CN113017835B - Cable tensioning device for surgical tool assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A cable tensioning device for a surgical tool assembly is disclosed herein. The surgical tool assembly includes a housing, an end effector, and an elongate shaft connecting the housing to the end effector. The housing includes a plurality of spools, each having an annular collar and a cable anchored to each annular collar. The cable tensioner comprises: a substrate; a lower platform; the lower platform has a central recess that receives the housing. The apparatus also includes an upper platform including a bearing plate having a plurality of circular bearings that receive a plurality of torque bolts secured within the plurality of circular bearings, each torque bolt having a plurality of openings configured to receive a plurality of pins, each pin including one or more fasteners configured to be received in an annular collar of a spool of the surgical tool assembly housing. The apparatus also includes an angle scale that measures an angle of rotation of the plurality of bolts, and a wrench is operably connected to the angle scale to apply a specific torque to the bolts to tension the cable connected to the spool.

Description

Cable tensioning device for surgical tool assembly

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to a cable tensioner. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to cable tensioning devices for surgical tool applications in minimally invasive surgery.

Background

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This disclosure is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. It should be understood, therefore, that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. Further, instruments and tools are used interchangeably and have the same meaning.

Robotic-assisted surgical systems have been adopted worldwide to replace traditional surgical treatments to reduce the amount of foreign tissue that may be damaged during surgical or diagnostic procedures, thereby reducing patient recovery time, patient discomfort, long hospital stays, and particularly harmful side effects. In robot-assisted surgery, the surgeon typically operates a master controller on the surgeon console to seamlessly capture and relay the complex actions performed by the surgeon, thereby perceiving that the surgeon is articulating the surgical tool directly to perform the surgery. The surgeon operating on the surgeon console may be located at a distance from the surgical site or may be located in the operating room where the patient is being operated on.

Robot-assisted surgery has revolutionized the medical field and is one of the fastest growing areas of the medical device industry. However, a major challenge in robotic-assisted surgery is ensuring safety and accuracy during surgery. One of the key areas of robot-assisted surgery is the development of surgical robots for minimally invasive surgery. Surgical robots have evolved exponentially over the past decades and have become a major area of innovation in the medical device industry.

In robot-assisted surgery, surgical tools play an important role. Surgical tools are the actual parts that contact the patient's tissue during various surgical procedures. Surgical tools may provide greater freedom of motion by including wrist joints on the tool, resulting in more natural hand joints. To facilitate wrist articulation, surgical tools often include a cable driven motion system designed to articulate (move) the end effector of the tool. A common cable-driven motion system (actuation element) includes one or more drive cables, wires, elongate members, etc., that extend through the wrist joint to facilitate articulation of the tool's end effector. During use and throughout the life of the cable driven motion system, the drive cables will tend to fatigue in the form of tension, creep and relaxation. This drive cable fatigue can produce backlash in the drive mechanism which must typically be compensated electrically or mechanically.

In addition, slack in the drive cable can cause misalignment and/or derailment of the actuating element, such as at a drive pulley or pulley that guides the actuating element in the transmission housing or wrist or end effector.

In some instances, slack or too low tension in the drive cables of the surgical tool may cause unintended movement of the end effector of the surgical tool. One way to ensure that sufficient drive cable tension is present throughout the design life of the surgical tool is to preload the drive cable with a high enough tension to withstand some of the preloaded drive cable tension reduction, particularly when the end effector is available for pushing, pulling, clamping, grasping, or other resistive motions. However, the tension preload in the drive cable increases the force that the drive system must apply to operate the surgical tool. The pre-load force increases friction as the drive cable travels along the surface of the surgical tool. The pre-tension also causes friction where the drive cable contacts the curved surface of the opening through which the drive cable passes.

In view of the above challenges, it is desirable to provide a method to manage slack to minimize or prevent misalignment or derailment of the actuation elements and/or responsiveness of the force transmission through the actuation elements to provide a drive input from the force input mechanism, as well as responsiveness to final actuation of the end effector of the surgical tool. Furthermore, it is often desirable and often critical that the tension in the drive cable be determinable and controllable. Accordingly, it is desirable for a surgical tensioning device to have the ability to tension the drive cable in a controlled manner and to provide the physician with the ability to directly determine the tension in the drive cable at any time. In addition to these requirements, a surgical tensioning device should be available which is ergonomic in form and function, easy to use and reliable.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure seeks to provide an improved cable tensioning arrangement for a surgical tool assembly.

In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cable tensioning arrangement for a surgical tool assembly. The surgical tool assembly comprises: a housing at a proximal end, an end effector at a distal end, and an elongate shaft connecting the housing to the end effector. The housing includes a plurality of spools, each having an annular collar and a cable anchored to each annular collar and secured to the respective spool. The cable tensioner includes a base plate and a lower platform operably secured to the base plate, wherein the lower platform has a central recess configured to receive a housing of a surgical tool assembly. The cable tensioner also includes an upper platform operably secured above the lower platform, and the upper platform includes a carrier plate having a plurality of circular bearings configured to receive a plurality of torque bolts secured within the plurality of circular bearings. A plurality of torque bolts extend downwardly toward the lower platform and each torque bolt has a plurality of openings configured to receive a plurality of pins, wherein each pin includes one or more fasteners configured to be received in the annular collar of the reel of the surgical tool assembly housing. The cable tensioner further comprises: an angle scale mounted on the plurality of bolts, the angle scale configured to measure a plurality of bolt rotation angles; and a wrench operably attached to the angle dial to apply a specific torque to the plurality of bolts to tension a cable attached to a spool of the surgical tool interface housing.

