# US 10,368,954 B2 · Method of decoupling rotation of a surgical instrument shaft supporting an end effector from rotation of a drive shaft drivingly coupled with a mechanism of the end effector

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- Number: US 10,368,954 B2
- Document ID: US10368954B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/631,810
- Filed: 2015-02-25
- Published: 2015-06-25
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2010-11-15
- Assignees: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
- Applicants: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
- Inventors: Gabriel F. Brisson; William Burbank
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10368954B2

## CPC

- A61B 34/70: {Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery}
- A61B 17/00: Surgical instruments, devices or methods (A61B18/00 takes precedence; dental tools A61C3/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/20)
- A61B 34/30: Surgical robots
- A61B 34/71: {Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms}
- A61B 17/28: Surgical forceps (biopsy forceps A61B10/06; {for holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; for removing or smashing calculi A61B17/221; surgical scissors A61B17/3201;} obstetrical forceps A61B17/44)
- A61B 17/29: Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
- A61B 34/32: operating autonomously
- A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence)
- A61B 2017/00367: {Details of actuation of instruments, e.g. relations between pushing buttons, or the like, and activation of the tool, working tip, or the like}
- A61B 2017/00398: {using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids}
- A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)}
- A61B 2017/2901: {Details of shaft}
- A61B 2017/2903: {transferring rotary motion}
- A61B 2017/2929: {with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft}
- A61B 2017/293: {with means preventing relative rotation between the shaft and the actuating rod}
- A61B 2017/2932: {Transmission of forces to jaw members}
- A61B 2017/2936: {Pins in guiding slots}
- A61B 2017/2938: {Independently actuatable jaw members, e.g. two actuating rods}
- A61B 2017/2943: {Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion}
- A61B 2034/2059: {Mechanical position encoders}
- A61B 2034/301: {for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes}
- A61B 2034/302: {specifically adapted for manipulations within body cavities, e.g. within abdominal or thoracic cavities}
- A61B 2034/303: {specifically adapted for manipulations within body lumens, e.g. within lumen of gut, spine, or blood vessels}
- A61B 2034/715: {Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack}
- A61B 2090/067: {for measuring angles}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Surgical assemblies and related methods are disclosed that provide for decoupling of instrument shaft roll and end effector actuation. A surgical assembly includes a base, an instrument shaft rotationally mounted to the base, an end effector supported at a distal end of the instrument shaft and including an actuation mechanism driven by a rotational motion, a drive shaft rotationally coupled with the actuation mechanism and configured to provide the rotational motion to the actuation mechanism, and a differential rotationally coupled to the drive shaft and receiving a first input motion and a second input motion. The differential combines the first and second input motions to generate an output motion that rotates the drive shaft. The first input motion is rotationally coupleable to an actuation source. The second input motion is coupled to rotation of the instrument shaft relative to the base.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of decoupling rotation of a surgical instrument shaft supporting an end effector from rotation of a drive shaft drivingly coupled with a rotational input of a mechanism of the end effector, the method comprising:
rotating the end effector relative to a base by rotating the surgical instrument shaft relative to the base around an instrument shaft axis;
rotating a first input link of a differential relative to the base, the rotation of the first input link relative to the base being associated with a desired rotation of the rotational input relative to the end effector, the differential comprising a planetary gear assembly having a sun gear, planet gears coupled to a carrier, and a ring gear;
rotating a second input link of the differential relative to the base in response to the rotation of the surgical instrument shaft relative to the base;
rotating, via the differential, an output link of the differential relative to the base in response to the rotation of the first input link relative to the base and the rotation of the second input link relative to the base; and
rotating the drive shaft relative to the end effector in response to the rotation of the output link of the differential relative to the base.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the rotation of the first input link rotates the carrier, the rotation of the second input link rotates the sun gear, and the rotation of the drive shaft is generated by rotation of the ring gear.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein:
the rotation of the carrier is generated via an input shaft of the differential; and
the sun gear rotates around the input shaft.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the input shaft is oriented transverse to the surgical instrument shaft.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising returning the end effector mechanism to a predetermined configuration upon a disconnect between an actuation source controlling rotation of the first input link of the differential and the first input link.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the mechanism of the end effector comprises a clamping mechanism, a stapling mechanism, or a cutting mechanism.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the end effector is pivotally mounted to a distal portion of the surgical instrument shaft.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the surgical instrument shaft is rotationally mounted to the base;
the surgical instrument shaft has a distal end and a proximal end;
the surgical instrument shaft axis extends through the distal end and the proximal end; and
the end effector rotates around the instrument shaft axis during the rotation of the end effector relative to the base.

