US 11,872,004 B2
Universal joint for surgical robotics
Gregory P. Schmitz, Los Gatos, CA (US)
Assigned to Syncrobotix, Inc., Los Gatos, CA (US)
Filed by Gregory P. Schmitz, Los Gatos, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/110,925.
Application 18/110,925 is a division of application No. 17/318,617, filed on May 12, 2021, abandoned.
Application 17/318,617 is a division of application No. 16/270,714, filed on Feb. 8, 2019, granted, now 11,033,342.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/632,031, filed on Feb. 19, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0190393 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61B 34/00 (2016.01); H02K 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 34/30 (2016.02) [H02K 15/00 (2013.01); A61B 2034/306 (2016.02); A61B 2034/715 (2016.02)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for manipulating a robotic surgery tool, the method comprising:
obtaining a robotic surgery tool with a proximal end and a distal end, said robotic surgery tool further comprising a plurality of joint devices, pull wires, and an end effector device;
each said joint device comprising a link-yoke-link joint comprising a separate yoke pivotably coupled to two separate links on either side of said yoke, each link configured to pivot about said yoke at a right angle to the other link;
each said yoke further comprising a plurality of pull wire holes;
each of said plurality of pull wires configured to slidably pass through different pull wire holes in said yokes, and through a plurality of said joint devices, until said pull wires reach and attach to said end effector device;
applying tension to a first pull wire to cause a first link of a joint device of the tool to pivot in a first plane relative to a yoke attached to the first link; and
applying tension to a second pull wire to cause a second link attached to the yoke to pivot in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane; and
using said first and second pull wires to direct said end effector to a desired target.