Actuator and drive for manipulating a tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10813712-B2
Application number	US-201815893195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2018
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A tool apparatus and a method for actuating a tool apparatus are disclosed. The tool apparatus includes an actuator housing, and an elongate tool manipulator extending outwardly from the actuator housing and having a plurality of control links extending along a length of the tool manipulator. The control links are operable to cause movement of a distal end of the tool manipulator in response to movement of the control links in an actuating direction generally aligned with the length of the tool manipulator. The apparatus also includes a plurality of actuators, each actuator being associated with at least one of the control links and being mounted in the actuator housing to facilitate a range of travel in a transverse direction substantially orthogonal to the actuating direction, and a plurality of linkages. Each linkage is associated with one of the control links and extends between the control link and the respective actuator and is operable to transmit drive forces between the actuator and the control link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic surgery apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a mounting interface positioned at least partially on an exterior of the housing, the mounting interface configured to support a surgical tool comprising a plurality of actuators associated with a plurality of control links; and
a plurality of drivers positioned at least partially on the exterior of the housing, the plurality of drivers configured to engage with a plurality of actuators of the surgical tool supported by the mounting interface,
the plurality of drivers comprising first and second drivers positioned at least partially on the exterior of the housing, the first and second drivers configured to engage, respectively, with first and second actuators of the plurality of actuators of the surgical tool, and
the first driver comprising a first rotator and the second driver comprising a second rotator, the first and second rotators configured to be rotated in opposite directions to cause the first and second drivers and the first and second actuators to move in opposite directions along a first axis oriented in a direction orthogonal to a direction of a second axis along which at least some control links of the plurality of control links of the surgical tool move and to further cause associated first and second control links of the plurality of control links of the surgical tool to move in opposite directions along the second axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second drivers are adjacent.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a motor configured to rotate the first and second rotators.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the first driver comprises a first coupler configured to engage with the first actuator;
the second driver comprises a second coupler configured to engage with the second actuator;
the first rotator comprises a first leadscrew and the first coupler comprises a first nut coupled to the first leadscrew; and
the second rotator comprises a second leadscrew and the second coupler comprises a second nut coupled to the second leadscrew.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a first gear of the first leadscrew, and a second gear of the second leadscrew coupled to the first gear of the first leadscrew; and
a drive shaft coupled to the motor, the drive shaft including a third gear coupled to the first gear of the first leadscrew,
wherein the motor is configured to rotate the drive shaft and cause the first and second leadscrews to rotate in opposite directions and the first second drivers to move in opposite directions along the first axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first coupler comprises a first slot configured to receive a first protruding portion of the first actuator, and the second coupler comprises a second slot configured to receive a second protruding portion of the second actuator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises first and second rails oriented along the first axis and configured to support the first and second drivers, respectively, the first driver configured to move along the first rail and the second driver configured to move along the second rail.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein movement of the first and second drivers in opposite directions along the first axis causes substantially simultaneous pulling of the first control link and pushing of the second control link.

9. A robotic surgery apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a mounting interface positioned at least partially on an exterior of the housing, the mounting interface configured to support a surgical tool comprising a plurality of actuators associated with a plurality of control links; and
a plurality of drivers positioned at least partially on the exterior of the housing, the plurality of drivers configured to engage with a plurality of actuators of the surgical tool supported by the mounting interface,
the plurality of drivers comprising first and second drivers positioned at least partially on the exterior of the housing, the first and second drivers configured to engage, respectively, with first and second actuators of the plurality of actuators of the surgical tool, and
the first and second drivers configured to be moved in opposite directions along a first axis oriented in a direction orthogonal to a direction of a second axis along which at least some control links of the plurality of control links of the surgical tool move and to cause associated first and second control links of the plurality of control links of the surgical tool to move in opposite directions along the second axis.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first and second drivers are adjacent.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a first rotator coupled with the first driver and configured to cause the first driver to move along the first axis; and
a second rotator coupled with the second driver and configured to cause the second driver to move along the first axis.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a motor coupled to a drive shaft, the drive shaft configured to rotate the first and second rotators.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the first rotator comprises a first leadscrew and a first nut coupled to the first leadscrew; and
the second rotator comprises a second leadscrew and a second nut coupled to the second leadscrew.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
a first gear of the first leadscrew coupled to a third gear of the drive shaft; and
a second gear of the second leadscrew coupled to the first gear of the first leadscrew,
wherein the motor is configured to rotate the drive shaft and cause the first and second leadscrews to rotate in opposite directions and the first second drivers to move in opposite directions along the first axis.

15. A method of operating a robotic surgery apparatus of claim 9 , the method comprising:
actuating the first and second drivers of the plurality of drivers engaged, respectively, with the first and second actuators of a plurality of actuators of the surgical tool supported by the mounting interface, the actuating causing the first and second drivers to move in opposite directions along the first axis and further causing the first and second actuators of the surgical tool to move in opposite directions along the first axis; and
causing the associated first and second control links of the plurality of control links of the surgical tool to move in opposite directions along the second axis.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein actuating the first and second drivers to move in the opposite directions along the first axis comprises rotating the first rotator of the first driver and the second rotator of the second driver in opposite directions.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein actuating the first and second drivers in the opposite directions along the first axis causes substantially simultaneous pulling of the first control link and pushing of the second control link.

Assignees

• Titan Med Inc

Inventors

• Robert Rene
• Zitnick David Allen

Classifications

• A61B2017/00305

  Constructional details of the flexible means · CPC title

• A61B2017/00318

  Steering mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B2017/00398

  using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids · CPC title

• A61B17/00234

  for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2017/00477

  Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence) · CPC title