Multi-ply strap drive trains for surgical robotic arms
First Claim
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1. A surgical robotic arm comprising:
- a linkage assembly includingfirst, second, third, and fourth links pivotally coupled in series together at second, third, and fourth joints, the third link including a bend, andat least one idler pulley pivotally coupled to the third link near the bend; and
a strap drive train including first and second sets of straps coupled to the linkage assembly to define a parallelogram with a vertex at a remote center point and a side, between the fourth joint and the remote center point, pitched away from an insertion axis through the remote center point, at least one strap of the second set of straps is directed through the third link by the at least one idler pulley;
wherein as the linkage assembly is moved about a pitch axis, the strap drive train ensures the linkage assembly maintains the vertex of the parallelogram at the remote center point.
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Abstract
In one embodiment of the invention, a robotic arm is provided including a linkage assembly and a strap drive train. The linkage assembly includes first, second, third, and fourth links pivotally coupled in series together at first, second, and third joints to define a parallelogram with an insertion axis. The strap drive train includes first and second sets of straps coupled to the linkage assembly. As the linkage assembly is moved about a pitch axis, the first set of straps ensures the third link maintains the same angle relative to the first link, and the first and second set of straps ensures the fourth link maintains the same angle relative to the second link.
967 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A surgical robotic arm comprising:
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a linkage assembly including first, second, third, and fourth links pivotally coupled in series together at second, third, and fourth joints, the third link including a bend, and at least one idler pulley pivotally coupled to the third link near the bend; and a strap drive train including first and second sets of straps coupled to the linkage assembly to define a parallelogram with a vertex at a remote center point and a side, between the fourth joint and the remote center point, pitched away from an insertion axis through the remote center point, at least one strap of the second set of straps is directed through the third link by the at least one idler pulley; wherein as the linkage assembly is moved about a pitch axis, the strap drive train ensures the linkage assembly maintains the vertex of the parallelogram at the remote center point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A surgical robotic arm comprising:
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a linkage assembly including first, second, third, and fourth links pivotally coupled in series together at second, third, and fourth joints, the third link including a bend, and at least one idler pulley pivotally coupled to the third link near the bend, wherein the first link includes a first joint pulley rigidly coupled thereto, the second link includes a third joint pulley rigidly coupled thereto, the third link includes a second joint pulley rigidly coupled thereto, the fourth link includes a fourth joint pulley rigidly coupled thereto, and the third joint pulley is concentric with but independent of the second joint pulley to pivot independently; and a strap drive train including first and second sets of straps coupled to the linkage assembly to define a parallelogram with a remote center point and a side, between the fourth joint and the remote center point, pitched away from an insertion axis through the remote center point, at least one strap of the second set of straps is directed through the third link by the at least one idler pulley, and wherein first ends of a first strap and a second strap of the second set of straps are wrapped around the at least one idler pulley in opposite directions, a second end of the first strap is wrapped around the third joint pulley in an opposite direction to the wrapping of the first end of the first strap around the at least one idler pulley, and a second end of the second strap is wrapped around the fourth joint pulley in an opposite direction to the wrapping of the first end of the second strap around the at least one idler pulley; wherein as the linkage assembly is moved about a pitch axis, the first set of straps ensures the third link maintains the same angle relative to the first link, and the first and second sets of straps ensures the fourth link maintains the same angle relative to the second link. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A surgical robotic arm comprising:
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a serial linkage pivotally coupled in series together including an offset yaw link having a first joint pulley rigidly coupled thereto, a drive link having a second joint pulley rigidly coupled thereto, a bent link having a third joint pulley rigidly coupled thereto and an idler pulley, the third joint pulley independent of and concentric with the second joint pulley, and an instrument holder link having a fourth joint pulley rigidly coupled thereto, wherein the bent link includes a bend; and a strap drive train including a first strap and a second strap in the drive link coupled between the first joint pulley and the third joint pulley; a third strap in the bent link coupled between the second joint pulley and the fourth joint pulley over the idler pulley; a fourth strap in the bent link coupled to and between the second joint pulley and the idler pulley, and a fifth strap in the bent link coupled to and between the idler pulley and the fourth joint pulley; wherein the serial linkage and the strap drive train constrain the motion of a shaft of a tool to a remote center point. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A surgical robotic arm for a surgical system, the robotic arm comprising:
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a linkage assembly including first, second, third, and fourth links pivotally coupled in series together at second, third, and fourth joints; a strap drive train coupled to the linkage assembly to define a parallelogram having a vertex at a remote center point and a side, between the fourth joint and the remote center point, pitched away from an insertion axis through the remote center point, the strap drive train including a first pulley with a first pocket including a first lip extending from a side of the first pocket; a second pulley with a second pocket including a second lip extending from a side of the second pocket; and a first multi-ply strap coupled between the first pulley and the second pulley, the first multi-ply strap including a first coupler coupled to a first end of the first multi-ply strap, the first coupler hooked into the first pocket of the first pulley, the first coupler restrained by the first lip to couple the first end of the first multi-ply strap to the first pulley, a second coupler coupled to a second end of the first multi-ply strap, the second coupler hooked into the second pocket of the second pulley, the second coupler restrained by the second lip to couple the second end of the first multi-ply strap to the second pulley, wherein the first coupler and the second coupler are each selected from the group consisting of a tab, a hooked tab, and a tensioning block; wherein as the linkage assembly is moved about a pitch axis, the strap drive train ensures the linkage assembly maintains the vertex of the parallelogram at the remote center point. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification