Methods, systems, and devices for moving a surgical instrument coupled to a robotic surgical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9931170-B2
Application number	US-201614989057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2016
Priority date	Jan 6, 2016
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

Various exemplary methods, systems, and devices for moving a surgical instrument coupled to a robotic surgical system are provided. In general, a robotic surgical system can include a movement assembly configured to facilitate movement of surgical instrument coupled to the robotic surgical system, e.g., coupled to an electromechanical arm of the robotic surgical system. The movement can include translational movement of the surgical instrument in which the instrument is selectively advanceable and retractable in opposed directions, e.g., proximal direction and distal direction, up vertically and down vertically, etc. The translational movement can be along a shaft of the instrument such that the movement assembly can be configured to selectively translate the instrument along a longitudinal axis of the shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical system, comprising:
an electromechanical arm configured for movement in multiple axes;
an electromechanical tool having an instrument shaft and an end effector formed thereon, the electromechanical tool being configured to be mounted on the electromechanical arm, and the electromechanical tool being configured to move relative to the electromechanical arm;
a second electromechanical tool having a second instrument shaft and a second end effector formed thereon; and
a tool controller operatively coupled to the electromechanical arm and the electromechanical tool, the tool controller including opposed rollers that receive the electromechanical tool therebetween, the rollers being configured for cooperative rotational movement effective to translate the electromechanical tool, and the rollers being configured for linear movement toward and away from the electromechanical tool and thereby accommodate a diameter of the electromechanical tool while providing a compressive force on the electromechanical tool;
wherein the second electromechanical tool is configured to be mounted on the electromechanical arm, the second electromechanical tool is configured to move relative to the electromechanical arm, a diameter of the second electromechanical tool is different than the diameter of the electromechanical tool, the rollers are configured for linear movement toward and away from the second electromechanical tool and thereby accommodate the diameter of the second electromechanical tool while providing a second compressive force on the second electromechanical tool, and the second compressive force is different than the compressive force.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tool controller includes opposed worm gears, each of the worm gears being operatively coupled to one of the opposed rollers.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the worm gears are configured for cooperative rotational movement effective to cause the rotational movement of the rollers.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tool controller includes a single worm gear operatively coupled to one of the opposed rollers and configured to rotate to cause rotation of both of the opposed rollers.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tool controller includes opposed gears each having one of the rollers operatively coupled thereto, the gears being configured for cooperative rotational movement effective to cause the rotational movement of the rollers.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the tool controller includes opposed worm gears, each of the worm gears has teeth, and each of the opposed gears has teeth operatively engaged with the teeth of one of the worm gears.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the worm gears are configured for cooperative rotational movement effective to cause the rotational movement of the opposed gears.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compressive force is a variable force dependent on the diameter of the electromechanical tool.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor configured to receive a user input and configured to cause the cooperative rotational movement of the rollers in response to the received user input.

10. The system of claim 2 , wherein the opposed rollers are configured to simultaneously rotate in opposite directions and thereby cause translation of the electromechanical tool received by the opposed rollers, and the opposed worm gears are each configured to simultaneously rotate to cause the opposed rollers to simultaneously rotate in the opposite directions.

11. A surgical system, comprising:
an electromechanical arm configured for movement in multiple axes;
a pliable sleeve coupled to the electromechanical arm;
an electromechanical tool having an instrument shaft and an end effector formed thereon, the electromechanical tool being configured to be mounted within the pliable sleeve; and
a tool driver having opposed rotors having the pliable sleeve positioned therebetween, the opposed rotors each having a plurality of lobes and each being capable of cooperative rotational movement such that the lobes sequentially engage the pliable sleeve to generate friction that translates the electromechanical tool within the pliable sleeve.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the opposed rotors each include a central base having the plurality of lobes extending radially outward therefrom.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the opposed rotors each include a belt having the plurality of lobes and a roller configured to rotate to drive the belt.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the translation of the electromechanical tool within the pliable sleeve includes longitudinal translation of the electromechanical tool along a longitudinal axis of the instrument shaft of the electromechanical tool.

15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a processor configured to receive a user input and configured to cause the cooperative rotational movement of the lobes in response to the received user input.

16. A surgical system, comprising:
an electromechanical arm configured to removably couple to a surgical instrument, the electromechanical arm being configured to move so as to move the surgical instrument removably coupled thereto relative to a patient on which a surgical procedure is being performed;
an elastomeric sleeve configured to receive the surgical instrument therein; and
a peristaltic pump operatively coupled to the electromechanical arm, the peristaltic pump including opposed rotors each being configured to rotate to apply a cooperative force to the sleeve and thereby cause the surgical instrument received in the sleeve to longitudinally translate relative to the sleeve.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the opposed rotors each include a central base having a plurality of lobes extending radially outward therefrom.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the opposed rotors each include a belt having a plurality of lobes and a roller configured to rotate to drive the belt.

19. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a processor configured to receive a user input and configured to cause the rotation of the opposed rotors in response to the received user input.

Assignees

• Ethicon Endo Surgery Llc

Inventors

• Auld Michael D

Classifications

• A61B2034/305

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

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B34/37 Primary

  Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) · CPC title