Robotic surgical system with multiple purpose surgical clip applier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026026902-A1
Application number	US-202318994161-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2023
Priority date	Jul 22, 2022
Publication date	Jan 29, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A surgical robotic system includes a robotic arm having an instrument drive unit with at least one motor. The system also includes an instrument configured to couple to the instrument drive unit and to be actuated by the at least one motor. The instrument also includes an end effector having a pair of opposing jaws movable relative to each other. The end effector is further configured to engage a surgical attachment of a plurality of surgical attachments, which include a surgical clip, a grasper attachment, and a clip remover attachment. The system further includes a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of software controllers and instructions which. when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: identify a type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector and load a software controller of the stored plurality of software controllers based on the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector. The software controller includes at least one parameter for controlling the instrument drive unit in a manner specific to the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A surgical robotic system comprising:
a robotic arm including an instrument drive unit having at least one motor; an instrument configured to couple to the instrument drive unit and to be actuated by the at least one motor, the instrument including an end effector including a pair of opposing jaws movable relative to each other, the end effector configured to engage a surgical attachment of a plurality of surgical attachments including a surgical clip, a grasper attachment, and a clip remover attachment; a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: identify a type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector; and load a software controller based on the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector, the software controller including at least one parameter for controlling the instrument drive unit in a manner specific to the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector.

2 . The surgical robotic system according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument drive unit further includes a torque sensor configured to measure a torque of the at least one motor during engagement of the end effector with the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector.

3 . The surgical robotic system according to claim 2 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to identify the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector based on the torque.

4 . The surgical robotic system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a user interface configured to receive a user input indicating the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector.

5 . The surgical robotic system according to claim 4 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to identify the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector based on the user input.

6 . The surgical robotic system according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a surgeon console including at least one handle controller configured to control the instrument; and a control tower coupled to the surgeon console and the robotic arm.

7 . The surgical robotic system according to claim 6 , wherein the user interface is disposed on at least one of the surgeon console or the control tower.

8 . The surgical robotic system according to claim 7 , wherein the user interface is displayed on a touch screen.

9 . A powered surgical instrument comprising:
an end effector including a pair of opposing jaws movable relative to each other and configured to engage a surgical attachment of a plurality of surgical attachments including a surgical clip, a grasper attachment, and a clip remover attachment; a motor configured to actuate the end effector; a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: identify a type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector; and load a software controller based on the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector, the software controller including at least one parameter for controlling the motor in a manner specific to the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector.

10 . The powered surgical instrument according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a torque sensor configured to measure a torque of the motor during engagement of the end effector with the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector.

11 . The powered surgical instrument according to claim 10 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to identify the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector based on the torque.

12 . The powered surgical instrument according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a user interface configured to receive a user input indicating the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector.

13 . The powered surgical instrument according to claim 12 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to identify the type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector based on the user input.

14 . The powered surgical instrument according to claim 9 , wherein each of the jaws includes a surface feature configured to engage a boss disposed on each surgical attachment of the plurality of surgical attachments.

15 . The powered surgical instrument according to claim 14 , wherein the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector is the grasper attachment which includes a pair of opposing plates interconnected by a biasing member, each opposing plate including the boss and being configured to engage one jaw of the pair of opposing jaws.

16 . The powered surgical instrument according to claim 14 , wherein the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector is the clip remover attachment which includes a pair of opposing decoupled plates, each opposing plate including the boss and being configured to engage one jaw of the pair of opposing jaws.

17 . A method for controlling a powered surgical instrument, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of engagement of a surgical attachment of a plurality of surgical attachments by an end effector including a pair of opposing jaws movable relative to each other, the plurality of surgical attachments including a surgical clip, a grasper attachment, and a clip remover attachment; identifying, at a processor, a type of the surgical attachment engaged by the end effector; and loading a software controller, at the processor, based on the type of the surgical attachment, the software controller including at least one parameter for controlling a motor configured to actuate the end effector in a manner specific to the type of the surgical attachment.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
measuring torque of the motor during coupling of the end effector with the surgical attachment; and identifying, at the processor, the type of the surgical attachment based on the measured torque.

19 . The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving a user input at a user interface indicating the type of the surgical attachment; and identifying, at the processor, the type of the surgical attachment based on the user input.

20 . The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
processing, at the processor, an image of the end effector and the surgical attachment; and identifying, at the processor, the type of the surgical attachment based on the processed image.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Holsten Henry E
• Hartzsch Matthew S
• Ebersole Garrett P

Classifications

• A61B2090/0807

  Indication means · CPC title

• A61B2090/066

  for measuring torque · CPC title

• A61B2034/305

  Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms · CPC title

• A61B2017/2926

  Details of heads or jaws · CPC title

• A61B2017/00017

  Electrical control of surgical instruments · CPC title