US 11,850,013 B2
Surgical systems and methods for robotic actuation of continuum joints
Jeffrey S. Swayze, West Chester, OH (US); Andrew John Ryan, Boston, MA (US); Phillip A. Soucy, Arlington, MA (US); and Carol Wood Sutherland, Somerville, MA (US)
Assigned to Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed by Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed on Apr. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/233,173.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/011,556, filed on Apr. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0322116 A1, Oct. 21, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61B 34/37 (2016.01); A61B 34/00 (2016.01); B25J 9/10 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 34/37 (2016.02) [A61B 34/71 (2016.02); B25J 9/102 (2013.01); A61B 2034/301 (2016.02); A61B 2034/305 (2016.02)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic surgical system, comprising:
an electromechanical arm;
a motor housing configured to be mounted to the electromechanical arm, the motor housing having at least one motor disposed therein;
a tool shaft extending from the motor housing, the tool shaft including
a central body having a proximal-most end, a distal-most end, and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, and
a joint assembly having a master joint coupled to the proximal-most end of the central body and a slave joint coupled to the distal-most end of the central body;
an end effector coupled to a distal-most end of the slave joint, the end effector being configured to move in response to movement of the slave joint; and
an articulation actuation system that is coupled to the master joint and configured to act directly on the master joint without directly acting on the slave joint to move the master joint in at least one plane;
wherein the master and slave joints are operably coupled to each other such that movement of the master joint causes parallel movement of the slave joint while maintaining a position of the longitudinal axis of the central body of the tool shaft to thereby effect articulation of the end effector in at least one plane about the central body of the tool shaft.