Tool memory-based software upgrades for robotic surgery
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsGregory K. Toth, Nitish Swarup, Thomas R. Nixon, David Q. Larkin, Steven J. Colton
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Abstract
Robotic devices, systems, and methods for use in robotic surgery and other robotic applications, and/or medical instrument devices, systems, and methods includes both a reusable processor and a limited-use robotic tool or medical treatment probe. A memory the limited-use component includes machine readable code with data and/or programming instructions to be implemented by the processor. Programming of the processor can be updated by shipping of new data once downloaded by the processor from a component, subsequent components can take advantage of the updated processor without repeated downloading.
Claims12
1-29. (canceled)
A method comprising:
- providing a plurality of systems, each system having a processor, to a plurality of customers;
- distributing to the customers a plurality of limited-use devices, each device coupleable to one of the plurality of systems so as to perform a primary function;
- and
- updating programming code or data of the processors from memories of the coupled devices so as to alter the performance of the primary function after the devices are decoupled from the systems.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.