Force transmission for robotic surgical instrument

• US 8,603,077 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Cooper, Thomas G., McGrogan, Anthony, Williams, Matthew Reagan, Duval, Eugene F., Anderson, S. Christoper
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUAN, SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US12/780,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20110277580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 7449001-49005, 901/28
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/00 Controls for manipulators programme controls B25J9/16; control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/00 Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18832 including flexible drive connector [e.g., belt, chain, strand, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18856 Oscillating to oscillating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20018 Transmission control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20323 including flaccid drive element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20329 Joint between elements

Abstract

A force transmission transmits a force received by an input gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom to an output gimbal plate. The input gimbal plate is coupled to a first end of least three lever arms supported by a pivot. The output gimbal plate is coupled to a second end of the lever arms. The output gimbal plate may be coupled to the lever arms by flexible cables. The cables may be substantially contained within a tube. The output gimbal plate may be substantially smaller than the input gimbal plate. The force transmission may include a secondary output gimbal plate coupled to secondary levers that are coupled to the lever arms. The secondary levers may be third class levers. The secondary output gimbal plate may move proportionately to movement of the output gimbal plate. The force transmission may control a surgical end effector in a robotic surgical instrument.

Claims

1. A force transmission comprising:

an input gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom;

at least three lever arms, each lever arm supported by a pivot between a first end and a second end of the lever arm;

an equalizer cable having two opposing ends, each end fixedly coupled to one of the lever arms adjacent the second end of the lever arm, the equalizer cable being routed over a lever arm pulley pivotally coupled to another of the lever arms between the pivot and the second end of the lever arm;

at least three coupler links, each coupler link having a first end coupled to the first end of one of the lever arms and a second end coupled to the input gimbal plate such that the second ends of the coupler links are not collinear;

an output gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom; and

at least three output links, each output link having a first end coupled to the output gimbal plate and a second end coupled to the second end of one of the lever arms.

2. The force transmission of claim 1 further comprising:

a secondary output gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom;

at least three secondary levers each supported by a secondary pivot and coupled to one of the lever arms by a force applying connector that is fixed to the lever arm; and

at least three secondary output links having a first end coupled to the secondary output gimbal plate and a second end coupled to one of the secondary levers.

3. The force transmission of claim 2 wherein the secondary levers are third class levers.

4. The force transmission of claim 2 wherein the force applying connector is fixed to the lever arm between the pivot that supports the lever arm and the second end of the coupler link that is coupled to the lever arm.

5. The force transmission of claim 1 wherein the output links comprise flexible cables.

6. The force transmission of claim 1 further comprising a tube having a first end adjacent the lever arms and an opposing second end adjacent the surgical end effector wherein the output links are contained within the tube.

7. The force transmission of claim 1 wherein a first distance between adjacent first ends of the coupler links is greater than a second distance between adjacent second ends of the output links.

8. A force transmission for a robotic surgical instrument comprising:

an input gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom;

at least three lever arms, each lever arm supported by a pivot;

an equalizer cable having two opposing ends, each end fixedly coupled to one of the lever arms adjacent the second end of the lever arm, the equalizer cable being routed over a lever arm pulley pivotally coupled to another of the lever arms between the pivot and the second end of the lever arm;

at least three coupler links, each coupler link having a first end coupled to one of the lever arms and a second end coupled to the input gimbal plate such that the second ends are not collinear; and

at least three output links, each output link having a first end coupled to an articulated joint that supports a surgical end effector and a second end coupled to one of the lever arms.

9. The force transmission of claim 8 further comprising:

at least three secondary levers each supported by a secondary pivot and coupled to one of the lever arms by a force applying connector that is fixed to the lever arm; and

at least three secondary output links having a first end coupled to the articulated joint and a second end coupled to one of the secondary levers.

10. The force transmission of claim 9 wherein the secondary levers are third class levers.

11. The force transmission of claim 9 wherein the force applying connector is fixed to the lever arm between the pivot that supports the lever arm and the second end of the coupler link that is coupled to the lever arm.

12. The force transmission of claim 8 wherein the output links are flexible cables.

13. The force transmission of claim 12 further comprising a tube having a first end adjacent the lever arms and an opposing second end adjacent the articulated joint wherein the cables are contained within the tube.

14. The force transmission of claim 8 wherein a first distance between adjacent first ends of the coupler links is greater than a second distance between adjacent second ends of the output links.

15. A force transmission comprising:

an input gimbal means for receiving an input force having two degrees of freedom;

an output gimbal means for delivering the input force with two degrees of freedom;

at least three lever arms, each lever arm supported by a pivot;

an equalizer means for providing a kinematic constraint on the motion of driven ends of the lever arms;

at least three coupler means for coupling the input gimbal means to the lever arms; and

at least three output link means for coupling the lever arms to the output gimbal means.

16. The force transmission of claim 15 further comprising:

an secondary output gimbal means for moving the output gimbal means with two degrees of freedom;

at least three secondary levers each supported by a secondary pivot;

force applying means for transferring a force from the lever arms to the secondary levers; and

at least three secondary output link means for coupling the secondary levers to the secondary output gimbal means.

17. The force transmission of claim 15 further comprising a tube means for containing the output link means.

18. The force transmission of claim 15 wherein the output gimbal means is further for supporting a surgical end effector.

