Rigidly-linked articulating wrist with decoupled motion transmission

• US 9,402,619 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Grace, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Victor
• Application Number:
  US14/499,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20150018846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/130, 606/205, 606/208, 600/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/062 Needle manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2936 Pins in guiding slots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/75 Manipulators having means for prevention or compensation of hand tremors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20317 including electric motor

Abstract

The present invention is a device having a rigidly linked jaw that is decoupled from an articulating wrist. The device provides for articulating motion as well as actuation that may be used in grasping, cutting, suturing or the like.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, and a distal end;

a jaw element pivotally attached to the distal end of the housing;

an actuation rod extending from the proximal end of the housing to the distal end;

a rack driver pivotally attached to the housing at a pivot point, movement of the actuation rod causing pivotal movement of the rack driver about a first axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

a rack coupling movement of the rack driver to pivotal movement of the jaw element, the rack pivotally movable along a second axis skew to the first axis and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a rack driver shoulder disposed on the rack driver;

a jaw element shoulder disposed on the jaw element;

a channel formed in the rack for receiving the rack driver shoulder and the jaw element shoulder.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a rack driver shoulder disposed on the rack; and

a rack driver channel disposed on the rack driver for receiving the rack driver shoulder.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a jaw element shoulder disposed on the rack; and

a jaw element channel disposed on the jaw element for receiving the jaw element shoulder.