Systems and methods for proximal control of a surgical instrument

A surgical system comprising:

• a manipulator arm of a slave manipulator system;
• an instrument chassis connected to the manipulator arm, the instrument chassis having a proximal chassis portion and a distal chassis portion along a central axis of the instrument chassis;
• a first instrument interface moveably coupled to the proximal chassis portion and adapted to receive a proximal portion of a first surgical instrument;
• and
• a distal bridge member forming part of the distal chassis portion, the distal bridge member being connected to a first instrument guide member by joints providing at least three degrees of rotational freedom, wherein the distal bridge member is rigidly coupled to the proximal chassis portion.

A surgical system comprising:

• an instrument chassis comprising a proximal chassis portion and a distal chassis portion;
• a surgical instrument interface pivotally coupled to the proximal chassis portion at a fixed first pivot;
• an instrument guide member coupled to the distal chassis portion, the instrument guide member being movable in two or more degrees of freedom with reference to the distal chassis portion;
• and
• a surgical instrument comprising a proximal instrument portion and a shaft extending from the proximal instrument portion, the shaft comprising a distal portion, the proximal instrument portion being coupled with the surgical instrument interface, the distal portion of the shaft being coupled with the instrument guide member;
• wherein the surgical instrument interface pivots at the fixed first pivot as the instrument guide member moves in the two or more degrees of freedom.