Surgical instrument with wireless communication between a control unit of a robotic system and remote sensor
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsJames R. Giordano, Jeffrey S. Swayze, Frederick E. Shelton, IV
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical instrument for use with a robotic system that has a control unit and a shaft portion that includes an electrically conductive elongated member that is attached to a portion of the robotic system. The elongated member is configured to transmit control motions from the robotic system to an end effector.
Claims20
A surgical instrument for use with a robotic system that has a control unit and a shaft portion that includes an electrically conductive elongated member that is attached to a portion of said robotic system and is configured to transmit control motions from the robotic system, the surgical instrument comprising an end effector that is configured to be operably coupled to the elongated electrically conductive member to receive said control motions from said surgical tool system such that at least one sensor within said end effector is electrically insulated from the elongated electrically conductive member such that the elongated electrically conductive member can wirelessly radiate communication signals from the control unit to the at least one sensor and can receive wirelessly radiated communication signals from the at least one sensor.
A surgical instrument for use with a robotic system that has a control unit and a shaft portion that includes an elongated electrically conductive member that is attached to a portion of said robotic system and at least partially houses a drive shaft therein, the surgical instrument comprising an end effector that is configured to be operably coupled to the elongated electrically conductive member and the drive shaft for receiving control motions from said robotic system, said end effector having at least one sensor that is electrically insulated from the elongated electrically conductive member such that the elongated electrically conductive member can wirelessly radiate communication signals from the control unit to the at least one sensor and can receive wirelessly radiated communication signals from the at least one sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.