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US 7,121,781 B2Granted
Surgical instrument with a universal wrist
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical, Inc.
InventorDan Sanchez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A robotically controlled endoscopic medical instrument that includes an end effector coupled to a wrist. The wrist provides two separate degrees of freedom about the same pivot point. The end effector can be moved and actuated by pins. The pins allow for a compact minimally invasive medical instrument that has a wrist with two degrees of freedom.
Claims10
A robotically controlled medical instrument, comprising:
- an end effector base having a plurality of ball joints;
- a stationary jaw connected to the end effector base;
- a movable jaw pivotally coupled to the stationary jaw;
- first and second pins respectively coupled to the end effector base at first and second of the plurality of ball joints;
- a third pin coupled to the movable jaw;
- a stationary pin coupled to the end effector base at a third of the plurality of ball joints so as to define a pivot point;
- and
- a tool driver configured to effect a first degree of freedom movement of the end effector base at the pivot point by moving the first and second pins in opposite directions, effect a second degree of freedom movement of the end effector base at the pivot point by moving the first and second pins in a same direction, effect pivotal movement of the movable jaw in a first angular direction by moving the third pin in a first direction, and effect pivotal movement of the movable jaw in a second annular direction by moving the third in a second direction opposite to that of the first direction.
5 more elements
A robotically controlled medical instrument, comprising:
- an end effector having opposing jaws;
- first, second and third pins coupled to the end effector, and
- a tool driver configured to effect a first degree of freedom movement of the end effector about a pivot point by moving the first and second pins in opposite directions, effect a second degree of freedom movement of the end effector about the pivot point by moving the first and second pins in a same direction, and effect opening and closing of the end effector jaws by moving the third pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.