Microwrist system for surgical procedures

Abstract

A medical robotic system with a handle assembly that is used to control a medical instrument. The handle assembly and medical instrument have five degrees of freedom. Five degrees of freedom may provide greater dexterity than medical robotic systems of the prior art with four or less degrees of freedom. Five degrees of freedom reduces the size and complexity of the instrument.

1 . A robotic master handle assembly for manipulation by a user's hand having a centroid located between a thumb, an index finger and a middle finger, the assembly comprising: 
 a handle having a handle body and a grasper movable relative to the handle body by grasping of the handle with the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of the user's hand;    a wrist body coupled to said handle by a handle joint so as to allow rotation of the handle about a handle-wrist spinning axis;    a wrist joint for coupling the wrist body to a handle linkage, the wrist joint allowing the wrist body and handle to be rotated about a wrist-linkage roll axis, the roll axis intersecting the spinning axis at the centroid of the user's hand.    
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said handle body includes thumb groove, and said grasper includes first and second grooves configured for receiving said index finger and said middle finger of the user's hand.  
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said grasper includes a switch.  
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said handle body includes a plurality of buttons.  
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the handle comprises an ellipsoid configured for grasping by the hand of the user, the centroid being disposed within the ellipsoid when the hand of the user grasps the handle.  
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising the linkage coupled to the wrist body, the linkage comprising: 
 translator means for allowing lateral translation of said wrist and said handle;    elbow means for allowing rotation of said translator means, said wrist body and said handle about an elbow axis; and    shoulder means for allowing rotation of said elbow means, said translator means, said wrist body and said handle about a shoulder axis.    
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising the linkage coupled to the wrist body, the linkage comprising: 
 a translator that is coupled to said wrist joint;    an elbow joint coupled to said translator; and    a shoulder joint coupled to said wrist joint.    
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the handle is positionable in only five degrees of freedom.