Optionally, handles are operatively secured to opposite ends of the base plate and have an inverted U-shaped configuration.

Optionally, the guide rails are positioned parallel to each other on the longitudinal axis of the base plate.

Optionally, at least one pair of guide wheels is mounted on the guide rail along a longitudinal axis of the guide rail.

Optionally, the pair of guide wheels is U-shaped in cross-section and is movable along the longitudinal axis of the guide rail.

Optionally, the pair of locking blocks are configured to lock the shaft and the end effector of the surgical tool assembly such that the surgical tool assembly is in a fixed position during cable tensioning.

Optionally, the pair of locking blocks include a "U" shaped recess to receive the shaft and end effector of the surgical tool assembly, and further include a screw at each end to limit the space of the recess to fixedly hold the surgical tool assembly.

Optionally, at least one pair of locking clamps are positioned equidistant from each other along the rail, and the locking clamps are configured to secure the upper platform to the guide wheel.

Optionally, the upper platform has a first end, a second end, and a pair of inverted "U" shaped legs extending from both the first and second ends.

Optionally, the pairs of inverted "U" shaped legs have projections so that the projections can be mounted to the pairs of guide wheels by various locking mechanisms (not limited to bolts, snap fit, etc.).

Optionally, the lower platform is configured to be secured in position between the rails such that the upper platform can be aligned over the pair of locking clamps to be positioned over the lower platform.

Optionally, the lower platform comprises a pair of locking clamps positioned on a first end of the lower platform and one centrally positioned locking clamp placed on a second end of the lower platform.

Optionally, the wrench includes a visual indicator positioned on the number wrench, the visual indicator configured to display the torque applied to the bolt to prevent over-tightening of the bolt.

Optionally, the angular scale is circular in profile and includes a plurality of openings on its outer circumference to fit the plurality of bolts, and is configured to define an angular measurement on a circumference of the angular scale.

Other aspects, advantages, and features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the appended claims.

It should be understood that features of the disclosure are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Drawings

To further clarify the advantages and features of the present disclosure, a more particular description of the disclosure will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

fig. 1 (a) shows a schematic view of a plurality of robotic arms of a robotic surgical system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 1 (b) shows a schematic view of a surgeon console of a robotic surgical system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 1 (c) shows a schematic view of an imaging trolley of a robotic surgical system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a tool interface assembly mounted on a robotic arm in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 (a) illustrates a particular surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 (b) shows the distal or working end of the surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 (a) shows a perspective view of a housing of a surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 (b) illustrates a bottom perspective view of the housing of the surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a cable tensioning device for a surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cable tensioner showing an upper platform according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 7 illustrates another cross-sectional view of the cable tensioner showing the lower platform according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 8 illustrates another cross-sectional view of a cable tensioning device for a surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended, and that such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated systems, and such further applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated therein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates.

It is to be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the disclosure, and are not intended to be restrictive thereof. Throughout the patent specification, the convention adopted is that like numbers refer to like elements in the drawings.

Reference throughout this specification to "an embodiment," "another embodiment," "an implementation," "another implementation," or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in an embodiment," "in another embodiment," "in an embodiment," "in another embodiment," and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process or method. Similarly, without further limitation, one or more devices or subsystems or elements or structures beginning with "include" does not preclude the presence of other devices or other subsystems or other elements or other structures or additional devices or other additional subsystems or other elements or other structures. .

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The devices, systems, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

The terms "a" and "an" herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. Further, the terms sterile barrier and sterile adaptor are intended to be synonymous and may be used interchangeably throughout the specification.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present disclosure relates to robotic surgical systems for minimally invasive surgery. Robotic surgical systems will typically involve the use of multiple robotic arms. One or more robotic arms will typically support a surgical tool that is articulatable (e.g., jaws, scissors, graspers, needle holders, micro-dissectors, staple appliers, tracers, suction/irrigation tools, clip appliers, etc.) or non-articulatable (e.g., cutting blades, cautery probes, irrigators, catheters, suction orifices, etc.). The one or more robotic arms will typically be used to support one or more surgical image capture devices, such as an endoscope (which may be any of a variety of structures, such as laparoscopes, arthroscopes, hysteroscopes, etc.), or alternatively some other imaging modality (such as ultrasound, fluoroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, etc.).

Fig. 1 (a) shows a schematic view of a plurality of robotic arms of a robotic surgical system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, fig. 1 shows a robotic surgical system 100 having four robotic arms 103a,103b,103c,103d mounted around a patient cart 101. The four robotic arms 103a,103b,103c,103d shown in fig. 1 are for illustrative purposes and the number of robotic arms can vary depending on the type of surgery or robotic surgical system. The four robotic arms 103a,103b,103c,103d are mounted along the patient cart 101 and may be arranged in different ways, but are not limited to the robotic arms 103a,103b,103c,103d being mounted on the patient cart 101, or the robotic arms 103a,103b,103c,103d being mounted separately on a movable device, or the robotic arms 103a,103b,103c,103d being mechanically and/or operatively connected to each other, or the robotic arms 103a,103b,103c,103d being connected to the central body 105, thereby expanding the robotic arms 103a,103b,103c,103d from the central body 105.

