Proposed is a mechanism capable of securing both convenience and safety in regard to surgery performed by inserting an endoscope into a human body. A medical arm system including a multi-joint arm which has a plurality of links connected by joints and a distal end to which an endoscope is connectable and a control unit which sets a virtual plane in a body cavity of a patient and controls the multi-joint arm so as to constrain a predetermined point of the endoscope in the body cavity on the virtual plane.

A surgical instrument that includes a surgical end effector that is articulatable relative to a proximal shaft segment of the surgical instrument. The surgical end effector is attached to the proximal shaft segment by an articulation joint that comprises a plurality of movably interconnected links that interface with a centrally disposed drive member to apply articulation motions thereto and which serve to provide improved lateral stability to the articulation joint.

A method is described for performing a percutaneous operation on a patient to remove an object from a cavity within the patient. The method includes advancing a first alignment sensor into the cavity through a patient lumen. The first alignment sensor provides its position and orientation in free space in real time. The alignment sensor is manipulated until it is located in proximity to the object. A percutaneous opening is made in the patient with a surgical tool, where the surgical tool includes a second alignment sensor that provides the position and orientation of the surgical tool in free space in real time. The surgical tool is directed towards the object using data provided by both the first and the second alignment sensors.

The present invention provides a device for supporting and positioning an endoscope maneuvering system, the device connectable to a fixed support, the device comprising: a. a support mechanism releasably connectable to said endoscope maneuvering system; b. at least one movable arm comprising at least one first jointed connection to said support mechanism, said at least one movable arm adapted to position and orient said endoscope maneuvering system; and c. a base connector comprising at least one second jointed connection to said at least one movable arm, said base connector fixedly connectable to said fixed support; wherein said device is adapted to maintain said endoscope maneuvering system in a state of quasi-static dynamic equilibrium.

A robotic system assembly comprises a robotic manipulator including an actuator assembly and a surgical instrument having a base body mountable to the actuator assembly. The base includes a first control input and a second control input, wherein the first and second control inputs are positioned on different sides of the base. The actuator assembly is moveable between open and closed positions to facilitate removal and replacement of surgical instruments. When in the closed positions, drive elements of the actuator assembly are positioned to drive the first and second control inputs of the surgical instrument to cause end effector movement or actuation.

A medical device that includes a body and an arm extending from the body and configured to receive a first device such that the first device is suspended relative to the body. Translation of the arm relative to the body is configured to move the first device relative to the body. The medical device includes a receiver extending from the body and configured to receive a second device such that the second device is suspended relative to the body.

A medical supporting arm according to the present disclosure includes a supporting arm and a calculation unit. The supporting arm supports an oblique-viewing endoscope. The calculation unit calculates a rotation angle of the oblique-viewing endoscope around an axis in a longitudinal direction, and an insertion amount of the oblique-viewing endoscope into a human body on the basis of a first expression that defines coordinates of a subject in a coordinate system in which an insertion opening allowing the oblique-viewing endo scope to be inserted into the human body serves as an origin, and a second expression that defines the coordinates of the subject positioned in an optical axis direction of an objective lens disposed at a distal end of the oblique-viewing endoscope in a coordinate system in which the distal end of the oblique-viewing endoscope serves as an origin.

The technology disclosed herein is directed to a medical manipulator system having a medical device. The medical device such as endoscope or other surgical instrument includes an elongated insertion portion. A holder assembly includes an articulated arm carrying the medical device that is attached thereto and is actuated following movement of the medical device and holds the medical device in a stationary state at a desired position. A position/attitude detection unit detects positions and attitudes of the elongated insertion portion in plurality states into which the medical device is caused to swing about a constraint point. A constraint point estimation unit estimates a position of the constraint point based on the positions and attitudes of the insertion portion as detected by the position/attitude detection unit.

There is provided a medical holding apparatus including: a first actuator configured to cause a medical optical tool that guides light from a body cavity of a subject to a camera head during a surgical operation, to rotate about an optical axis of the medical optical tool and a rotation mechanism configured to support the camera head that acquires an image of the body cavity of the subject via the medical optical tool, the camera head being rotatable about the optical axis of the medical optical tool independently from the medical optical tool.

A method is described for performing a percutaneous operation on a patient to remove an object from a cavity within the patient. The method includes advancing a first alignment sensor into the cavity through a patient lumen. The first alignment sensor provides its position and orientation in free space in real time. The alignment sensor is manipulated until it is located in proximity to the object. A percutaneous opening is made in the patient with a surgical tool, where the surgical tool includes a second alignment sensor that provides the position and orientation of the surgical tool in free space in real time. The surgical tool is directed towards the object using data provided by both the first and the second alignment sensors.