Sri International

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Other

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

John W Hill

Joel Frederic Jensen

Daniel T Wallace

David Joseph Rosa

Christopher Allen Julian

John G Freund

Dean F Hoornaert

Frederic H Moll

Frederick H Moll

Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site. The accessory introducer can be resiliently biased to bias the accessories toward a predetermined position in the surgical site.

In vivo accessories for minimally invasive surgery

In vivo accessories for minimally invasive robotic surgery

Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. Examples of in vivo accessories include fastening accessories such as surgical clips for use with a clip applier, single working member accessories such as a blade which can be grasped and manipulated by a grasping tool for cutting, sheath accessories that fit over working members of a tool, flow tubes for providing suction or introducing a fluid into the surgical site, and a retraction member resiliently biased to retract a tissue to expose an area in the surgical site for treatment. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site. The accessory introducer can be resiliently biased to bias the accessories toward a predetermined position in the surgical site.

The present invention provides a method of performing an endoscopic surgical procedure on a target site within a body cavity of a patient. In one embodiment, the method comprises operatively coupling moveable actuator pins of a surgical instrument with a driver of a robotic arm to releasably couple the surgical instrument to the robotic arm. A distal portion of said surgical instrument is introduced through a percutaneous penetration into the body cavity within the patient. The surgical instrument can be pivoted about the percutaneous penetration by moving a proximal portion of said instrument outside the body cavity with a plurality of degrees of freedom of movement using the robotic arm.

Surgical manipulator for a telerobotic system

The invention is directed to a system and method for releasably holding a surgical instrument ( ), such as an endoscopic instrument configured for delivery through a small percutaneous penetration in a patient. The instrument comprises an elongate shaft ( ) with a pair of mounting pins ( ) laterally extending from the shaft between its proximal and distal ends. An instrument holder comprises a support having a central bore ( ) and an axially extending slot ( ) for receiving the instrument shaft and the mounting pins. A pair of locking slots ( ) are cut into the support transversely to and in communication with the axial slot so that the mounting pins can be rotated within the locking slots. The instrument support further includes a latch assembly for automatically locking the mounting pins within the locking slots to releasably couple the instrument to the instrument holder. With this twist-lock motion, the surgeon can rapidly engage and disengage various instruments from the holder during a surgical procedure, such as open surgery, laparoscopy or thoracoscopy.

System and method for releasably holding a surgical instrument

The invention is directed to manipulator assembly ( ) for holding and manipulating a surgical instrument ( ) in a telerobotic system. The assembly comprises a base ( ) by fixable by means of passive or power driven positioning devices to a surface, such as an operating table, and an instrument holder ( ) movably mounted on the base. The instrument holder comprises a chassis ( ) and an instrument support ( ) movably mounted on the body and having an interface engageable with the surgical instrument to releasably mount the instrument to the instrument holder. A drive assembly ( ) is operatively coupled to the instrument holder for providing the instrument with at least two degrees of freedom. The instrument holder is separable from the base and the drive assembly so that the holder can be sterilized. The assembly further includes a force sensing element ( ) mounted distal to the holder and the drive assembly for detecting forces exerted on the surgical instrument and providing feedback to the surgeon. The assembly is attached to a remote center positioner ( ) for constraining the instrument to rotate about a point coincident with the entry incision and an inclinometer ( ) for preventing gravitational forces acting on the system's mechanisms from being felt by the surgeon.

Accessories for minimally invasive robotic surgery and methods

The invention is directed to a system and method for releasably holding a surgical instrument (14), such as an endoscopic instrument configured for delivery through a small percutaneous penetration in a patient. The instrument comprises an elongate shaft (100) with a pair of mounting pins (116) laterally extending from the shaft between its proximal and distal ends. An instrument holder comprises a support having a central bore (202) and an axially extending slot (204) for receiving the instrument shaft and the mounting pins. A pair of locking slots (206) are cut into the support transversely to and in communication with the axial slot so that the mounting pins can be rotated within the locking slots. The instrument support further includes a latch assembly for automatically locking the mounting pins within the locking slots to releasably couple the instrument to the instrument holder. With this twist-lock motion, the surgeon can rapidly engage and disengage various instruments from the holder during a surgical procedure, such as open surgery, laparoscopy or thoracoscopy.

The invention is directed to manipulator assembly (2) for holding and manipulating a surgical instrument (14) in a telerobotic system. The assembly comprises a base (6) by fixable by means of passive or power driven positioning devices to a surface, such as an operating table, and an instrument holder (4) movably mounted on the base. The instrument holder comprises a chassis (6) and an instrument support (70) movably mounted on the body and having an interface engageable with the surgical instrument to releasably mount the instrument to the instrument holder. A drive assembly (7) is operatively coupled to the instrument holder for providing the instrument with at least two degrees of freedom. The instrument holder is separable from the base and the drive assembly so that the holder can be sterilized. The assembly further includes a force sensing element (52) mounted distal to the holder and the drive assembly for detecting forces exerted on the surgical instrument and providing feedback to the surgeon. The assembly is attached to a remote center positioner (300) for constraining the instrument to rotate about a point coincident with the entry incision and an inclinometer (350) for preventing gravitational forces acting on the system's mechanisms from being felt by the surgeon.

The invention is directed to manipulator assembly (2) for holding and manipulating a surgical instrument (14) in a telerobotic system. The assembly comprises a base (6) fixable by passive or power driven positioning devices to a surface, such as an operating table, and an instrument holder (4) movably mounted on the base. The instrument holder comprises a chassis (6) and an instrument support (70) movably mounted on the body and having an interface engageable with the surgical instrument to releasably mount the instrument to the instrument holder. A drive assembly (7) is operatively coupled to the instrument holder for providing the instrument with at least two degrees of freedom. The instrument holder is separable from the base and the drive assembly so that the holder can be sterilized. The assembly further includes a force sensing element (52) mounted distal to the holder and the drive assembly for detecting forces exerted on the surgical instrument and providing feedback to the surgeon. The assembly is attached to a remote center positioner (300) for constraining the instrument to rotate about a point coincident with the entry incision and an inclinometer (350) for preventing gravitational forces acting on the system's mechanisms from being felt by the surgeon.

A long horizontal tubular housing for a garage door operating screw is provided in its bottom with a slot extending lengthwise of the housing. Inside the housing there is a metal tube that is several feet long and that can be rotated by reversible means at one end of the housing. Wound helically around the tube and welded to it is a wire that forms a screw thread that is spaced from the surrounding tube and is encircled by a traveling nut for movement lengthwise of the housing when the tube is rotated. The nut is connected to means extending down through the slot for connection to a garage door to open or close the door. Since the space between the screw thread and the surrounding housing is empty except for the nut, the wire-wound portion of the tube is unsupported between the nut and the bearings for the tube. However, due to the light weight of the screw, it can be driven at least as fast as conventional door-opening screws without bending.

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Nevada City, CA, United States of America

John W Hill