Sterile barrier assembly, mounting system, and method for coupling surgical components

1. A sterile barrier assembly for establishing a barrier between first and second surgical components, said sterile barrier assembly comprising:

a protective covering having a plurality of kinematic couplers configured to provide a kinematic coupling between the first and second surgical components through said protective covering to constrain exactly six degrees of freedom of movement between the surgical components.

2. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 1 , further being coupled to:

a first mounting portion associated with the first surgical component;

a second mounting portion associated with the second surgical component; and

wherein the plurality of kinematic couplers are further configured to engage the mounting portions and to provide the kinematic coupling between the mounting portions through the protective covering to constrain six degrees of freedom of movement between the surgical components.

3. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 2 including a preloading mechanism having a preloading element, said preloading mechanism configured to clamp said mounting portions together through said protective covering.

4. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 3 wherein said preloading mechanism includes a tensioner operatively coupled to said preloading element for tensioning said preloading element and clamping said mounting portions together.

5. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 4 wherein said tensioner includes a cam shaft and a lever rotatably fixed to said cam shaft, said cam shaft rotatable between tensioned and untensioned positions.

6. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 3 wherein said preloading element includes a load member.

7. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 3 wherein said preloading mechanism includes one of a first catch or a first latch associated with said first mounting portion and one of a second catch or a second latch associated with said second mounting portion.

8. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 2 wherein said first mounting portion includes a first plurality of contact surfaces for engaging said plurality of kinematic couplers and said second mounting portion includes a second plurality of contact surfaces for engaging said plurality of kinematic couplers, said contact surfaces shaped to cooperate with said plurality of kinematic couplers to constrain the six degrees of freedom of movement between the surgical components.

9. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 8 wherein said first mounting portion includes a first plurality of receptacles having said first plurality of contact surfaces and said second mounting portion includes a second plurality of receptacles having said second plurality of contact surfaces.

10. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 8 wherein said first plurality of contact surfaces are configured to provide only six contact points with said plurality of kinematic couplers.

11. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 8 wherein each of said second plurality of contact surfaces have conical configurations.

12. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 2 including a support mechanism for supporting said protective covering on said first mounting portion when coupling the first and second surgical components.

13. The sterile barrier assembly of any of claim 2 , wherein said first mounting portion is associated with a robotic arm and said second mounting portion is associated with an end effector.

14. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 1 wherein said protective covering includes an interface and a drape attached to said interface, said interface including said plurality of kinematic couplers integrated therein.

15. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 14 wherein each of said plurality of kinematic couplers are arranged to laterally move relative to one another.

16. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 14 wherein said interface includes a preloading element for preloading the kinematic coupling between the surgical components.

17. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 14 wherein said interface includes a plurality of electrical terminals.

18. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 14 wherein said drape comprises a ring defining an opening for receiving said interface and a flaccid portion attached to said ring.

19. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 14 wherein said protective covering includes a support member for supporting said protective covering on the first surgical component during installation on the first surgical component.

20. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 14 wherein said interface comprises at least one of a first latch or a first catch for engaging the first surgical component and at least one of a second latch or a second catch for engaging the second surgical component.

21. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 14 wherein said plurality of kinematic couplers are further defined as a plurality of balls.

22. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 21 wherein said plurality of balls are further defined as three balls configured to constrain the six degrees of freedom of movement between the surgical components.

23. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 21 wherein said balls comprise ceramic.

24. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 21 wherein said balls comprise at least one of silicon carbide or tungsten carbide.

25. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 21 wherein said balls comprise steel.

26. The sterile barrier assembly of claim 21 wherein one or more of said plurality of balls have optically transparent portions for transmitting data.

27. A method for coupling the first and second surgical components with the sterile barrier assembly of claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:

placing the sterile barrier assembly on the first surgical component;

placing the second surgical component on the sterile barrier assembly; and

preloading a preloading element to kinematically couple the surgical components together through the sterile barrier assembly with the plurality of kinematic couplers.

28. A sterile barrier assembly for establishing a barrier between first and second surgical components, said sterile barrier assembly comprising:

a protective covering including:

an interface having a plurality of kinematic couplers integrated therein configured to provide a kinematic coupling between the first and second surgical components through said protective covering to constrain six degrees of freedom of movement between the surgical components, wherein each of said plurality of kinematic couplers are arranged to laterally move relative to one another; and

a drape attachable to said interface.

29. A sterile barrier assembly for establishing a barrier between first and second surgical components, said sterile barrier assembly comprising:

a protective covering including:

an interface having a plurality of kinematic couplers integrated therein configured to provide a kinematic coupling between the first and second surgical components through said protective covering to constrain six degrees of freedom of movement between the surgical components, wherein said interface includes a preloading element for preloading the kinematic coupling between the surgical components; and

a drape attachable to said interface.

30. A sterile barrier assembly for establishing a barrier between first and second surgical components, said sterile barrier assembly comprising:

a protective covering including:

an interface having a plurality of kinematic couplers integrated therein configured to provide a kinematic coupling between the first and second surgical components through said protective covering to constrain six degrees of freedom of movement between the surgical components; and

a drape attachable to said interface and comprising a ring defining an opening for receiving said interface and a flaccid portion attached to said ring.

31. A sterile barrier assembly for establishing a barrier between first and second surgical components, the first surgical component comprising a first mounting portion and the second surgical component comprising a second mounting portion, said sterile barrier assembly comprising:

a protective covering having a plurality of kinematic couplers configured to engage the mounting portions and to provide the kinematic coupling between the mounting portions through said protective covering to constrain six degrees of freedom of movement between the surgical components.