Electro-Mechanical Interfaces to Mount Robotic Surgical Arms

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a method of mounting a surgical robotic arm to a set-up arm of a robotic surgical system is provided that includes sliding a pair of guide slots of the surgical robotic arm over a pair of guide tabs in the set-up arm; aligning electrical connectors in the set-up arm to electrical connectors of the surgical robotic arm; and coincidentally mating male electrical connectors to female electrical connectors while finally mating the guide tabs in the set-up arm to flanges of a housing of the surgical robotic arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a robotic surgery system to perform minimally invasive robotic surgical procedures using one or more robotic surgical arms with a strap drive train.

FIG. 2 a perspective view of the robotic patient-side system of FIG. 1 with the one or more robotic surgical arms having the strap drive train.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a surgical robotic arm for use as a patient side manipulator or endoscopic camera manipulator.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of an exemplary multi-strap drive train in a surgical robotic arm.

FIGS. 5A-5B are a side view and a cross-section view of a portion of the surgical robotic arm shown in FIG. 3 illustrated as mounting to a set-up joint of the robotic patient-side system of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 6-9 are perspective views illustrating the mounting and dismounting of the robotic surgical arm of FIG. 3 with a set-up arm of the robotic patient-side system of FIG. 2.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary connector portion of the robotic surgical arm of FIG. 3.

FIG. 11A is a side cross-sectional view of the exemplary connector portion of the set-up joint portion of FIGS. 6-10.

FIG. 11B is a magnified side cross-sectional view of the exemplary connector portion illustrated in FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of alternate exemplary embodiment of the connector portion shown in FIGS. 6-11B

FIG. 13A is an exploded perspective view of alternate exemplary embodiment of the connector portion shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 13B is a magnified perspective view of the floating electrical connectors of FIG. 13A.

FIG. 14A is an exploded perspective view of a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14B is an exploded perspective view of a yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14C is a side cross-sectional view of the floating electrical connectors of FIGS. 14A-14B.

FIG. 15 is an additional perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a bottom view of an alternate connecting section of the surgical robotic arm to couple to the connector portion of the set up joint portion.

FIG. 17 is a bottom view of an alternate connecting section of the surgical robotic arm to couple to the connector portion of the set up joint portion shown in FIG. 14.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: a connector portion of a set-up arm of a robotic surgical system to couple to a surgical robotic arm, the connector portion including a mounting bracket having at least one opening to receive an electrical connector;at least one electrical connector having a portion thereof in the at least one opening of the mounting bracket, the at least one electrical connector further having a flange portion outside the at least one opening of the mounting bracket; anda capture plate coupled to the mounting bracket, the capture plate having at least one opening aligned with the at least one opening in the mounting bracket to form at least one sliding pocket to slidingly hold the at least one electrical connector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one opening is in a mounting rail at the base of the mounting bracket and the mounting bracket further includes a first mechanical connector rail coupled to the mounting rail on a first side of the mounting bracket, the first mechanical connector rail having a first guide tab, anda second mechanical connector rail coupled to the mounting rail on a second side of the mounting bracket opposite the first side, the second mechanical connector rail having a second guide tab, andwherein the first guide tab and the second guide tab to mate with flanges of a surgical robotic arm to avoid pivoting thereof from the set-up arm.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connector portion of the set up arm of the robotic surgical system further includesa housing coupled to the mounting bracket, the housing including a first plurality of threaded bolt holes to receive a first plurality of threaded bolts to rigidly hold a surgical robotic arm coupled to the set up arm.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the mounting bracket includes a first plurality of openings to receive two or more of the first plurality of threaded bolts.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the mounting bracket includes a second plurality of openings to receive a second plurality of threaded bolts,the housing further includes a second plurality of threaded bolt holes, andthe connector portion of the set up arm further includes a second plurality of bolts inserted through the second plurality of openings in the mounting bracket and threaded into the second plurality of threaded bolt holes to couple the housing and the mounting bracket together.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one electrical connector is a D-subminiature electrical connector having a D-shaped shield.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one electrical connectors include a pair of connector openings to receive a pair of guide pins to respectively align each within each of the at least one sliding pockets.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base of the mounting bracket includes at least one pair of guide holes to receive at least one pair of guide pins, andeach of the at least one electrical connectors include a pair of connector openings under the guide holes to receive the pair of guide pins to respectively align each within each of the at least one sliding pockets.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base of the mounting bracket includes a pair of threaded screw holes,the capture plate includes a pair of holes aligned with thepair of threaded screw holes in the mounting bracket,and the apparatus further comprises a pair of screws inserted into the pair of holes of the capture plate and screwed into the pair of threaded screw holes to couple the capture plate to the base of the mounting bracket.

