# US 11,432,889 B2 · Robotic surgical instrument, method of assembling the same, and robotic surgical system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,432,889 B2 - Document ID: US11432889B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/548,783 - Filed: 2019-08-22 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2022-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-28 - Assignees: Medicaroid Corporation - Applicants: Medicaroid Corporation - Inventors: Yu Usuki; Kenji Ago - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432889B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 34/71: {Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms} - B25J 9/104: {with cables, chains or ribbons} - A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)} - A61B 2017/00973: {pedal-operated} - A61B 2017/2902: {characterized by features of the actuating rod} - A61B 2017/2927: {the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft} - A61B 2017/2932: {Transmission of forces to jaw members} - A61B 2017/2933: {camming or guiding means} - A61B 2017/2939: {Details of linkages or pivot points} - A61B 2017/2948: {Sealing means, e.g. for sealing the interior from fluid entry} - 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) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract A robotic surgical instrument according to an embodiment may include: an end effector; a first support body that supports the end effector rotatably about a first shaft; a second support body that supports the first support body rotatably about a second shaft; an elongated element to rotate the first support body with respect to the second support body; and a shaft to which the second support body is connected. The elongated element includes a wire, an attachment fixed to the wire, and a protection tube fixed to the wire. The first support body includes a through-hole having a size in which the attachment and the protection tube are insertable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robotic surgical instrument, comprising: an end effector; a first support body that supports the end effector rotatably about a first shaft; a second support body that supports the first support body rotatably about a second shaft; an elongated element to rotate the first support body with respect to the second support body; and an elongated shaft to which the second support body is connected, wherein the elongated element includes a wire, two protection tubes fixed to the wire, and an attachment fixed to a middle of the wire between the two protection tubes, the first support body includes: a pulley section that is rotatably supported by the second shaft and formed with a pulley groove to which the elongated element is configured to be partially wound; a recess that is recessed from the pulley groove in the first support body and to which the attachment is configured to be fitted; and a through-hole extending through the first support body at a position shifted from the recess and having a size through which the attachment and the two protection tubes are passable, the through-hole is connected to the recess via a communication passage that connects a middle portion of the through-hole in a direction of a length of the through-hole and the recess in the first support body such that when the attachment of the elongated element is inserted in the through-hole, the attachment is movable from the through-hole through the communication passage to the recess and is so as to be engaged with the recess, and the communication passage comprises a second through-hole extending through the first support body in a direction orthogonal to the length of the through-hole. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising: a housing to which the elongated shaft is connected, wherein the housing is configured to be attached to a robot arm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the recess is formed in a shape corresponding to an outer shape of the attachment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the attachment is formed in a spherical shape, and the recess is formed in a semicircular shape as seen in an axis direction of the second shaft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein a width, in an axis direction of the second shaft, of the through-hole is greater than a width, in the axis direction of the second shaft, of the pulley groove of the pulley section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the pulley section includes a wire groove section that is provided in an area adjacent to the recess in a circumferential direction of the pulley section and extends along an axis direction of the first shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 6, wherein a depth of the wire groove section is greater than a diameter of the wire. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the through-hole linearly extends along an axis direction of the first shaft. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the second support body includes a connection base section that is connected to the elongated shaft and a first protrusion section and a second protrusion section that protrude from a first end portion of the connection base section, the first end portion being provided on a first support body side, in an extending direction of the elongated shaft, of the connection base section, the first protrusion section and the second protrusion section support the first support body rotatably about the second shaft, the connection base section receives insertion of a connection section of the elongated shaft from a second end portion of the connection base section opposed to the first end portion of the connection base section in the extending direction of the elongated shaft, and the first end portion of the connection base section includes a partition with a communication hole passing through the partition in the extending direction of the elongated shaft. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 9, further comprising: a seal member that seals the communication hole, wherein the seal member includes an insertion hole through which the wire of the elongated element is configured to be inserted. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 10, wherein the seal member includes a slit that is configured to guide the wire to the insertion hole. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 10, wherein the seal member is compressed between the partition and the connection section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 10, wherein the seal member is a silicone seal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The robotic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the end effector includes one or two end effector members. ### Claim 15 A robotic surgical system, comprising: a robot arm; and a robotic surgical instrument that is detachably attached to the robot arm, wherein the robotic surgical instrument includes an end effector, a first support body that supports the end effector rotatably about a first shaft, a second support body that supports the first support body rotatably about a second shaft, an elongated element to rotate the first support body with respect to the second support body, an elongated shaft to which the second support body is connected, and a housing that is configured to be attached to the robot arm, the elongated element includes a wire, two protection tubes fixed to the wire, and an attachment fixed to a middle of the wire between the two protection tubes, the first support body includes: a pulley section that is rotatably supported by the second shaft and formed with a pulley groove to which the elongated element is configured to be partially wound; a recess that is recessed from the pulley groove in the first support body and to which the attachment is configured to be fitted; and a through-hole extending through the first support body at a position shifted from the recess and having a size through which the attachment and the two protection tubes are passable, the through-hole is connected to the recess via a communication passage that connects a middle portion of the through-hole in a direction of a length of the through-hole and the recess in the first support body such that when the attachment of the elongated element is inserted in the through-hole, the attachment is movable from the through-hole through the communication passage to the recess so as to be engaged with the recess, and the communication passage comprises a second through-hole extending through the first support body in a direction orthogonal to the length of the through-hole. ### Claim 16 A method of assembling a robotic surgical instrument, comprising: preparing an assembly, which includes an end effector, a first support body that supports the end effector rotatably about a first shaft, and a second support body that supports the first support body rotatably about a second shaft, wherein the first support body includes: a pulley section that is rotatably supported by the second shaft and formed with a pulley groove; a recess that is recessed from the pulley groove in the first support body; and a through-hole extending through the first support body at a position shifted from the recess and connected to the recess via a communication passage that connects a middle portion of the through-hole in a direction of a length of the through-hole and the recess, wherein the communication passage comprises a second through-hole extending through the first support body in a direction orthogonal to the length of the through-hole; preparing an elongated element in which an attachment and two protection tubes are fixed to a wire, wherein the attachment is fixed at a middle of the wire between the two protection tubes; inserting the elongated element in which the attachment and the two protection tubes are fixed to the wire into the through-hole of the first support body of the assembly having a size through which the attachment and the two protection tubes are passable, so as to pass one of the two protection tubes though the through-hole and have the attachment of the elongated element inserted in the through-hole; and drawing the elongated element to move the attachment of the elongated element from the through-hole to the recess through the communication passage, so as to engage the attachment with the recess. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of assembling a robotic surgical instrument according to claim 16, further comprising: inserting the wire through an insertion hole of a seal member; and sealing an inner space of the second support body with the seal member having the wire inserted through the insertion hole of the seal member.