The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 06, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 17, 1999
David L. Brock, Natick, MA (US);
Woojin Lee, Cambridge, MA (US);
Brock Rogers Surgical, Inc., Waltham, MA (US);
Abstract
An articulated apparatus is disclosed including a plurality of link members each in communication with and rotatably moveable with respect to at least one other adjacent link member about an associated joint between the adjacent link members. The plurality of link members include a first link member that extends in a first direction and is associated with a first joint having an axis of rotation in a second direction that is different than the first direction, and a second link member that extends in a third direction and is associated with a second joint having an axis of rotation in a fourth direction that is substantially coplanar with the third direction. The apparatus also includes a base portion including a drive assembly for controlling the movement of each of the link members with respect to other link members about the joints via tendons that control the rotational movement of the link members about the joints responsive to the drive assembly. At least some of the tendons extend through at least some of the joints including the first and second joints such that the movement of the link members about the joints through which the tendons extend, does not cause significant attendant movement of the tendons extending through the joints.