Methods, systems, and devices for causing end effector motion with a robotic surgical system

1. A surgical system, comprising:

first, second, and third motors of a robotic surgical system configured to releasably couple to a surgical tool;

wherein the first and second motors are configured to cooperate with each other to drive a first function of the surgical tool releasably coupled to the robotic surgical system; and

wherein the third motor is configured to drive a second function of the surgical tool releasably coupled to the robotic surgical system, the first function being different from the second function.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first function includes one of closing jaws of an end effector of the surgical tool, translating a cutting element along the end effector, rotating the end effector relative to an elongate shaft of the surgical tool, articulating the end effector relative to the elongate shaft, and rotating the elongate shaft and the end effector relative to a proximal housing of the surgical tool; and

the second function includes another one of closing the jaws of the end effector of the surgical tool, translating the cutting element along the end effector, rotating the end effector relative to the elongate shaft of the surgical tool, articulating the end effector relative to the elongate shaft, and rotating the elongate shaft and the end effector relative to the proximal housing of the surgical tool.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and third motors are configured to cooperate with each other to drive a third function of the surgical tool releasably coupled to the robotic surgical system, the third function being different from the first and second functions.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a first gear and a second gear;

wherein the third motor is configured to shift between engagement with the first gear and engagement with the second gear; and

wherein the third motor is configured to drive the second function when the third motor is engaged with the first gear, and the third motor is configured to cooperate with the first motor to drive the third function when the third motor is engaged with the second gear.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a third gear configured to be driven by the first and second motors to drive the first function of the surgical tool.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first motor includes a first drive disk engaged with the third gear, the second motor includes a second drive disk engaged with the third gear, and the third motor includes a third drive disk configured to shift between engagement with the first and second gears.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first motor is configured to provide a first amount of torque to the surgical tool, the third motor is configured to provide a second amount of torque to the surgical tool, and a total of the first and second amounts of torque is greater than each of a maximum amount of torque the first motor is configured to provide to the surgical tool and a maximum amount of torque the third motor is configured to provide to the surgical tool.

8. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first, second, and third functions are different ones of closing jaws of an end effector of the surgical tool, translating a cutting element along the end effector, rotating the end effector relative to an elongate shaft of the surgical tool, articulating the end effector relative to the elongate shaft, and rotating the elongate shaft and the end effector relative to a proximal housing of the surgical tool.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first motor is configured to provide a first amount of torque to the surgical tool, the second motor is configured to provide a second amount of torque to the surgical tool, and a total of the first and second amounts of torque is greater than each of a maximum amount of torque the first motor is configured to provide to the surgical tool and a maximum amount of torque the second motor is configured to provide to the surgical tool.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the surgical tool;

wherein the surgical tool includes an elongate shaft, an end effector at a distal end of the elongate shaft, and first and second actuation shafts extending along the elongate shaft;

wherein the driving of the first function includes translation of the first actuation shaft relative to the elongate shaft; and

wherein the driving of the second function includes translation of the second actuation shaft relative to the elongate shaft.

11. A surgical method, comprising:

causing first and second motors of a robotic surgical system to cooperate with each other to drive a first function of a surgical tool releasably coupled to the robotic surgical system; and

causing a third motor of the robotic surgical system to drive a second function of the surgical tool releasably coupled to the robotic surgical system;

wherein the first function includes one of closing jaws of an end effector of the surgical tool, translating a cutting element along the end effector, rotating the end effector relative to an elongate shaft of the surgical tool, articulating the end effector relative to the elongate shaft, and rotating the elongate shaft and the end effector relative to a proximal housing of the surgical tool; and

wherein the second function includes another one of closing the jaws of the end effector of the surgical tool, translating the cutting element along the end effector, rotating the end effector relative to the elongate shaft of the surgical tool, articulating the end effector relative to the elongate shaft, and rotating the elongate shaft and the end effector relative to the proximal housing of the surgical tool.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising releasably coupling the surgical tool to the robotic surgical system by coupling a housing of the surgical tool to a tool driver of the robotic surgical system;

wherein the tool driver includes the first, second, and third motors.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the coupling causes a first gear of the first motor and a second gear of the second motor to operatively couple to a first actuation shaft of the surgical tool that extends along the elongate shaft;

the driving of the first function includes the first and second gears moving to cause movement of the first actuation shaft relative to the elongate shaft;

the coupling causes a third gear of the third motor to operatively couple to a second actuation shaft of the surgical tool that extends along the elongate shaft; and

the driving of the second function includes the third gear moving to cause movement of the second actuation shaft relative to the elongate shaft.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising causing the first and third motors to cooperate with each other to drive a third function of the surgical tool releasably coupled to the robotic surgical system, the third function being different from the first and second functions.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein causing the first and second motors to cooperate with each other includes the first motor providing a first amount of torque to the surgical tool and the second motor providing a second amount of torque to the surgical tool; and

a total of the first and second amounts of torque is greater than each of a maximum amount of torque the first motor is configured to provide to the surgical tool and a maximum amount of torque the second motor is configured to provide to the surgical tool.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the surgical tool includes first and second actuation shafts extending along the elongate shaft;

causing the first and second motors to cooperate with each other to drive the first function of the surgical tool includes causing a first gear of the first motor to rotate and causing a second gear of the second motor to rotate, the rotation of the first and second gears causing longitudinal translation of the first actuation shaft relative to the elongate shaft; and

causing the third motor to drive the second function of the surgical tool includes causing a third gear of the third motor to rotate, the rotation of the third gear causing longitudinal translation of the second actuation shaft relative to the elongate shaft.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising shifting engagement of the third motor from engagement with a first gear to engagement with a second gear, the third motor being in engagement with the first gear during the driving of the second function; and

with the third motor being in engagement with the second gear, causing the first and third motors to cooperate with each other to drive a third function of the surgical tool releasably coupled to the robotic surgical system, the third function being different from the first and second functions.

18. A surgical method, comprising:

causing a first motor of the robotic surgical system to provide a first amount of torque to a surgical tool releasably coupled to the robotic surgical system;

causing a second motor of the robotic surgical system to provide a second amount of torque to the surgical tool; and

releasably coupling the surgical tool to the robotic surgical system by coupling a housing of the surgical tool to a tool driver of the robotic surgical system;

wherein the first and second amounts of torque are provided simultaneously to the surgical tool to drive a single function of the surgical tool; and

wherein a total of the first and second amounts of torque is greater than each of a maximum amount of torque the first motor is configured to provide to the surgical tool and a maximum amount of torque the second motor is configured to provide to the surgical tool;

wherein the tool driver includes the first and second motors;

wherein the coupling causes a first gear of the first motor and a second gear of the second motor to operatively couple to an actuation shaft of the surgical tool that extends along an elongate shaft of the surgical tool; and

wherein the driving of the single function includes the first and second gears moving to cause movement of the actuation shaft relative to the elongate shaft.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the single function includes one of closing jaws of an end effector of the surgical tool, translating a cutting element along the end effector, rotating the end effector relative to an elongate shaft of the surgical tool, articulating the end effector relative to the elongate shaft, and rotating the elongate shaft and the end effector relative to a proximal housing of the surgical tool.