End Effector Of A Surgical Robotic Manipulator And Method Of Operating The End Effector

Abstract

An end effector is disclosed for use with a surgical robotic manipulator and a cutting accessory. The end effector comprises a nose tube for receiving the cutting accessory and an actuator for driving the cutting accessory. The end effector may also comprise a mounting fixture for coupling the end effector to the surgical robotic manipulator and a handle for gripping by the user. The end effector may also comprise a guard releasably coupled to the cutting accessory for covering a portion of the cutting accessory. A first circuit may be mounted to one of the cutting accessory or the removable guard and a second circuit mounted to the nose tube such that the first circuit and the second circuit configured to communicate with each other when the cutting accessory is coupled to the end effector.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An end effector of a surgical robotic manipulator, the end effector comprising:
 a nose tube extending along an axis;   a rotatable cutting accessory releasably coupled to the nose tube for cutting tissue of a patient;   an actuator coupled to the cutting accessory when the cutting accessory is coupled to the nose tube for rotatably driving the cutting accessory;   a removeable guard releasably coupled to the cutting accessory for covering a portion of the cutting accessory; and   a first circuit mounted to one of the cutting accessory or the removable guard and a second circuit mounted to the nose tube, the first circuit and the second circuit configured to communicate with each other.   
     
     
         2 . The end effector of  claim 1 , wherein the first circuit is a radiofrequency identification circuit and wherein the second circuit is a radiofrequency identification reader. 
     
     
         3 . The end effector of  claim 1 , wherein the first circuit includes identification data identifying parameters of the cutting accessory, the identification data including at least one of a type, a size, a manufacturer, and/or a life use data of the cutting accessory. 
     
     
         4 . The end effector of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting accessory further comprises a shroud;
 wherein the first circuit is disposed on a surface of the shroud; and wherein the shroud comprises one or more fingers configured to defines a physical connection between the first circuit on the cutting accessory and the second circuit on the nose tube.   
     
     
         5 . The end effector of  claim 1 , wherein the removable guard comprises an outer member and an inner member, the inner member slideably engaged with the outer member;
 wherein the inner member is slideable within a bore defined by the outer member between an extended position and a compressed position; and   wherein the removable guard is configured to engage and disengage the cutting accessory with the nose tube.   
     
     
         6 . The end effector of  claim 1 , wherein the second circuit is configured to receive a data from the first circuit and transfer the data to the surgical robotic manipulator so that the surgical robotic manipulator can utilize the data to operate the end effector. 
     
     
         7 . The end effector of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a rotational drive member configured to be coupled to the actuator and defining a lumen for receiving fluid;   a drive connector coupled to the rotational drive member and engaging the cutting accessory;   a fluid delivery member coupled to the rotational drive member for delivering fluid to the lumen of the rotational drive member;   a first seal in the lumen of the rotational drive member and rotationally fixed to the rotational drive member and the cutting accessory for sealing between the rotational drive member and the cutting accessory; and   a second seal disposed between the drive connector and the fluid delivery member, the second seal rotatably engaging at least one of the rotational drive member and the fluid delivery member for sealing between the rotational drive member and the fluid delivery member during relative rotation therebetween;   wherein the rotational drive member extends along an axis and wherein the first seal and the second seal are spaced from each other along the axis; and   wherein the drive connector is disposed about the axis and the first seal is disposed along the axis between the drive connector and the second seal.   
     
     
         8 . The end effector of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a drive connector configured to rotatably drive a shaft of the cutting accessory;   a clutch assembly supported by and selectively rotatable relative to the drive connector and receiving the shaft of the cutting accessory along the axis of the shaft for selectively locking the shaft to the drive connector;   an axial connector disposed about the axis extending along the nose tube and capable of releasably locking and unlocking the cutting accessory to the nose tube; and wherein the axial connector being moveable along the axis extending along the nose tube between a locked position retaining the cutting accessory and an unlocked position releasing the cutting accessory.   
     