Fig. 1 (b) shows a schematic view of a surgeon console of a robotic surgical system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The surgeon's console 117 assists the surgeon in remotely manipulating a patient lying on the patient cart 101 by controlling robotic arms 103a,103b,103c,103d within the patient. The surgeon's console 117 is configured to control the movement of the surgical instrument (shown in fig. 2) while the surgical instrument is within the patient. The surgeon's console 117 may include at least an adjustable viewing device 107, not limited to 2D/3D monitors, wearable viewing devices (not shown), and combinations thereof. The surgeon console 117 may be equipped with a number of displays that may display not only a 3D High Definition (HD) endoscopic view of the surgical site on the patient cart 101, but also other information for various medical devices that the surgeon may use during the robotic surgery. Furthermore, the viewing device 107 may provide various modes of the robotic surgical system 100, not limited to the identity and number of robotic arms attached, the current tool type attached, the current tool tip location, collision information, and medical data such as ECG, ultrasound displays, stereo images, CT, MRI information. The surgeon console 117 may also include mechanisms for controlling the robotic arms, not limited to one or more hand controls 109, one or more foot controls 113, clutch mechanisms (not shown), and combinations thereof. The hand control 109 at the surgeon's console 117 needs to constantly capture and transmit the complex actions performed by the surgeon to give the surgeon the sensation that the surgeon is operating the surgical tool directly. Different controllers may require different purposes during surgery. In some embodiments, hand controller 109 may be one or more manually operated input devices, such as a joystick, an extraskeletal glove, a power and gravity compensated manipulator, or the like. These hand controls 109 control teleoperated motors which in turn control the motion of surgical instruments attached to the robotic arms. As shown in fig. 1 (b), the surgeon may sit on a support device such as a chair 111 while controlling a surgeon console 117. The chair 111 may be adjusted by a height device, an armrest, etc. according to the convenience of the surgeon, and various control devices may be provided on the chair 111. Further, the surgeon's console 117 may be at a single location inside the operating room, or may be distributed at any other location in the hospital, so long as the connection to the robotic arm is maintained.

Fig. 1 (c) shows a schematic view of an imaging trolley of a robotic surgical system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The video trolley 119 is configured to display 2D and/or 3D views of the operation captured by the endoscope. The imaging trolley 119 can be adjusted at various angles and heights according to the convenience of viewing. The video cart 119 may have various functions, not limited to providing a touch screen display, preview/record/playback settings, various input/output devices, a 2D-3D converter, etc. The imaging trolley 119 may include vision system portions 115a,115b, such as television screens, that enable bystanders or other non-surgical surgeons to view the surgical site from outside the patient's body. One of the manipulators typically engages a surgical instrument (i.e., a camera instrument) having a video image capture function to display a captured image on the imaging trolley 119. In some robotic surgical system configurations, the camera instrument includes optics that transmit images from a distal end of the camera instrument to one or more imaging sensors (e.g., CCD or CMOS sensors) outside the patient's body. Alternatively, the imaging sensor may be located at the distal end of the camera instrument, and the signals generated by the sensor may be transmitted along wires or wirelessly for processing and display on the imaging trolley 119.

Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a tool interface assembly mounted on a robotic arm, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The tool interface assembly 200 is mounted on a robotic arm 201 of the robotic surgical system 100. The tool interface assembly 200 is the primary component for robotic surgery on a patient. The robotic arm 201 as shown in fig. 2 is shown for illustrative purposes only, and other robotic arms having different configurations, degrees of freedom (DOF), and shapes may be used.

As shown in fig. 2, the tool interface assembly 200 includes an ATI (arm and tool interface) connector 203, which ATI connector 203 facilitates the operative connection of the tool interface 200 with a robotic arm. Further, the tool interface 200 also includes an actuator assembly 205 mounted on and linearly movable along the guide mechanism. The guide mechanism shown in fig. 2 is a guide rail 207. As shown in fig. 1 (b), the movement of the actuator assembly 205 along the guide track 207 is controlled by the surgeon via controls on the surgeon's console 117. A sterile adapter assembly 209 is releasably mounted to the actuator assembly 205 to separate the non-sterile portion of the robotic arm from the sterile surgical tool assembly 211. A locking mechanism (not shown) is provided to releasably lock and unlock the sterile adapter assembly 209 with the actuator assembly 205. The sterile adapter assembly 209 is removably engaged with the actuator assembly 205, which drives and controls the sterile surgical instrument in the sterile field. In another embodiment, surgical tool assembly 211 may also be releasably locked/unlocked or engaged/disengaged with sterile adaptor assembly 209 by way of button 213.

The surgical tool assembly 211 includes a shaft 215 and an end effector 217. The end effector 217 may comprise a surgical instrument or may be configured to attach a surgical instrument. The surgical tool assembly 211 may also contain stored information (e.g., on semiconductor memory internal to the instrument) that may be permanent or may be updated by the robotic surgical system 100.

