IP Library Granted Patent US 12,661,200
Granted Patent B2
US 12,661,200 · App. 18/789,573 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Integrated robotic insufflation and smoke evacuation

Inventors: Geoffrey Robert Russell (San Jose, CA); Omar J. Vakharia (San Jose, CA); John H. Magnasco (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
A61B34/71A61B17/00234A61B17/3421A61B34/37A61B90/50A61B2017/3419A61B2218/006A61B2560/0456
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,661,200
App. No.
18/789,573
Filed
Jul 30, 2024
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3771
USPC
606/130
Abstract

A surgical robotic system comprising: a robotic arm; a tool drive coupled to the robotic arm; a cannula interface configured to couple a cannula to the tool drive, the cannula interface having a fluid pathway in communication with an interior lumen of the cannula; and an insufflation pathway coupled to the robotic arm, the insufflation pathway having a distal end coupled to the fluid pathway and a proximal end coupled to a surgical insufflator.

Claims (27)

1 . A surgical robotic system comprising:

a robotic arm having an insufflation tube coupled thereto;

a tool drive coupled to a distal end of the robotic arm and having a docking interface through which the insufflation tube extends; and

a cannula interface configured to be received by the docking interface to couple a cannula to the tool drive, the cannula interface having an integrated fluid pathway in communication at a proximal end with the insufflation tube and at a distal end with an interior lumen of the cannula.

2 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 wherein the integrated fluid pathway is a channel formed within the cannula interface between a fluid port at a proximal end of the cannula interface and a fluid port at a distal end of the cannula interface, and the channel is dimensioned to allow transmission of an insufflation gas between the insufflation tube and the interior lumen of the cannula.

3 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 wherein the insufflation tube comprises a proximal end coupled to a surgical insufflator and a distal end coupled to the proximal end of the integrated fluid pathway.

4 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 wherein the interior lumen of the cannula is dimensioned to receive a surgical tool.

5 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 further comprising a filter in communication with the integrated fluid pathway such that an insufflation gas transmitted through the insufflation tube to the integrated fluid pathway passes through the filter.

6 . The surgical robotic system of claim 5 wherein the filter is integrated into a sterile adapter positioned between the tool drive and the cannula interface.

7 . The surgical robotic system of claim 6 further comprising a sealing element integrated into the sterile adapter to seal the filter between the tool drive and the cannula interface and prevent leakage of the insufflation gas.

8 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 wherein the integrated fluid pathway is a first fluid pathway and the insufflation tube is a first insufflation tube, and the surgical robotic system further comprises a second fluid pathway coupled to a second insufflation tube.

9 . The surgical robotic system of claim 8 further comprising a valve coupled to at least one of the first fluid pathway or the second fluid pathway to control a flow of a fluid through the first fluid pathway or the second fluid pathway.

10 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 further comprising a nozzle coupled to the integrated fluid pathway, wherein the nozzle is configured to direct an insufflation gas flowing through the integrated fluid pathway toward a surgical tool positioned within the interior lumen of the cannula.

11 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 wherein the insufflation tube is enclosed within an outer shell of the robotic arm.

12 . The surgical robotic system of claim 1 wherein the insufflation tube is mechanically attached to an outer surface of an outer shell of the robotic arm.

13 . A surgical robotic system comprising:

a surgical robotic assembly comprising:

a robotic arm comprising an insufflation pathway having a proximal portion coupled to a surgical insufflator and a distal portion,

a tool drive coupled to a distal portion of the robotic arm and having a docking interface through which the distal portion of the insufflation pathway extends, and

a cannula interface configured to be received by the docking interface to couple a cannula to the tool drive, the cannula interface having an integrated fluid pathway in communication at a proximal portion with the insufflation pathway and at a distal portion with an interior lumen of the cannula dimensioned to receive a surgical tool; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the surgical robotic assembly and the surgical insufflator, the processor operable to control an operation of the surgical insufflator based on a detected surgical condition.

14 . The surgical robotic system of claim 13 wherein the detected surgical condition comprises a presence of smoke within a surgical site; and the operation controlled by the processor is a smoke evacuation function of the surgical insufflator.

15 . The surgical robotic system of claim 14 wherein the smoke evacuation function comprises actively evacuating smoke through the insufflation pathway while maintaining pneumoperitoneum at the surgical site.

16 . The surgical robotic system of claim 14 wherein the integrated fluid pathway is a first fluid pathway and the insufflation pathway is a first insufflation pathway, and the surgical robotic assembly further comprises a second fluid pathway and a second insufflation pathway that are not fluidly coupled to the surgical insufflator, and the smoke evacuation function comprise passively evacuating smoke through the second fluid pathway and second insufflation pathway.