### Claim 9

A method of decoupling rotation of a surgical instrument shaft supporting an end effector from rotation of a drive shaft drivingly coupled with a rotational input of a mechanism of the end effector, the method comprising:
rotating the end effector relative to a base by rotating the surgical instrument shaft relative to the base around an instrument shaft axis;
rotating a first input link of a differential relative to the base, the rotation of the first input link relative to the base being associated with a desired rotation of the rotational input relative to the end effector;
rotating a second input link of the differential relative to the base in response to the rotation of the surgical instrument shaft relative to the base;
rotating, via the differential, an output link of the differential relative to the base in response to the rotation of the first input link relative to the base and the rotation of the second input link relative to the base;
rotating the drive shaft relative to the end effector in response to the rotation of the output link of the differential relative to the base; and
returning the end effector mechanism to a predetermined configuration upon a disconnect between an actuation source controlling rotation of the first input link of the differential and the first input link.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein:
the rotation of the first input link relative to the base comprises rotating the first input link relative to the base around the instrument shaft axis in a first direction; and
the rotation of the output link relative to the base comprises rotating the output link relative to the end effector around the instrument shaft axis in the first direction.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein:
the rotation of the first input link relative to the base around the instrument shaft in the first direction reorients the first input link relative to the base by a first rotational amount; and
the rotation of the output link relative to the end effector around the instrument shaft in the first direction reorients the output link relative to end effector by the first rotational amount.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the mechanism of the end effector comprises a clamping mechanism, a stapling mechanism, or a cutting mechanism.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the end effector is pivotally mounted to a distal portion of the surgical instrument shaft.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein:
the surgical instrument shaft is rotationally mounted to the base;
the surgical instrument shaft has a distal end and a proximal end;
the surgical instrument shaft axis extends through the distal end and the proximal end; and
the end effector rotates around the instrument shaft axis during the rotation of the end effector relative to the base.

### Claim 15

A method of decoupling rotation of a surgical instrument shaft supporting an end effector from rotation of a drive shaft drivingly coupled with a rotational input of a mechanism of the end effector, the method comprising:
rotating the end effector relative to a base by rotating the surgical instrument shaft relative to the base around an instrument shaft axis;
moving a first cable relative to the base, the movement of the first cable being associated with a desired rotation of the rotational input relative to the end effector;
moving a second cable in response to the rotation of the surgical instrument shaft relative to the base;
moving a first pulley and a second pulley in response to the movement of the second cable;
engaging the first cable with each of the first pulley and the second pulley; and
rotating the drive shaft in response to the movement of the first cable.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the second cable engages an approximately 180 degree sector of each of the first pulley and the second pulley.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein:
the surgical instrument shaft is rotationally mounted to the base;
the surgical instrument shaft has a distal end and a proximal end;
the surgical instrument shaft axis extends through the distal end and the proximal end; and
the end effector rotates around the instrument shall axis during the rotation of the end effector relative to the base.

### Claim 18

A method of decoupling rotation of a surgical instrument shaft supporting an end effector from rotation of a drive shaft drivingly coupled with a rotational input of a mechanism of the end effector, the method comprising:
rotating the end effector relative to a base by rotating the surgical instrument shaft relative to the base around an instrument shaft axis;
moving a first cable in response to the rotation of the surgical instrument shaft relative to the base;
moving a second cable relative to the base, the movement of the second cable being associated with a desired rotation of the rotational input relative to the end effector;
moving a first pulley and a second pulley in response to the movement of the second cable;
engaging the first cable with each of the first pulley and the second pulley; and
rotating the drive shaft in response to the movement of the first cable.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the first cable engages an approximately 180 degree sector of each of the first pulley and the second pulley.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein:
the surgical instrument shaft is rotationally mounted to the base;
the surgical instrument shaft has a distal end and a proximal end;
the surgical instrument shaft axis extends through the distal end and the proximal end; and
the end effector rotates around the instrument shaft axis during the rotation of the end effector relative to the base.