Abstract
The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background informa tion suppliedby the inventors: “A variety of surgical instruments include an en d effector for use in conventionalmedical treatments and procedures conducted b y a medical professional operator, as well as applicationsin robotically assist ed surgeries. Such surgical instruments may be directly gripped and manipulated by asurgeon or incorporated into robotically surgical systems. In the case of r obotically assisted surgery, thesurgeon may operate a master controller to remo tely control the motion of such surgical instruments at asurgical site. The con troller may be separated from the patient by a significant distance (e.g., acros s theoperating room, in a different room, or in a completely different building than the patient). Alternatively,a controller may be positioned quite near the patient in the operating room. Regardless, the controllermay include one or mo re hand input devices (such as joysticks, exoskeletal gloves, master manipulator s,or the like), which are coupled by a servo mechanism to the surgical instrume nt. In one example, a servomotor moves a manipulator supporting the surgical in strument based on the surgeon’s manipulation of thehand input devices. During t he surgery, the surgeon may employ, via a robotic surgical system, a variety of surgical instruments including an ultrasonic blade, a surgical stapler, a tissue grasper, a needle driver,an electrosurgical cautery probe, etc. Each of these structures performs functions for the surgeon, forexample, cutting tissue, coag ulating tissue, holding or driving a needle, grasping a blood vessel, dissectingtissue, or cauterizing tissue.
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