US 11,877,814 B2
Tension control in actuation of multi-joint medical instruments
Samuel Kwok Wai Au, Mountain View, CA (US); and Giuseppe Maria Prisco, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 17, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/745,906.
Application 16/745,906 is a continuation of application No. 15/649,148, filed on Jul. 13, 2017, granted, now 10,568,708.
Application 15/649,148 is a continuation of application No. 14/751,636, filed on Jun. 26, 2015, granted, now 9,743,990, issued on Aug. 29, 2017.
Application 14/751,636 is a continuation of application No. 12/945,734, filed on Nov. 12, 2010, granted, now 9,101,379, issued on Aug. 11, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2020/0146761 A1, May 14, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61B 34/00 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 34/30 (2016.02) [A61B 2034/301 (2016.02); A61B 2034/306 (2016.02); A61B 2034/715 (2016.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medical instrument system for driving a medical instrument, the medical instrument comprising a distal tip, a joint, a first transmission system, and a second transmission system, wherein the joint is coupled to the distal tip and provides a degree of freedom for the distal tip, the medical instrument system comprising:
a first actuator, wherein during use the first transmission system couples the joint to the first actuator;
a second actuator, wherein during use the second transmission system couples the joint to the second actuator; and
a control system operably coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator, the control system programmed to execute operations comprising:
computing a first tension to apply to the first transmission system and a second tension to apply to the second transmission system based on (i) a desired configuration of the distal tip and (ii) limiting a minimum value of the first tension and the second tension,
generating, based on the first tension and second tension, control signals for the first actuator and the second actuator, and
using the control signals to cause the first actuator to apply the first tension to the first transmission system and the second actuator to apply the second tension to the second transmission system such that the distal tip moves in the degree of freedom toward the desired configuration while maintaining values of the first tension and the second tension at no less than the minimum value.