Double universal joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10292767-B2
Application number	US-201514802758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2015
Priority date	Nov 13, 2009
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

Surgical tools having a two degree-of-freedom wrist, wrist articulation by linked tension members, mechanisms for transmitting torque through an angle, and minimally invasive surgical tools incorporating these features are disclosed. An elongate intermediate wrist member is pivotally coupled with a distal end of an instrument shaft so as to rotate about a first axis transverse to the shaft, and an end effector body is pivotally coupled with the intermediate member so as to rotate about a second axis that is transverse to the first axis. Linked tension members interact with attachment features to articulate the wrist. A torque-transmitting mechanism includes a coupling member, coupling pins, a drive shaft, and a driven shaft. The drive shaft is coupled with the driven shaft so as to control the relative orientations of the drive shaft, the coupling member, and the driven shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for articulating a feature of an end effector of a minimally invasive surgical tool, the method comprising:
supporting an end effector with an instrument shaft so that an orientation of the end effector can be varied relative to the instrument shaft about a pitch axis and about a yaw axis, the instrument shaft being elongated along an instrument shaft axis;
rotating a drive shaft within the instrument shaft, the drive shaft having a distal end and being elongated along a driveshaft axis that is offset from the instrument shaft axis;
supporting a driven shaft with the end effector for rotation relative to the end effector around a driven shaft axis;
rotating the driven shaft via the rotation of the drive shaft via a coupling member that couples the drive shaft with the driven shaft so that the rate of rotation of the drive shaft and the driven shaft are substantially equal when the driveshaft axis and the driven shaft axis are non parallel; and
articulating a feature of the end effector via the rotation of the driven shaft,
wherein the end effector can be reoriented relative to the instrument shaft axis via pivoting of the end effector about the pitch axis and about the yaw axis.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising varying the orientation of the end effector relative to the instrument shaft about at least one of the pitch axis and the yaw axis.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising articulating a plurality of pulling members extending through the instrument shaft and connected to the end effector to vary the orientation of the end effector relative to the instrument shaft.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of pulling members comprises four tension members offset from and arranged around the instrument shaft axis in two diagonally opposed pairs.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the coupling member comprises a coupling member first end and a coupling member second end with a coupling member axis defined there between;
the driveshaft distal end is axially and rotationally coupled with the coupling member first end so that rotation of the driveshaft about the driveshaft axis produces rotation of the coupling member about the coupling member axis;
the driven shaft proximal end is axially and rotationally coupled with the coupling member second end so that rotation of the coupling member about the coupling member axis produces rotation of the driven shaft about the driven shaft axis; and
the method comprises interfacing the driveshaft distal end and the driven shaft proximal end so as to maintain matching angles between
the driveshaft axis and the coupling member axis, and
the driven shaft axis and the coupling member axis

when an angle between the driveshaft axis and the driven shaft axis varies during rotation of the driveshaft and the driven shaft.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the driveshaft distal end comprises driveshaft gear teeth that are spherical and the driven shaft proximal end comprises driven shaft gear teeth that are spherical and engage the driveshaft gear teeth.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising varying the orientation of the end effector relative to the instrument shaft about at least one of the pitch axis and the yaw axis during the articulation of the feature of the end effector via the rotation of the driven shaft.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the articulated feature of the end effector comprises an articulated jaw configured to clamp tissue.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the articulated feature of the end effector comprises an articulated cutting element configured to cut tissue.

10. A method for articulating features of an end effector of a minimally invasive surgical tool, the method comprising:
supporting an end effector with an instrument shaft so that an orientation of the end effector can be varied relative to the instrument shaft about a pitch axis and about a yaw axis, the instrument shaft being elongated along an instrument shaft axis;
rotating a first drive shaft within the instrument shaft, the first drive shaft having a distal end and being elongated along a first driveshaft axis that is offset from the instrument shaft axis;
rotating a second drive shaft within the instrument shaft, the second drive shaft having a distal end and being elongated along a second driveshaft axis that is offset from the instrument shaft axis and the first driveshaft axis;
supporting a first driven shaft with the end effector for rotation relative to the end effector around a first driven shaft axis;
supporting a second driven shaft with the end effector for rotation relative to the end effector around a second driven shaft axis;
rotating the first driven shaft via the rotation of the first drive shaft via a first coupling member that couples the first drive shaft with the first driven shaft so that the rate of rotation of the first drive shaft and the first driven shaft are substantially equal when the first driveshaft axis and the first driven shaft axis are non-parallel;
rotating the second driven shaft via the rotation of the second drive shaft via a second coupling member that couples the second drive shaft with the second driven shaft so that the rate of rotation of the second drive shaft and the second driven shaft are substantially equal when the second driveshaft axis and the second driven shaft axis are non-parallel;
articulating a first feature of the end effector via the rotation of the first driven shaft; and
articulating a second feature of the end effector via the rotation of the second driven shaft,
wherein the end effector can be reoriented relative to the instrument shaft axis via pivoting of the end effector about the pitch axis and about the yaw axis.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising varying the orientation of the end effector relative to the instrument shaft about at least one of the pitch axis and the yaw axis.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising articulating a plurality of pulling members extending through the instrument shaft and connected to the end effector to vary the orientation of the end effector relative to the instrument shaft.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of pulling members comprises four tension members offset from and arranged around the instrument shaft axis in two diagonally opposed pairs.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the first coupling member comprises a first coupling member first end and a first coupling member second end with a first coupling member axis defined there between;
the first driveshaft distal end is axially and rotationally coupled with the first coupling member first end so that rotation of the first driveshaft about the first driveshaft axis produces rotation of the first coupling member about the first coupling member axis;
the first driven shaft proximal end is axially and rotationally coupled with the first coupling member second end so that rotation of the first coupling member about the first coupling member axis produces rotation of the first driven shaft about the first driven shaft axis; and
the method comprises interfacing the first driveshaft distal end and the first driven shaft proximal end so as to maintain matching angles between
the first driveshaft axis and the first coupling member axis, and
the first driven shaft axis and the first coupling member axis

when an angle between the first driveshaft axis and the first driven shaft axis varies during rotation of the first driveshaft and the first driven shaft.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the second coupling member comprises a second coupli

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Burbank William A
• Dachs Ii Gregory W
• Murphy Todd E

Classifications

• F16D3/185 Primary

  radial teeth connecting concentric inner and outer coupling parts · CPC title

• A61B34/71 Primary

  Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms · CPC title

• F16D3/26

  Hooke's joints or other joints with an equivalent intermediate member to which each coupling part is pivotally or slidably connected (F16D3/18, F16D3/20 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• A61B2017/00526

  Methods of manufacturing · CPC title