STERILE INTERFACE FOR ARTICULATED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS
A sterile interface for a surgical platform is provided, optionally to be used with a mechanical telemanipulator. The sterile interface is configured to allow for transmission of motion without dimensional inconsistencies between a non-sterile surgical platform and a sterile surgical instrument that are related to one another in a master-slave configuration. The sterile interface is configured to allow for multiple changes of sterile surgical instruments during a surgical procedure without contaminating the sterile field. The sterile interface allows for interchangeable sterile articulated surgical instruments to be attached to the surgical platform without coming into contact with non-sterile portions of the surgical platform.
1 . A method for maintaining sterility of surgical instruments during a surgical procedure, the method comprising:
locking a rigid connector to a surgical platform;
locking the rigid connector to a proximal hub of an articulated surgical instrument;
covering moving links of the surgical platform with a flexible sleeve coupled to the rigid connector;
moving an end-effector of the articulated surgical instrument responsive to movement at the surgical platform to perform the surgical procedure while maintaining sterility of the articulated surgical instrument during the surgical procedure;
detaching the articulated surgical instrument from the rigid connector; and
removing the flexible sleeve from the surgical platform.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein covering moving links of the surgical platform via the flexible sleeve ensures that the articulated surgical instrument is not directly touching the surgical platform during the surgical procedure.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising mating at least one miniature cup with both a mechanical transmission from the surgical platform and a mechanical transmission of the articulated surgical instrument.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the flexible sleeve from the surgical platform comprises detaching the flexible sleeve from the rigid connector.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising attaching and detaching the articulated surgical instrument from the surgical platform several times during the surgical procedure.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sterilizing the rigid connector after each surgical procedure.