Flexible wrist for surgical tool

• US 8,690,908 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• 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 Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Cooper, Thomas G., Anderson, S. Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Victor
• Application Number:
  US13/692,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20130096540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606205-207, 606/210, 606/130, 600/101, 600/102
• 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 includes 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.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

actuating proximal portions of a plurality of actuation cables extending from a distal portion of a wrist member through the wrist member to an elongate shaft, distal portions of the plurality of actuation cables coupled to a distal portion of the wrist member; and

actuating the wrist member in pitch rotation and yaw rotation in response to the actuating the proximal portions of the plurality of actuation cables, the wrist member having an inner spring which includes a proximal portion connected to a working end of the elongate shaft and a distal portion connected to an end effector, the wrist member having a plurality of annular disks distributed along an axis of the inner spring, the annular disks each having an inside edge connected with the inner spring;

wherein the disks include a plurality of holes through which the actuation cables extend.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the disks include a plurality of holes through which the actuation cables extend.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the disks each include a pair of inner tabs disposed opposite from one another and extending from the inside edge into a gap between coils of the inner spring.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjacent disks are oriented with the inner tabs of one disk disposed about 90 degrees apart from the inner tabs of the adjacent disk.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the disks each include an outer mating surface and an inner mating surface for mating between adjacent disks, the outer mating surface of one disk mating with the inner mating surface of the adjacent disk.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the outer mating surface and the inner mating surface are generally spherical in shape.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of elastomer members each disposed between and connected with adjacent disks.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a wrist cover disposed outside of the inner spring and the annular disks.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wrist cover comprises a flat spiral of non-conductive material.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the flat spiral includes curled edges which overlap between adjacent layers of the spiral.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the flat spiral includes grooves oriented generally parallel to the axis of the inner spring.