Double universal joint

摘要

Surgical tools having a two degree-of-freedom wrist, wrist articulation by linked tension members, mechanisms for transmitting torque through an angle, and minimally invasive surgical tools incorporating these features are disclosed. An elongate intermediate wrist member is pivotally coupled with a distal end of an instrument shaft so as to rotate about a first axis transverse to the shaft, and an end effector body is pivotally coupled with the intermediate member so as to rotate about a second axis that is transverse to the first axis. Linked tension members interact with attachment features to articulate the wrist. A torque-transmitting mechanism includes a coupling member, coupling pins, a drive shaft, and a driven shaft. The drive shaft is coupled with the driven shaft so as to control the relative orientations of the drive shaft, the coupling member, and the driven shaft.

主权项

1. A minimally invasive surgical tool comprising:
an instrument shaft elongated along an instrument shaft axis; a first driveshaft having a distal end and being elongated along a first driveshaft axis that is offset from the instrument shaft axis, the first driveshaft being mounted for rotation within the instrument shaft; a first driven shaft having a first driven shaft proximal end and a first driven shaft axis; a first coupling member coupling the first driveshaft with the first driven shaft so that a rate of rotation of the first driveshaft and first driven shaft are substantially equal when the first driveshaft axis and the first driven shaft axis are non-parallel; a second driveshaft having a second driveshaft distal end and being elongated along a second driveshaft axis that is offset from the instrument shaft axis, the second driveshaft being mounted for rotation within the instrument shaft; a second driven shaft having a second driven shaft proximal end and a second driven shaft axis; a second coupling member coupling the second driveshaft with the second driven shaft so that a rate of rotation of the second driveshaft and second driven shaft are substantially equal when the second driveshaft axis and the second driven shaft axis are non-parallel; and an end effector coupled with the instrument shaft so that an orientation of the end effector and the first and second driven shafts can be varied relative to the instrument shaft about a pitch axis and about a yaw axis, the end effector comprising a first articulated feature coupled with the first driven shaft so that a rotation of the first driven shaft about the first driven shaft axis produces an articulation of the first articulated feature, the end effector further comprising a second articulated feature coupled with the second driven shaft so that a rotation of the second driven shaft about the second driven shaft axis produces an articulation of the second articulated feature; and a plurality of pulling members extending through the instrument shaft and moveably connected to the end effector, the plurality of pulling members being configured to actuate the end effector about the pitch axis and yaw axis relative to the instrument shaft.