Patent · US Active

Double universal joint

US10292767B2 · kind B2 · utility

11Cited by

57References

20Claims

0Family size

Assignee

INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC. · US

Inventors

William A. Burbank · Sandy Hook, US
Gregory W. Dachs, II · San Mateo, US
Todd Murphy · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

Filing date	Jul 17, 2015
Grant date	May 21, 2019
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jun 27, 2037

Classification

Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
CPC primaryY10T29/49826
WIPO fieldMedical technology
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Surgical tools having a two degree-of-freedom wrist, wrist articulation by linked tension members, mechanisms for transmitting torque through an angle, and minimally invasive surgical tools incorporating these features are disclosed. An elongate intermediate wrist member is pivotally coupled with a distal end of an instrument shaft so as to rotate about a first axis transverse to the shaft, and an end effector body is pivotally coupled with the intermediate member so as to rotate about a second axis that is transverse to the first axis. Linked tension members interact with attachment features to articulate the wrist. A torque-transmitting mechanism includes a coupling member, coupling pins, a drive shaft, and a driven shaft. The drive shaft is coupled with the driven shaft so as to control the relative orientations of the drive shaft, the coupling member, and the driven shaft.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.