A ferrule holder 219 is disposed on the tool interface assembly 200 and is configured to hold a ferrule 221, which receives the shaft 215 through an opening (not shown). The bushing 221 comprises a hollow body including a recess (not shown) in an inner surface (not shown). The groove provides a locking mechanism that secures the sleeve 221 to the shaft 215 at a desired angle and, once received by the sleeve 221, prevents displacement, twisting, or any axial movement of the shaft 215. The cannula holder 219 is removably attached to one end of the tool interface assembly 200 and includes a lobed body that receives the cannula 221. Alternatively, the cannula holder 219 may have a circular body for receiving the cannula 221 and comprise a groove for holding the cannula 221 in a fixed position.

The cannula holder 219 can be secured to the body of the tool interface assembly 200 and can be configured to hold or secure the cannula 221 such that the cannula 221 is stable while performing a surgical procedure. The ferrule holder 219 may be secured to the mount 223 of the tool interface assembly 200 by receiving the ferrule holder 219 within a set of grooves of the mount 223.

Fig. 3 (a) illustrates a particular surgical tool assembly 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As schematically shown in fig. 3 (a), the surgical tool assembly 300 may include a proximal end 301 and a distal end 303. The surgical tool assembly 300 may include a housing 305 at a proximal end 301 and an end effector 307 at a distal end 303. The surgical tool assembly 300 can further include an elongate shaft 309 that couples the housing 305 to the end effector 307.

According to an embodiment, a plurality of drive cables (not shown) extend within elongate shaft 309 between housing 305 and end effector 307. End effector 307 may be a surgical instrument associated with one or more surgical tasks, such as forceps, a needle driver, scissors, a bipolar cautery, a tissue stabilizer or retractor, a clip applier, an anastomosis device, an imaging device (e.g., an endoscope or ultrasound probe), and the like. Some surgical instruments also provide articulating support for the surgical tool assembly 300 such that the position and orientation of the surgical tool assembly 300 relative to the shaft 309 may be manipulated in one or more mechanical degrees of freedom. In addition, the end effector 307 includes functional mechanical degrees of freedom, such as jaws that open or close or a knife that translates along a path.

Fig. 3 (b) illustrates the distal or working end of a surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A wrist mechanism 311 may also be included at the distal end 303 of the surgical tool assembly 300. The wrist mechanism 311 may include a wrist member 313. One end of the wrist member 313 is pivotally mounted in a clevis 315 on an end 317 of the shaft 309 by a pivot connection 319. Wrist member 313 is pivotable about pivot connection 319 in the direction of arrow 321.

In an embodiment, the end effector 307 is pivotably mounted on opposite ends of a wrist member 313. According to certain embodiments, the end effector 307 is in the form of a clip applier for anchoring the clip during a surgical procedure. Thus, as shown in fig. 3 (b), the end effector 307 has a first portion 323 and a second portion 325, the first portion 323 and the second portion 325 together defining a jaw-like arrangement. It should be appreciated that the end effector 307 may be in the form of any desired surgical tool having two members or fingers that pivot about a common pivot axis, such as scissors, forceps that function as a needle driver, and the like. The end effector 307 is pivotally mounted in a clevis (not shown) on the opposite end of the wrist member 313 by a pivot connection 327.

According to an embodiment, the free ends of the first and second portions 323, 325 are angularly displaceable towards and away from each other about the pivot connection 327. According to another embodiment, first portion 323 and second portion 325 can be angularly displaced about pivot connection 327 to generally change the orientation of end effector 307 relative to wrist member 313. Thus, the first portion 323 and the second portion 325 are angularly displaceable independently of one another about the pivot connection 327 such that the end effector 307 is angularly displaceable as a whole about the pivot connection 327.

According to embodiments, the first portion 323 and the second portion 325 each include an elongated finger portion or end effector element. The finger portion is integrally formed with an end effector mounting structure, for example in the form of a pulley portion (not shown). The pulley portion defines a circumferentially extending channel (not shown) in which an elongate element, for example in the form of an activation cable, is carried.

On either side of the wrist member 313 are two sets of pulleys (not shown) positioned coaxially on the pivotal connection 319 and in the clevis 315 of the end 317 of the shaft 309. Further, two other sets of pulleys 329, 331 are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the wrist member 313. Each of a set of pulleys 329, 331 on one side of wrist member 313 is substantially coplanar with an associated pulley of a pulley block (not shown) on pivot connection 319. Furthermore, each of the pulleys 329, 331 is positioned such that its circumference abuts against the circumference of its associated pulley of the pulley set (not shown) on the pivot connection 319.

Thus, the circumferentially extending channel structure of each pulley of the pulley sets 329, 331 and their associated pulley of the pulley set (not shown) defines a space between them through which the activation cable 331 can pass closely.

In another embodiment, four elongated elements, such as cables, are used to effect movement of the wrist-like mechanism 311. These cables may be denoted as C1, C2, C3 and C4 (but are not shown due to the complexity of the housing). It should be appreciated that six cable lengths extend from the wrist mechanism, although less cable length would be required for a single finger end effector. In another embodiment, one end of each such cable length is suitably anchored to cause angular displacement of first portion 323 and second portion 325 about their pivotal connections 327 and wrist member 313 about its pivotal connection 319. Thus, the cable is directed toward the housing 305 through a channel (not shown) extending downward through the shaft 309.

