US 11,986,211 B2
Electrically conductive reducer device, related systems, and related methods
Tyler Morrissette, Niantic, CT (US); Justin Krom, Southington, CT (US); and Joseph Orban, III, Norwalk, CT (US)
Assigned to INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/515,662.
Application 17/515,662 is a division of application No. 15/809,372, filed on Nov. 10, 2017, granted, now 11,166,744.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/421,717, filed on Nov. 14, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0047299 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 17/34 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61M 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/3423 (2013.01) [A61B 17/3421 (2013.01); A61B 18/00 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00929 (2013.01); A61B 17/3439 (2013.01); A61B 17/3478 (2013.01); A61M 13/003 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for inserting an instrument for performing a medical procedure, the method comprising:
positioning a cannula through an incision in a patient's body wall;
positioning a reducer device within the cannula, the reducer device comprising an interior passage; and
positioning an instrument through the interior passage of the reducer device;
wherein positioning the reducer device within the cannula comprises biasing at least a portion of the reducer device into a non-coaxial alignment with the cannula; and
wherein positioning the instrument through the interior passage of the reducer device forms an electrically conductive pathway between the cannula and the instrument through the reducer device.