     
         9 . The end effector of  claim 1 , further comprising a handle coupled to the nose tube, the handle rotatable about the nose tube. 
     
     
         10 . The end effector of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handle;   a mounting fixture configured to couple the handle to the surgical robotic manipulator;   a lever supported by the handle and pivotable relative to the handle between a depressed position and a released position;   a sensor coupled to the nose tube; and   an activator moveable relative to the sensor between a first position and a second position in response to movement of the lever between the depressed position and the released position; and   wherein, in response to the lever being in the depressed position, the activator is in the first position and the sensor is spaced from the activator by a first distance such that the activator interacts with the sensor to enable activation of the actuator; and   wherein, in response to the lever being in the released position, the activator is in the second position and the sensor is spaced from the activator by a second distance to enable deactivation of the actuator.   
     
     
         11 . The end effector of  claim 10 , further comprising a carriage coupled to the nose tube;
 wherein the activator is disposed on the carriage and configured to move along the axis of the nose tube in response to movement of the lever between the depressed position and the released position;   the activator is configured to interact with the sensor to identify when the lever is in the depressed position or the released position based on the activator being in the first position or the second position; and   wherein the sensor is fixed relative to the nose tube and the activator is fixed relative to the carriage.   
     
     
         12 . The end effector of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handle including a mounting fixture configured to couple the end effector to the surgical robotic manipulator;   a lever coupled to the handle about a pivot point and pivotable about the pivot point between a depressed position and a released position for manual operation of the actuator, the pivot point being fixed to the handle about the axis; and   a sensor supported by the nose tube and configured to identify the position of the lever in the depressed position and the released position;   wherein the handle is rotatably supported by the nose tube such that the handle can rotate about the axis of the nose tube.   
     
     
         13 . A surgical robotic system comprising:
 a surgical robotic manipulator comprising a controller;   an end effector coupleable to the surgical robotic manipulator, the end effector comprising:   a handle;   a mounting fixture configured to couple the handle to the surgical robotic manipulator;   a nose tube extending along an axis;   a rotatable cutting accessory releasably coupled to the nose tube for cutting tissue of a patient;   an actuator coupled to the cutting accessory when the cutting accessory is coupled to the nose tube for rotatably driving the cutting accessory;   a removeable guard releasably coupled to the cutting accessory for covering a portion of the cutting accessory; and   a first circuit mounted to one of the cutting accessory or the removable guard; and   a second circuit mounted to the nose tube;   wherein the first circuit is configured to communicate data to the second circuit configured to communicate with each other; and
 wherein the second circuit is configured to transfer the data from the first circuit to the controller of the surgical robotic manipulator; 
 wherein the controller is configured to use the data to operate the end effector. 
   
     
     
         14 . The surgical robotic system of  claim 13 , wherein the data of the first circuit includes identification data identifying parameters of the cutting accessory. 
     
     
         15 . The surgical robotic system of  claim 13 , wherein the handle is coupled to the nose tube such that the handle is rotatable about the nose tube. 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating a cutting accessory to an end effector of a surgical robotic manipulator with the use of a guard that removably covers a portion of the cutting accessory, a first circuit disposed on one of the guard or the cutting accessory, and the end effector including a nose tube extending along an axis and supporting a second circuit, the method comprising:
 providing the cutting accessory with the guard covering a portion of the cutting accessory;   inserting the cutting accessory into the nose tube along the axis of the nose tube to couple the cutting accessory with the nose tube;   introducing the first circuit into communication with the second circuit;   removing the guard from the cutting accessory.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first circuit is a radiofrequency identification circuit and wherein the second circuit is a radiofrequency identification reader. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first circuit includes identification data identifying parameters of the cutting accessory. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first circuit is disposed on the guard; and further comprises the step of wirelessly communicating the identification data identifying parameters of the cutting accessory stored on the first circuit to the second circuit prior to the step removing of the guard. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of operating the end effector according to the identification data identifying parameters of the cutting accessory communicated to the second circuit.