In vivo accessories for minimally invasive robotic surgery

US8182476B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Christopher Julian · Los Gatos, US
• Daniel T. Wallace · Redwood City, US
• Frederick H. Moll · San Francisco, US
• Dean Hoornaert · San Jose, US
• David J. Rosa · San Jose, US
• John Freund · Redwood City, US
• John W. Hill · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 18, 2010
• Grant date: May 22, 2012
• Expiry date: Jul 26, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B2034/305
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. Examples of in vivo accessories include fastening accessories such as surgical clips for use with a clip applier, single working member accessories such as a blade which can be grasped and manipulated by a grasping tool for cutting, sheath accessories that fit over working members of a tool, flow tubes for providing suction or introducing a fluid into the surgical site, and a retraction member resiliently biased to retract a tissue to expose an area in the surgical site for treatment. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site. The accessory introducer can be resiliently biased to bias the accessories toward a predetermined position in the surgical site.