Robotic apparatus for minimally invasive surgery

US9028468B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento Sant'Anna · IT

Inventors

• Umberto Scarfogliero · San Carlos, US
• Claudio Quaglia · Pontedera, IT
• Marco Piccigallo · Pisa, IT
• Selene Tognarelli · Massa, IT
• Pietro Valdastri · Leeds, GB
• Arianna Menciassi · Pontedera, IT
• Paolo Dario

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 22, 2011
• Grant date: May 12, 2015
• Expiry date: Apr 22, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T74/20335
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A robotic arm especially suited for laparoscopic surgery, having a torsional joint and a flexural joint forming serially arranged joints is described. The joints provide respective degrees of freedom for the arm, which further receives drive means for such joints. The robotic arm also has transmission means placed between the drive means have and the joints. The transmission means a first and a second assembly of three gear wheels, preferably conical gear wheels, and a train of three additional gear wheels, preferably straight-cut gear wheels, which couple the first and second assembly to form a differential mechanism.