an actuation signal in response to receiving the first input signal and the second input signal together to increase the slave gripping force from a first level to a second level higher than the first level during the surgical procedure.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Gregory F Richmond