Systems, devices, and methods for sealing and venting a surgical instrument of a surgical robotic system
Devices, systems, and methods herein relate to surgical robotic systems, for example, a surgical instrument removably coupled to a robotic arm. Devices may include a shaft including a proximal end and a distal end. The shaft may define a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end. An end effector may be disposed at the distal end of the shaft. A proximal head may be disposed at the proximal end of the shaft. The proximal head may include a housing defining an internal space configured to house a plurality of engagement elements and a knob body disposed proximal of the housing. Each engagement element may be coupled to the end effector via a force transmitting element disposed within the lumen. The knob body may be configured to be distally translated and subsequently rotated relative to the housing to lock the proximal head to an instrument interface.
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a shaft including a proximal end and a distal end, the shaft defining a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end;
an end effector disposed at the distal end of the shaft;
a proximal head disposed at the proximal end of the shaft, the proximal head including a housing defining an internal space configured to house a plurality of engagement elements and a knob body disposed around a proximal end of the housing, each engagement element of the plurality of engagement elements being coupled to the end effector via a force transmitting element disposed within the lumen,
wherein the knob body is configured to be distally translated and subsequently rotated relative to the housing to lock the proximal head to an instrument interface of a surgical robotic system and to couple the plurality of engagement elements to one or more actuators configured to drive movement of the plurality of engagement elements to move the end effector in at least one degree-of-freedom.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the knob body includes one or more arms configured to interface with one of more corresponding features disposed on the housing to provide audible and/or haptic feedback to a user when the knob body is distally translated and subsequently rotated relative to the housing.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a spring disposed within the knob body,
the knob body configured to distally translate relative to the housing in response to a force being applied to the knob body that is sufficient to compress the spring.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first manifold structure defining one or more ports; and
a second manifold structure defining one or more channels,
wherein the first manifold structure is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position relative to the second manifold structure,
wherein, when the first manifold structure is in the first position, the one or more ports and the one or more channels are aligned and configured to allow passage of a cleaning fluid into the interior space and other interior regions of the apparatus to facilitate cleaning and/or sterilization of internal components of the apparatus,
wherein, when the first manifold structure is in the second position, the one or more ports and the one or more channels are misaligned with each other and configured to seal the interior space and other interior regions of the apparatus to prevent fluids from leaving the interior space and other interior regions.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first manifold structure is configured to rotate from the first position to the second position in response to the knob body being rotated relative to the housing to lock the proximal head to the instrument interface.
6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second manifold structure includes a stopping surface configured to block the knob body from rotating beyond a predefined position to prevent separation of the knob body from the housing.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seal including a proximally facing surface; and
a base structure including a distally facing surface,
the base structure configured to be axially translated toward the seal such that the seal and the base structure form a fluid-tight seal that is configured to prevent fluids from leaving an interior space and other interior regions of the apparatus, in response to the knob body being distally translated relative to the housing.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the seal is configured to deform against the distally facing surface of the base structure to form the fluid-tight seal.
9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the seal includes a stopping surface configured to block the knob body from rotating beyond a predefined position to prevent separation of the knob body from the housing.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is a proximal housing, and the apparatus further comprises:
a distal housing; and
a sealing unit disposed between the proximal housing and the distal housing, configured to form a fluid-tight seal with the plurality of engagement elements to prevent fluids from leaving an interior space and other interior regions of the apparatus.
11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of engagement elements is configured to extend through the sealing unit.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each engagement element of the plurality of engagement elements, when the plurality of engagement elements is coupled to the one or more actuators, is further configured to be driven by an actuator of the one or more actuators to axially translate relative to the sealing unit to move the end effector.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, subsequent to locking the proximal head to the instrument interface, the knob body is configured to be axially translated relative to the housing to allow the knob body to be rotated and separated from the instrument interface.