Referring again to fig. 3 (a), shaft 309 is rotatably coupled to housing 305 to enable angular displacement of shaft 309 relative to housing 305. The shaft 309 is hollow and the cables C1, C2, C3 and C4 extend axially along the shaft 309 and inside the shaft 309 to a drive member in the form of a reel assembly (described later) in the housing 305.

Fig. 4 (a) shows a perspective view of a housing of a surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The housing 305 includes a plurality of spools, here four spools 401, 403, 405, 407 are shown in fig. 4 (a). These reels 401, 403, 405, 407 are fixed to shafts 409, 411, 413, 415, respectively. The shafts 409, 411, 413, 415 extend through a base 417 of the housing 305. The open ends (opposite the base) of the shafts 409, 411, 413, 415 are rotatably retained in a cover plate (not shown to more clearly show the spools). Each reel 401, 403, 405, 407 comprises two substantially annular collars, for example, reel 401 comprises two collars 429, 431.

The end of shaft 309 is rotatably mounted on a base 417 of housing 305 in a bearing assembly 419. In addition, the end of the shaft 309 carries a drum 421, which drum 421 enters the housing 305 beyond the bearing assembly 419. Two elongate members in the form of tungsten wires, e.g. C5, C6 (not shown), extend between the drum 421 and the spool 401. It will be appreciated that one end of the cables C5, C6 is anchored to each collar 429, 431 of the reel 401, respectively, and the other end is anchored to the drum 421, a portion of the cables C5, C6 being wound at least partially around the reel 401 and the drum 421, respectively. Thus, angular displacement of spool 401 in a clockwise direction results in angular displacement of shaft 309 in a counterclockwise direction, and angular displacement of spool 401 in a counterclockwise direction results in angular displacement of shaft 309 in a clockwise direction. According to an embodiment, the drum 421 and the reel 401 typically have circumferentially extending guiding channels to guide the winding of the cables C5, C6.

According to another embodiment, the opposite ends of the cables C1, C2, C3, C4 are fixed to reels 403, 405, 407, one of the reels 403, 405, 407 being used to fix two cables and the other two reels being used to fix one cable respectively. The cables C1, C2, C3, C4 are guided from the reels 403, 405, 407 over two idle wheels 423, 425 arranged adjacent to each other and into a centrally placed channel 427 extending through the drum 421 and into the hollow shaft 309. It should be appreciated that selective angular displacement of the spools 403, 405, 407 causes selective pulling of the cables C1, C2, C3, C4.

According to an embodiment, the surgical tool assembly 300 is operatively connected to an actuator, such as a motor (not shown), to cause selective angular displacement of each of the spools 401, 403, 405, 407 in response to actuation of the spool associated actuator. Thus, selective actuation of the actuators is transmitted through the spools 401, 403, 405, 407, and in addition, the cables C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 facilitate movement of the end effector 307.

According to an embodiment, the cables C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 are preferably constructed of multiple plaits of filaments to provide strength and elasticity. For strong flexible cables, 150 to 350 tungsten wire braids with diameters of 0.0007 to 0.001 inches have been used, providing cables with outer diameters of 0.014 to 0.018 inches. For tools that require more torque to function (e.g., clip appliers), cables having more braids, thicker wires, and/or thicker overall diameters are more useful. Since manufactured and wound cables typically inherently contain some "build stretch" and since the sensitivity of the tools described herein is increased by minimizing the inherent stretch in the cable used, it is preferable to remove this build stretch prior to use. Several steps may be taken to eliminate this stretching, including cycling the cable through its range of motion, applying a greater than expected load to the cable, and re-stretching the cable to eliminate the stretching caused by these steps.

Typically, for an end effector 307 having two working members (e.g., clip appliers 323, 325), four spools 401, 403, 405, 407 are provided in the housing 305. Cable C1 is wound on one such spool, cable C2 is wound on another spool, cables C3 and C4 are wound on the other spool, and a fourth spool is operatively connected to shaft 309 to cause angular displacement of the shaft in response to angular displacement of that spool.

It should be appreciated that when shaft 309 is angularly displaced relative to housing 305, wrist-like mechanism 311 angularly moves relative to housing 305 in correspondence with shaft 309. Thus, during such angular displacement of the shaft 309, the cables C1, C2, C3 and C4 are twisted along their length.

Fig. 4 (b) shows a bottom perspective view of a housing of a surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The bottom view of the reels 401, 403, 405, 407 is disc-shaped to facilitate movement of the reels. The spools 401, 403, 405, 407 are positioned on the base 417 of the housing 305 in a spaced apart manner so that each spool 401, 403, 405, 407 is equidistant from each other so as not to interfere with the movement of adjacent spools.

Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a cable tensioning device for a surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The cable tensioning device 500 is designed to maintain a constant tension in the cable of the surgical tool assembly 300. This compensates for any stretching, relaxation and/or creep that may occur in the cable over time or through prolonged use of the surgical tool. The cable tensioner also includes various embodiments of a one-way locking mechanism designed to maintain a constant tension in the cable, thereby ensuring predictable drive performance in the surgical tool.

