US 11,717,368 B2
Construction and use of low tension medical instrument
Theodore W. Rogers, Alameda, CA (US); and John Ryan Steger, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 16, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/654,731.
Application 15/862,500 is a division of application No. 14/996,863, filed on Jan. 15, 2016, granted, now 9,883,915, issued on Feb. 6, 2018.
Application 14/996,863 is a division of application No. 13/360,421, filed on Jan. 27, 2012, granted, now 9,259,277, issued on Nov. 15, 2012.
Application 16/654,731 is a continuation of application No. 15/862,500, filed on Jan. 4, 2018, granted, now 10,485,619.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/485,697, filed on May 13, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2020/0046442 A1, Feb. 13, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 34/00 (2016.01); A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61B 90/50 (2016.01); A61B 17/29 (2006.01); A61B 46/10 (2016.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/285 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 34/71 (2016.02) [A61B 17/29 (2013.01); A61B 34/30 (2016.02); A61B 46/10 (2016.02); A61B 90/50 (2016.02); A61B 17/285 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00477 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medical system, comprising:
a medical instrument including a tendon that extends from an interface at a proximal portion of the medical instrument to an actuated element at a distal portion of the medical instrument;
a first manipulator configured to actively engage the tendon at a first location on the tendon to provide a preload tension; and
a second manipulator configured to actively engage the tendon at a second location on the tendon to actuate the actuated element,
wherein one of the first manipulator or the second manipulator is configured to pull the tendon along a longitudinal axis of the tendon and the other of the first manipulator or the second manipulator is configured to deflect the tendon laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis.