# US 10,945,800 B2 · Patient-side mechanized surgical system

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- Number: US 10,945,800 B2
- Document ID: US10945800B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/439,915
- Filed: 2017-02-22
- Published: 2017-06-15
- Granted: 2021-03-16
- Earliest claimed: 2012-02-02
- Assignees: Great Belief International Limited
- Applicants: Great Belief International Limited
- Inventors: Matthew R Penny; Nicholas J Bender; Mohan Nathan; Nicholas J. Jardine; Galen Robertson; Carson Shellenberger; Lucas A. Tew; Richard M Mueller; James Cuevas; Jeff Wilson; Keith Philip Laby
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945800B2

## CPC

- A61B 34/71: {Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms}
- A61B 34/30: Surgical robots
- A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence)
- A61B 34/70: {Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery}
- A61B 2017/003: {Steerable}
- A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)}
- A61B 2017/2901: {Details of shaft}
- A61B 2017/2906: {Multiple forceps}
- A61B 2017/3447: {Linked multiple cannulas}
- A61B 2034/301: {for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes}
- A61B 2034/305: {Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A motorized surgical system includes at least one support positionable within a sterile field in proximity to a patient positioned on a surgical table. An instrument driver is carried by the support and includes a steerable distal end positionable in a body cavity. A user input device is carried by the support and is configured to generate movement signals in response to manual manipulation of a portion of the user input device by a user. One or more steering motors are operably coupled to the instrument driver and are operable to deflect the steerable distal end of the instrument driver in response to the movement signals.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A motorized surgical system, comprising:
at least one support positionable within a sterile field in proximity to a patient positioned on a surgical table;
an instrument driver carried by the at least one support, the instrument driver having a steerable distal end positionable in a body cavity, the instrument driver comprising a steerable finger having a lumen proportioned to receive a distal portion of a surgical instrument and at least one actuation element extends at least partially through the finger;
a user input device carried by the at least one support, the user input device configured to generate movement signals in response to manual manipulation of a portion of the user input device by a user; and
at least one steering motor operably coupled to the instrument driver, the steering motor operable in response to the movement signals to cause tensioning of the actuation element so as to deflect the finger;
at least one roll driver carried by the support, the roll driver positioned to rotationally couple with a shaft of a surgical instrument that is positioned through the lumen,
a roll input device carried by the support, the roll input device configured to generate roll signals in response to manual manipulation of the roll input device; and
a roll motor, the roll motor operably coupled to the roll driver, the roll motor operable to move the roll driver in response to the roll movement signals, wherein:
the system includes a base mountable on the support, the steering motor is housed within the base and includes a first drive member exposed on the motor housing, and the roll motor includes a second drive exposed on the motor housing;
the actuation element of the instrument driver is disposed on at least one pulley, and the instrument driver includes a first driven member rotatable to rotate said at least one pulley;
the roll driver includes a tubular member having a lumen proportioned to receive a distal shaft portion of a surgical instrument, and a second driven member rotatable to rotate said tubular member; and
the instrument driver and roll driver are removably positionable on the base to rotationally couple the first drive member with the first driven member and to rotationally couple the second drive member with the second driven member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the roll driver includes a roll driver housing, the tubular member disposed within the roll driver housing and the second driven member exposed at the exterior of the roll driver housing; and
the instrument driver includes an instrument driver housing, said at least one pulley disposed within the instrument driver housing and the first driven member exposed at the exterior of the instrument driver housing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the roll driver housing comprises the instrument driver housing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the roll driver housing and the instrument driver housing are separate housings.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the instrument driver and the user input device are on a common support.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein said at least one support includes:
a first support positionable within a sterile field in proximity to a patient, the instrument driver carried on said first support; and
a second support positionable within the sterile field in proximity to the patient, the user input device carried on said second support.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one steering motor is carried on the first support.

### Claim 8

A motorized surgical system, comprising:
at least one support positionable within a sterile field in proximity to a patient positioned on a surgical table;
an instrument driver carried by the at least one support, the instrument driver having a steerable distal end positionable in a body cavity, the instrument driver comprising a steerable finger having a lumen proportioned to receive a distal portion of a surgical instrument and at least one actuation element extends at least partially through the finger, wherein the instrument driver further includes
an instrument driver housing;
at least two actuation elements,
a first pulley within the instrument driver housing and coupled to one of the actuation elements, the first pulley including a first gear;
a second pulley within the instrument driver housing and coupled to one of the actuation elements, the second pulley including a second gear;
a third gear engaged with the first and second gears; and
a driven member exposed on the instrument driver housing
a user input device carried by the at least one support, the user input device configured to generate movement signals in response to manual manipulation of a portion of the user input device by a user; and
at least one steering motor operably coupled to the instrument driver, the steering motor comprising a motor housing and includes a drive member exposed on the motor housing, the steering motor operable in response to the movement signals to cause tensioning of the actuation element so as to deflect the finger;
at least one roll driver carried by the support, the roll driver positioned to rotationally couple with a shaft of a surgical instrument that is positioned through the lumen,
a roll input device carried by the support, the roll input device configured to generate roll signals in response to manual manipulation of the roll input device; and
a roll motor, the roll motor operably coupled to the roll driver, the roll motor operable to move the roll driver in response to the roll movement signals
wherein the motor housing and the instrument driver housing are positionable to rotationally couple the driven member and the drive member such that activation of the motor rotates the third gear and the pulleys.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, further including a sensor positioned to generate a signal in response to positioning of the instrument driver housing in contact with the motor housing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, further including a sensor positioned to generate a signal in response to engagement of the first and second engaging members.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein one of the first and second engaging members is a male member and the other of the first and second engaging members is a female member.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first and second engaging members is a depressible member moveable relative to its corresponding housing between an extended position and a partially depressed position, and wherein said depressible member includes a spring positioned such that contacting the first and second engaging members causes the depressible member to move against the spring into the depressed position, and to return to the depressible member to the extended position under action of the spring to cause the first and second engaging members to mate.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, further including a sensor positioned to generate a signal in response to movement of the depressible member from the depressed position to the extended position.
