| CPC A61B 17/00234 (2013.01) [A61B 34/30 (2016.02); A61B 34/35 (2016.02); A61B 34/70 (2016.02); A61B 46/10 (2016.02); B25J 19/0075 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00477 (2013.01); A61B 2034/302 (2016.02); A61B 2090/0813 (2016.02)] | 30 Claims |

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1. A method for maintaining sterility of surgical instruments during a surgical procedure, the method comprising:
locking a rigid connector to a surgical platform;
locking the rigid connector to a proximal hub of an articulated surgical instrument such that the proximal hub and a shaft of the articulated surgical instrument are concentric with the rigid connector;
covering moving links of the surgical platform with a flexible sleeve coupled to the rigid connector; and
moving an end-effector of the articulated surgical instrument responsive to movement at the surgical platform to perform the surgical procedure while maintaining sterility of the articulated surgical instrument during the surgical procedure.
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