End effector and end effector drive apparatus
Inventors
Kim, Daniel H. • Shin, Dong Suk • JANG, Taeho • Park, Yongman • LEE, Jeihan • KIM, Hongmin • Nam, Kihoon • HAN, Seokyung
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11969182-B2
Publication Date
2024-04-30
Expiration Date
Abstract
Provided herein is a surgical instrument comprising a cap having a first and second aperture extending therethrough, a first extendable and retractable member having a distal end coupled to a first coupling, a first arm extending from the first coupling and pivotable with respect to the distal end of the first member, and a second arm connected to the first arm through a second coupling and pivotable, with respect to the first arm, a second extendable and retractable member having a distal end coupled to a third coupling, a third arm extending from the second coupling, the third arm pivotable, with respect to the distal end of the second member, and a fourth arm connected to the third arm through a fourth coupling and pivotable, with respect to the third arm, a first end effector connected to the second arm and a second end effector connected to the fourth arm.
Core Innovation
The disclosure describes a miniaturized robotic surgical end effector that replaces prior four-bar linkage jaws. The end effector includes a housing and two side actuators that pivot within the housing, and a coupling link disposed between at least a portion of the first and second actuators transfers actuator motion to opposing tool portions, enabling opening and closing.
The end effector uses wires routed through trough-like wire guides and secured in a wire securing recess with a slug/lock recess arrangement. The coupling link and actuator pivots cooperate with the wire routing to drive movement of tool portions. In the described surgical instrument system, the end effector is mounted to a steerable flexible tubular member and is connected via an adaptor coupling to a controllable drive mechanism.
The controllable drive mechanism employs individually controlled lead screws and lever assemblies to reliably pull wire ends, rather than magnetic or hook wire coupling. The disclosure further describes multi-degree-of-freedom instruments with an outer sheath and independently bendable flexible tubular members that use single/double-angle offset behavior. Optional integrated illumination and camera modules are described, including wide and narrow field-of-view cameras.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim clm-00001 defines a surgical instrument architecture with multiple flexible tubular members extending through a cap, distal bendable couplings to end effectors, and end-effector actuators linked by a coupling link positioned between a base and a wire guide. It includes a controllable drive mechanism that rotatably and longitudinally moves a flexible tubular member, and it specifies orthogonally independent bending for both bendable couplings. Overall, the independent claim contains inventive features spanning the multi-tube cap architecture, the controllable drive mechanism, and the housing/actuator/coupling-link/wire-guide geometry.
Cap with multiple openings for flexible tubular members
A cap having a plurality of openings comprising a first opening and a second opening extending therethrough, with a first flexible tubular member extendable from and retractable inwardly of the first opening and a second flexible tubular member extendable from and retractable inwardly of the second opening.
Controllable drive mechanism that rotates and translates a flexible tubular member
A first flexible tubular member having a controllable drive mechanism rotatable about its length direction and movable along the length direction, wherein the first flexible tubular member is bendable by the controllable drive mechanism.
Independently bendable bendable couplings in two orthogonal directions
A first bendable coupling independently bendable in two directions orthogonal to one another and a second bendable coupling independently bendable in two directions orthogonal to one another.
End effector housing with pivoted actuators linked by a coupling link
Each end effector comprises a housing with an outer wall and an opening, opposed first and second walls extending along opposite sides of the opening, a first actuator pivotally coupled to the first wall, a second actuator pivotally coupled to the second wall, and a coupling link disposed within the opening between at least a portion of the first and second actuators, including opposed first and second ends each pivotally coupled to a different one of the first and second actuators.
Coupling pin and wire guide with coupling link positioned between base and wire guide
The coupling link further comprises opposed first and second sides extending between the first and second ends thereof and a first coupling pin extending from the first side adjacent to the first end inwardly of an opening in the first actuator, and the housing further comprises a base and a wire guide extending inwardly of the opening from at least one of the first and second walls, wherein the coupling link is disposed between the base and the wire guide.
The independent claim centers on a surgical instrument that combines two flexible tubular members separately extendable and retractable through cap openings, a controllable drive mechanism that is rotatable about and movable along the length direction, end-effector bendable couplings independently bendable in two orthogonal directions, and an end-effector housing where two pivoted actuators are coupled by a coupling link positioned relative to a base and a wire guide, including a coupling pin geometry.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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