Medical devices having three tool members
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsTimothy A. LIMON, Grant DUQUE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical device includes a link, a first tool member, a second tool member and a third tool member, which each have a proximal end portion movably coupled to the link and a distal end portion. The distal end portion of the first tool member can engage a first object and be associated with a first medical function, the distal end portion of the second tool member can engage a second object and be associated with a second medical function, and the distal end portion of the third tool member can engage the first object or the second object and be associated with the first and/or second medical function. Each of the first, second and third tool members can move relative to the link independent of movement of the each of the other tool members.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- inserting a distal end portion of an instrument into a body via cannula within a minimally invasive opening, the distal end portion of the instrument includes a link, a first tool member, a second tool member, and a third tool member, at least two of the first tool member, the second tool member, and the third tool member being movably coupled to the link;
- manipulating, at a first time, a first portion of a target workspace within the body using a first contact surface of the first tool member and a second contact surface of the second tool member;
- and
- manipulating, at a second time, the first portion or a second portion of the target workspace within the body using a third contact surface of the third tool member and at least one of the first contact surface of the first tool member or a fourth contact surface of the second tool member.
An end effector comprising:
- a proximal clevis;
- a distal clevis rotatably coupled to the proximal clevis;
- a first tool member coupled to the distal clevis, the first tool member having a first grip feature;
- a second tool member coupled to the distal clevis, the second tool member having a second grip feature on a first side and a third grip feature on a second side opposite the first side;
- and
- a third tool member coupled to the distal clevis, the third tool member having a fourth grip feature, wherein:
- at least two of the first tool member, the second tool member, or the third tool member are rotatable independently relative to the distal clevis,
- the first grip feature and the second grip feature are configured to operate cooperatively to have a first grip function, and
- the third grip feature and the fourth grip feature are configured to operate cooperatively to have a second grip function.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.