Methods of operating a surgical instrument or subsystem thereof
AssigneeCilag GmbH International
InventorsWILLIAM CLAIBORNE RYLE, DOUGLAS MARRIOTT, PAUL MOUBARAK, JOSEPH MOZLOOM, JR., JUNAID AKBAR, SAMANTHA A. GRACE-MUDD, DARRYL A. PARKS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical instrument designed to operate with a robotic platform is disclosed. The surgical instrument assembly includes a shaft, an end effector, a knife firing subsystem to actuate functions of the end effector, an articulation subsystem that is actuatable to articulate the end effector, an articulation joint about which the end effector articulates, a roll subsystem to roll the shaft, and a housing that couples to the robotic platform.
Claims20
A method of operating an articulation subsystem of a surgical instrument, the method comprising:
- engaging a first articulation puck of a first articulation puck assembly with a robotic platform;
- and
- rotating, via the robotic platform, the first articulation puck in a first puck direction,
- wherein rotation of the first articulation puck in the first puck direction causes a first articulation cable to wind around a first capstan of the first articulation puck assembly, and
- wherein winding of the first articulation cable around the first capstan causes an end effector to pivot about an articulation joint in a first articulation direction.
A method of operating a firing subsystem of a surgical instrument, the method comprising:
- engaging a firing puck of a firing puck assembly with a robotic platform;
- and
- rotating, via the robotic platform, the firing puck in a first puck direction,
- wherein rotation of the firing puck in the first puck direction causes a geartrain to rotate,
- wherein rotation of the geartrain rotates a driven gear,
- wherein rotation of the driven gear causes translational movement of a firing rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.