19. A method of transmitting force to a robotic surgical instrument, the method comprising:

receiving a force input with an input gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom;

transferring the force to a first end of at least three lever arms, each lever arm supported by a pivot;

transferring the force from a second end of the at least three lever arms to an articulated joint that supports a surgical end effector; and

providing a kinematic constraint on the motion of the second ends of the lever arms with an equalizer cable.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

transferring the force to at least three secondary levers each supported by a secondary pivot by force applying connectors that are fixed to each of the lever arms; and

transferring the force from the secondary levers to the articulated joint.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a first lever having a fulcrum at a first pivot in the frame, a force input location at a first end of the first lever, a first force output location positioned at a second end of the first lever opposite the first end of the first lever, and a second force output location positioned between the force input location and the fulcrum of the first lever;

a second lever having a fulcrum at a second pivot in the frame, a force output location at an end of the second lever, and a force input location between the force output location and the fulcrum of the second lever;

a gimbal plate;

a first coupling between the gimbal plate and the force input location of the first lever; and

a second coupling between the second force output location of the first lever and the force input location of the second lever.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first and the second levers are configured such that when the force input location of the first lever is moved, the first force output location of the first lever moves a particular distance in a first direction, and the force output location of the second lever moves the particular distance in a second direction opposite the first direction.

23. A force transmission comprising:

an input gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom;

at least three lever arms, each lever arm supported by a pivot between a first end and a second end of the lever arm;

at least three coupler links, each coupler link having a first end coupled to the first end of one of the lever arms and a second end coupled to the input gimbal plate such that the second ends of the coupler links are not collinear;

an output gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom;

at least three output links, each output link having a first end coupled to the output gimbal plate and a second end coupled to the second end of one of the lever arms;

a secondary output gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom;

at least three secondary levers each supported by a secondary pivot and coupled to one of the lever arms by a force applying connector that is fixed to the lever arm; and

at least three secondary output links having a first end coupled to the secondary output gimbal plate and a second end coupled to one of the secondary levers.

24. The force transmission of claim 23 wherein the secondary levers are third class levers.

25. The force transmission of claim 23 wherein the force applying connector is fixed to the lever arm between the pivot that supports the lever arm and the second end of the coupler link that is coupled to the lever arm.

26. The force transmission of claim 23 wherein the output links comprise flexible cables.

27. The force transmission of claim 23 further comprising a tube having a first end adjacent the lever arms and an opposing second end adjacent the surgical end effector wherein the output links are substantially contained within the tube.

28. The force transmission of claim 23 wherein a first distance between adjacent first ends of the coupler links is greater than a second distance between adjacent second ends of the output links.

29. A force transmission for a robotic surgical instrument comprising:

an input gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom;

at least three lever arms, each lever arm supported by a pivot;

at least three coupler links, each coupler link having a first end coupled to one of the lever arms and a second end coupled to the input gimbal plate such that the second ends are not collinear; and

at least three output links, each output link having a first end coupled to an articulated joint that supports a surgical end effector and a second end coupled to one of the lever arms;

at least three secondary levers each supported by a secondary pivot and coupled to one of the lever arms by a force applying connector that is fixed to the lever arm; and

at least three secondary output links having a first end coupled to the articulated joint and a second end coupled to one of the secondary levers.

30. The force transmission of claim 29 wherein the secondary levers are third class levers.

31. The force transmission of claim 29 wherein the force applying connector is fixed to the lever arm between the pivot that supports the lever arm and the second end of the coupler link that is coupled to the lever arm.

32. The force transmission of claim 29 wherein the output links are flexible cables.

33. The force transmission of claim 32 further comprising a tube having a first end adjacent the lever arms and an opposing second end adjacent the articulated joint wherein the cables are substantially contained within the tube.

34. The force transmission of claim 29 wherein a first distance between adjacent first ends of the coupler links is greater than a second distance between adjacent second ends of the output links.

35. A force transmission comprising:

an input gimbal means for receiving an input force having two degrees of freedom;

an output gimbal means for delivering the input force with two degrees of freedom;

at least three lever arms, each lever arm supported by a pivot;

at least three coupler means for coupling the input gimbal means to the lever arms;

at least three output link means for coupling the lever arms to the output gimbal means;

an secondary output gimbal means for moving the output gimbal means with two degrees of freedom;

at least three secondary levers each supported by a secondary pivot;

force applying means for transferring a force from the lever arms to the secondary levers; and

at least three secondary output link means for coupling the secondary levers to the secondary output gimbal means.

36. The force transmission of claim 35 further comprising a tube means for substantially containing the output link means.

37. The force transmission of claim 35 wherein the output gimbal means is further for supporting a surgical end effector.

38. A method of transmitting force to a robotic surgical instrument, the method comprising:

receiving a force input with an input gimbal plate having two degrees of freedom;

transferring the force to a first end of at least three lever arms, each lever arm supported by a pivot;

transferring the force from a second end of the at least three lever arms to an articulated joint that supports a surgical end effector;

transferring the force to at least three secondary levers each supported by a secondary pivot by force applying connectors that are fixed to each of the lever arms; and

transferring the force from the secondary levers to the articulated joint.