Surgical tools for use in minimally invasive telesurgical applications

A minimally invasive surgical instrument for use with a robotic surgical system, the robotic surgical system providing master-slave telesurgery in response to input from a surgeon, the surgical instrument comprising;

• a pair of end effector mounting formations, each formation arranged to carry an end effector element and to be displaceable so that the end effector elements move toward and away from each other in a plane of movement;
• and
• an urging arrangement arranged to urge the end effector elements toward each other when they are moved apart beyond a predetermined amount, the urging arrangement comprising at least one elongate resilient urging member having a first end anchored on a first of the mounting formations and an opposed end intruding into a space defined by the second of the mounting formations, the opposed end abutting part of the second mounting formation when the end effector elements are moved apart by the predetermined amount, such that the resilient member is resiliently deformed by that part of the second mounting formation in response to the end effector elements being urged apart beyond the predetermined amount, thereby to urge the end effector elements toward each other.

A minimally invasive surgical instrument for use with a robotic surgical system, the robotic surgical system providing master-slave telesurgery in response to input from a surgeon, the surgical instrument comprising;

• a pair of end effector mounting formations, each formation arranged to carry an end effector element and to be displaceable so that the end effector elements move toward and away from each other in a plane of movement;
• an urging arrangement arranged to urge the end effector elements toward each other when they are moved apart beyond a predetermined amount, the urging arrangement comprising at least one resilient member;
• wherein the urging arrangement comprises a spring member.

A minimally invasive surgical instrument for use with a robotic surgical system, the robotic surgical system providing master-slave telesurgery in response to input from a surgeon, the surgical instrument comprising;

• a pair of end effector mounting formations, each formation arranged to carry an end effector element and to be displaceable so that the end effector elements move toward and away from each other in plane of movement;
• an urging arrangement arranged to urge the end effector elements toward each other when they are moved apart beyond a predetermined amount, the urging arrangement comprising at least one resilient member;
• wherein the pair of end effector mounting formations are coupled about a common pivotal connection.