Cannula mounting fixture

1. A cannula support fixture for supporting cannulas during insertion through an opening at an incision site, the support fixture comprising:

a base configured to be removably coupled to a first cannula in an inserted position of the first cannula through an opening at an incision site; and

a repositionable arm coupled to the base by a hinge, the repositionable arm comprising a cannula holder, wherein rotation of the repositionable arm about the hinge moves a second cannula held by the cannula holder between an uninserted position and an inserted position through the opening at the incision site.

2. The cannula support fixture of claim 1 ,

wherein the repositionable arm is a first repositionable arm and the cannula holder is a first cannula holder, and

wherein the cannula support fixture further comprises a second repositionable arm coupled to the base by a second hinge, the second repositionable arm comprising a second cannula holder, wherein rotation of the second repositionable arm about the second hinge moves a third cannula held by the second cannula holder between an uninserted position and an inserted position through the opening at the incision site.

3. The cannula support fixture of claim 1 , wherein the cannula holder comprises a key feature configured to engage with the second cannula to hold the second cannula at a predetermined roll orientation.

4. The cannula support fixture of claim 3 , wherein the key feature of the cannula holder is configured to engage with a complementary key feature of the second cannula.

5. The cannula support fixture of claim 1 , wherein the repositionable arm has a first end coupled to the base by the hinge and a free end opposite the first end, the cannula holder being located proximate the free end.

6. The cannula support fixture of claim 1 , wherein the base is configured to hold the first cannula in the inserted position during a docking of the first cannula to a first manipulator of a teleoperated surgical system, and the repositionable arm is configured to hold the second cannula in the inserted position during a docking of the second cannula with a second manipulator of the teleoperated surgical system.

7. A cannula support fixture for supporting and guiding cannulas during insertion through an opening of an incision site, the cannula support fixture comprising:

a base;

a first arm coupled to the base, the first arm comprising a first cannula mounting bracket configured to hold a first cannula in an insertion position through the opening of the incision site; and

a second arm coupled to the base by a first hinge, the second arm comprising a second cannula mounting bracket configured to hold a second cannula, the second cannula comprising a curved section having an axis of curvature, and the first hinge having an axis of rotation at approximately the axis of curvature of the curved section of the second cannula when the second cannula is held by the second mounting bracket;

wherein the second arm is rotatable about the first hinge to move the second cannula held by the second cannula mounting bracket between an uninserted position relative to the opening of the incision site and an inserted position through the opening of the incision site.

8. The cannula support fixture of claim 7 , wherein the arm is curved toward the base.

9. The cannula support fixture of claim 8 , wherein the first cannula mounting bracket is at a free end portion of the first arm.

10. The cannula support fixture of claim 7 , further comprising:

a third arm coupled to the base by a second hinge, the third arm comprising a third cannula mounting bracket configured to hold a third cannula, the third cannula comprising a curved section having an axis of curvature, and the second hinge having an axis of rotation at approximately the axis of curvature of the curved section of the third cannula when the third cannula is held by the third mounting bracket;

wherein the third arm is rotatable about the second hinge to move the third cannula held by the third cannula mounting bracket between an uninserted position relative to the opening of the incision site and an inserted position through the opening of the incision site.

11. The cannula support fixture of claim 10 , wherein the second arm is rotatable about the first hinge and the third arm is rotatable about the second hinge relative to the base so as to move toward each other when the second cannula and the third cannula are each moved into their inserted positions.

12. The cannula support fixture of claim 10 , wherein the second arm is rotatable about the first hinge and the third arm is rotatable about the second hinge to move the curved sections of the second and third cannulas respectively held by the second and third cannula mounting brackets through a substantially constant position within the opening of the incision site.

13. The cannula support fixture of claim 7 , wherein the first arm is rotatable about a second hinge to move the first cannula held by the first cannula mounting bracket between an uninserted position relative to the opening of the incision site and an inserted position through the opening of the incision site.

14. The cannula support fixture of claim 7 , wherein the first cannula mounting bracket comprises a slot configured to receive and position the first cannula at various angles through the opening of the incision site.

15. The cannula support fixture of claim 7 , wherein the second arm is rotatable about the first hinge to move the curved section of the second cannula held by the second cannula mounting bracket through a substantially constant position within the opening of the incision site.

16. A method of supporting a plurality of cannulas within a single opening of an incision site, comprising:

holding a first cannula via a support structure while the first cannula is in a position inserted through an opening of an incision site; and

moving a first arm of the support structure through an arc to insert a second cannula held by the first arm through the opening of the incision site, the second cannula having a curved section having an axis of curvature,

wherein the arc is approximately defined by the curved section of the second cannula around the axis of curvature.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

moving a second arm of the support structure to insert a third cannula held by the second arm through the opening of the incision site.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein moving the first and second arm moves the second and third cannula, respectively, through a substantially constant position in the opening.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising docking the first and second cannulas to patient manipulators of a teleoperated surgical system after the holding and the moving.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first cannula is an endoscope cannula.