Power axle wrist for robotic surgical tool

A method of operating a surgical tool, comprising:

• positioning the surgical tool adjacent a patient for operation, the surgical tool including:
• a drive housing;
• an elongate shaft that extends from the drive housing;
• a wrist that couples an end effector to the elongate shaft and includes a distal clevis having a first axle that rotatably mounts the end effector to the distal clevis, and a proximal clevis coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft and having a second axle that rotatably mounts the distal clevis to the proximal clevis;
• a plurality of drive cables extending between the drive housing and the end effector;
• and
• a power axle cable extending from the drive housing and mounted to the distal clevis;
• moving one or more of the plurality of drive cables and thereby causing the end effector to articulate about a first pivot axis extending through the first axle;
• and
• moving the power axle cable and thereby pivoting the end effector about a second pivot axis extending through the second axle and perpendicular to the first pivot axis.

A power axle wrist for a surgical tool that couples an end effector to an elongate shaft of the surgical tool, the power axle wrist comprising:

• a distal clevis having a first axle where the end effector is rotatably mounted to the distal clevis, the end effector being articulable about a first pivot axis extending through the first axle;
• a proximal clevis configured to be coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft and having a second axle where the distal clevis is rotatably mounted to the proximal clevis;
• and
• a power axle cable mounted to the distal clevis such that movement of the power axle cable correspondingly pivots the end effector about a second pivot axis extending through the second axle and perpendicular to the first pivot axis.