14 . An apparatus, comprising:
a shaft including a proximal end and a distal end, the shaft defining a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end;
an end effector disposed at the distal end of the shaft;
a proximal head disposed at the proximal end of the shaft, the proximal head including a housing and a knob body disposed proximal of the housing; and
first and second sealing elements, the first sealing element being configured to move relative to the second sealing element,
wherein the knob body is configured to be distally translated and/or rotated relative to the housing to move the first sealing element to a first position relative to the second sealing element to form a fluid-tight seal that prevents fluids from leaving an interior space of the apparatus,
wherein the knob body is configured to be proximally translated and/or rotated relative to the housing to move the first sealing element to a second position relative to the second sealing element to provide access for fluids to enter the interior space of the apparatus.
15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the knob body is configured to be distally translated and subsequently rotated relative to the housing to lock the proximal head to the instrument interface.
16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:
the first sealing element is a first manifold structure defining one or more ports; and
the second sealing element is a second manifold structure defining one or more channels,
the first manifold structure being configured to rotate relative to the second manifold structure to form the fluid-tight seal.
17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:
the first sealing element includes a distally facing surface, and
the second sealing element includes a proximally facing surface,
the first sealing element configured to be axially translated toward the second sealing element to form the fluid-tight seal.
18 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second sealing element includes a stopping surface configured to block the knob body from rotating beyond a predefined position to prevent separation of the knob body from the housing.
19 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the housing is a proximal housing, and the apparatus further comprises:
a distal housing; and
a plurality of engagement elements, each engagement element of the plurality of engagement elements being coupled to the end effector via a force transmitting element disposed within the lumen and being configured to translate relative to the proximal housing and the distal housing to actuate the end effector in at least one degree-of-freedom.
20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising:
a sealing unit disposed between the proximal housing and the distal housing, the sealing unit configured to form a fluid-tight seal with the plurality of engagement elements to prevent fluids from leaving the interior space of the apparatus.
21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein each engagement element of the plurality of engagement elements is configured to extend through the sealing unit.
22 . A method, comprising:
inserting an instrument in a first configuration into an instrument interface of a surgical robotic system such that a proximal housing of the instrument is disposed within the instrument interface, the instrument in the first configuration having a knob that is rotationally locked relative to the proximal housing, the knob including a knob body disposed around a proximal end of the proximal housing;
pushing the knob of the instrument relative to the proximal housing to transition the instrument into a second configuration in which the knob is unlocked and can rotate relative to the proximal housing; and
rotating, while the instrument is in the second configuration, the knob relative to the proximal housing to lock the instrument to the instrument interface and to couple a plurality of engagement elements of the instrument to one or more actuators of the surgical robotic system such that the one or more actuators can drive movement of the plurality of engagement elements to move an end effector in at least one degree-of-freedom.
23 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
sealing, in response to pushing and/or rotating the knob relative to the proximal housing, an interior space and other interior regions of the instrument.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein sealing the interior space and other interior regions of the instrument includes moving a first sealing element relative to a second sealing element to form a fluid-tight seal therebetween that prevents fluids from leaving the interior space and other interior regions of the instrument.
25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein pushing and/or rotating the knob relative to the proximal housing to lock the instrument to the instrument interface includes pushing and/or rotating the knob relative to the proximal housing in a first direction, the method further comprising:
pulling and/or rotating, when the instrument is locked to the instrument interface, the knob relative to the proximal housing in a second direction opposite the first direction to unlock the instrument from the instrument interface,
wherein pushing and/or rotating the instrument in the knob in the second direction unseals the interior space and other interior regions of the instrument such that a cleaning fluid can enter the interior space and other interior regions of the instrument to clean and/or sterilize the interior space and other interior regions of the instrument.
26 . The method of claim 22 , wherein rotating the knob relative to the proximal housing to lock the instrument to the instrument interface includes rotating the knob until an audible and/or haptic feedback is generated.
27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the audible and/or haptic feedback is generated in response to an arm disposed on one of the knob or the proximal housing interfacing with a corresponding structure disposed on the other of the knob or the proximal housing.
28 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
moving the first sealing element to a first position relative to the second sealing element to form a fluid-tight seal that prevents fluids from leaving an interior space of the apparatus when the instrument is in the first configuration; and
moving the first sealing element to a second position relative to the second sealing element to provide access for fluids to enter the interior space of the apparatus when the instrument is in the second configuration.