Mechanical manipulator for surgical instruments

A method for remotely operating a teleoperated surgical device to perform a surgical procedure within an incision point at a patient's body, the method comprising:

• selecting the teleoperated surgical device comprising a slave unit comprising a plurality of slave links interconnected by a plurality of slave joints, an instrument shaft operatively coupled to the slave unit, an end-effector coupled to a distal end of the instrument shaft, a master unit comprising a plurality of master links interconnected by a plurality of master joints, a handle coupled to the master unit for operating the teleoperated surgical device, and a transmission system configured to transmit motion from the master unit to the slave unit to cause the end-effector to move in three degrees-of-freedom and up to seven degrees-of-freedom within the patient's body;
• inserting the end-effector through the incision point such that the instrument shaft passes into the patient's body at the incision point;
• and
• moving the handle to transmit motion from the master unit to the slave unit by actuating a first pulley to generate cable motion in a first direction and actuating a second pulley to generate cable motion in a second direction opposite to the first direction while maintaining a constant closed loop cable length to thereby move the end-effector in a degree-of-freedom within the patient's body.