# US 11,432,894 B2 · Surgical instrument end effector with integral FBG > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,432,894 B2 - Document ID: US11432894B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/869,421 - Filed: 2020-05-07 - Published: 2020-08-20 - Granted: 2022-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-15 - Assignees: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Applicants: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Inventors: John Ryan Steger; Grant M. Kadokura; Andrew C. Waterbury; Manuel Ahumada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432894B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/35: for telesurgery - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - A61B 34/71: {Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms} - A61B 34/76: {Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback} - A61B 90/361: {Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras} - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 90/37: {Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation} - A61B 2017/00389: {Button or wheel for performing multiple functions, e.g. rotation of shaft and end effector} - A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)} - A61B 2034/2061: {using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings} - A61B 2034/305: {Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms} - A61B 2090/065: {for measuring contact or contact pressure} - A61B 2090/3614: {using optical fibre} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A surgical instrument is provided that includes an elongated shaft that includes a proximal end and a distal end; a cantilever beam is disposed at the distal end of the shaft; an optical fiber extends within a channel that extends within between proximal and distal portions of the cantilever beam; a first fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is formed in a segment of the optical fiber within the proximal portion of the beam; a second FBG is formed in a segment of the optical fiber within the distal portion of the beam. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A surgical instrument comprising: an elongated shaft including a proximal end and a distal end; a support base member secured to the distal end of the elongated shaft; a first force-sensing cantilever beam secured to the support base member; a second force-sensing cantilever beam secured to the support base member; a center cantilever beam secured to the support base member between the first and second force-sensing cantilever beams, the center cantilever beam being longer than the first and second force-sensing cantilever beams, the center cantilever beam including a proximal portion, a distal portion and a shoulder portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion, and the distal portion of the center cantilever beam including a working surface to impart a force upon anatomical tissue; a first optical fiber positioned along the first force-sensing cantilever beam and including a first fiber Bragg grating (FBG); and a second optical fiber positioned along the second force-sensing cantilever beam and including a second FBG; wherein the first force-sensing cantilever beam is positioned to contact the shoulder portion of the center cantilever beam during a bending motion of the center cantilever beam toward the first force-sensing cantilever beam; and wherein the second force-sensing cantilever beam is positioned to contact the shoulder portion of the center cantilever beam during a bending motion of the center cantilever beam toward the second force-sensing cantilever beam. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein: the center cantilever beam is spaced apart from the first force-sensing cantilever beam and the second force-sensing cantilever beam in an unflexed state of the center cantilever beam. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein: the support base member includes a pulley rotatably mounted at the distal end of the elongated shaft; the surgical instrument further comprises a wire wrapped around a portion of the pulley; and tension on the wire rotates the pulley. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein: the proximal portion of the center cantilever beam is thinner than the distal portion of the center cantilever beam. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein: the shoulder portion comprises a first shoulder portion and a second shoulder portion; the first shoulder portion of the center cantilever beam is oriented toward the first force-sensing cantilever beam, and the second shoulder portion of the center cantilever beam is oriented toward the second force-sensing cantilever beam; and the first shoulder portion of the center cantilever beam contacts the first force-sensing cantilever beam during the bending motion of the center cantilever beam toward the first force-sensing cantilever beam, and the second shoulder portion of the center cantilever beam contacts the second force-sensing cantilever beam during the bending motion of the center cantilever beam toward the second force-sensing cantilever beam. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein: the first force-sensing cantilever beam includes a distal end adjacent the first shoulder portion of the center cantilever beam; and the second force-sensing cantilever beam includes a distal end adjacent the second shoulder portion of the center cantilever beam. ### Claim 7 A surgical instrument comprising: an elongated shaft including a proximal end and a distal end; a support base member secured to the distal end of the elongated shaft; a force-sensing cantilever beam secured to the support base member; a force-imparting cantilever beam secured to the support base member adjacent the force-sensing cantilever beam, the force-imparting cantilever beam being longer than the force-sensing cantilever beam, the force-imparting cantilever beam including a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a shoulder portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion, and the distal portion of the force-imparting cantilever beam including a working surface to impart a force upon anatomical tissue; and an optical fiber positioned along the force-sensing cantilever beam including a fiber Bragg grating; wherein the force-sensing cantilever beam is positioned to contact the shoulder portion of the force-imparting cantilever beam during a bending motion of the force-imparting cantilever beam toward the force-sensing cantilever beam. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The surgical instrument of claim 7, wherein: the force-imparting cantilever beam is spaced apart from the force-sensing cantilever beam in an unflexed state of the force-imparting cantilever beam. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The surgical instrument of claim 7, wherein: the support base member includes a pulley rotatably mounted at the distal end of the elongated shaft; the surgical instrument further comprises a wire wrapped around a portion of the pulley; and tension on the wire rotates the pulley. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The surgical instrument of claim 7, wherein: the proximal portion of the force-imparting cantilever beam is thinner than the distal portion of the center cantilever beam. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The surgical instrument of claim 7, wherein: the force-sensing cantilever beam includes a distal end adjacent the shoulder portion of the force-imparting cantilever beam. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein: the shoulder portion includes a first shoulder contact surface and a second shoulder contact surface; the first shoulder contact surface is spaced from the center cantilever beam toward the first force-sensing cantilever beam; and the second shoulder contact surface is spaced from the center cantilever beam toward the second force-sensing cantilever beam.