Flexible wrist for surgical tool
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- an elongate shaft having a working end and a proximal end;
an end effector;
a flexible tube including a proximal portion connected to the working end of the elongate shaft and a distal portion connected to the end effector;
a plurality of actuation cables extending from the proximal end of the shaft to the flexible tube, the plurality of actuation cables comprising proximal portions which are actuatable to bend the flexible tube in pitch and yaw; and
at least one end effector actuation cable extending from the proximal end of the shaft to the end effector through a lumen formed by the flexible tube to allow actuation of the end effector;
wherein the plurality of actuation cables comprises pairs of cables, each pair of cables comprising a single cable having two ends coupled to the proximal end of the elongate shaft, each pair further comprising a segment forming a U-turn around the end disk.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
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. 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. A plurality of actuation cables have distal portions connected to the end effector and extend from the distal portion through the lumens of the wall of the wrist member toward the elongate shaft to proximal portions which are actuatable to bend the wrist member in pitch rotation and yaw rotation.
322 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. An apparatus comprising:
-
an elongate shaft having a working end and a proximal end; an end effector; a flexible tube including a proximal portion connected to the working end of the elongate shaft and a distal portion connected to the end effector; a plurality of actuation cables extending from the proximal end of the shaft to the flexible tube, the plurality of actuation cables comprising proximal portions which are actuatable to bend the flexible tube in pitch and yaw; and at least one end effector actuation cable extending from the proximal end of the shaft to the end effector through a lumen formed by the flexible tube to allow actuation of the end effector;
wherein the plurality of actuation cables comprises pairs of cables, each pair of cables comprising a single cable having two ends coupled to the proximal end of the elongate shaft, each pair further comprising a segment forming a U-turn around the end disk. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for operating an apparatus comprising an elongate shaft having a working end and a proximal end, an end effector, and a flexible tube including a proximal portion connected to the working end of the elongate shaft and a distal portion connected to the end effector, the method comprising:
-
actuating a plurality of actuation cables extending from the proximal end of the shaft to the flexible tube, the plurality of actuation cables comprising proximal portions which are actuatable to bend the flexible tube in pitch and yaw; and actuating the end effector by pushing and pulling least one end effector actuation cable extending from the proximal end of the shaft to the end effector through a lumen formed by the flexible tube;
wherein the plurality of actuation cables comprises pairs of cables, each pair of cables comprising a single cable having two ends coupled to the proximal end of the elongate shaft, each pair further comprising a segment forming a U-turn around the end disk.
-
Specification