An exemplary embodiment provides a steering gear (13) for a surgical instrument (1) which has two motorised drives and is designed to spatially align a swash plate (14) via the adjustment angles of the two drives, which is designed to control the distal bending mechanism (9) of the surgical instrument (1). The first drive has a first drive pinion (16) which can be driven by a first motor (17) via a first drive shaft (17a) which defines a first drive axis (C) and which is connected to a first drive wheel rim (19) of a first drive wheel (18) in operative connection. The second drive has a second drive pinion (16′) which can be driven by a second motor (17′) via a second drive shaft (17a′) which defines a second drive axis (C′) and is connected to a second drive wheel rim (19′) of a second drive wheel (18′) in operative connection. The first and the second drive wheel (18, 18′) are designed as double wheels (18, 18′), each of which has the corresponding drive wheel rim (19, 19′) and a deviation wheel rim (15, 15′), wherein between the two drive wheels (18, 18′) which have a common axis of rotation (A), the swash plate (14) is arranged, and the deviation wheel rims (15, 15′) are arranged facing each other on the axis of rotation (A). A surgical instrument (1) with such a steering gear (13) is also disclosed.

An exemplary embodiment provides a steering gear (13) for a surgical instrument (1), which can be arranged at the proximal end (3) of a shaft (2) that defines a longitudinal axis (B) and has a bending mechanism (9) at the distal end (5). The steering gear (13) has two controllable and adjustable motorised drives and is designed to transfer the adjustment angles of the two controllable and adjustable motorised drives to a spatial alignment of a swash plate (14) which is designed to control the distal bending mechanism (9) of the surgical instrument (1). The swash plate (14) is arranged in a steering ring (19), and each of the two controllable and adjustable motorised drives has a drive shaft (17a, 17b) driven by a motor (17, 17′), each of which is connected to the steering ring (19) directly and operatively connected via a force transmitter (16, 16′), wherein the two force transmitters (16, 16′) which are arranged on the drive shafts (17a, 17b) each define a drive axis (C, C′), directly contacting the steering ring (19) at an effective section (W). The steering ring (19) is cardanically suspended on a fastening device which has position sensors (23, 24, 25) on its cardan axes. Furthermore, a surgical instrument (1) with a steering gear (13) and a method for controlling the position of a steering ring (19) of a steering gear (13) are disclosed.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument and method of deflecting an end effector includes the end effector having an ultrasonic blade, a shaft assembly defining a longitudinal axis, and a body assembly. The shaft assembly has an articulation section configured to articulate from a straight configuration to an articulated configuration and an acoustic waveguide with a flexible waveguide portion positioned within the articulation section. The body assembly proximally extends from the shaft assembly and includes a housing and a shiftable transducer. The shiftable transducer is secured to the acoustic waveguide and configured to generate an ultrasonic energy. In addition, the shiftable transducer assembly is movably mounted relative to the housing and configured to accommodate deflection of the end effector.

A surgical positioning cart configured to support a surgical robotic device thereon a distal side configured to face a surgical entry site of a patient, comprises a base movable at least along a horizontal reference plane, a head pivotable relative to the horizontal plane to define therewith different inclination angles at least in a plane comprising vertical and longitudinal axes of the cart; a slider configured to fixedly receive at least a portion of the surgical robotic device thereon and mounted to the head so as to be pivotable therewith and be movable relative thereto at least along the longitudinal axis; and a neck connecting between the base and the head pivotally mounted thereto, having an adjustable height defined by a length of the neck in the vertical direction.

The disclosure provides a surgical apparatus comprising: a steerable member that is bendable and comprises a plurality of bending segments with channels therein; and a plurality of bending actuation wires that are arranged to pass through the steerable member and cause the steerable member to bend, the steerable member comprising at least one outwardly opening lumen through which the bending actuation wires pass.

A laparoscopic surgical apparatus for performing a surgical procedure through a single incision in a patient's body includes a gross positioning arm supported on a moveable platform, the gross positioner including a head; at least one articulated tool positioning apparatus coupled via a tool controller to an underside of the head, the articulated tool positioning apparatus being configured to receive a tool for performing surgical operations, the tool controller being actuated by the head to cause movements of the articulated tool positioning apparatus for performing surgical operations; and wherein the gross positioner is configured to permit the head to be positioned to facilitate insertion of the articulated tool positioning apparatus through the incision into the patient's body.

A robotic surgical instrument, comprising: a shaft; an end effector element; an articulation at a distal end of the shaft for articulating the end effector element, the articulation comprising: a first and second joint permitting the end effector element to adopt a range of configurations relative to a longitudinal axis of the shaft, the first joint being driveable by a first pair of driving elements having a first positional accuracy requirement and the second joint being driveable by a second pair of driving elements having a second positional accuracy requirement lower than the positional accuracy requirement of the first pair of driving elements; and an instrument interface at a proximal end of the shaft, comprising: a chassis formed from the attachment of a first chassis portion to a second chassis portion, the first chassis portion comprising a mounting surface to which the shaft is mounted; wherein the first pair of driving elements are secured relative to the first chassis portion.

The disclosure provides a surgical apparatus comprising: a steerable member that is bendable and comprises a plurality of bending segments with channels therein; and a plurality of bending actuation wires that are arranged to pass through the steerable member and cause the steerable member to bend, the steerable member comprising at least one outwardly opening lumen through which the bending actuation wires pass.

Described herein is an apparatus for guiding an elongated flexible instrument, the apparatus comprising a variable-length support assembly adapted to maintain a length of the elongated flexible instrument in a fixed configuration relative to the variable-length support assembly as the variable-length support assembly is moved along a longitudinal axis. The variable-length support assembly includes a plurality of linkages connected in series along the longitudinal axis, and the variable-length support assembly has a compact configuration and an expanded configuration.

An electromechanical robotic surgical instrument is provided and includes a flexible shaft defining a lumen therethrough; an end effector pivotally supported by the flexible shaft; at least one cable translatably disposed within the lumen of the flexible shaft, wherein a distal end of each cable is operatively connected to the end effector to affect a movement of the end effector in response to translation of the at least one cable, wherein the at least one cable includes metrical markings along an outer surface thereof, which metrical markings are located adjacent to the end effector; and at least one linear encoder supported by the flexible shaft and being in operative registration with the metrical markings of a respective one of the at least one cable, wherein the at least one linear encoder is configured to measure changes in the metrical markings.