Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Perkin-elmer Corp., Applied Biosystems Division

Thomas Brennan-Marquez

Daniel H Gomez

Anthony K McGrogan

Arjang M Hourtash

Robert E Holop

Probal Mitra

Jeffrey R Roeder

John S Shigeura

George Stefan Golda

John A Bridgham

Norman M Whiteley

Louis B Hoff

Paul E Mayrand

Lincoln J McBride

William J Mordan

Douglas H Keith

Melvyn N Kronick

Michael L Metzker

Eric Lachenmeier

Marianne Hane

Harry A Guiremand

G Richard Cathcart

Chen-Hanson Ting

A computer-assisted system includes an instrument manipulator assembly including a preload assembly and a motor, an insertion assembly configured to control a position of the instrument manipulator assembly, and a motor controller coupled to the preload assembly. The motor controller is configured to actuate the preload assembly to control an amount of preload applied by the preload assembly to the motor and actuate the preload assembly to apply a low preload in response to detecting that a sterile adapter is mounted to the instrument manipulator assembly.

Controller controlled instrument preload mechanism

A computer-assisted teleoperated system includes a pre-load assembly in an instrument manipulator that is under the control of a controller. The controller can automatically cause the preload assembly to engage and disengage a preload. A surgical apparatus includes an instrument manipulator assembly and a sterile adapter assembly. The sterile adapter assembly is mounted in the distal face of the instrument manipulator assembly. When the preload assembly configures the instrument manipulator assembly to apply a preload force on the sterile adapter assembly, the sterile adapter assembly is removable from the distal face of the instrument manipulator. The sterile adapter assembly includes a mechanical sterile adapter assembly removal lockout and a mechanical instrument removal lockout.

A liquid-handling instrument has a worksurface with registration for modular stations to support containers of liquid, pipette apparatus with a pipette tip coupled to a sensing circuit, a robotic translation system for moving the pipette tip, and a control system with an iconic user interface for programming and editing. A gauge block registered on the worksurface provides for calibration using the sensing tip, and register cavities on the worksurface provide for modular stations. There is a wash station fop the pipette tip on the worksurface. An automated laboratory based on the liquid-handling system has heating and cooling and a sealable incubation station as well as a magnetic separation station. Methods are disclosed using the apparatus to convey droplets of liquid, to aspirate with minimum tip contamination, to mix liquids in containers, and to validate the worksurface. A duck-billed closure is disclosed for minimizing evaporation and cross-contamination during processing, and is a part of a container disclosed for storing and transporting liquids.

Automated molecular biology laboratory

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Thomas Brennan-Marquez