Cable tensioner 500 includes a base plate 501, with various components of cable tensioner 500 mounted on base plate 501. The substrate 501 may comprise a rectangular profile with means for attaching various components on its top surface 503. The base plate 501 is configured to fixedly attach the surgical tool assembly 300 to a top surface 503 thereof.

The substrate 501 may be made of any suitable resilient material, such as a metal or alloy. The material of the substrate 501 may be selected from the group consisting of aluminum, steel, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, tin, or any combination thereof. According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the substrate 501 is made of aluminum. The substrate 501 may be coated or may have a protective coating, such as an alloy coating. According to an embodiment, the substrate 501 may be coated using an anodization process to form a protective coating of aluminum oxide on the surface of the substrate 501. The base plate 501 may be of any suitable size so that the surgical tool assembly 300 may be conveniently attached. The substrate 501 may have a suitable thickness that provides sufficient strength.

Further, the cable tensioner 500 may include handles 505, 507 on opposite ends of the base plate 501. The handles 505, 507 have an inverted U-shaped configuration and are configured to allow a user to move the cable tensioner 500 from one position to another.

The handles 505, 507 may be made of any suitable resilient material, such as a metal or alloy. The material for the handles 505, 507 may be selected from the group consisting of aluminum, steel, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, tin, or any combination thereof. According to certain embodiments, the handles 505, 507 are made of aluminum or steel. The handles 505, 507 may be of a suitable thickness to provide sufficient strength.

In an embodiment, the handles 505, 507 are configured to be attached to the ends of the top surface 503 of the base plate 501 by various locking mechanisms, not limited to bolts, snap-fit, push-button locking mechanisms, and the like.

Furthermore, the cable tensioner 500 may comprise guide rails 509, 511 positioned parallel to each other on the longitudinal axis of the base plate 501. As shown in fig. 5, the guide rails 509, 511 are positioned at one end of the substrate 501. At least one pair of guide wheels is mounted along the guide rails 509, 511. As shown in fig. 6, two pairs of opposing rails 513, 515 are mounted along the rails 509, 511, respectively. An opposing pair of guide wheels 513, 515 is mounted along the longitudinal axis of the guide rails 509, 511. The opposed pair of guide wheels 513, 515 are U-shaped in cross-section and are movable along the longitudinal axis of the guide rails 509, 511. An opposing pair of guide wheels 513, 515 surrounds the guide rails 509, 511 along their bottom ends (not shown) in a generally U-shaped manner.

The rails 509, 511 and the opposing pair of rails 513, 515 may be made of any suitable resilient material, such as a metal or alloy. The material of the guide rails 509, 511 and the pair of guide wheels 513, 515 may be selected from the group consisting of aluminum, steel, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, tin, or any combination thereof. According to a particular embodiment, the guide rails 509, 511 and the pair of opposed guide wheels 513, 515 are made of aluminum or steel.

In an embodiment, the rails 509, 511 are configured to be attached to one end of the top surface 503 of the base plate 501 by various locking mechanisms, which are not limited to bolts, snap-fits, or the like.

Additionally, the cable tensioning device 500 may include a pair of locking blocks 517, 519 configured to lock the shaft 309 and the end effector 307, respectively, of the surgical tool assembly 300 such that the surgical tool assembly 300 does not move during cable tensioning. A pair of locking blocks 517, 519 are fixedly positioned on top surface 503 of cable tensioner 500 at ends opposite guide rails 509, 511. A pair of locking blocks 517, 519 comprise "U" shaped recesses to receive the shaft 309 and end effector 307 of the surgical tool assembly 300 and further comprise screws 527, 529 at each end to limit the space of the recesses to securely hold the surgical tool assembly 300.

The pair of locking blocks 517, 519 may be made of any suitable resilient material, such as a metal or alloy. In an embodiment, a pair of locking blocks 517, 519 are configured to be attached to one end of the top surface 503 of the substrate 501 by various locking mechanisms, not limited to bolts, snap fits, and the like.

Further, the cable tensioner 500 may comprise at least one pair of locking clamps positioned along the sides of the rails 509, 511, and as shown in fig. 5, two pairs of opposing locking clamps 521, 523 positioned equidistant from each other along the rails 509, 511. An opposing pair of locking clamps 521, 523 are configured to secure an upper platform (to be discussed later) to the carriages 513, 515, respectively. According to an embodiment, another pair of opposing locking clamps 525 is provided at the sides of the rails 509, 511.

The opposing pairs of locking grippers 521, 523, 525 may be made of any suitable resilient material, such as a metal or alloy. In an embodiment, the opposing pair of locking fixtures 521, 523, 525 are configured to attach to the top surface 503 of the substrate 501 by various locking mechanisms, not limited to such bolts, snap-fits, and the like.

Fig. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cable tensioning device for a surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The cable tensioner 500 may include an upper platform 601 having a first end 603, a second end 605, and a central recess (not shown). Upper platform 601 has a pair of inverted U-shaped legs 607, 609 extending from first end 603 and second end 605. A pair of inverted "U" shaped legs 607, 609 are bolted to the first 603 and second 605 ends. A pair of inverted U-shaped legs 607, 609 have projections 611, 613 respectively. These projections 611, 613 are present on each side of a pair of inverted U-shaped legs 607, 609 so that the projections 611, 613 can be mounted on the pair of guide wheels 513, 515 by various locking mechanisms, not limited to bolts, snap-fits, etc. After installation, a pair of locking clamps 521, 523 may secure upper platform 601 to rails 513, 515 such that upper platform 601 may move on rails 509, 511.

