Minimally invasive surgical system

• US 10,398,520 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Larkin, David Q., Cooper, Thomas G., Mohr, Catherine J., Rosa, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henderson, Ryan N
• Application Number:
  US15/963,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20180242824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00087 Tools A61B17/00234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00149 using articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00154 using guiding arrangements for insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0016 using motor drive units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00165 with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics A61B1/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/002 having rod-lens arrangements A61B1/055 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00225 Systems for controlling multiple different instruments, e.g. microsurgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00314 Separate linked members
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00318 Steering mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00323 Cables or rods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0034 adapted to be inserted through a working channel of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 : Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3447 : Linked multiple cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2061 : using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 : for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 : Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/306 : Wrists with multiple vertebrae
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/062 : penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 : Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/32 : operating autonomously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 : Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 : Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 : Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/72 : Micromanipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 : using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 : in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/10 : for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 : relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

The distal end of a surgical instrument is movable in all six Cartesian degrees of freedom independently of other components of a telemanipulated surgical system. The surgical instrument extends through a guide tube. The distal end is moved by actuators that are telemanipulatively controlled.

Claims

1. A patient side support system comprising:

a base;

a first link coupled to the base at a first rotational joint, the first rotational joint having a rotational axis around which the first rotational joint rotates;

a platform supported by the first link, the platform having a roll axis around which the platform rotates;

a plurality of manipulator assemblies coupled to the platform;

a plurality of instruments, each of the plurality of instruments being coupled to a different one of the plurality of manipulator assemblies, each of the plurality of instruments including a body and a shaft, the shaft extending from the body; and

a rigid guide tube common to the plurality of instruments;

wherein a first part of the shaft of each individual one of the plurality of instruments extends between the body and the rigid guide tube, and a second part of the shaft of each individual one of the plurality of instruments extends through the rigid guide tube;

wherein the rigid guide tube is positioned so that a remote center of motion point of the platform is located on the rigid guide tube, the remote center of motion point being adjacent a location at which the rigid guide tube is configured to enter a patient;

wherein the rotational axis of the first rotational joint is vertically aligned with and extends through the remote center of motion point;

wherein the roll axis of the platform is aligned with and extends through the remote center of motion point; and

wherein the first part of the shaft of one or more of the plurality of instruments being resiliently bent between the body of the one of the plurality of instruments and the rigid guide tube.

2. The patient side support system of claim 1, one of the plurality of instruments further comprising a parallel motion mechanism and an end component;

the parallel motion mechanism comprising;

a first joint connected to a distal end of the second part of the shaft of the one of the plurality of instruments,

an elongate rigid body segment connected to the first joint, and

a second joint connected to the elongate rigid body segment and coupled to the end component,

wherein the first and second joints are coupled by cables, and

wherein moving the parallel motion mechanism heaves and sways the end component with reference to a longitudinal axis of the second part of the shaft of the one of the plurality of instruments without changing pitch and yaw of the end component.

3. The patient side support system of claim 2, wherein the end component comprises an end effector.

4. The patient side support system of claim 2, wherein the end component comprises an image capture component.

5. The patient side support system of claim 2, the one of the plurality of instruments further comprising a wrist mechanism mounted between the parallel motion mechanism and the end component.

6. The patient side support system of claim 2, another one of the plurality of instruments further comprising an image capture unit coupled to a distal end of the second part of the shaft of the another one of the plurality of instruments.

7. The patient side support system of claim 2, another one of the plurality of instruments further comprising a second parallel motion mechanism and a second end component;

the second parallel motion mechanism comprising;

a third joint connected to a distal end of the second part of the shaft of the another one of the plurality of instruments,

a second elongate rigid body segment connected to the third joint, and

a fourth joint connected to the second elongate rigid body segment and coupled to the second end component,

wherein the third and fourth joints are coupled by cables, and

wherein moving the second parallel motion mechanism heaves and sways the second end component with reference to a longitudinal axis of the second part of the shaft of the another one of the plurality of instruments without changing pitch and yaw of the second end component.

8. The patient side support system of claim 7, the rigid guide tube further comprising a distal end, a third parallel motion mechanism, and an image capture component,

the third parallel motion mechanism comprising:

a fifth joint connected to the distal end of the rigid guide tube,

a third elongate rigid body segment connected to the fifth joint, and

a sixth joint connected to the third elongate rigid body segment and coupled to the image capture component,

wherein the fifth and sixth joints are coupled by cables, and

wherein moving the parallel motion mechanism heaves and sways the image capture component with reference to a longitudinal axis of the rigid guide tube without changing pitch and yaw of the image capture component.

9. The patient side support system of claim 7, another one of the plurality of instruments further comprising an image capture unit coupled to a distal end of the second part of the shaft of the another one of the plurality of instruments.

10. The patient side support system of claim 7, the rigid guide tube further comprising a distal end and an image capture component, the image capture component being mounted in the distal end of the rigid guide tube.

11. The patient side support system of claim 1, the rigid guide tube further comprising a distal end and an image capture component, the image capture component being mounted in the distal end of the rigid guide tube.

12. The patient side support system of claim 1, the rigid guide tube further comprising a distal end, a parallel motion mechanism, and an image capture component,

the parallel motion mechanism comprising:

a first joint connected to a distal end of the rigid guide tube,

an elongate rigid body segment connected to the first joint, and

a second joint connected to the elongate rigid body segment and coupled to the image capture component,

wherein the first and second joints are coupled by cables, and

wherein moving the parallel motion mechanism heaves and sways the image capture component with reference to a longitudinal axis of the rigid guide tube without changing pitch and yaw of the image capture component.

13. The patient side support system of claim 12, further comprising a wrist mechanism mounted between the parallel motion mechanism and the image capture component.

14. The patient side support system of claim 1, one of the plurality of instruments further comprising an image capture unit coupled to a distal end of the second part of the shaft of the one of the plurality of instruments.

15. The patient side support system of claim 1, one of the plurality of instruments further comprising an end effector coupled to a distal end of the second part of the shaft of the one of the plurality of instruments.