Drive cable capstans for robotic surgical tools
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsJohn Evans, Robbie Loehr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical tool includes a drive housing having an input shaft and a drive cable capstan arranged therein. The input shaft includes a drive gear and the drive cable capstan including a driven gear intermeshed with the drive gear such that rotation of the input shaft rotates the drive cable capstan. An elongate shaft extends from the drive housing, and an end effector is operatively coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft. A drive cable is received within a pulley track defined on the drive cable capstan and extends only partially around a circumference of the drive cable capstan. The drive cable is fed directly into the elongate shaft from the pulley track and extends to the end effector.
Claims21
A surgical tool, comprising:
- a drive housing having an input shaft and a drive cable capstan arranged therein, wherein a drive gear is provided on the input shaft and is rotatable therewith and the drive cable capstan includes a driven gear intermeshed with the drive gear such that rotation of the input shaft rotates the drive cable capstan;
- an elongate shaft that extends from the drive housing;
- an end effector operatively coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft;
- and
- a drive cable received within a pulley track defined on the drive cable capstan and extending only partially around a circumference of the drive cable capstan, wherein an end of the drive cable is secured to the drive cable capstan and the drive cable is fed directly into the elongate shaft from the pulley track and extends to the end effector.
A method of operating a surgical tool, comprising:
- positioning the surgical tool adjacent a patient for operation, the surgical tool including:
- a drive housing having an input shaft and a drive cable capstan arranged therein, wherein a drive gear is provided on the input shaft and is rotatable therewith and the drive cable capstan includes a driven gear intermeshed with the drive gear such that rotation of the input shaft rotates the drive cable capstan;
- an elongate shaft that extends from the drive housing;
- an end effector operatively coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft;
- and
- a drive cable received within a pulley track defined on the drive cable capstan and extending only partially around a circumference of the drive cable capstan, wherein an end of the drive cable is secured to the drive cable capstan;
- actuating a drive input coupled to the input shaft and thereby rotating the input shaft to drive the drive cable capstan;
- feeding the drive cable directly into the elongate shaft from the pulley track;
- and
- moving the drive cable longitudinally within the elongate shaft as the drive cable capstan rotates moving the drive cable longitudinally within the elongate shaft as the drive cable capstan rotates.
A drive cable capstan, comprising:
- a cylindrical body that defines a cavity;
- a driven gear provided on an outer radial surface of the body;
- a pulley track axially offset from the driven gear and defined about a circumference of the body in a single plane to receive a drive cable;
- and
- a cable clip that receives the drive cable and is receivable within the cavity to secure the drive cable to the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.