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US 5,817,084 AGranted
Remote center positioning device with flexible drive
AssigneeSRI International
InventorJoel F. Jensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A remote center positioner used to support an instrument and provide a center of spherical rotation, remote from any bearings or mechanical supports, at a desired location of the instrument. The remote center positioner is particularly useful in laparoscopic surgery to constrain a surgical instrument to move around a fixed center of rotation remote from any bearings or mechanical supports and coincident with an entry incision in the abdominal wall.
Claims18
A surgical manipulator for moving an instrument about a desired spherical center of rotation at a desired fixed location along the instrument, the manipulator comprising:
- a base support adapted to be fixedly mounted to a surface;
- a first linkage, including at least a first rod, pivotally mounted on the base support for rotation about a first axis;
- an instrument holder holding the instrument in a position so that the desired remote center of spherical rotation of the instrument intersects a second axis perpendicular to and intersecting the first axis;
- a second linkage, including at least a second rod, pivotally connected to the first linkage and the instrument holder for moving the instrument holder in a parallel-plane relationship to the first linkage such that the spherical center of rotation is maintained at the desired fixed location along the instrument;
- and
- wherein at least one of the first and second linkages includes a flexible drive element comprising a pulley and a flexible element connected around the pulley, the pulley rotationally affixed to one of the rods such that a movement of one of the linkages is transmitted to the other of the linkages by the flexible drive element.
3 more elements
A surgical manipulator for moving an instrument about a desired spherical center of rotation at a desired fixed location along the instrument, the manipulator comprising:
- a base support adapted to be fixedly mounted to a surface;
- a first linkage pivotally mounted on the base support for rotation about a first axis, the first linkage including a pulley rotationally fixedly mounted thereon adjacent to the base plate;
- an instrument holder for holding the instrument in a position so that the desired remote center of spherical rotation of the instrument intersects a second axis perpendicular to and intersecting the first axis;
- a second linkage connected to the instrument holder and pivotally connected to the first linkage, the second linkage including a pulley rotationally fixedly mounted thereon adjacent the pivotal connection to the first linkage;
- and
- a flexible chain element connected around the pulleys such that the remote center of spherical rotation of the instrument is maintained at the desired fixed location as the linkages are moved.
3 more elements
A surgical manipulator system comprising.
- a surgical instrument having an elongate shaft with proximal and distal ends, and an end effector coupled to the proximal end and a handle at the distal end, the handle including means for actuating the end effector;
- a rotatable joint having an x--x axis of rotation;
- a first linkage comprising one member having a first end pivotally mounted on the rotatable joint and a second end remote from the rotatable joint, the axis of rotation of the member of the first linkage being normal to and intersecting the x--x axis, the first linkage further comprising a first pulley rotationally fixedly mounted on the rotatable joint in coaxial relationship with the axis of rotation of the member;
- a parallelogram linkage having a driving end and a remote end, the parallelogram linkage including two sets of two corresponding members pivotally connected in a parallelogram, the parallelogram linkage being in a parallel-plane relationship with the first linkage and having the driving end pivotally connected to the remote end of the first linkage, a second pulley rotationally fixedly mounted to one of the two corresponding members at the driving end of the parallelogram linkage coaxial with the pivotal connection between the driving end and the remote end of the first linkage, the first and the second pulleys having the same diameter;
- a flexible element coupling the first pulley to the second pulleys;
- a drive for pivoting the end effector with respect to the instrument shaft;
- and
- a mount for the instrument extending from the remote end of the parallelogram linkage, the mount adapted to position the instrument axis to intersect the x--x axis of the rotatable joint at a location on the instrument desired for a remote center of spherical rotation.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.