Interfacing a surgical robot and instrument
A robotic surgical instrument comprising: a shaft; an articulation at a distal end of the shaft for articulating an end effector, the articulation driveable by a pair of driving elements; and an instrument interface at a proximal end of the shaft, the instrument interface comprising an instrument interface element for driving the pair of driving elements, the instrument interface element displaceable over a first displacement range, the instrument interface element comprising a body receivable in a drive assembly interface element of a robot arm when the robotic surgical instrument engages with the surgical robot arm, the drive assembly interface element displaceable over a second displacement range, the length of the body in the displaceable direction being greater than one of the maximum travel of the body over the first displacement range and the maximum travel of the drive assembly interface element over the second displacement range.
1. A robotic surgical instrument having a proximal end configured to engage with a surgical robot arm, the robotic surgical instrument comprising:
a shaft;
an articulation at a distal end of the shaft configured to articulate an end effector, the articulation driveable by a pair of driving elements; and
an instrument interface at a proximal end of the shaft, the instrument interface comprising an instrument interface element configured to drive the pair of driving elements, the instrument interface element displaceable in a displaceable direction over a first displacement range, the instrument interface element comprising a body receivable in a drive assembly interface element of the surgical robot arm when the proximal end of the robotic surgical instrument engages with the surgical robot arm, the drive assembly interface element displaceable in the displaceable direction over a second displacement range, a length of the body in the displaceable direction being greater than one of a maximum travel of the body over the first displacement range and a maximum travel of the drive assembly interface element over the second displacement range.
2. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the length of the body in the displaceable direction is greater than both the maximum travel of the body over the first displacement range and the maximum travel of the drive assembly interface element over the second displacement range.
3. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first displacement range is the same as the second displacement range.
4. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second displacement range is parallel to the first displacement range.
5. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first displacement range is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shaft.
6. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the body comprises:
lower sidewalls separated by the length of the body in the displaceable direction; and
upper sidewalls which taper from the lower sidewalk.
7. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the upper sidewalls taper to a point.
8. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the upper sidewalls taper to a point meeting at an angle of less than or the same as 80°.
9. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the upper sidewalls taper from the lower sidewalls to a roller, the roller configured to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the displaceable direction.
10. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 6 , comprising a roller attached to each upper sidewall, each roller configured to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the displaceable direction.
11. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the lower sidewalk are perpendicular to the displaceable direction.
12. A robotic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the maximum travel of the body over the first displacement range is half the length of the body, and wherein maximum travel of the drive assembly interface element over the second displacement range is half the length of the body.
13. A surgical robot arm configured to engage with a proximal end of a robotic surgical instrument, the surgical robot arm comprising:
a drive assembly at a distal end of the surgical robot arm, the drive assembly comprising a drive assembly interface element configured to drive an instrument interface element of the robotic surgical instrument when the surgical robot arm engages with the proximal end of the robotic surgical instrument, the drive assembly interface element comprising a socket configured to receive a body of the instrument interface element, the instrument interface element displaceable in a displaceable direction over a first displacement range and the drive assembly interface element displaceable in the displaceable direction over a second displacement range, an internal length of the socket in the displaceable direction being greater than one of a maximum travel of the body over the first displacement range and a maximum travel of the socket over the second displacement range.
14. A surgical robot arm as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the length of the socket in the displaceable direction is greater than both the maximum travel of the body over the first displacement range and the maximum travel of the socket over the second displacement range.
15. A surgical robot arm as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the first displacement range is the same as the second displacement range.
16. A surgical robot arm as claimed in- claim 13 , wherein the first displacement range is parallel to the second displacement range.
17. A surgical robot arm as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the socket comprises sidewalls separated by the length of the body in the displaceable direction, the sidewalls each terminating in a roller, each roller configured to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the displaceable direction.
18. A surgical robot arm as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the sidewalk are perpendicular to the displaceable direction.
19. A surgical robot arm as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the maximum travel of the socket over the second displacement range is half the length of the socket, and the maximum travel of the body over the first displacement range is half the length of the socket.
20. A surgical robot comprising:
a robotic surgical instrument comprising:
a shaft;
an articulation at a distal end of the shaft configured to articulate an end effector, the articulation driveable by a pair of driving elements; and
an instrument interface at a proximal end of the shaft, the instrument interface comprising an instrument interface element configured to drive the pair of driving elements, the instrument interface element displaceable in a displaceable direction over a first displacement range, the instrument interface element comprising a body; and
a surgical robot arm comprising a drive assembly at a distal end of the surgical robot arm, the drive assembly comprising a drive assembly interface element configured to drive the instrument interface element when the surgical robot arm engages with a proximal end of the robotic surgical instrument, the drive assembly interface element displaceable in the displaceable direction over a second displacement range, the drive assembly interface element comprising a socket configured to receive the body;
wherein a length of the body in the displaceable direction is greater than one of a maximum travel of the body over the first displacement range and a maximum travel of the drive assembly interface element over the second displacement range.