Apparatus with Two-Piece End-Effectors for Robotic Surgical Tools

• US 20110238064A1
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Williams, Matthew R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,492,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3201 Scissors for biopsy A61B10/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00836 corrosion-resistant A61B2017/00853 takes precedence; preventing galvanic or electrolytic corrosion in prostheses A61F2210/0009
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/146 Scissors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/715 Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/035 preventing further rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a robotic surgical tool having opposing jaws, the working element of the robotic surgical tool is made of a different material from the drive element of the robotic surgical tool. The two elements may be manufactured independently and assembled together at a later stage. The material comprising each element may thus have properties more appropriate to the function each element plays in the robotic surgical tool. For example, the metal selected to comprise the blade of a surgical scissor may be corrosion resistant and capable of being sharpened to a high degree.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument jaw comprising:

a first drive element;

a first working element;

wherein the first drive element comprises a first material selected for the operative conditions of the first drive element during surgery;

wherein the first working element comprises a second material different from the first material, the second material selected for the operative conditions of the first working element during surgery; and

wherein the first drive element is removably keyed to the first working element.

2. The surgical instrument jaw of claim 1, wherein

the first drive element comprises a cable drive hub, and

the first working element comprises a cutting blade of a scissors.

3. The surgical instrument jaw of claim 1, further comprising:

a second drive element; and

a second working element;

wherein the second drive element is removably keyed to the second working element;

wherein the second drive element and the second working element are pivotally coupled to the first drive element and the first working element; and

wherein the first and second drive elements comprise the first material selected for the operative conditions of the first and second drive elements during surgery,

26. The surgical instrument jaw of claim 3, wherein

each of the first and second drive elements comprise a cable drive hub, and

each of the first and second working elements comprise a cutting blade of a scissors.

27. The surgical instrument jaw of claim 26, wherein

the first working element and the second working element are each stamped from a metal blank to lower costs of manufacturing the cutting blades of the scissors.

28. The surgical instrument jaw of claim 3, wherein

the second working element comprises a third material, different from the

first and second materials, selected for the operative conditions of the second working element during surgery.

29. The surgical instrument jaw of claim 3, wherein

the first and second working elements comprise the second material

different from the first material, the second material selected for the

operative conditions of the first and second working elements during surgery.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a first drive element having a first pair of prongs to receive a crimp there-between and couple to a first drive cable to receive a first driving force, the first drive element further having a pivot hole and one or more first drive protrusions;

a first working element having one or more first drive holes to receive the one or more first drive protrusions to be removably keyed to the first drive element, the first working element further having a pivot hole aligned with the pivot hole of the first drive element;

a second working element having a pivot hole aligned with the pivot holes of the first drive element and the first working element, the second working element further having one or more second drive holes;

a second drive element having a pivot hole aligned with the pivot holes of the first drive element, the first working element, and the second working element, the second drive element further having one or more second drive protrusions coupled into the one or more second drive holes to be removably keyed to the second working element, the second drive element further having a second pair of prongs to receive a crimp there-between and couple to a second drive cable to receive a second driving force;

a housing having an opening to receive portions of the first drive element, the first working element, the second working element, and the second drive element, the housing further having a first hole and a second hole aligned with the pivot holes of the first drive element, the first working element, the second working element, and the second drive element; and

a pivot pin extending through the pivot holes to pivotally couple the first drive element, the first working element, the second working element, and the second drive element together within the opening of the housing, the pivot pin having a first end coupled to the housing in the first hole and a second end coupled to the housing in the second hole.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the first and second drive elements are made of a first material, and

the first and second working elements are made of a second material differing from the first material by having different properties.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein

the first and second working elements are made of a stainless steel material stamped from a metal blank.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the first working element further has a first cam channel with end stops, and a first stop protrusion;

the second working element further has a second stop protrusion inserted into the first cam channel and a second cam channel with end stops to receive the first stop protrusion; and

the first stop protrusion and the second strop protrusion to provide a mechanical stop at ends of the second and first cam channels respectively to provide limits of a pivotal angle between the first working element and the second working element; and

wherein the mechanical stops prevent the jaws from moving beyond a set range of motion.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a first washer between the housing and the first drive element to reduce rotational friction of the first drive element, the first washer having a pivot hole around the pivot pin and aligned with the pivot holes of the first drive element, the first working element, the second working element, the second drive element and the first and second holes of the housing; and

a second washer between the housing and the second drive element to reduce rotational friction of the second drive element, the second washer having a pivot hole around the pivot pin and aligned with the pivot holes of the first washer, the first drive element, the first working element, the second working element, the second drive element and the first and second holes of the housing; and

wherein the first washer and the second washer position at least a portion of the first working element and the second working element close together.

30. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the first working element is a first metal scissor blade with a first cutting portion;

and

the second working element is a second metal scissor blade with a second cutting portion to intersect with the first cutting portion of the first metal scissor blade.

31. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the first working element is electrically insulated from the second working element, the housing, and the pivot pin;

and

the first working element is energized with electrical energy to perform electro-surgical procedures.

9-14. -14. (canceled)

15. An apparatus comprising:

a first two-piece end effector pivotally coupled to a distal end of a shaft,

the first two-piece end-effector including

a first drive element to receive a first force, and

a first working element removably keyed to the first drive element,

wherein the first drive element is formed using a first process with a first material suitable to the task of receiving a force and translating it to the first working element, and

wherein the first working element is formed using a second process with a second material suitable to the task of performing work; and

a second two-piece end effector pivotally coupled to the distal end of the shaft,

the second two-piece end-effector including

a second drive element to receive a second force,

a second working element removably keyed to the second drive element,

wherein the second drive element is formed using the first process with the first material, and

wherein the second working element is formed using the second process with the second material.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein

the first two-piece end-effector is pivotally coupled to the distal end of the shaft with a pivot pin;

a first cable is coupled to the first drive element to control the pivoting of the first two-piece end-effector about the pivot pin;

the second two-piece end-effector is pivotally coupled to the distal end of the shaft with the pivot pin; and

a second cable is coupled to the second drive element to control the pivoting of the second two-piece end-effector about the pivot pin.

32. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein

the first two-piece end-effector is a first metal scissor blade with a first cutting portion, and

the second two-piece end-effector is a second metal scissor blade with a second cutting portion to intersect with the first cutting portion of the first metal scissor blade.

33. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein

the first two-piece end-effector is electrically insulated from the shaft and the second two-piece end-effector;

and

a portion of the first two-piece end-effector is energized with electrical energy to perform electro-surgical procedures.

34. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein

the first two-piece end-effector and the second two-piece end-effector are coupled to the distal end of the shaft so they are electrically insulated from the shaft and each other;

a portion of the first two-piece end-effector is energized with a first polarity of electrical energy to perform electro-surgical procedures; and

a portion of the second two-piece end-effector is energized with a second polarity of electrical energy opposite the first polarity to perform the electro-surgical procedures.

18-25. -25. (canceled)