Surgical devices with intracorporeal elbow joint
View Patent ↗Surgical devices are disclosed herein that generally include an intracorporeal elbow joint to facilitate translational movement of an end effector while allowing a body portion of the surgical device and a trocar or working channel through which the device is inserted to be maintained in a fixed angular orientation relative to the patient. This allows a plurality of such devices to be used effectively with a single incision or access device. Such devices also generally provide end effector movement with six degrees of freedom, while maintaining a mechanical linkage between the user and the end effector and while mimicking and/or mirroring natural user movement. Various methods related to such devices are also disclosed.
1. A surgical device, comprising:
an elongate body having proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal axis;
a master assembly coupled to the proximal end of the elongate body;
a slave assembly coupled to the distal end of the elongate body, the slave assembly including a distal elbow joint and an end effector; and
a plurality of cables extending through the elongate body and configured to translate movement of the master assembly into movement of the slave assembly;
wherein the distal elbow joint includes first and second retainer housings, a plurality of rods extending between and pivotally coupled to the first and second retainer housings, and a first plate disposed between the first and second retainer housings, the first plate having a plurality of openings through which the plurality of rods are respectively received;
further comprising a torque tube extending between and being rigidly coupled to the first plate and a second plate, wherein the second plate is disposed between the first and second retainer housings.
2. A surgical device, comprising:
an elongate body having proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal axis;
a master assembly coupled to the proximal end of the elongate body;
a slave assembly coupled to the distal end of the elongate body, the slave assembly including a distal elbow joint and an end effector; and
a plurality of cables extending through the elongate body and configured to translate movement of the master assembly into movement of the slave assembly;
wherein the distal elbow joint includes first and second retainer housings, a plurality of rods extending between and pivotally coupled to the first and second retainer housings, and a first plate disposed between the first and second retainer housings, the first plate having a plurality of openings through which the plurality of rods are respectively received;
wherein the first and second retainer housings each have a plurality of concavities formed therein;
wherein a proximal end of each of the plurality of rods is pivotally received within a corresponding one of the concavities of the first retainer housing, and a distal end of each of the plurality of rods is pivotally received within a corresponding one of the concavities of the second retainer housing.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the proximal and distal ends of each of the plurality of rods are conical.
4. A surgical device, comprising:
an elongate body having proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal axis;
a master assembly coupled to the proximal end of the elongate body;
a slave assembly coupled to the distal end of the elongate body, the slave assembly including a distal elbow joint and an end effector; and
a plurality of cables extending through the elongate body and configured to translate movement of the master assembly into movement of the slave assembly;
wherein the distal elbow joint includes first and second retainer housings, a plurality of rods extending between and pivotally coupled to the first and second retainer housings, and a first plate disposed between the first and second retainer housings, the first plate having a plurality of openings through which the plurality of rods are respectively received;
a first retainer insert sized to be received within the first retainer housing and having a plurality of through holes formed therein through which the plurality of cables can be routed; and
a second retainer insert sized to be received within the second retainer housing and having a plurality of through holes formed therein through which the plurality of cables can be routed.
5. A surgical device, comprising:
an elongate body having proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal axis;
a master assembly coupled to the proximal end of the elongate body;
a slave assembly coupled to the distal end of the elongate body, the slave assembly including a distal elbow joint and an end effector; and
a plurality of cables extending through the elongate body and configured to translate movement of the master assembly into movement of the slave assembly;
wherein the distal elbow joint includes first and second retainer housings, a plurality of rods extending between, pivotally coupled to, and terminating at the first and second retainer housings, and a first plate disposed between the first and second retainer housings, the first plate having a plurality of openings through which the plurality of rods are respectively received;
wherein the second retainer housing is configured to translate laterally with respect to the first retainer housing.
6. A surgical device, comprising:
an end effector having proximal and distal ends;
a distal wrist assembly coupled to the proximal end of the end effector, the distal wrist assembly having a first pivot joint about which the end effector yaws and a second pivot joint about which the end effector pitches;
a distal elbow assembly coupled to a proximal end of the distal wrist assembly, the distal elbow assembly having a first elbow joint about which the distal wrist assembly heaves and sways;
a master assembly coupled to the distal elbow assembly by an elongate body;
wherein the first elbow joint includes first and second retainer housings, a plurality of rods extending between and pivotally coupled to the first and second retainer housings, and a first plate disposed between the first and second retainer housings, the first plate having a plurality of openings through which the plurality of rods are respectively received;
wherein the proximal end of each of the plurality of rods is pivotally received within a corresponding recess of the first retainer housing, and the distal end of each of the plurality of rods is pivotally received within a corresponding recess of the second retainer housing.
7. A surgical device, comprising:
an end effector having proximal and distal ends;
a distal wrist assembly coupled to the proximal end of the end effector, the distal wrist assembly having a first pivot joint about which the end effector yaws and a second pivot joint about which the end effector pitches;
a distal elbow assembly coupled to a proximal end of the distal wrist assembly, the distal elbow assembly having a first elbow joint about which the distal wrist assembly heaves and sways;
a master assembly coupled to the distal elbow assembly by an elongate body;
wherein the first elbow joint includes first and second retainer housings, a plurality of rods extending between, pivotally coupled to, and terminating at the first and second retainer housings, and a first plate disposed between the first and second retainer housings, the first plate having a plurality of openings through which the plurality of rods are respectively received;
wherein the second retainer housing is configured to translate laterally with respect to the first retainer housing.