Instrument drive mechanism for robotics

Abstract

An instrument drive mechanism comprises an outer shell having an open-ended receptacle. An internal gear is secured inside the open-ended receptacle and immovable relative to the outer shell. An interface cover is rotatably mounted to the open-ended receptacle, the interface cover configured to be connected to an instrument, the interface cover rotatably supporting at least one cover shaft with an output adapted to be rotatingly coupled to the instrument. A drive system is rotatably mounted to the open-ended receptacle and connected to the interface cover to rotate with the interface cover, the drive system having at least two motor units, a coupling assembly between each of the at least one cover shaft and a corresponding one of the motor units for releasably coupling a motor unit shaft to the cover shaft, for the at least one said motor unit coupled to each said at least one cover shaft to transmit a degree of actuation thereto, and one said motor unit having a gear coupled to internal gear to drive a rotation of the interface cover and drive system relative to the outer shell.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.