Instrument release

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11890070-B2
Application number	US-201716317243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A medical instrument includes a backend and a pair of release elements. The backend includes a docking feature shaped to engage a docking structure such as a docking port of a surgical robot or a sterile adaptor for a surgical robot. Each release element is coupled to the backend and may include an activation feature on one side of the backend and a push tab extending from either an opposite side or the same side of the backend. Movement of the activation features moves the push tabs from being aligned with the docking feature to pushing on the docking structure, permitting the medical instrument to be disengaged from the docking structure. Optionally, a coupling of the release elements limits a movement of the activation features.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medical instrument comprising:
a backend including a docking feature shaped to engage a docking structure;
a first release lever coupled to the backend and including a first activation feature on a first side of the backend and a first push tab extending from a second side of the backend, the second side being opposite to the first side; and
a second release lever coupled to the backend and including a second activation feature on the second side of the backend and a second push tab extending from the first side of the backend;
wherein a movement of the first and second activation features moves the first and second push tabs from being aligned with the docking feature to pushing on a portion of the docking structure to separate the portion of the docking structure and the backend.

2. The medical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the docking structure comprises an instrument sterile adapter that is part of a sterile barrier separating the medical instrument from a manipulator docking port.

3. The medical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the docking feature comprises:
a rail shaped to slide into the docking structure; and
a lock feature shaped to engage the docking structure and prevent the medical instrument from being slid out of the docking structure when engaged.

4. The medical instrument of claim 3 , wherein the first and second push tabs pushing on the docking structure disengages the lock feature from the docking structure, thereby allowing the medical instrument to be slid out of the docking structure.

5. The medical instrument of claim 1 , wherein:
the first activation feature comprises a first button;
the second activation feature comprises a second button; and
the first and second buttons are positioned so that a user can simultaneously depress the first and second buttons by grasping the backend.

6. The medical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first release lever comprises a monolithic structure including:
the first activation feature;
the first push tab;
a first pivot arm extending from the first activation feature to a first pivot that attaches to the backend on the first side; and
a lifter arm extending from the first activation feature to the second side of the backend, the first push tab extending from the lifter arm.

7. The medical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the monolithic structure further includes a second pivot arm extending from the first activation feature to a second pivot that attaches to the backend on the first side.

8. The medical instrument of claim 1 , wherein:
the first release lever comprises a first pin and a first guide channel;
the second release lever comprises a second pin and a second guide channel;
the first pin is in the second guide channel; and
the second pin is in the first guide channel.

9. The medical instrument of claim 8 , wherein shapes of the first and second guide channels control movement of the first and second pins and force the first and second release levers to move symmetrically during movement of the first and second activation features.

10. The medical instrument of claim 8 , wherein interaction of the first and second guide channels with the first and second pins and causes a reactive force in response to an activation force applied to one of the first and second release levers, the reactive force counteracting the activation force so that a net force does not push the medical instrument perpendicular to a direction in which the first and second push tabs move.

11. The medical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first release lever and the second release lever are identical.

12. A medical instrument comprising:
a backend including a docking feature shaped to engage a docking structure; and
a release mechanism including:
a first release element including a first activation feature on a first side of the backend,
a second release element including a second activation feature on a second side of the backend opposite the first side,
a first push tab extending from the first side of the backend, and
a second push tab extending from the second side of the backend,
wherein the first release element and the second release element are coupled together to limit a movement of the first and second activation features, and
wherein the movement of the first and second activation features moves the first and second push tabs from being aligned with the docking feature to pushing on a portion of the docking structure to separate the portion of the docking structure and the backend.

13. The medical instrument of claim 12 , further comprising an actuation mechanism in the backend between the first release element and the docking structure.

14. The medical instrument of claim 12 , wherein the first push tab is part of the second release element and the second push tab is part of the first release element.

15. The medical instrument of claim 12 , wherein the first push tab is part of the first release element and the second push tab is part of the second release element.

16. The medical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the first release element comprises:
a first link having a first pivot coupled to the backend and a second pivot coupled to the first activation feature so that moving the first activation feature rotates the first link about the first pivot; and
a first push rod coupled to a third pivot of the first link, wherein the first push tab extends from the first push rod.

17. The medical instrument of claim 16 , wherein the second release element comprises:
a second link having a first pivot coupled to the backend and a second pivot coupled to the second activation feature so that moving the second activation feature rotates the second link about the first pivot of the second link; and
a second push rod coupled to a third pivot of the second link, wherein the second push tab extends from the second push rod.

18. The medical instrument of claim 17 , wherein the first release element and the second release element are coupled together to limit the first and second activation features to moving linearly toward or away from each other.

19. The medical instrument of claim 12 , wherein the first activation feature and the second push tab are directly coupled by a lever comprising a pivot arm and a lifting arm.

20. The medical instrument of claim 12 , wherein the first release element and the second release element each have the same configuration.

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Lambrecht Bram Gilbert Antoon
• Holop Robert E

Classifications

• A61B34/35 Primary

  for telesurgery · CPC title

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B46/10

  specially adapted for instruments{, e.g. microscopes} · CPC title

• A61B90/57

  Accessory clamps · CPC title

• A61B2017/00477

  Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence) · CPC title