Instrument actuation process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016128792-A1
Application number	US-201614996863-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 15, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2011
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system includes a medical instrument that includes a termination fixture, an actuated element, and drive members coupled to the actuated element and extending to the termination fixture. The termination fixture provides an interface that exposes portions of the drive member to direct movement by an external system that may include a manipulator and a sterile barrier.

First claim

1 - 26 . (canceled)

27 . A method for operating a medical instrument, comprising:
installing a sterile barrier that is in direct contact with a drive member of the medical instrument, wherein the drive member extends through a main shaft of the instrument and connects to an actuated element of the instrument; and operating a manipulator to act on the sterile barrier to transfer force through the sterile barrier to the drive member to thereby actuate the actuated element of the instrument.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the drive member comprises a tendon and acting on the sterile barrier pushes on the sterile barrier at a location where the sterile barrier contacts a suspended portion of the tendon so that pushing on the sterile barrier deflects the suspended portion of the tendon in a direction perpendicular to a length of the tendon.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the sterile barrier includes a fixture connected to an end of the drive member, and operating the manipulator comprises pulling or pushing on the fixture to thereby pull or push the end of the drive member.

30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the drive member includes a solid structure that is at an end of the drive member and is shaped to engage a rotatable fixture of the sterile barrier, and operating the manipulator comprises rotating the rotatable fixture to thereby move the drive member.

31 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the drive member comprises a tendon, and the method further comprises:
moving the manipulator to create a desired tension in the tendon before operating the manipulator to actuate the actuated element; and determining an initial pose of the instrument when the tendon has the desired tension.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein determining the initial pose comprises sensing a configuration of the actuated element.

33 . The method of claim 31 , wherein determining the initial pose comprises monitoring movement of the manipulator while moving the manipulator to create the desire tension in the tendon and inferring the initial pose from the movement of the manipulator.

34 . The method of claim 31 , wherein determining the initial pose comprises holding the actuated element in a known position while moving the manipulator to create the desire tension in the tendon.

35 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the tendon has unmeasured creep or stretch that is taken up while moving the manipulator mews to create the desire tension in the tendon.

36 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the manipulator acts by pressing on a portion of the sterile barrier that is a sheet without other intervening structure.

37 . A method comprising:
providing a medical instrument having one or more tendons that extend from a proximal end of the instrument to an actuated element at a distal end of the instrument, wherein the tendons have tensions that are less than first tensions used during operation of the medical instrument with a manipulator; and configuring an interface at a proximal end of the medical instrument to work with the manipulator in a process including: engaging the medical instrument with the manipulator to increase tension in the tendons to the first tensions; and then operating the manipulator to pull the tendons and actuate the actuated element.

38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein engaging the medical instrument comprises:
contacting the tendons with a first portion of the manipulator; and moving the manipulator until the tendons have the first tensions.

39 . The method of claim 38 , wherein operating the manipulator comprises using a second portion of the manipulator to actuate the actuated element.

40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the first portion of the manipulator contacts suspended portions of the tendons at locations away from ends of the tendons and the second portion of the manipulator contacts the ends of the tendons.

41 . The method of claim 37 , wherein contacting the tendons comprises the manipulator contacting the tendons via an intervening sterile barrier.

42 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the medical instrument is provided without tension in the tendons.

43 . The method of claim 37 , further comprising determining an initial pose of the instrument when the tendons have the first tensions.

44 . The method of claim 37 , wherein
engaging the medical instrument to increase tension in the tendons comprises first portions of the manipulator deflecting suspended portions of the tendons at locations away from ends of the tendons; and operating the manipulator to pull the tendons comprises second portions of the manipulator pulling the ends of the tendons.

45 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the solid structure is a gear rack, and the rotatable fixture is a pinion gear.

46 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the rotatable fixture is a roller having a friction contact to a surface of the solid structure.

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Rogers Theodore W
• Steger John Ryan

Classifications

• A61B46/10

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

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B2017/00477

  Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/29

  Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery · CPC title

• A61B34/71 Primary

  Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms · CPC title