US 12,108,997 B2
System with guides and tools of different flexibility
Samuel Kwok Wai Au, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/165,245.
Application 17/165,245 is a continuation of application No. 15/509,062, granted, now 10,939,972, previously published as PCT/US2015/048254, filed on Sep. 3, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/048,210, filed on Sep. 9, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2021/0228293 A1, Jul. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 34/32 (2016.01); A61B 10/02 (2006.01); A61B 34/20 (2016.01); A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); A61B 90/30 (2016.01); A61M 25/01 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 34/32 (2016.02) [A61B 10/0233 (2013.01); A61B 34/20 (2016.02); A61B 34/30 (2016.02); A61M 25/0113 (2013.01); A61M 25/0116 (2013.01); B25J 9/161 (2013.01); B25J 9/1689 (2013.01); A61B 2034/2061 (2016.02); A61B 2034/301 (2016.02); A61B 2034/303 (2016.02); A61B 2034/306 (2016.02); A61B 2090/306 (2016.02); A61B 2090/3614 (2016.02); A61M 2025/0166 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
an actuator couplable to a flexible guide tube and configured to move at least a portion of the flexible guide tube;
a processor; and
memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
identify at least one factor associated with insertion or removal of a tool configured to be inserted through or removed from the flexible guide tube;
identify, in a first configuration of the flexible guide tube and based on the at least one factor, one or more sections of the flexible guide tube having one or more bends that the tool cannot traverse, wherein a distal portion of the flexible guide tube is disposed adjacent a target site in the first configuration;
inform a user that the first configuration includes the one or more sections of the flexible guide tube having the one or more bends that the tool cannot traverse; and
command the actuator to move the flexible guide tube to a second configuration, wherein the second configuration does not include the one or more bends that the tool cannot traverse.