Multi-pivot, single plane articulable wrists for surgical tools

Abstract

A robotic surgical tool includes a drive housing, an elongate shaft extending from the drive housing and having an end effector arranged at a distal end of the elongate shaft, and an articulable wrist interposing the end effector and the elongate shaft, the articulable wrist including a plurality of articulation links including at least a first articulation link, a second articulation link, and a third articulation link. The first articulation link is pivotably coupled to the second articulation link at a first coupling interface, the second articulation link is pivotably coupled to the third articulation link at a second coupling interface, and the first and third articulation links are pivotably coupled at a third coupling interface. The third coupling interface axially interposes the first and second coupling interfaces along a longitudinal length of the articulable wrist.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.