Apparatus and methods for hybrid endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery
AssigneeModular Sugical, Inc.
InventorsAmir Belson, James J. Leary
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods are described allow the techniques of endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery to be combined into a minimally invasive hybrid surgical technique called NOTES-assisted laparoscopic surgery. Manual and robotic-controlled versions of a modular laparoscopic tool are described having a small diameter shaft that is delivered laparoscopically to a surgical site. Larger diameter working tips are delivered through a NOTES delivery tube inserted to the surgical site through a natural orifice and joined to the shaft of the modular laparoscopic tool. Larger diameter working tips improve the effectiveness of the modular laparoscopic tools and the number and size of laparoscopic ports used can also be reduced.
Claims21
A tool tip cassette comprising:
- a plurality of individual tool carriers flexibly connected along a line;
- a surgical working tip removably placed in each individual tool carrier;
- wherein the individual tool carriers may be arranged in a straight line when being inserted through an introducing tool and may be reconfigured to a curved line when placed in a body cavity, and wherein each individual tool carrier is configured to carry one surgical working tip.
A tool tip cassette comprising:
- a plurality of tool carriers connected along a line;
- a surgical working tip removably placed in each tool carrier;
- and
- hinged connections that permit the tool carriers to be arranged in a straight line when being inserted through an introducing tool and to be reconfigured to a curved line when placed in a body cavity so that the carriers can be placed on a surface within an abdominal cavity without flipping over.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.