IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,343,043
Granted Patent B2
US 12,343,043 · App. 18/483,807 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Robotically and manually operable uterine manipulators

Inventors: Scott J. Prior (Branford, CT); Zachary Traina (Verona, NJ); Arvind Rajagopalan Mohan (Dracut, MA); Nikolai D. Begg (Wellesley, MA); Kevin R. Slisz (Elkton, FL)
Assignee: Coviden LP
A61B17/4241A61B34/35A61B34/71A61B2017/00424A61B2017/0046A61B2017/00477
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 12,343,043
App. No.
18/483,807
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A uterine manipulator includes a housing configured to be coupled to an instrument drive unit of a robotic system, a shaft extending distally from the housing, a tip hub pivotably coupled to a distal end portion of the shaft, an articulation disposed within the housing, and a handle operably coupled to either the housing or the shaft. The articulation assembly is configured to pivot the tip hub relative to the shaft and includes a drive cable operably coupled to the tip hub. The articulation assembly is actuatable manually by a user and robotically by the robotic system to pivot the tip hub relative to the shaft. The handle is configured to be manually gripped by a user for manual use of the uterine manipulator.

Claims (22)

1. A uterine manipulator, comprising:

a housing;

a shaft extending distally from the housing;

a tip hub pivotably coupled to a distal end portion of the shaft;

an articulation assembly disposed within the housing and including a drive cable operably coupled to the tip hub, the drive cable configured to pivot the tip hub relative to the shaft upon actuation of the articulation assembly; and

a handle pivotably coupled to the housing and movable between an unfolded configuration and a folded configuration to facilitate storage of the handle within a recess defined in the housing such that the handle can be selectively folded in the recess in a non-protruding manner relative to the housing, the handle operably coupled to the drive cable, the handle configured to be manually gripped by a user in the unfolded configuration and rotated radially relative to the housing which, in turn, correspondingly articulates the tip hub relative to the shaft.

2. The uterine manipulator according to claim 1 , wherein the handle extends outward from a proximal portion of the housing and is permanently coupled to the housing.

3. The uterine manipulator according to claim 1 , wherein the handle includes a coupling member operably engaged between the handle and the housing, the coupling member removably couplable to a proximal portion of the housing and configured to releasably couple the handle to the housing.

4. The uterine manipulator according to claim 1 , wherein the handle is pivotable between the unfolded configuration, where the handle extends substantially perpendicular relative to a surface of the housing, and a folded configuration, where the handle extends substantially parallel along a surface of the housing.

5. The uterine manipulator according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft is detachable from the housing and the handle is operably coupled to the shaft.

6. The uterine manipulator according to claim 1 , wherein at least a distal portion of the shaft is curved.

7. The uterine manipulator according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft defines an internal lumen extending along a length of the shaft.

8. A uterine manipulator, comprising:

a housing;

a shaft extending distally from the housing;

a tip hub pivotably coupled to a distal end portion of the shaft;

an articulation assembly disposed within the housing and including a first drive cable operably coupled to the tip hub, the first drive cable actuatable manually by a user or robotically by a robot surgical system to pivot the tip hub relative to the shaft upon actuation of the articulation assembly;

a handle pivotably coupled to the housing and operably coupled to the drive cable, the handle movable between an unfolded configuration and a folded configuration to facilitate storage of the handle within a recess defined in the housing such that the handle can be selectively folded in the recess in a non-protruding manner relative to the housing, the handle configured to be manually gripped by the user to rotate the handle radially relative to the housing to translate the first drive cable and correspondingly articulate the tip hub relative to the shaft; and

a first driven member disposed in the housing and adapted to couple to a first drive member of the robot surgical system, wherein actuation of the first drive member translates the first drive cable to correspondingly articulate the tip hub relative to the shaft.

9. The uterine manipulator according to claim 8 , further comprising a rotatable collar operably coupled to the articulation assembly and configured to be manually rotated to correspondingly articulate the tip hub relative to the shaft.

10. The uterine manipulator according to claim 8 , wherein the articulation assembly includes a second driven member disposed in the housing and adapted to couple to a second drive member of the robot surgical system, wherein actuation of the second drive member translates a second drive cable to correspondingly articulate the tip hub relative to the shaft.

11. The uterine manipulator according to claim 10 , wherein a distal end portion of the first drive cable is coupled to a first side of the tip hub and a distal end portion of the second drive cable is coupled to a second side of the tip hub and wherein actuation of the first drive member to translate the first drive cable moves the tip hub in a first direction relative to the shaft and actuation of the second drive member to translate the second drive cable moves the tip hub in a second direction relative to the shaft.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 6, 2024
From: PRIOR, SCOTT J.; TRAINA, ZACHARY; RAJAGOPALAN MOHAN, ARVIND; BEGG, NIKOLAI D.; SLISZ, KEVIN R.
To: COVIDIEN LP
Reel/Frame 068197/0794 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2023
From: PRIOR, SCOTT J.; TRAINA, ZACHARY
To: COVIDIEN LP
Reel/Frame 065170/0288 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17172222 · Feb 10, 2021
Provisional Application 62987393 · Mar 10, 2020
Related Publication 20240032967A1 · Feb 1, 2024
References Cited (43)
US 3938521A · Ritota et al. · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 5643285A · Rowden et al. · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 5746750A · Prestel et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5840077A · Rowden et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 7717312B2 · Beetel · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8025670B2 · Sharp et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8192444B2 · Dycus · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8292901B2 · Auerbach et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8475469B2 · Walter et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8603105B2 · Sauer · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8696563B2 · Williams et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8740916B2 · Blair et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8747413B2 · Dycus · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9011433B2 · Batchelor et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9554827B2 · Omori · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 11806048B2 · Prior et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20100041945A1 · Isbell, Jr. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20110174099A1 · Ross et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20110295242A1 · Spivey · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20130023896A1 · Quimby · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20130138115A1 · Seckin · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140052018A1 · Hawkins · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140052144A1 · Singh et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140257322A1 · Batchelor et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140288486A1 · Hart et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140330285A1 · Rosenblatt et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140358158A1 · Einarsson · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150005780A1 · Einarsson · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150127016A1 · Sauer · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150133923A1 · Batchelor et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150148812A1 · Ahluwalia · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150272619A1 · Zisow · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150297254A1 · Sullivan et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160113732A1 · Steege et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160302783A1 · Greenberg et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20190008600A1 · Pedros et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190099227A1 · Rockrohr · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200060516A1 · Baez, Jr. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200237454A1 · Anglese · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200253676A1 · Traina · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200315727A1 · Zemlok et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2011002215A2 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion issued in corresponding application PCT/US2021/019539 dated Jun. 9, 2021 (15 pages). [cited by applicant]