Two-piece end-effectors for robotic surgical tools

• US 7,935,130 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2007
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• 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 Reagan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak; Linda C
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELLA, JAYMI E
• Application Number:
  US11/865,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20080119870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,311 Days
• Field of Search: 606 51- 52, 606205-208
• US Class Current: 606/208
• 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. An apparatus for robotic surgery, the apparatus comprising:

a first metal scissor blade having a first drive interface portion, a first cutting portion extending from the first drive interface portion, and a first oval opening extending between the first drive interface and the first cutting portion to receive a first metal crimp of a first cable, wherein

the first drive interface portion having a first pivot hole, a first pair of drive holes spaced from the first pivot hole, a first cam channel having a pair of end stops spaced from the first pivot hole, and a first stop protrusion spaced from the first pivot hole, wherein the first pair of drive holes to receive a first pair of drive dogs, the first cam channel to receive a second stop protrusion, the first stop protrusion to be inserted into a second cam channel,

and

the first cutting portion having a first cutting edge;

and,

a second metal scissor blade having a second drive interface portion, a second cutting portion extending from the second drive interface portion, and a second oval opening extending between the second drive interface portion and the second cutting portion to receive a second metal crimp of a second cable, a surface of the second drive interface to rotatingly mate with a surface of the first drive interface, wherein

the second drive interface portion having a second pivot hole to align with the first pivot hole, a second pair of drive holes radially spaced from the second pivot hole, the second cam channel having a pair of end stops radially spaced from the second pivot hole, and the second stop protrusion radially spaced from the second pivot hole, wherein the second pair of drive holes to receive a second pair of drive dogs, the second cam channel to receive the first stop protrusion, the second stop protrusion to be inserted into the first cam channel,

and

the second cutting portion having a second cutting edge.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first metal scissor blade and the second metal scissor blade are each stamped from a metal blank.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first drive hub having a first circular drive portion and a first pair of curved protrusions extending from a top surface of the first circular drive portion, wherein

the first circular drive portion having a third pivot hole to align with the first and second pivot holes, the first drive dogs extend from a surface of the first circular drive portion to be inserted into the first drive holes to drive the first metal scissor blade, and a first cable groove side to receive the first cable, and

the first pair of curved protrusions to capture the first metal crimp of the first cable between them and the first oval opening;

and,

a second drive hub having a second circular drive portion and a second pair of curved protrusions extending from a top surface of the second circular drive portion, wherein

the second circular drive portion having a fourth pivot hole to align with the first, second, and third pivot holes, the second drive dogs extend from a surface of the second circular drive portion to be inserted into the second drive holes to drive the second metal scissor blade, and a second cable groove side to receive the second cable, and

the second pair of curved protrusions to capture the second metal crimp of the second cable between them and the second oval opening.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein

the first metal scissor blade and the second metal scissor blade are each formed using a first metal material, and

the first drive hub and the second drive hub are each formed using a second metal material differing from the first metal material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first metal material has a first material strength,

the second metal material has a second material strength, and

the second metal material differs from the first metal material because the second material strength of the second metal material is greater than the first material strength of the first metal material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first washer having a fifth pivot hole;

a second washer having a sixth pivot hole;

a clevis housing coupled to a wristed joint at a first end and having a c-shaped opening at a second end opposite to the first end to receive the first washer, the first drive hub, the first drive interface portion, the second drive interface portion, the second drive hub, and the second washer, the clevis housing further having a top pin opening and a bottom pin opening aligned together and perpendicular to the c-shaped opening; and

a pivot pin having a first end to couple to the bottom of the clevis housing and a second end to couple to the top of the clevis housing, the pivot pin to be inserted through the top pin opening, the fifth pivot hole, the first pivot hole, the second pivot hole, the third pivot hole, the fourth pivot hole, the sixth pivot hole and the bottom pin opening to pivotally couple together the first washer, the first drive hub, the first metal scissor blade, the second metal scissor blade, the second drive hub, and the second washer; and

wherein the wristed joint is coupled to a shaft of a robotic surgical tool.