Surgical tool having positively positionable tendon-actuated multi-disk wrist joint
First Claim
1. A minimally invasive surgical instrument having an end effector, the end effector comprising:
- a grip support having a left pivot pin and a right pivot pin;
a left jaw rotatable around the left pivot pin of the grip support and a right jaw rotatable around the right pivot pin of the grip support, a left slider pin attached to the left jaw and spaced from the left pivot pin, a right slider pin attached to the right jaw and spaced from the right pivot pin, the left and right slider pins being solid structures;
a slotted member including a left slider pin slot in which the left slider pin is slidable to move the left jaw between an open position and a closed position, and a right slider pin slot in which the right slider pin is slidable to move the right jaw between an open position and a closed position; and
a slider pin actuator movable relative to the slotted member to cause the left slider pin to slide in the left slider pin slot and the right slider pin to slide in the right slider pin slot, to move the left jaw and the right jaw between the open position and the closed position.
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Accused Products
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. A positively positionable multi-disk wrist mechanism includes a plurality of disks or vertebrae stacked in series. Each vertebra is configured to rotate in pitch or in yaw with respect to each neighboring vertebra. Actuation cables are used to manipulate and control movement of the vertebrae. In specific embodiments, some of the cables are distal cables that extend from a proximal vertebra through one or more intermediate vertebrae to a distal vertebra, while the remaining cables are medial cables that extend from the proximal vertebra to one or more of the intermediate vertebrae. The cables are actuated by a pivoted plate cable actuator mechanism. In specific embodiments, the actuator mechanism includes a plurality of small radius holes or grooves for receiving the medial cables and a plurality of large radius holes or grooves for receiving the distal cables. The holes or grooves restrain the medial cables to a small radius of motion and the distal cables to a large radius of motion, so that the medial cables to the medial vertebra move only a fraction of the amount as the distal cables to the distal vertebra, so as to achieve precise control and manipulation of the vertebrae.
184 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A minimally invasive surgical instrument having an end effector, the end effector comprising:
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a grip support having a left pivot pin and a right pivot pin; a left jaw rotatable around the left pivot pin of the grip support and a right jaw rotatable around the right pivot pin of the grip support, a left slider pin attached to the left jaw and spaced from the left pivot pin, a right slider pin attached to the right jaw and spaced from the right pivot pin, the left and right slider pins being solid structures; a slotted member including a left slider pin slot in which the left slider pin is slidable to move the left jaw between an open position and a closed position, and a right slider pin slot in which the right slider pin is slidable to move the right jaw between an open position and a closed position; and a slider pin actuator movable relative to the slotted member to cause the left slider pin to slide in the left slider pin slot and the right slider pin to slide in the right slider pin slot, to move the left jaw and the right jaw between the open position and the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A minimally invasive surgical instrument having an end effector, the end effector comprising:
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a grip support having a left pivot pin and a right pivot pin; a left jaw rotatable around the left pivot pin of the grip support and a right jaw rotatable around the right pivot pin of the grip support, a left slider pin attached to the left jaw and spaced from the left pivot pin, a right slider pin attached to the right jaw and spaced from the right pivot pin, the left and right slider pins being solid structures; a slotted member including a left slider pin slot in which the left slider pin is slidable to move the left jaw between an open position and a closed position, and a right slider pin slot in which the right slider pin is slidable to move the right jaw between an open position and a closed position; and means for causing the left slider pin to slide in the left slider pin slot and the right slider pin to slide in the right slider pin slot, to move the left jaw and the right jaw between the open position and the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification