EP0595291A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Improved remote center-of-motion robot for surgery
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1993-10-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-10-27
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus used to assist a surgeon in surgery is divided into two parts, proximal and distal. The apparatus has a number of rigid links (1 - 4) which rotate about pivots (A - L) to position and re-position an instrument (11), like a surgical instrument, at a work point (Cmot) proximal to a patient but remote from the apparatus. The links cooperate in a way to move the manipulator about a center-of-motion (Cmot) with orthogonally decoupled degrees of freedom resolved at the work point. The proximal part (26) of the apparatus is adjustably fixed to a stationary object, like an operating table (22), while the distal part (25) of the apparatus holds the instrument (11). Certain links which can be adjusted in length, move the distal part with respect to the proximal part of the apparatus. In this manner, the work point of the manipulator and the working radius of the apparatus are changed without moving the proximal part. Actuators, manual or remotely (computer) controlled, both rotate the links about their pivots and adjust the length of the adjustable links. All the actuators can be mounted on the proximal part of the apparatus and electrically isolated from the manipulator in order to reduce the shock hazard to the patient.
Inventors
- 👤 Russell Highsmith Taylor
- 👤 Janez Funda
- 👤 David Daniel Grossman
- 👤 John Peter Karidis
- 👤 David Arthur Larose
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 03:40
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25J; B25J19/00; B25J19/0008; A; A61; A61B; A61B34/00; A61B34/30; A61B34/70; A61B34/71; A61B34/76; B25J9/00; B25J9/10; B25J9/106; B25J9/1065; A61B17/00; A61B17/34; A61B17/3403; A61B2017/3405; A61B2017/3409; A61B90/00; A61B90/50; A61B2090/506
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
233 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, comprising: a rotation means (13) with a first direction of revolute motion (Theta-X) about a first axis (UU); a rigid linkage (1 - 4) with a second direction of revolute motion (Theta-Y) about one or more pivots (A - L) having rotating axes parallel to one another, some pivots being distal attachment pivots (A - D) and some pivots being proximal attachment pivots (E - H), the axis of each pivot being perpendicular to the first axis and the linkage being connected to the rotation means (14) at one or more of the proximal attachment pivots (K, L); a holding means (5) connected to the linkage (1, 2) at one or more distal attachment pivots (A, B), the holding means having a third axis (Theta-Z) being perpendicular to the pivot axes; and a connection means (10) on the holding means (5) for attaching an instrument (11), the instrument having an instrument axis (W, W) parallel to the third axis (Theta-Z) and passing through a work point (Cmot), where the first axis (UU) and the third axis (WW) intersect at the work point (Cmot), the work point being remote, at an approximately fixed distance, from at least one proximal attachment pivot axis, the holding means (5) maintaining a second approximately fixed distance from the work point during a rotation in the first or second direction of revolute motion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as Claim 1, where the instrument (11) is rotated in a third direction (Theta-Z) of rotation about the instrument axis (WW) by a rotation in the third direction of the holding means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as any one of the above Claims, where the holding means (5) moves the instrument along the third axis (WW).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
93 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as any one of the above Claims, where the rigid linkage (1 - 4) has a proximal (1a, 2a) and distal (1b, 2b) element, the proximal element having a first end connected to a first end of the distal element at one or more pivots, the second end of the proximal element connected to the rotation means (13) at one or more proximal pivots (K, L), the second end of the distal element connected to a holding means (5) at one or more distal pivots (A, B).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as in Claim 4, where the proximal element (1a, 2a) is adjustable in length and the proximal element length adjustment changes the distance between the instrument (11) and the work point (Cmot).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as any one of Claims 4 to 5, where the distal element (1b, 2b) is adjustable in length and the distal element length adjustment changes the approximately fixed distance.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as any one of Claims 5 to 6, where the element length adjustment is a telescopic linkage.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as any one of Claims 4 to 7, where the lengths of one or more proximal (1a, 2a) or distal (1b, 2b) elements are adjustable manually or by an actuator or by both.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as any one of Claims 5 to 8, where the element length adjustment is controlled by an actuator that is controlled by a computer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A manipulator for assisting surgery, as any one of Claims 4 to 9, where the proximal element (1a, 2a) is a set of proximal parallel elements or the distal element (1b, 2b) is a set of distal parallel elements or both.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A manipulator for assisting surgery, as in Claim 10, where the set of proximal parallel elements (1a, 2a) or the set of distal parallel elements (1b, 2b) or both are constrained to move in tandem by identical amounts.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A manipulator for assisting surgery, as any one of the above Claims, in which the linkage is a pantograph-like mechanism.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A manipulator apparatus, as any one of the above Claims, comprising: a mounting means (16 - 20) for connecting the manipulator to a fixed or adjustable surgical structure.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
A manipulator apparatus for assisting surgery, as in Claim 13, where the mounting means is one or more linear displacement stages.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A manipulator for assisting surgery, as any one of Claims 13 to 14, where the surgical structure is an operating table (22).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
A manipulator for assisting surgery, as any one of Claims 13 to 15, where the mounting means comprises a slidable locking means (19) adjustably connecting the manipulator to a fixed element on the surgical structure (22).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A manipulator for assisting surgery, as in Claim 16, where the fixed element is a rail (21).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
A manipulator apparatus for assisting surgery, as any one of the above Claims, where the weight of the apparatus is counterbalanced in at least one direction of rotation by a counterbalancing means for reducing the gravity force on the surgical instrument.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as any one of the above Claims, where there are one or more counterbalancing means comprising adjustable or fixed weights to adjust the balance of the manipulator in one or more directions.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as in Claim 19, where the adjustable weight comprises one weight for a coarser adjustment (407) and a second weight for a finer adjustment (408).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as any one of Claims 18 to 20, where the counterbalancing means comprises a spring.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
33 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as any one of the above Claims, where the rotation or linear motion of one or more elements is driven manually or by an actuator (10, 14).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as in Claim 22, where the one or more actuators can be decoupled.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
37 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as in Claim 22 or 23, where the actuators are located on a proximal part of the manipulator, the proximal part being electrically isolated from the distal part of the manipulator.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
66 words
A manipulator apparatus, for assisting surgery, as any one of the above Claims 22 to 24, where the actuators are computer-controlled force/torque sources driving each direction of rotation or linear motion through low-friction, backdrivable transmission elements, in which the forces and torques exerted on a patient by the surgical instrument at the work point are controlled by controlling the output force/torque of the corresponding force/torque source.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
56 words
A manipulator for assisting surgery, as any one of the above Claims, where one or more elements of the linkage can be separated, at a disconnect, into a first and second element section causing the manipulator to separate into a distal part having the surgical instrument and a proximal part being the remainder of the manipulator.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
A manipulator for assisting surgery, as in Claim 26, where the disconnect is made from an electrically non-conductive material.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
68 words
A manipulator apparatus for assisting surgery, as any one of the above Claims, where at least one of the proximal (1a, 2a) or distal (1b, 2b) elements is made of an electrically non-conducting material so that the manipulator is divided into a distal part having the surgical instrument and a proximal part being the remainder of the manipulator, the distal part being electrically isolated from the proximal part.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
A manipulator for assisting surgery, as any one of the above Claims, where all the components of the manipulator are fabricated from non-conductive materials.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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