Surgical manipulator for a telerobotic system

• US 8,840,628 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2013
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Green, Philip S., Jensen, Joel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Pedro
• Application Number:
  US13/938,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20130296886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/130, 606205-207, 606/186, 600/101, 600/102, 600/104, 600/106, 600/201, 600/204, 600/218, 600/219, 600/225, 901/18, 901/21, 901/23
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3445 used as instrument channel for multiple instruments catheters A61B2017/22072
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/506 using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/04 with provision for the remote detachment or exchange of the head or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 18/04 rotatable
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 3/04 involving servo mechanisms servo-actuated heads B25J15/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/69 Redundant disconnection blocking means
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/71 Blocking disengagement of catches or keys

Abstract

The invention is directed to mainpulator assembly (2) for holding and manipulating a surgical instrument (14) in a telerobotic system. The assembly comprises a base (6) fixable by passive or power driven positioning devices to a surface, such as an operating table, and an instrument holder (4) movably mounted on the base. The instrument holder comprises a chassis (6) and an instrument support (70) movably mounted on the body and having an interface engageable with the surgical instrument to releasably mount the instrument to the instrument holder. A drive assembly (7) is operatively coupled to the instrument holder for providing the instrument with at least two degrees of freedom. The instrument holder is separable from the base and the drive assembly so that the holder can be sterilized. The assembly further includes a force sensing element (52) mounted distal to the holder and the drive assembly for detecting forces exerted on the surgical instrument and providing feedback to the surgeon. The assembly is attached to a remote center positioner (300) for constraining the instrument to rotate a point coincident with the entry incision and an inclinometer (350) for preventing gravitational forces acting on the system'"'"'s mechanisms from being felt by the surgeon.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a support base;

an instrument holder removably mounted on the base and adapted to releasably hold a surgical instrument, the instrument holder comprising;

an instrument support having an interface engageable with the surgical instrument to releasably mount the surgical instrument to said instrument holder; and

a drive assembly for providing the surgical instrument with at least two degrees of freedom;

wherein said instrument holder is separable from said support base.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said support base comprises first and second spaced support shafts and said instrument holder comprises first and second mounts slidably mounted to the first and second support shafts.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said support base comprises a frame having distal and proximal elongate support members, said first and second shafts each having first and second ends rotatably supported within said distal and proximal support members.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a disconnecting means for separating said spaced support shafts from said support base to allow said instrument holder to be removed from said support base.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said disconnecting means comprises an annular groove in each of the spaced support shafts and an internal grove in each of said mounts in communication with said annular groove.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, said disconnecting means further including a spring clip positioned within said annular and internal grooves so to prevent axial movement of said shafts relative to said mounts, said spring clip having an opening for allowing release of said shafts from said mounts when a threshold axial forces is applied to said shafts.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a first controllable motor operatively connected to move said instrument support, and a second controllable motor operatively connected to move said instrument holder relative to said support base.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said instrument holder further includes an arm removably coupled to a second controllable motor for axial movement of said first and second mounts along said first and second support shafts thereby moving said instrument in an axial direction.