Flexible wrist for surgical tool

• US 7,320,700 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Issued: 01/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Anderson, S. Christopher, Cooper, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VI X
• Application Number:
  US10/726,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 606/130, 606205-207, 606/210, 606/211, 606/288, 600101-102
• US Class Current: 606/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00142 with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00149 using articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0058 using shape-memory elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/008 Articulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets A61B18/00 takes precedence; contraceptive devices, pessaries, or applicators therefor A61F6/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/062 Needle manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/003 Steerable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00309 Cut-outs or slits
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2901 Details of shaft
• 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 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a tool having a wrist mechanism that provides pitch and yaw rotation in such a way that the tool has no singularity in roll, pitch, and yaw. In one embodiment, a minimally invasive surgical instrument comprises an elongate shaft having a working end, a proximal end, and a shaft axis between the working end and the proximal end; and an end effector. A wrist member has a flexible tube including an axis extending through an interior surrounded by a wall. The wall of the flexible tube includes a plurality of lumens oriented generally parallel to the axis of the flexible tube. The wrist member has a proximal portion connected to the working end of the elongate shaft and a distal portion connected to the end effector. A plurality of actuation cables have distal portions connected to the end effector and extend from the distal portion through the lumens of the wall of the wrist member toward the elongate shaft to proximal portions which are actuatable to bend the wrist member in pitch rotation and yaw rotation.

Claims

1. A minimally invasive surgical instrument comprising:

an elongate shaft having a working end, a proximal end, and a shaft axis between the working end and the proximal end;

an end effector;

a wrist member having a flexible tube and an inner spring, the flexible tube including a proximal portion connected to the working end of the elongate shaft and a distal portion connected to the end effector, the inner spring including a proximal portion connected to the workig end of the elongate shaft and a distal portion connected to the end efector, the inner spring being disposed inside an interior cavity of the flexible tube, the inner spring having an axis which is parallel to an axis of the flexible tube; and

a plurality of actuation cables having distal portions connected to the end effector and extending from the distal portion through the wrist member toward the elongate shaft to proximal portions which are actuatable to bend the flexible tube and the inner spring of the wrist member so as to allow pitch rotation and yaw rotation of the end effector;

wherein the inner spring is in the form of a wire wrap that is wrapped around the plurality of actuation cables in a coil spring fashion.

2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the flexible tube is in the form of a shrink tube covering the wire wrap.

3. The instrument of claim 2 wherein the wire wrap and the shrink tube keep the plurality of actuation cables at approximately fixed distances from each other.

4. The instrument of claim 2 wherein the shrink tube provides electrical isolation.