# US 12,594,138 B2 · Bearing structure and drape unit including bearing structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,138 B2 - Document ID: US12594138B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/953,679 - Filed: 2022-09-27 - Published: 2023-01-19 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-02 - Assignees: Riverfield Inc. - Applicants: Riverfield Inc. - Inventors: Naoya Morita; Nobuaki Kurihara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594138B2 ## CPC - A61B 46/10: specially adapted for instruments{, e.g. microscopes} - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 46/40: {Drape material, e.g. laminates; Manufacture thereof} - A61B 90/08: {Accessories or related features not otherwise provided for} - A61B 2017/00455: {Orientation indicators, e.g. recess on the handle} - A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)} - A61B 2090/0808: {for indicating correct assembly of components, e.g. of the surgical apparatus} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A bearing structure includes a fixing member attached with respect to an arm of a surgical robot in a state in which a holder that is provided at a distal end of the arm is inserted inside the fixing member, a first drape that covers the arm being attachable to the fixing member, and a rotating member attached with respect to the fixing member in a slidably rotatable manner in a state in which the holder is inserted inside the rotating member, a second drape that covers the holder being attachable to the rotating member. The rotating member is rotatable together with the holder. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A bearing structure comprising: a fixing member attached with respect to an arm of a surgical robot in a state in which a holder that is provided at a distal end of the arm is inserted inside the fixing member, a first drape that covers the arm being attachable to the fixing member; and a rotating member attached with respect to the fixing member in a slidably rotatable manner in a state in which the holder is inserted inside the rotating member, a second drape that covers the holder being attachable to the rotating member, wherein the rotating member is rotatable together with the holder. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The bearing structure according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member and the rotating member are annular, wherein the fixing member comprises: a base member that is attached to the arm; and a joint member that is configured to be fitted onto the base member and detachably attached to the base member, and wherein the rotating member is attached to the joint member in the slidably rotatable manner. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The bearing structure according to claim 2, wherein the base member and the joint member are detachably fitted to each other by fitting a fitting protrusion provided on one of the base member and the joint member to a fitting recess provided in another one of the base member and the joint member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The bearing structure according to claim 3, wherein the fitting protrusion is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the base member and the fitting recess is provided in an inner circumferential surface of the joint member, or the fitting protrusion is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the joint member and the fitting recess is provided in the outer circumferential surface of the base member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The bearing structure according to claim 4, wherein the fitting recess connects with a guide groove that extends along a circumferential direction of the fixing member and the rotating member, and the fitting protrusion is moved along the guide groove to rotate and guide the fitting protrusion into the fitting recess. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The bearing structure according to claim 5, wherein the guide groove extends along a main axis direction from a fitting side end portion in the main axis direction and further extends in the circumferential direction of the fixing member and the rotating member, the main axis direction being an axial direction of the fixing member and the rotating member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The bearing structure according to claim 6, wherein the guide groove has a tapered portion in which a depth of the guide groove decreases as the guide groove extends from an end portion of the guide groove in the main axis direction along the main axis direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The bearing structure according to claim 6, wherein: the fitting recess comprises a plurality of fitting recesses and the fitting protrusion comprises a plurality of fitting protrusions corresponding respectively to the plurality of fitting recesses, the plurality of fitting recesses and the plurality of fitting protrusions are provided in pairs in the circumferential direction, and the plurality of fitting protrusions are provided at positions at a predetermined distance in the main axis direction from the fitting side end portion in the main axis direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The bearing structure according to claim 5, wherein the guide groove is formed to have a wider width than a width of the fitting recess in a main axis direction that is an axial direction of the fixing member and the rotating member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The bearing structure according to claim 5, wherein the guide groove is connected to the fitting recess via a restriction protrusion, and the restriction protrusion restricts the fitting protrusion that has been fitted into the fitting recess from returning to the guide groove. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The bearing structure according to claim 5, wherein the base member and the joint member are provided with respective fitting markers that indicate that the fitting protrusion has reached a position at which the fitting protrusion is fitted into the fitting recess by rotating the joint member relative to the base member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The bearing structure according to claim 11, wherein the fitting marker provided on the base member and the fitting marker provided on the joint member are arranged at a same position as each other in the circumferential direction of the fixing member when the fitting protrusion has reached the position at which the fitting protrusion is fitted into the fitting recess. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The bearing structure according to claim 11, wherein the base member is provided with an initial position marker that indicates that a position in the circumferential direction of the fitting protrusion corresponds to a position of the guide groove. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The bearing structure according to claim 3, wherein: the fitting recess comprises a plurality of fitting recesses and the fitting protrusion comprises a plurality of fitting protrusions corresponding respectively to the plurality of fitting recesses, and the plurality of fitting recesses and the plurality of fitting protrusions are provided in pairs in a circumferential direction of the fixing member and the rotating member. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The bearing according to claim 14, wherein at least some of the fitting recesses and fitting protrusions have different intervals in the circumferential direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The bearing structure according to claim 3, wherein the fitting protrusion is hemispherical. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The bearing structure according to claim 3, wherein the fitting protrusion has a spherical portion and a biasing portion that biases the spherical portion in an outward direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) The bearing structure according to claim 2, wherein the base member is composed of a metal, and the joint member and the rotating member are composed of a resin material having durability against sterilization. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) The bearing structure according to claim 2, wherein: the first drape is fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the joint member, and when fitted together, the base member and the joint member have a gap therebetween, the gap having a length that is at least twice a thickness of the first drape in an axial direction of the fixing member and the rotating member. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The bearing structure according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member has a protruding edge portion at an end portion of the fixing member in an axial direction, and the protruding edge portion protrudes outward in a radial direction from the fixing member, and when the rotating member is attached to the fixing member in the slidably rotatable manner, the rotating member contacts the protruding edge portion to be prevented from being detached from the fixing member. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A drape unit comprising: the bearing structure according to claim 1; the first drape attached to the fixing member; the second drape attached to the rotating member; and a separator that is connected to the second drape, wherein the holder detachably holds an insertion member that is adapted to be inserted into a patient during a surgery, and the separator is located between the holder and the insertion member. ### Claim 22 A bearing structure comprising: a fixing member that is attached through a bearing member to a holding body provided at a distal end of an arm of a surgical robot, the fixing member comprising an annular groove in an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member at a distal end of the fixing member, a first drape that covers the arm being attachable to the fixing member; and a rotating member that comprises a plurality of tongue protrusions that protrude radially inward at a distal end of the rotating member, a second drape being attachable to the rotating member, wherein, when the rotating member is fitted to the fixing member, the plurality of tongue protrusions engage with the annular groove such that the plurality of tongue protrusions are rotatable within the annular groove. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The bearing structure according to claim 22, wherein the fixing member comprises: a base member attached to the bearing member; and a joint member that is fitted to an outer circumferential surface of the base member, the joint member having the annular groove in an outer circumferential surface of the joint member at a distal end of the joint member, the first drape being attachable to the joint member.