Back to results
US 9,173,547 B2Granted
Retrograde instrument
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsEugene F. Duval, David C. Shafer, Bruce M. Schena
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A minimally invasive surgical instrument includes a U-turn mechanism that transmits actuating forces around a U-turn. The U-turn mechanism is coupled between segments of the instrument and has a bend radius that is smaller than flexible arms having a similar cross section diameter. The actuating forces transmitted by the U-turn mechanism are used to move distal components of the instrument, such as an end effector and a wrist mechanism.
Claims9
A method comprising:
- extending a portion of a surgical instrument through a guide tube, the portion of the surgical instrument comprising a body, a U-turn mechanism, and an end effector, the U-turn mechanism including a first end and a second end, the U-turn mechanism having a permanent fixed U-shape, the ends of the U-shape being the first and second ends of the U-turn mechanism, the body of the surgical instrument being coupled to the first end of the U-turn mechanism, and the end effector being coupled to the second end of the U-turn mechanism;
- and
- transmitting an actuating force on a filar, the filar extending through the U-turn mechanism to the end effector, the U-turn mechanism further comprising a first face, a second face, and cable guide tubes, the first face being adjacent the first end of the U-turn mechanism, the second face being adjacent the second end of the U-turn mechanism, each of the cable guide tubes having a first end and a second end, the first end of the cable guide tube being coupled to the first face, and the second end of the cable guide tube being coupled to the second face, the filar extending through one of the cable guide tubes, and the U-turn mechanism being dedicated to transmitting the actuating force through a retrograde angle to the end effector of the surgical instrument.
A method comprising:
- inserting a portion of a surgical instrument through a guide tube, wherein the portion of the surgical instrument comprises a first body segment, a U-turn mechanism, and an end component, the U-turn mechanism having a first end, a first face, a second end, a second face, cable guide tubes, and a permanent fixed U-shape, the first face being adjacent the first end of the U-turn mechanism, the second face being adjacent the second end of the U-turn mechanism, each of the cable guide tubes having a first end and a second end, the first end of each of the cable guide tubes being coupled to the first face, and the second end of each of the cable guide tubes being coupled to the second face, the first end of the U-turn mechanism being coupled to the first body segment, the second end of the U-turn mechanism being coupled to the end component, the guide tube comprising a channel, and the channel comprising a bore and a slot;
- wherein during the inserting, the first body segment and a first portion of the U-turn mechanism pass through the bore and a second portion of the U-turn mechanism passes through the slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.