Sterile Barrier Assembly, Mounting System, And Method For Coupling Surgical Components

Abstract

A mounting system includes a first mounting portion associated with an arm of a surgical robot and a second mounting portion associated with an end effector for the surgical robot. The first mounting portion includes a body, a cover plate fixed to the body, and receptacles defined in the cover plate and each receptacle defining a contact surface. The second mounting portion is releasably coupled to the first mounting portion and supports an interface with kinematic couplers to engage the contact surfaces of the receptacles of the first mounting portion and to provide a kinematic coupling between the first and second mounting portions to constrain six degrees of freedom between the arm and the end effector. The mounting system includes a preloading mechanism with a tensioner rotatable between a tensioned position and an untensioned position to clamp the first and second mounting portions together.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mounting system comprising:
 a first mounting portion associated with an arm of a surgical robot, the first mounting portion including, a body, a cover plate fixed to the body, and a plurality of receptacles defined in the cover plate and each receptacle defining a contact surface;   a second mounting portion associated with an end effector for the surgical robot and configured to be releasably coupled to the first mounting portion, the second mounting portion supporting an interface having a plurality of kinematic couplers configured to engage the contact surfaces of the receptacles of the first mounting portion and to provide a kinematic coupling between the first and second mounting portions to constrain six degrees of freedom between the arm and the end effector; and   a preloading mechanism comprising a tensioner rotatable between a tensioned position and an untensioned position to clamp the first and second mounting portions together.   
     
     
         2 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of receptacles is further defined as three receptacles and wherein the plurality of kinematic couplers is further defined as three kinematic couplers. 
     
     
         3 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of kinematic couplers is further defined as a ball. 
     
     
         4 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one receptacle comprises a magnet to magnetically engage one of the kinematic couplers. 
     
     
         5 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the contact surface of at least one receptacle has a conical configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the contact surfaces of the plurality of receptacles are configured to provide six contact points with the plurality of kinematic couplers. 
     
     
         7 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of kinematic couplers provide the kinematic coupling between the first and second mounting portions through a protective covering. 
     
     
         8 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the tensioner is coupled to a spring that is configured to be compressed when the tensioner is in the tensioned position to apply a preload force. 
     
     
         9 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the tensioner is coupled to the second mounting portion. 
     
     
         10 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the preloading mechanism includes one of a first catch or a first latch associated with the first mounting portion and one of a second catch or a second latch associated with the second mounting portion. 
     
     
         11 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the preloading mechanism is configured to clamp the first and second mounting portions together through a protective covering. 
     
     
         12 . The mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the first mounting portion is rigidly connected to a linkage of the surgical robot and wherein the second mounting portion is rigidly connected to the end effector. 
     
     
         13 . A surgical robot comprising:
 an arm comprising a plurality of linkages wherein one of the linkages is a distal linkage; and   a first mounting portion rigidly coupled to the distal linkage and comprising a body, a cover plate fixed to the body, and a plurality of receptacles defined in the cover plate and each receptacle defining a contact surface, wherein the contact surfaces are configured to engage a plurality of kinematic couplers associated with a second mounting portion associated with an end effector of the surgical robot for providing a kinematic coupling between the first and second mounting portions for constraining six degrees of freedom between the arm and the end effector.   
     
     
         14 . The surgical robot of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of receptacles is further defined as three receptacles. 
     
     
         15 . The surgical robot of  claim 13 , wherein at least one receptacle comprises a magnet. 
     
     
         16 . The surgical robot of  claim 13 , wherein the contact surface of at least one receptacle has a conical configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The surgical robot of  claim 13 , wherein the contact surfaces of the plurality of receptacles are configured to provide six contact points with the plurality of kinematic couplers. 
     
     
         18 . An end effector assembly for attaching to a surgical robot, the surgical robot comprising an arm comprising a plurality of linkages wherein one of the linkages is a distal linkage and a first mounting portion rigidly coupled to the distal linkage, and the first mounting portion comprising a body, a cover plate fixed to the body, and a plurality of receptacles defined in the cover plate and each receptacle defining a contact surface, the end effector assembly comprising:
 a body;   a surgical tool coupled to the body; and   a second mounting portion coupled to the body and supporting an interface having a plurality of kinematic couplers configured to engage the contact surfaces of the receptacles of the first mounting portion for providing a kinematic coupling between and for constraining six degrees of freedom between the first and second mounting portions; and   a preloading mechanism comprising a tensioner rotatable between a tensioned position and an untensioned position for clamping the first and second mounting portions together.   
     
     
         19 . The end effector assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of kinematic couplers is further defined as three kinematic couplers and wherein each of the plurality of kinematic couplers is further defined as a ball. 
     
     
         20 . A method for coupling an end effector to an arm of a surgical robot using a mounting system comprising a first mounting portion associated with the arm, the first mounting portion including, a body, a cover plate fixed to the body, and a plurality of receptacles defined in the cover plate and each receptacle defining a contact surface, and a second mounting portion associated with the end effector, the second mounting portion supporting an interface having a plurality of kinematic couplers, and a preloading mechanism comprising a tensioner rotatable between a tensioned position and an untensioned position, the method comprising:
 placing the second mounting portion associated with the end effector on to the first mounting portion associated with the arm of the surgical robot such that the plurality of kinematic couplers engage the contact surfaces of the receptacles of the first mounting portion for providing a kinematic coupling between the first and second mounting portions and for constraining six degrees of freedom between the arm and the end effector; and   rotating the tensioner of the preloading mechanism from the untensioned position to the tensioned position for clamping the first and second mounting portions together.