INSTRUMENT ARTICULATION

• US 20160346939A1
• Filed: 01/08/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CMR Surgical Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Medical Robotics Limited
• Inventors: HARES, Luke David Ronald, RANDLE, Steven James
• Granted Patent: US 10,456,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0275 Universal joints, e.g. Hooke, Cardan, ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0283 Three-dimensional joints

Abstract

A robotic instrument comprising an arm extending between a robot arm connection and an attachment for an end effector, the arm comprising: a first arm part; a second arm part distal of the first arm part; and a joint whereby the first and second arm parts are coupled together, the joint permitting the first and second arm parts to rotate relative to each other about at least two mutually offset axes; a control rod attached to the second part of the arm at a location spaced from the first and second axes, the control rod extending distally of that location along the first arm part; and a drive mechanism for driving the control rod to move relative to the first arm part and thereby alter the attitude of the second arm part relative to the first arm part.

Claims

1. A robotic instrument comprising an arm extending between a robot arm connection and an attachment for an end effector, the arm comprising:

a first arm part;

a second arm part distal of the first arm part; and

a joint whereby the first and second arm parts are coupled together, the joint permitting the first and second arm parts to rotate relative to each other about at least two mutually offset axes;

a control rod attached to the second part of the arm at a location spaced from the first and second axes, the control rod extending distally of that location along the first arm part; and

a drive mechanism for driving the control rod to move relative to the first arm part and thereby alter the attitude of the second arm part relative to the first arm part.

2. A robotic instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joint is a wrist joint of the robot.

3. A robotic instrument as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the robot arm is a surgical robot arm.

4. A robotic instrument as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second arm part is an attachment for an end effector.

5. A robotic instrument as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a mechanism arranged between the first arm part and the control rod for resisting rotation of the control rod about axes transverse to the first arm part.

6. A robotic instrument as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first arm part is defined by a structural tube and the control rod runs inside that tube.

7. A robotic instrument as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the joint is a spherical joint.

8. A robotic instrument as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the joint is a universal joint.

9. A robot as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the joint mechanically slaves the first arm part to the second arm part such that the second art part moves relative to the first arm part on driving the control rod by the drive mechanism.

10. A robotic instrument comprising an arm extending between a robot arm connection and an attachment for an end effector, the arm comprising:

a first arm part;

a second arm part distal of the first arm part; and

an articulation whereby the first and second arm parts are coupled together, the articulation comprising;

an intermediate coupling having a housing and an articulation mechanism borne by the housing, the housing being attached to the first arm part by a joint permitting the housing and the first arm part to rotate relative to each other about at least two mutually offset axes, and the articulation mechanism comprising;

a first coupler having rotational freedom relative to the housing, a second coupler having rotational freedom relative to the housing and a connector extending between the first and second couplers so that rotation of the first coupler relative to the housing can cause rotation of the second coupler relative to the housing; and

a control rod connected to the first coupler and extending distally of the first coupler along the first arm part;

the second arm part being connected to the second coupler.

11. A robotic instrument as claimed in claim 10, wherein the intermediate coupling comprises means for resisting rotation of the connector about axes transverse to the axis between the locations where the connector is connected to the couplers.

12. A robotic instrument as claimed in claim 11, wherein the said means comprises a guide piece extending transverse to the connector and a guideway fast with the housing in which the guidepiece can run.

13. A robotic instrument as claimed in claim 11, wherein the said means comprises a pair of arms that are hinged relative to each other, one of the arms further being hinged relative to the housing and the other of the arms being coupled to the connector.

14. A robotic instrument as claimed in claim 13, wherein the said other of the arms has a cylindrical opening through which the connector can slide.

15. A robotic instrument as claimed in any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the articulation is a wrist joint of the robotic instrument.

16. A robotic instrument as claimed in any of claims 10 to 15, wherein the robot arm is a surgical robot arm.

17. A robotic instrument as claimed in any of claims 10 to 16, wherein the second arm part is an attachment for an end effector.

18. A robotic instrument as claimed in any of claims 10 to 17, wherein the control rod is coupled to the first arm part via a spherical joint.

19. A robotic instrument as claimed in any of claims 10 to 17, wherein the control rod is coupled to the first arm part via a universal joint.

20. A robotic instrument as claimed in any of claims 10 to 19, wherein the first arm part is defined by a structural tube and the control rod runs inside that tube.

21. A constant velocity joint comprising:

a housing;

a first coupler having rotational freedom relative to the housing;

a second coupler having rotational freedom relative to the housing;

a connector extending between the first and second couplers so that rotation of the first coupler relative to the housing can cause rotation of the second coupler relative to the housing; and

a mechanism resisting rotation of the connector about axes transverse to the axis between the locations where the connector is connected to the couplers, the mechanism comprising a pair of arms that are hinged relative to each other, one of the arms further being hinged relative to the housing and the other of the arms being coupled to the connector.

22. A robotic instrument comprising an arm extending between a robot arm connection and an attachment for an end effector, the arm comprising:

a first arm part;

a second arm part distal of the first arm part; and

an articulation whereby the first and second arm parts are coupled together, the articulation comprising a pair of joints arranged in series, the pair of joints permitting the first arm part and the second arm part to rotate relative to each other about at least two mutually offset axes, wherein the pair of joints are electronically slaved such that articulation of one of the pair of joints about a first one of the mutually offset axes is mirrored by articulation of the other of the pair of joints about a second one of the mutually offset axes parallel to the first mutually offset axis.

23. A surgical robot instrument, robotic instrument or articulation substantially as herein described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.