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US 2013/0211423 A1Published application
Low friction cannula seals for minimally invasive robotic surgery
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsStephen J. Blumenkranz, Bruce Michael Schena, Randal Goldberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of a cannula seal are disclosed. In some embodiments, a cannula seal can include a base portion that engages with a cannula; and a seal portion integrally formed with the base portion that slidebly engages with an instrument shaft such that an insertion frictional force between the seal portion and the instrument shaft for insertion of the instrument shaft is symmetrical and substantially equal with a retraction frictional force.
Claims32
A cannula seal, comprising:
- a base portion that engages with a cannula;
- and
- a seal portion integrally formed with the base portion that slidebly engages with an instrument shaft such that an insertion frictional force between the seal portion and the instrument shaft for insertion of the instrument shaft is substantially symmetrical and substantially equal with a retraction frictional force.
A method of symmetrically sealing a cannula, comprising:
- providing a base portion that attaches to a cannula;
- and
- providing a sealing portion integrally formed with the base portion that engages with an instrument shaft such that an insertion frictional force between the seal portion and the instrument shaft for insertion of the instrument shaft is substantially symmetrical with a retraction frictional force.
A surgical system, comprising:
- a robotic controller;
- a robot arm coupled to the robotic controller;
- a surgical instrument coupled to the robot arm and controlled by the robotic controller, the surgical instrument including an instrument shaft and a force sensor;
- a cannula coupled to the robot arm and receiving the instrument shaft of the surgical instrument;
- and
- a cannula seal attached to the cannula and engaging the instrument shaft of the surgical instrument, the cannula seal including a base portion that engages with the cannula and a seal portion integrally formed with the base portion that slidebly engages with the instrument shaft such that an insertion frictional force between the seal portion and the instrument shaft is substantially symmetrical and substantially equal with a retraction frictional force,
- wherein the robotic controller executes code that
- receives force measurements from the force sensor,
- corrects the force measurements for friction between the cannula seal and the instrument shaft, and
- transmits corrected force feedback to master tool manipulators on the robot controller.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.