Granted Patent B2

US 12,364,564 · App. 18/534,090 · Granted Jul 22, 2025

Inventors: Luke David Ronald Hares (Cambridge, GB); Keith Marshall (Cambridge, GB)

Assignee: CMR SURGICAL LIMITED

A61B34/76A61B34/30A61B34/35B25J9/1689B25J13/085B25J17/0275A61B2034/305A61B2090/066

Abstract

Claims (59)

1. A surgical robotic component comprising an articulated terminal portion, the terminal portion comprising:

a distal segment;

an intermediate segment;

a basal segment;

a first articulation between the distal segment and the intermediate segment, the first articulation permitting relative rotation of the distal segment and the intermediate segment about a first axis; and

a second articulation between the intermediate segment and the basal segment, the second articulation permitting relative rotation of the intermediate segment and the basal segment about a second axis,

wherein:

the intermediate segment comprises a third articulation permitting relative rotation of the distal segment and the basal segment about third and fourth axes; and

the first, second and third articulations are arranged such that in a

straight configuration of the terminal portion:

the first and second axes are collinear;

the third and fourth axes are transverse to the first axis;

the third and fourth axes are transverse to each other; and

the third and fourth axes intersect each other; and

the surgical robotic component is configured to determine torque about the third and fourth axes.

2. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , the distal segment having an attachment connected thereto and the terminal portion being attached to the remainder of the surgical robotic component by the basal segment.

3. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the attachment is only articulable relative to the basal segment by the first, second and third articulations.

4. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the attachment is located on the first axis.

5. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 2 , the surgical robotic component being located at the end of a surgical robot arm, and further comprising a surgical instrument attached to the attachment.

6. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the surgical instrument extends in a direction along the first axis.

7. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 2 , the surgical robotic component being located at the end of a surgical instrument, and further comprising a surgical end effector attached to the attachment.

8. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the surgical end effector extends in a direction along the first axis.

9. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , the intermediate segment comprising a first torque sensor configured to sense torque about the third axis.

10. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , the intermediate segment comprising a second torque sensor configured to sense torque about the fourth axis.

11. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , the terminal portion further comprising a third torque sensor configured to sense torque about the first axis.

12. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , the terminal portion further comprising a fourth torque sensor configured to sense torque about the second axis.

13. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the said straight configuration the third and fourth axes are perpendicular to each other.

14. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the said straight configuration the third and fourth axes are perpendicular to the first axis.

15. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first articulation is a revolute joint.

16. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second articulation is a revolute joint.

17. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the third articulation is a spherical joint or a pair of revolute joints.

18. A surgical robotic component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the third articulation is a universal joint.

19. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 1 , comprising an additional revolute joint between the second joint and the third joint, the additional joint having an axis transverse to the first axis.

20. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sixth and seventh joints are constituted by a joint structure which acts as a spherical joint, and which has an intermediate member capable of moving about a first joint with respect to a basal segment of the wrist and about a second joint with respect to a distal segment of the wrist.

21. A surgical robot comprising:

a base; and

an arm extending from the base and terminating at its distal end in a wrist having thereon an attachment configured to attach to a surgical instrument;

wherein:

the arm is articulated by a series of revolute joints along its length, the arm joints comprising, in order running from the base:

i. a first joint having a first axis;

ii. a second joint having a second axis transverse to the first axis;

iii. a third joint having a third axis transverse to the second axis; and

iv. a fourth joint having a fourth axis transverse to the third axis;

the wrist is articulated by a second series of revolute joints along its length, the joints of the wrist comprising, in order running towards the attachment:

v. a fifth joint having a fifth axis;

vi. a sixth joint having a sixth axis transverse to the fifth axis; and

vii. a seventh joint having a seventh axis transverse to both the fifth and sixth axes; and

viii. an eighth joint having an eighth axis transverse to both the sixth and seventh axes.

22. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the wrist further comprises a torque sensor configured to sense torque about the sixth axis.

23. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the wrist comprises a torque sensor configured to sense torque about the seventh axis.

24. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , the surgical robot comprising a torque sensor configured to sense torque about the eighth axis.

25. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the sixth and seventh axes intersect.

26. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , the surgical robot further comprising a torque sensor configured to sense torque about the fifth axis.

27. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , wherein in a straight configuration of the wrist in which the distal end of the arm is collinear with the attachment, the eighth axis and the fifth axis are parallel.

28. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , wherein in a straight configuration of the wrist in which the distal end of the arm is collinear with the attachment, the eighth axis and the fifth axis are collinear.

29. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , comprising an additional revolute joint between the first joint and the base, the additional joint having a first additional axis perpendicular to the first axis.

30. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the first to eighth joints are the only means of articulation of the arm.

31. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , comprising a surgical instrument attached to the attachment.

32. A surgical robot as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the surgical instrument has an axis of elongation aligned with the eighth axis.

Assignments (3)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (118)