10. A method of mounting a surgical robotic arm to a set-up arm of a robotic surgical system, the method comprising: sliding a pair of guide slots of the surgical robotic arm over a pair of guide tabs in the set-up arm;aligning electrical connectors in the set-up arm to electrical connectors of the surgical robotic arm; andcoincidentally mating male electrical connectors to female electrical connectors while finally mating the guide tabs in the set-up arm to flanges of a housing of the surgical robotic arm.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: bolting the housing of the surgical robotic arm to a housing of the set-up arm.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the aligning of electrical connectors in the set-up arm to electrical connectors of surgical robotic arm includes inserting a plurality of tapered guide pins of one or more fixed electrical connectors into a plurality of openings in one or more floating electrical connectors, andindependently moving the one or more floating electrical connectors into alignment with the one or more fixed electrical connectors.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the electrical connectors of the set-up arm are rigidly coupled to a floating bracket; andthe aligning of electrical connectors in the set-up arm to electrical connectors of surgical robotic arm includes inserting a plurality of alignment pins into a plurality of alignment openings in the floating bracket, andmoving the floating bracket to align the electrical connectors of the set-up arm with the electrical connectors of the surgical robotic arm.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the electrical connectors of the set-up arm are coupled to a floating bracket, the male electrical connectors each have a tapered shielding, and the female electrical connectors each have a flared shielding; andthe aligning of electrical connectors in the set-up arm to electrical connectors of surgical robotic arm includes inserting the tapered shielding into the flared shielding, andmoving the floating bracket to align the electrical connectors of the set-up arm with the electrical connectors of the surgical robotic arm.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the mating of male electrical connectors to female electrical connectors includes mating pins of the male electrical connectors to sockets of the female electrical connectors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the set-up arm includes the female electrical connectors with the sockets, andthe surgical robotic arm includes the male electrical connectors with the pins.