Upper platform 601 and inverted "U" shaped legs 607, 609 may be made of any suitable resilient material, such as a metal or alloy. The material of upper platform 601 and inverted "U" shaped legs 607, 609 may be selected from the group consisting of aluminum, steel, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, tin, or any combination thereof. According to certain embodiments, the upper platform 601 and the inverted "U" shaped legs 607, 609 are made of aluminum or steel.

The carrier plate 615 is fixedly mounted on the recess of the upper platform 601 by various locking mechanisms, not limited to bolts, snap fits, etc. The carrier plate 615 includes a plurality of circular bearings 617, each bearing 617 having a torque bolt 619 secured within the bearing 617. A plurality of torque bolts 619 extend downward toward the lower portion of the upper platform 601. The plurality of torque bolts 619 are capable of moving in a clockwise direction and restrained movement in a counterclockwise direction. Each torque bolt 619 has a plurality of openings 621 at the lower end. These openings 621 are cylindrical and can receive protruding portions (not shown) of the pins 623. Each torque bolt 619 can receive a pin 623 in one of its openings 621.

According to an embodiment, each pin 623 comprises a protruding portion at one end, which protruding portion can be received in an opening 621 of a torque bolt 619. In addition, each pin 623 fixedly includes at the other end one or more fasteners 625 receivable in annular collars 429, 431 of spool 401 of housing 305. According to a particular embodiment, each pin 623 includes two fasteners 625, the two fasteners 625 configured to be received by the annular collars 429, 431. Fastener 625 is fixedly positioned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of pin 623.

According to another embodiment, a wrench 627 having an angle dial 629 is positioned on the torque bolt 619 in the carrier plate 615. The wrench 627 and the angle dial 629 will be discussed later in this disclosure.

Fig. 7 illustrates another cross-sectional view of a cable tensioning device for a surgical tool assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The cable tensioner 500 may include a lower platform 701 having a first end 703, a second end 705, and a central recess 707 configured to receive the housing 305 of the surgical tool assembly 300. The configuration of the central recess 707, such as shape, size, depth, etc., is within the view of the receiving housing 305. The lower platform 701 is configured to be secured in position between the rails 509, 511 such that the upper platform 601 may be aligned over a pair of locking clamps 521, 523, as shown in fig. 5, with the upper platform 601 positioned above the lower platform 701.

The lower platform 701 may be made of any suitable resilient material, such as a metal or alloy. The material of the lower platform 701 may be selected from the group consisting of aluminum, steel, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, tin, or any combination thereof. According to certain embodiments, the lower platform 701 is made of aluminum or steel. According to another embodiment, the lower platform 701 is rectangular in outline.

In addition, the housing 305 of the surgical tool assembly 300 may be secured within the recess 707 of the lower platform 701 by locking devices disposed equidistantly along each end 703, 705. According to an embodiment, a pair of locking clamps 709 is positioned on the first end 703 and a centrally placed locking clamp 711 is positioned on the second end 705. In an embodiment, the locking clamps 709, 711 are configured to attach to the lower platform 701 through various locking mechanisms, not limited to bolts, snap fits, and the like. The pair of locking clamps 709, 711 may be made of any suitable resilient material, such as a metal or alloy.

In another embodiment, FIG. 7 shows the internal structure of the housing 305 containing the various spools 401, 403, 405, 407, to which the various cables C1-C6 are attached. For ease of explanation, we do not designate reference numbers herein for cables.

Fig. 8 illustrates another cross-sectional view of a cable tensioning device for a surgical tool assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The upper platform 601 is positioned directly above the lower platform 701 such that the upper platform 601 is operably secured to the lower platform 701.

A plurality of torque bolts 619 extend downward from the upper platform 601 toward the lower platform 701. The plurality of torque bolts 619 can move in a limited motion in a clockwise direction and a counter-clockwise direction. As described above, each torque bolt 619 has a plurality of openings 621 at a lower end and is configured to receive a projection (not shown) of pin 623. Each torque bolt 619 can receive a pin 623 in one of its openings 621.

Further, each pin 623 includes one or more fasteners 625 secured at the other end, the one or more fasteners 625 being receivable in annular collars 429, 431 of spool 401 of housing 305 to connect one or more torque bolts, one or more pins, and one or more spools, fig. 8 showing, for illustration purposes, a connection 401 between torque bolt 619, pin 623, and a cable connected to the spool.

As shown in fig. 6, the number wrench 627 is used to apply a specific torque to the bolt 619 to tighten the cable on the spool 401 attached to the housing 305 of the surgical tool interface 300. The number wrench 627 may provide a visual indicator of the torque applied to the bolt 619 on a screen on the number wrench 627 to prevent over-tightening of the bolt 619, which could damage the bolt 619 or over-tighten, which could potentially cause damage to a cable connected to the spool 401 of the housing 305.

