US 12,011,188 B2
End effector and end effector drive apparatus
Daniel H. Kim, Houston, TX (US); Dong Suk Shin, Houston, TX (US); Taeho Jang, Houston, TX (US); Yongman Park, Houston, TX (US); Jeihan Lee, Houston, TX (US); Hongmin Kim, Houston, TX (US); Kihoon Nam, Gwangmyeong (KR); and Seokyung Han, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM, Austin, TX (US); and ENDOQUEST ROBOTICS, INC., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM, Austin, TX (US); and ColubrisMX, Inc, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Sep. 4, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/013,311.
Application 17/013,311 is a division of application No. 16/495,038, granted, now 10,881,422, previously published as PCT/US2018/066828, filed on Dec. 20, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/612,220, filed on Dec. 29, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0397456 A1, Dec. 24, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 34/00 (2016.01); A61B 17/29 (2006.01); A61B 90/30 (2016.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/34 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/29 (2013.01) [A61B 34/71 (2016.02); A61B 90/30 (2016.02); A61B 2017/0034 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00477 (2013.01); A61B 2017/2905 (2013.01); A61B 2017/2906 (2013.01); A61B 2017/2939 (2013.01); A61B 2017/3445 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mechanism to controllably move a wire within a flexible tubular member, the wire including opposed first and second wire ends extending outwardly of a proximal end of the flexible tubular member, comprising:
an adaptor coupling;
a controllable drive mechanism;
a drive coupling located between the controllable drive mechanism and the first wire end, the drive coupling comprising a plunger and a bushing, wherein movement of the drive coupling in the direction of the first wire end results in opposed motion of the first wire end; and
a fulcrum extending from the adaptor, and a lever having a first side, a second side, and a pivoting connection with the fulcrum at a location spaced from the adaptor coupling, the pivoting connection located between the first side of the lever and the opposed second side of the lever;
the plunger connected to the first side of the lever through the drive coupling and the first wire end connected to the second side of the lever,
a bushing bore extending inwardly of the adaptor coupling;
the bushing disposed in the bushing bore, the bushing sized to be capable of reciprocating motion within the bushing bore, wherein the bushing is connected to the first end of the lever through the drive coupling,
the controllable drive mechanism having a moveable connector portion, and
the moveable connector portion connects to the wire through the bushing and the plunger and the first side of the lever, and the wire member is selectively moveable with respect to the movable connector portion.