Side looking minimally invasive surgery instrument assembly

Inventors

Cooper, Thomas G.Rosa, David J.Williams, Matthew R.Duval, Eugene F.

Assignees

Intuitive Surgical IncIntuitive Surgical Operations Inc

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Publication Number

US-10448813-B2

Patent

Publication Date

2019-10-22

Expiration Date


Abstract

A surgical instrument is inserted through a guide tube. The surgical instrument exits at an intermediate position of the guide tube and is oriented to be substantially parallel to the guide tube's longitudinal axis as it exits. A stereoscopic image capture component is on the guide tube between the intermediate position and the guide tube's distal end. The image capture component's field of view is generally perpendicular to the guide tube's longitudinal axis. The guide tube is jointed to allow the image capture component to be moved. The surgical instruments and the guide tube are telemanipulatively controlled.

Core Innovation

The disclosed invention relates to a telemanipulated minimally invasive single-port system in which a telemanipulatively controlled surgical instrument exits a guide tube at an intermediate position. The exiting portion is oriented substantially parallel to the guide tube axis, and a distal end component is configured to change a sway while substantially maintaining its orientation. The architecture is based on a parallel motion mechanism that coordinates motion to achieve this sway behavior without substantial orientation change.

A stereoscopic image capture component is positioned on the guide tube between the intermediate position and the distal end of the guide tube. The viewing field of the image capture component is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the guide tube near the image capture component. The guide tube is jointed so that the imaging component is movable, enabling the imaging field relationship to the guide tube axis to be maintained while the system executes the described motion context.

The disclosure frames the system context using telemanipulation and degrees of freedom, and provides broad architectural embodiments for the guide tube and mechanism arrangement. These embodiments include guide tubes with channels, side-exit versus end-exit configurations, and independently controllable imaging and retraction mechanisms. The parallel motion mechanism uses orthogonal hinges and a kinematic relationship in which motion at one hinge causes opposite-direction motion at a connected hinge, supporting limited pitch-yaw change while maintaining constant orientation behavior of the distal end component.

Claims Coverage

The independent claims are clm-00001 and clm-00010. Across these independent claims, the inventive features focus on a parallel motion mechanism with orthogonal hinges and a coordinated opposite-direction yaw/pitch hinge relationship, changing sway without substantially changing orientation, positioning a stereoscopic image capture component relative to a guide tube, and an intermediate exit position with the parallel motion mechanism distal to that intermediate position.

Opposite-direction yaw/pitch parallel motion with orthogonal hinges

A first joint comprising a first hinge and a second hinge, the first and second hinges pivoting around orthogonal axes, where the first hinge is coupled to a distal end of the first body segment and the second hinge is connected directly to the first hinge; the second joint comprising a third hinge coupled to the second end of the rigid second body segment, the first hinge connected to the third hinge so that if the first hinge moves in one of yaw and pitch in a first direction, the third hinge moves in the one of yaw and pitch in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Changing sway without substantially changing orientation

The parallel motion mechanism is configured to change a sway of the distal end component without substantially changing any orientation of the distal end component, and in the second independent claim the parallel motion mechanism heaves and sways a distal end of the surgical instrument without changing pitch and yaw of the distal end of the surgical instrument.

Stereoscopic image capture field generally perpendicular to the guide tube axis

A stereoscopic image capture component positioned on the guide tube between the intermediate position and the distal end of the guide tube, wherein a field of view of the image capture component is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the guide tube near the image capture component.

Intermediate exit position with parallel motion mechanism extending out of the guide tube

The entire parallel motion mechanism of the first body segment exits and extends out of the guide tube at the intermediate position, wherein the first body segment passes through the guide tube.

Proximal transmission mechanism changing heave or sway without changing pitch or yaw

A transmission mechanism positioned proximal to the first body segment, the transmission mechanism being configured to change a heave or a sway of the distal end component with reference to the longitudinal axis of the first body segment without changing pitch or yaw of the distal end component.

Guide tube intermediate position exit with distal parallel motion mechanism

A guide tube comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and an intermediate position between the proximal and distal ends, where the surgical instrument passes through the guide tube and exits the guide tube at the intermediate position; wherein the surgical instrument comprises a parallel motion mechanism, the entire parallel motion mechanism of the surgical instrument being distal to the intermediate position.

The independent claims collectively cover a minimally invasive single-port instrument assembly using a parallel motion mechanism with orthogonal hinges and an opposite-direction yaw/pitch hinge coupling, configured to change sway or heave without substantially changing orientation or without changing pitch and yaw. The claims further position stereoscopic image capture on the guide tube such that its field of view is generally perpendicular to the guide tube axis, and require an instrument and the full parallel mechanism to exit at an intermediate position on the guide tube, with distal disposition of the parallel motion mechanism relative to that intermediate position.

Stated Advantages

Not explicitly described in patent.

Documented Applications

Not explicitly described in patent.

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