Drive cable brake assembly for robotic surgical tool

Abstract

A surgical tool that includes a drive housing, an elongate shaft that extends from the drive housing, and a plurality of drive cables extending within the elongate shaft between the drive housing and an end effector coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft. A cable brake assembly is at least partially arranged within a cavity defined in the drive housing or the elongate shaft, the cable brake assembly having one or more brakes and a brake pad engageable with one or more of the plurality of drive cables. The cable brake assembly is actuatable between a first position, where the plurality of drive cables are free to move longitudinally within the elongate shaft, and a second position, where the one or more brakes and the brake pad engage and prevent the one or more of the plurality of drive cables from moving.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.