RETROGRADE INSTRUMENT

• US 20080065110A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Shafer, David, Schena, Bruce, Duval, Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 8,062,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• 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

A minimally invasive surgical instrument includes a U-turn mechanism that transmits actuating forces around a U-turn. The U-turn mechanism is coupled between segments of the instrument and has a bend radius that is smaller than flexible arms having a similar cross section diameter. The actuating forces transmitted by the U-turn mechanism are used to move distal components of the instrument, such as an end effector and a wrist mechanism.

Claims

1. A minimally invasive surgical system comprising:

a guide tube; and

a surgical instrument that extends through the guide tube, wherein the surgical instrument comprises;

an end effector coupled to a distal end of the surgical instrument; and

a U-turn mechanism that is positioned beyond a distal end of the guide tube, wherein the U-turn mechanism is dedicated to transmitting an actuating force through a retrograde angle to the end effector.

2. The system of claim 1:

wherein the guide tube comprises a bore and a slot;

wherein a proximal body segment of the surgical instrument extends through the bore;

wherein the bore receives a first part of the U-turn mechanism as the surgical instrument is inserted through the guide tube; and

wherein the slot receives a second part of the U-turn mechanism as the surgical instrument is inserted through the guide tube.

3. The system of claim 1:

wherein the guide tube comprises a first bore, a second bore, and a slot that connects the first bore and the second bore;

wherein the first bore receives a proximal body segment of the surgical instrument as the surgical instrument is inserted through the guide tube;

wherein the second bore receives a distal body segment of the surgical instrument as the surgical instrument is inserted through the guide tube; and

wherein the U-turn mechanism passes through the slot as the surgical instrument is inserted through the guide tube.

4. The system of claim 3:

wherein the second bore receives a second surgical instrument after the U-turn mechanism has passed through the guide tube.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a stereoscopic imaging system;

wherein a field of view of the imaging system is oriented generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the guide tube.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a stereoscopic imaging system;

wherein a field of view of the imaging system is oriented in retrograde.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a stereoscopic imaging system;

wherein the imaging system extends through the guide tube.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a stereoscopic imaging system;

wherein a field of view of the imaging system is movable as the guide tube remains stationary.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a stereoscopic imaging system that extends through the guide tube; and

a plurality of telemanipulation actuators that move an image capture component at a distal end of the imaging system.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a stereoscopic imaging system;

wherein the imaging system comprises a flexible segment that moves to orient a field of view of the imaging system.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of telemanipulation actuators that move the end effector with six nonredundant degrees of freedom in Cartesian space;

wherein the six degrees of freedom of the end effector are independent of degrees of freedom of the guide tube.

12. The system of claim 1:

wherein the surgical instrument is a first surgical instrument;

the system further comprising;

a second surgical instrument that extends through the guide tube, wherein the second surgical instrument comprises

an end effector coupled to a distal end of the second surgical instrument;

wherein during surgery the end effector of the first surgical instrument is oriented in retrograde with reference to a longitudinal axis of the guide tube and the end effector of the second surgical instrument is oriented in anterograde with reference to the longitudinal axis of the guide tube.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a first plurality of telemanipulation actuators that move the end effector of the first surgical instrument with six nonredundant degrees of freedom in Cartesian space; and

a second plurality of telemanipulation actuators that move the end effector of the second surgical instrument with six nonredundant degrees of freedom in Cartesian space;

wherein first and the second surgical instruments move independently of each other; and

wherein the six degrees of freedom of the end effectors are independent of degrees of freedom of the guide tube.

14. A method comprising:

extending a surgical instrument through a guide tube; and

transmitting an actuating force through a U-turn mechanism that is dedicated to transmitting the actuating force through a retrograde angle to an end effector of the surgical instrument.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

orienting a field of view of a stereoscopic imaging system to be generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the guide tube.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

placing the end effector of the surgical instrument in a field of view of a stereoscopic imaging system by orienting the field of view to be in retrograde.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

extending a stereoscopic imaging system through the guide tube; and

positioning the imaging system such that the end effector is in a field of view of the imaging system.

18. The method of claim 17:

wherein positioning the imaging system comprises moving a flexible segment of the imaging system.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

actuating the surgical instrument to move the component with six nonredundant degrees of freedom in Cartesian space;

wherein the six degrees of freedom of the component are independent of degrees of freedom of the guide tube.

20. A method comprising:

inserting a surgical instrument through a guide tube, wherein the surgical instrument comprises a proximal body segment and a U-turn mechanism, wherein the guide tube comprises a channel, and wherein the channel comprises a bore and a slot;

wherein during the inserting a proximal body segment and a first portion of the U-turn mechanism pass through the bore and a second portion of the U-turn mechanism passes through the slot.

21. The method of claim 20:

wherein during the inserting a distal body segment of the surgical instrument passes through a second bore defined in the channel.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

inserting a second surgical instrument through a second bore in the channel after the U-turn mechanism has passed through the guide tube.