An angle scale 629 attached to the plurality of bolts 619 is configured to measure the angle of rotation of the bolts 619. The angle scale 629 defines angular measurements on the circumference of the angle scale 629. A particular angle measurement is used to determine whether bolt 619 is equally tightened at the desired angle. The angle plate 629 is circular in profile and has a plurality of openings (not shown) on its outer circumference to fit the bolts 619.

The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the disclosure and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It should be understood that substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient but are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present disclosure.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the components.

Although the present disclosure has been described using specific language, there is no intent to limit it by any particular language. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various working modifications may be made to the apparatus to implement the inventive concepts taught herein.

Claims (14)

1. A cable tensioning device (500) for a surgical tool assembly (300), wherein the surgical tool assembly (300) includes a housing (305) at a proximal end (301), an end effector (307) at a distal end (303), and an elongate shaft (309) connecting the housing (305) to the end effector (307), the housing (305) including a plurality of spools (401, 403, 405, 407), each spool having an annular collar (429, 431) and a cable anchored on each annular collar (429, 431) and secured on the respective spool (401, 403, 405, 407); the cable tensioner (500) comprises:

a substrate (501);

a lower platform (701) operably secured to the substrate; the lower deck (701) having a central recess (707), the central recess (707) configured to receive the housing (305) of the surgical tool assembly (300);

an upper platform (601) operably secured to the lower platform (701), and the upper platform (601) including a bearing plate (615) having a plurality of circular bearings (617) configured to receive a plurality of torque bolts (619), the plurality of torque bolts (619) secured within the plurality of circular bearings (617), the plurality of torque bolts (619) extending downwardly toward the lower platform (701), each torque bolt (619) having a plurality of openings (621) configured to receive a plurality of pins (623), each pin (623) including one or more fasteners (625), the one or more fasteners (625) configured to be received in annular collars (429, 431) of the spools (401, 403, 405, 407) of the housing (305) of the surgical tool assembly; and

an angle dial (629) mounted on the plurality of torque bolts (619), the angle dial configured to measure an angle of rotation of the plurality of torque bolts (619), and a wrench (627) operably connected to the angle dial to apply a specific torque to the plurality of torque bolts (619) to tension a cable of the reel (401, 403, 405, 407) connected to a housing (305) of the surgical tool assembly.

2. The cable tensioner (500) of claim 1, further comprising handles (505, 507) operably secured to opposite ends of the base plate (501) and having an inverted U-shaped configuration.

3. The cable tensioner (500) of claim 1, further comprising guide rails (509, 511) positioned parallel to each other on a longitudinal axis of the base plate (501).

4. A cable tensioner (500) as claimed in claim 3, further comprising at least one pair of guide wheels (513, 515), the pair of guide wheels (513, 515) being mounted on the guide rail (509, 511) along a longitudinal axis of the guide rail (509, 511).

5. Cable tensioning device (500) according to claim 4, wherein the pair of guide wheels (513, 515) is U-shaped in cross-section and movable along the longitudinal axis of the guide rail (509, 511).

6. The cable tensioning device (500) of claim 1, further comprising a pair of locking blocks (517, 519) configured to lock the elongate shaft (309) and the end effector (307) of the surgical tool assembly (300) to place the surgical tool assembly (300) in a fixed position during cable tensioning.

7. The cable tensioning device (500) of claim 6, wherein the pair of locking blocks (517, 519) comprise "U" -shaped recesses to receive the elongate shaft (309) and the end effector (307) of the surgical tool assembly (300), and further comprise a screw (527, 529) at each end to limit the space of the "U" -shaped recesses to fixedly retain the surgical tool assembly (300).

8. The cable tensioner (500) of claim 4, further comprising at least one pair of locking clamps (521, 523) arranged equidistant from each other along the guide rail (509, 511), the locking clamps (521, 523) being configured to secure an upper platform (601) on the guide wheel (513, 515).

9. The cable tensioner (500) of claim 8, wherein the upper platform (601) has a first end (603), a second end (605), and a pair of inverted "U" -shaped legs (607) extending from the first end (603) and the second end (605).

10. Cable tensioner (500) according to claim 9, wherein said pair of inverted "U" -shaped legs (607, 609) have a protruding portion (611, 613) such that said protruding portion (611, 613) is mounted on said pair of guide wheels (513, 515) by means of various locking mechanisms, not limited to a bolt, a snap-in fit.

11. The cable tensioner (500) of claim 8, wherein the lower platform (701) is configured to be secured in position between the guide rails (509, 511) such that the upper platform (601) is aligned over the pair of locking clamps (521, 523) for positioning on the lower platform (701).

12. The cable tensioner (500) of claim 1, wherein the lower platform (701) comprises a pair of locking clamps (709) positioned on a first end (703) of the lower platform (701) and one centrally placed locking clamp (711) positioned on a second end (705) of the lower platform (701).

13. The cable tensioner (500) of claim 10, wherein the wrench (627) includes a visual indicator positioned on a number wrench and configured to display the torque applied to the torque bolt (619) to prevent over-tightening of the torque bolt (619).

14. The cable tensioner (500) of claim 1, wherein the angular disc (629) is circular and includes a plurality of openings on its outer periphery to mate with the plurality of torque bolts (619), and the angular disc (629) is configured to define angular measurements on the circumference of the angular disc (629).

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