In vivo accessories for minimally invasive robotic surgery

A robotic surgical system for effecting a predetermined treatment of a target tissue at an internal surgical site within a patient body, the system comprising:

• a surgical accessory adapted for effecting the treatment, wherein the surgical accessory is a clip;
• an accessory introducer having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the introducer insertable via an opening of the patient body into the patient body, the surgical accessory being coupled with the distal end of the introducer and passable through the opening to the internal surgical site;
• and
• a robotic arm supporting a surgical tool, the surgical tool having an end effector suitable for insertion through a second opening of the patient body, the end effector coupleable with the surgical accessory within the internal surgical site so that the robot arm can manipulate the surgical accessory to direct the treatment to the target tissue, wherein the surgical tool is a clip applier.

A robotic surgical system for effecting a predetermined treatment of a target tissue at an internal surgical site within a patient body, the system comprising:

• a surgical accessory adapted for effecting the treatment;
• an accessory introducer having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the introducer insertable via an opening of the patient body into the patient body, the surgical accessory being coupled with the distal end of the introducer and passable through the opening to the internal surgical site;
• a robotic arm supporting a surgical tool, the surgical tool having an end effector suitable for insertion through a second opening of the patient body, the end effector coupleable with the surgical accessory within the internal surgical site so that the robot arm can manipulate the surgical accessory to direct the treatment to the target tissue;
• and
• means for resiliently biasing the surgical accessory toward the opening.

A robotic surgical system for effecting a predetermined treatment of a target tissue at an internal surgical site within a patient body, the system comprising:

• a surgical accessory adapted for effecting the treatment;
• an accessory introducer having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the introducer insertable via an opening of the patient body into the patient body, the surgical accessory being coupled with the distal end of the introducer and passable through the opening to the internal surgical site;
• and
• a robotic arm supporting a surgical tool, the surgical tool having an end effector suitable fir insertion through a second opening of the patient body, the end effector coupleable with the surgical accessory within the internal surgical site so that the robot arm can manipulate the surgical accessory to direct the treatment to the target tissue;
• wherein the accessory introducer includes a container having a door openable by the surgical tool, the container containing one or more surgical accessories.

A robotic surgical system for effecting a predetermined treatment of a target tissue at an internal surgical site within a patient body, the system comprising:

• a surgical accessory adapted for effecting the treatment;
• an accessory introducer having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the introducer insertable via an opening of the patient body into the patient body, the surgical accessory being coupled with the distal end of the introducer and passable through the opening to the internal surgical site;
• and
• a robotic arm supporting a surgical tool, the surgical tool having an end effector suitable for insertion through a second opening of the patient body, the end effector coupleable with the surgical accessory within the internal surgical site so that the robot arm can manipulate the surgical accessory to direct the treatment to the target tissue;
• wherein the end effector comprises a pair of working members and the accessory comprises a pair of fingers moveably supported on a collar which is configured to be releaseably coupled with the surgical tool in a coupled position, the pair of fingers mating with the pair of working members to be movable by the pair of working members in the coupled position.

A robotic surgical system comprising:

• a plurality of surgical accessories;
• an accessory introducer for concurrently providing the plurality of surgical accessories to a surgical site within a patient;
• and
• a surgical tool robotically controlled to couple a selected one of the plurality of surgical accessories to a working end of the surgical tool in order to perform a surgical procedure at the surgical site.