17. An apparatus comprising: a connector portion of a set-up arm of a robotic surgical system to couple to a surgical robotic arm, the connector portion including a mounting bracket having a left mounting rail with a left guide tab coupled thereto and a right mounting rail with a right guide tab coupled thereto;at least one electrical connector having pins or sockets and shielding around the pins or sockets, the at least one electrical connector further having a flange; andat least one pair of floating fasteners coupled between the mounting bracket and the flange of the at least one electrical connector, the at least one pair of floating fasteners to allow the at least one electrical connector of the set-up arm to float and align with at least one electrical connector of a surgical robotic arm.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the flange of the at least one electrical connector includes at least two alignment openings to receive alignment pins to align the at least one electrical connector of the set-up arm with at least one mating electrical connector of a surgical robotic arm.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the shielding of the at least one electrical connector of the set-up arm is tapered or flared to align with at least one mating electrical connector of a surgical robotic arm having shielding that is respectively flared or tapered.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one pair of floating fasteners includes at least one pair of floating bushings,the at least one electrical connector slidingly coupled to the at least one pair of floating bushings, andthe at least one pair of floating fasteners further includes at least one pair of fasteners to couple the at least one pair of floating bushings to the mounting bracket.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the connector portion further includes a floating bracket slidingly coupled between the pair of floating fasteners and the flange of the at least one electrical connector, the floating bracket including at least one opening to receive the pins or sockets and shielding of the at least one electrical connector.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the shielding of the at least one electrical connector of the set-up arm is tapered or flared to slide the floating bracket and align with at least one mating electrical connector of a surgical robotic arm with shielding that is respectively flared or tapered.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the floating bracket further includes at least one pair of alignment openings to receive alignment pins to slide the floating bracket and align the at least one electrical connector of the set-up arm with at least one electrical connector of a surgical robotic arm.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one pair of floating fasteners includes at least one pair of floating bushings,the floating bracket slidingly coupled to the at least one pair of floating bushings, andthe at least one pair of floating fasteners further includes at least one pair of fasteners to couple the at least one pair of floating bushings respectively to a base of the left mounting rail and the right mounting rail of the mounting bracket.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one pair of floating fasteners includes at least one pair of short shoulder screws to slidingly couple the floating bracket to the mounting bracket.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a plurality of grommets couple the at least one electrical connector to the floating bracket.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least two of the plurality of grommets having openings to receive alignment pins to align the at least one electrical connector with an electrical connector of a surgical robotic arm.

28. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one electrical connector of the set-up arm to float substantially perpendicular to an axis of the pins or sockets of the at least one electrical connector.

29. A robotic surgical system comprising: a set-up arm including a first housing;a first mounting bracket coupled to the first housing, the first mounting bracket having a left mounting rail with a left guide tab coupled thereto and a right mounting rail with a right guide tab coupled thereto;a first electrical connector slidingly coupled to the first mounting bracket to float into alignment; anda second electrical connector slidingly coupled to the first mounting bracket to float into alignment.

30. The robotic surgical system of claim 29, wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector to float independently of each other and respectively align and mate with a third electrical connector and a fourth electrical connector of a surgical robotic arm.

31. The robotic surgical system of claim 29, wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector to commonly float together and respectively align and mate with a third electrical connector and a fourth electrical connector of a surgical robotic arm.

32. The robotic surgical system of claim 29, wherein the first housing, the first mounting bracket and the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are included in a set-up joint of the set-up arm.

33. The robotic surgical system of claim 29, further comprising: a surgical robotic arm including a second housing having a left guide slot with a left flange and a right guide with a right flange;a second mounting bracket coupled to the second housing, the second mounting bracket;a third electrical connector rigidly coupled to the second mounting bracket;a fourth electrical connector rigidly coupled to the second mounting bracket; anda plurality of guide pins coupled to the second mounting bracket, the plurality of guide pins to align the first electrical connector to mate with the third electrical connector and to align the second electrical connector to mate with the fourth electrical connector.

34. The robotic surgical system of claim 33, wherein the left guide slot and the right guide slot of the second housing to respectively slide along the left mounting rail and the right mounting rail of the first mounting bracket to mate the left flange of the second housing with the left guide tab of the first mounting bracket and the right flange of the second housing with the right guide tab of the first mounting bracket to reduce pivoting of the robotic surgical arm out from the set-up arm.

35. The robotic surgical system of claim 33, further comprising: a plurality of bolts each having a head coupled to the second housing and a threaded shank inserted into openings in the second housing and screwed into threaded bolt holes of the first housing to rigidly couple the robotic surgical arm to the set-up arm.

36. The robotic surgical system of claim 33, wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector float independently of each other, andthe plurality of guide pins includes a first pair of guide pins to align the first electrical connector to mate with the third electrical connector and a second pair of guide pins to align the second electrical connector to mate with the fourth electrical connector.

37. The robotic surgical system of claim 33, wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector commonly float together, andthe plurality of guide pins includes at least one pair of guide pins to commonly align the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector together to respectively mate with the third electrical connector and the fourth electrical connector.