# US 11,432,895 B2 · Wireless communication in a 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 11,432,895 B2 - Document ID: US11432895B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/433,759 - Filed: 2019-06-06 - Published: 2019-09-19 - Granted: 2022-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2005-12-20 - Assignees: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Applicants: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. - Inventors: Alan E. Loh; Roman L. Devengenzo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432895B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/71: {Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms} - A61B 1/00016: {using wireless means} - A61B 1/00149: {using articulated arms} - A61B 1/0016: {using motor drive units} - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/35: for telesurgery - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 90/98: using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders - B25J 9/1045: {comprising tensioning means} - B25J 9/1689: {Teleoperation} - A61B 90/361: {Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras} - A61B 2017/00212: {using remote controls} - A61B 2017/00221: {with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves} - A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)} - A61B 2034/305: {Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms} - A61B 2034/715: {Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack} - A61B 2046/234: {with means for retaining a catheter} - G16H 40/63: for local operation - 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}) - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A telesurgical manipulator comprises a surgical instrument, an instrument holder adapted to releasably mount the surgical instrument, an electrically-isolating and sterile drape, an instrument interface included on the instrument holder, and a communication device disposed on the instrument holder. The instrument interface is operably couplable to the surgical instrument via a sterile adaptor that secures the electrically-isolating and sterile drape to the instrument interface. The electrically-isolating and sterile drape permits communication between the surgical instrument and the instrument holder while maintaining an electrically-isolating and sterile barrier therebetween. The communication device wirelessly communicates with the surgical instrument, with the electrically-isolating and sterile drape disposed therebetween, and wirelessly provides power to the surgical instrument, with the electrically-isolating and sterile drape disposed therebetween. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A telesurgical manipulator, comprising: a surgical instrument; an instrument holder adapted to releasably mount the surgical instrument; an electrically-isolating and sterile drape; an instrument interface included on the instrument holder and operably couplable to the surgical instrument via a sterile adaptor that secures the electrically-isolating and sterile drape to the instrument interface, the electrically-isolating and sterile drape permitting communication between the surgical instrument and the instrument holder while maintaining an electrically-isolating and sterile barrier therebetween; and a communication device disposed on the instrument holder that wirelessly communicates with the surgical instrument, with the electrically-isolating and sterile drape disposed therebetween, and that wirelessly provides power to the surgical instrument, with the electrically-isolating and sterile drape disposed therebetween. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The manipulator of claim 1, wherein the communication device includes a primary transformer part that provides the power to the surgical instrument via a secondary transformer part included in the surgical instrument with the electrically-isolating and sterile drape disposed therebetween. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The manipulator of claim 1, wherein the communication device receives data selected from a group consisting of instrument identification and an instrument state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The manipulator of claim 1, wherein the communication device further comprises a printed circuit assembly for transmitting data selected from a group consisting of a system state, a sterile adaptor state, LED control, a clutch button state, and a Hall-effect sensor state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The manipulator of claim 1, wherein the communication device wirelessly communicates with a wireless transceiver disposed in a manipulator arm rotatably coupled to the instrument holder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The manipulator of claim 1, wherein the communication device includes a differential driver coupled to a coil to transmit data to the surgical instrument via a magnetic coupling, and wherein the surgical instrument includes a pair of differential sensors to receive the data via the magnetic coupling. ### Claim 7 A telesurgical manipulator system, comprising: an instrument holder, including a communication device; an electrically-isolating and sterile barrier; and a surgical instrument that wirelessly communicates with the communication device such that operational commands are received from the communication device, wherein the surgical instrument is releasably mountable to the instrument holder, wherein the surgical instrument includes an instrument data transmitter for communication with the communication device with the electrically-isolating and sterile barrier disposed therebetween, and wherein the communication device is further configured for providing power to the surgical instrument with the electrically-isolating and sterile barrier disposed therebetween. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the instrument data transmitter includes an instrument optical data transmitter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the instrument optical data transmitter includes a light transmitter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the surgical instrument includes an optical sensor that receives data from a light transmitter of the communication device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the electrically-isolating and sterile barrier includes an electrically-isolating and sterile drape and a sterile adaptor that secures the electrically-isolating and sterile drape to the instrument holder, wherein the surgical instrument is releasably mountable to the instrument holder via the sterile adaptor, the electrically-isolating and sterile barrier permitting communication between the surgical instrument and the instrument holder while disposed therebetween. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the communication device includes a primary transformer part that provides the power to the surgical instrument and the surgical instrument includes a secondary transformer part to receive the power from the communication device with the electrically-isolating and sterile barrier disposed therebetween. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the communication device receives data from the surgical instrument selected from a group consisting of an instrument identification and an instrument state. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the communication device further comprises a printed circuit assembly for transmitting data selected from a group consisting of a system state, a sterile adaptor state, LED control, a clutch button state, and a Hall-effect sensor state. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the surgical instrument has an end effector selected from a group consisting of jaws, scissors, graspers, needle holders, micro-dissectors, staple appliers, tackers, suction irrigation tools, clip appliers, cutting blades, cautery probes, irrigators, catheters, and suction devices. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising a manipulator arm coupled to the instrument holder and a wireless transceiver disposed in the manipulator arm, wherein the communication device is further configured to communicate wirelessly with the wireless transceiver disposed in the manipulator arm. ### Claim 17 A telesurgical manipulator system, comprising: an instrument holder coupled to a manipulator arm, the instrument holder including a first wireless transceiver and a second wireless transceiver, the first wireless transceiver being configured to communicate wirelessly with a third wireless transceiver disposed in the manipulator arm; an electrically-isolating and sterile drape; and a surgical instrument having a fourth wireless transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with the second wireless transceiver, wherein the surgical instrument is releasably mountable to the instrument holder, and wherein the instrument holder is configured to provide power wirelessly to the surgical instrument mounted to the instrument holder with the electrically-isolating and sterile drape disposed therebetween. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the instrument holder further includes a battery that provides power to the first and second wireless transceivers, and wherein: wireless communication between the first wireless transceiver and the third wireless transceiver is performed via a first wireless medium, and wireless communication between the second wireless transceiver and the fourth wireless transceiver is performed via a second wireless medium, the second wireless medium being different than the first wireless medium.