Medical instrument engagement process
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsGiuseppe Maria Prisco, Theodore W. Rogers, John Ryan Steger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mechanical interface for a robotic medical instrument permits engagement of the instrument and a drive system without causing movement of an actuated portion of the instrument. An instrument interface can include a symmetrical, tapered or cylindrical projection on one of a medical instrument or a drive system and a complementary bore in the other of the drive system or the medical instrument. Symmetry of the projection and the bore allows the projection to be compression fit to the bore regardless of the rotation angle of the drive system relative to the medical instrument.
Claims17
A method for operating a medical instrument and a drive system, the medical instrument comprising at least one component, comprising:
- bringing a first feature on a rotatable element of the medical instrument into contact with a second feature on a drive element of the drive system without restricting a rotation angle of the first feature relative to the second feature, the second feature being shaped to engage the first feature, and the medical instrument including a mechanism coupled to the rotatable element and coupled to actuate the at least one component of the medical instrument in response to rotation of the rotatable element;
- applying an engagement force to create friction between the first and second features, wherein bringing the first feature into contact with the second feature and applying the engagement force engages the first and the second features without inducing rotation that actuates the medical instrument;
- and
- operating the drive system to rotate the drive element and the rotatable element, wherein the friction transfers torque that the drive element applies to the rotatable element to rotate the rotatable element and thereby to actuate the component.
A method for engaging a medical instrument and a drive system, wherein the medical instrument comprises a first interface that includes a plurality of first elements, each of the first elements including a first feature that is rotatable to actuate a component of the medical instrument, and wherein the drive system comprises a second interface that includes a plurality of drive elements, each of the drive elements including a second feature shaped to engage a corresponding one of the first elements, the method comprising:
- bringing the first interface into contact with the second interface without restricting rotation angles of the first features relative to the second features;
- applying an engagement force to create friction between the first and second features, wherein bringing the first interface into contact with the second interface and applying the engagement force engages the first and the second features without inducing rotation that actuates the medical instrument;
- and
- operating the drive system to actuate the components of the medical instrument, wherein the friction transfers torques that the drive elements apply to the first features to actuate the components of the medical instrument.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.