17 . The surgical robotic system of claim 14 wherein the robotic arm is a first robotic arm and the insufflation pathway is a first insufflation pathway, the surgical robotic system further comprising a second robotic arm and a second insufflation pathway integrated with the second robotic arm, and the smoke evacuation function comprises introducing a flow of fluid to a surgical cavity through the first insufflation pathway and evacuating smoke from the surgical cavity using the second insufflation pathway.

18 . The surgical robotic system of claim 13 wherein the detected surgical condition comprises activation of an energy device within a surgical site; and the operation controlled by the processor is a smoke evacuation function of the surgical insufflator.

19 . The surgical robotic system of claim 13 wherein the detected surgical condition comprises a presence of particles within a surgical site; and the operation controlled by the processor is a particle removal function of the surgical insufflator.

Assignments (1)
MERGER Recorded Jan 27, 2026
From: VERB SURGICAL INC.
To: AURIS HEALTH, INC.
Reel/Frame 073601/0790 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17725387 · Apr 20, 2022
Continuation 16824563 · Mar 19, 2020
Related Publication 20240415593A1 · Dec 19, 2024
References Cited (42)
US 6068609A · Ott et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6234205B1 · D'Amelio et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 8715219B2 · Stearns et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8961451B2 · Stearns et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9155557B2 · Azarbarzin et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9526886B2 · Mastri et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9737371B2 · Romo et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10098703B2 · Radgowski et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10278730B2 · Norton et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20070088275A1 · Stearns et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20090248039A1 · Cooper et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20110230723A1 · Castro et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20170050011A1 · Zergiebel et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180132895A1 · Silver · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180168689A1 · Beckman · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180256204A1 · Silver et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180256207A1 · Augelli et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180310958A1 · Silver et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190159825A1 · Frampton et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190201036A1 · Nott et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190201111A1 · Shelton, IV et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200022766A1 · Millman et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200405417A1 · Shelton et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 109788995A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 2279704B1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018109595A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
AirSeal(registered) iFS Product Overview—ConMed—Accessed from the web on Oct. 3, 2019 at: https://www.conmed.com/en/medical-specialties/laparoscopic-robotic-and-opensurgery/general-and-bariatric-surgery/access/airseal-s… [cited by applicant]
Final Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 16/824,563, mailed Nov. 10, 2021, 8 pages. [cited by applicant]
Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/725,387, mailed on Apr. 17, 2024, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
Hahn et al., “Removal of Hazardous Surgical Smoke Usina a Built-in-FilterTrocar: A Study in Laparoscopic Rectal Resection.”, Surgical Laparoscopy Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques, Oct. 2017, vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 341-3… [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability for International Application No. PCT/US2020/032062 mailed Sep. 29, 2022, 11 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Feb. 8, 2021, for related PCT Application No. PCT/US2020/032062. [cited by applicant]
MEGADYNE(trademark) MEGAVAC(trademark) Smoke Evacuator Product Data Sheet, Ethicon US, LLC., 2017. [cited by applicant]
Non-Final Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 16/824,563, mailed May 13, 2021, 11 pages. [cited by applicant]
Non-Final Office Action received for U.S. Appl. No. 17/725,387, mailed on Dec. 7, 2023, 9 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance for U.S. Appl. No. 16/824,563, mailed Jan. 26, 2022, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance of the U.S. Patent Office dated Jul. 18, 2024 for related U.S. Appl. No. 17/725,387. [cited by applicant]
Partial International Search Report & Provisional Opinion Accompanying the Partial Search Result, dated Dec. 1, 2020, for related PCT Application No. PCT/US2020/032062. 8 pages. [cited by applicant]
PneumoClear Insufflator—Product Data Sheet, Stryker, Apr. 2018, Available Online at: <https://www.stryker.com/us/en/endoscopy/products/pneumoclear.html>. [cited by applicant]
Office Action received for Korean Application No. 10-2022-7036184, mailed on Jul. 25, 2025, 6 pages (4 pages of original office action and 2 pages of English Translation). [cited by applicant]
First Office Action received for Chinese Patent Application No. 202080098877.2, mailed on Jun. 19, 2025, 27 pages (11 pages of Original Document and 16 pages of English Translation). [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report received for EP Patent Application No. 25216748.1, mailed Feb. 12, 2026, 11 pages. [cited by applicant]