Flexible surgical instrument with links undergoing solid-state transitions
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical, Inc.
InventorGiuseppe M. Prisco
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical instrument has a tip section with several degrees of freedom of articulation and at least one link that may be too long for insertion through an entry guide that follows a curved path. Each long link is made of a shape memory alloy or another material having a state in which the link is sufficiently flexible to bend as needed to pass through the entry guide. Once through the entry guide, the material of the link makes a transition to a state in which the link returns to a desired shape and is sufficiently rigid for precise controlled movement against external forces and for actuation using tendons.
Claims19
A surgical system comprising:
- a main tube;
- a tip section at a distal end of the main tube, the tip section including a link comprising a material that transforms from a first state to a second state upon heating to a first temperature and transforms from the second state to the first state upon cooling from the first temperature to a second temperature;
- a tendon extending through the main tube and coupled to the link, wherein movement of the tendon causes actuation of the link about a joint in the tip section;
- and
- a temperature control system for changing a temperature of the link.
A surgical system comprising:
- a main tube;
- a tip section at a distal end of the main tube, the tip section including a link comprising a shape memory alloy;
- a tendon extending through the main tube and coupled to the tip section, wherein movement of the tendon causes actuation of the tip section;
- and
- a heater coupled to the link, wherein the heater can be turned on to heat the shape memory alloy and cause the shape memory alloy to transition from a first state to a second state in which the link is stiff enough for actuation of the tip section using the tendon.
A surgical process, comprising:
- inserting an entry guide in a patient;
- inserting a tip section of an instrument through the entry guide, wherein during insertion of the tip section, a material in a link in the tip section is kept in a first state that provides the link with sufficient flexibility to bend while being inserted;
- and
- changing a temperature of the link to cause the material in the link to transition to a second state after the link has reached a work site.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.