Product Patent Portfolio:
Path-Following Robot
This invention is a robot that follows a specific path, useful for increasing surgery efficiency.


Product Patent Details
Patent Abstract
A path-following robot, such as for creating a path to a target surgical site, includes a series of interconnected elements including a lead element at one end thereof, and a plurality of actuators each operably coupled to one of the plurality of elements.
Each actuator is capable of effecting rotational and spherical motion of one element with respect to another element.
The actuators are arranged to receive commands which individually control the relative position of one element compared with another element, where a position of the lead element determines a path and corresponding positions for all subsequent elements to create a path-following motion.
United States Patent
#9 ,554,860
Patent Filing Date
Jan 29th, 2015
Associated Marketplace
Medical
Surgery
Hospitals
Robotics

General Patent Information
Patent Description
Embodiments relate to a path-following robot, such as for use in endoscopy, laparoscopy, or other interventions.
The robot embodiments disclosed herein facilitate the use of surgical instruments such as retractors, scissors, knives, ablative instruments, suction, lavage and other surgical tools. The overtube 50 may have working channels along the perimeter thereof allowing the insertion of surgical instruments with the robot 10, 30 in place, or alternatively the robot 10, 30 may be removed and replaced with an endoscope, laparoscope, or other device.
Since the robot 10, 30 can be adjustably rigidified along its length, the guide wires normally used with a traditional laparoscope or endoscope can still be used to effect instrument motion and function without causing harmful compression of the element joints which can cause a traditional laparoscope or endoscope to bind or affect the performance of the surgical instrument.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
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