US 11,744,563 B2
Medical instrument engagement process
Giuseppe Maria Prisco, Calci Pisa (IT); 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. 25, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/664,200.
Application 15/134,836 is a division of application No. 13/360,395, filed on Jan. 27, 2012, granted, now 9,339,342, issued on May 17, 2016.
Application 16/664,200 is a continuation of application No. 15/134,836, filed on Apr. 21, 2016, granted, now 10,478,163.
Application 13/360,395 is a continuation in part of application No. 12/286,644, filed on Sep. 30, 2008, granted, now 9,259,274, issued on Feb. 16, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/485,702, filed on May 13, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2020/0054310 A1, Feb. 20, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61B 34/00 (2016.01); A61B 46/10 (2016.01); A61B 34/20 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 17/00 (2013.01) [A61B 34/30 (2016.02); A61B 34/71 (2016.02); A61B 46/10 (2016.02); A61B 2017/00398 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00473 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00477 (2013.01); A61B 2034/2059 (2016.02)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a drive system for driving a component of a medical instrument, the method comprising:
bringing a first rotatable element of the drive system into contact with a second rotatable element of the drive system without restricting rotation of the first rotatable element relative to the second rotatable element, the second rotatable element being shaped to engage the first rotatable element, and the second rotatable element being operably coupled to actuate the component:
applying an engagement force to create a frictional engagement between the first rotatable element and the second rotatable element without actuating the component; and
operating the drive system to actuate the component, the operating comprising transferring torque via the frictional engagement between the first rotatable element and the second rotatable element.