Robotic device with compact joint design and additional degrees of freedom and related systems and methods

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to various robotic and / or in-vivo medical devices having compact joint configurations and at least three degrees of freedom. Other embodiments relate to various medical device components including a forearm having a gripper or cautery end effector that can be incorporated into certain robotic and / or in-vivo medical devices.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of April 26, 2019, the invention name of which is "Robotic device with compact joint design and additional degrees of freedom and related systems and methods", and the application number is 201780066729.0.

[0002] Government support

[0003] This invention was made with government support under Grant No. W81XWH-08-02-0043 awarded by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command; Grant No. W81XWH-09-2-0185 awarded by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command; Grant No. DGE1041000 awarded by the National Science Foundation; and Grant Nos. NNX09A071A and NNX10AJ26G awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The government has certain rights in this invention.

[0004] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0005] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 381,299, filed on August 30, 2016, entitled “ROBOTIC DEVICE WITH COMPACT JOINT DESIGN AND ADDITIONAL DEGREES OF FREEDOM AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0006] Embodiments disclosed herein relate to various medical devices and related components, including robotic and / or in-vivo medical devices and related components, such as arms and end effectors, having compact joint designs. More specifically, certain embodiments include various robotic medical devices, including robotic devices having such compact joint designs that produce three degrees of freedom, disposed within and / or through holes or openings in a body cavity. Additional embodiments relate to various robotic device arms and / or medical device operating components (commonly referred to as "end effectors"). Certain arm and / or end effector embodiments disclosed herein relate to forearms having grippers and / or cautery end effectors. Other embodiments relate to methods of operating the above-mentioned devices and operating components. Background Art

[0007] Invasive surgical procedures are necessary to address a variety of medical conditions. Where possible, minimally invasive procedures such as laparoscopy are preferred.

[0008] However, known minimally invasive techniques, such as laparoscopy, are limited in scope and complexity due in part to: 1) limited mobility due to the use of rigid tools inserted through access ports, and 2) limited visual feedback. The Surgical System (available from Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, Calif.) is also limited by access ports and has the added disadvantages of being bulky, very expensive, unavailable in most hospitals, and having limited sensing and movement capabilities.

[0009] There is a need in the art for improved surgical methods, systems, and devices, including improved robotic arms and end effectors for use therewith. Summary of the invention

[0010] Disclosed herein are various robotic devices having compact joint designs resulting from the construction of internal components and allowing three degrees of freedom in an arm or other component extending from the compact joint. Also discussed herein are various arms and / or end effectors that can be used with the robotic devices disclosed herein or other known robotic devices.

[0011] In Example 1, the robot device includes an elongated device body, a first shoulder joint, and a first arm operably coupled to the first shoulder joint. The elongated device body includes: a first transmission shaft, which is rotatably disposed in the device body (the first transmission shaft has a first inner cavity defined along the length of the first transmission shaft); a second transmission shaft, which is rotatably disposed in the first inner cavity (the second transmission shaft has a second inner cavity defined along the length of the second transmission shaft); and a third transmission shaft, which is rotatably disposed in the second inner cavity. The first shoulder joint includes a conversion body operably coupled to at least one of the first transmission shaft, the second transmission shaft, or the third transmission shaft, and a rotating body capable of rotating relative to the conversion body.

[0012] Example 2 relates to a robot device according to Example 1, wherein the conversion body is a yoke body, the yoke body includes a yoke shaft extending from the yoke body and a yoke opening defined in the yoke shaft, wherein the longitudinal axis of the yoke shaft is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the first transmission shaft.

[0013] Example 3 relates to a robot device according to Example 2, wherein the first transmission shaft is operably coupled to a first drive gear, and wherein the third transmission shaft is rotatably arranged through the yoke opening, and the third transmission shaft is operably coupled to a third drive gear.

[0014] Example 4 relates to the robot apparatus according to Example 3, wherein the first driving gear and the third driving gear are rotatably coupled to the rotating body.

[0015] Example 5 relates to a robot device according to Example 1, wherein the second transmission shaft is operably coupled to a second drive gear, wherein the second drive gear is rotatably coupled to a first shoulder gear, wherein the first shoulder gear is operably coupled to a second shoulder gear through a first opening in the rotating body, wherein the second shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to a third shoulder gear, wherein the third shoulder gear is operably coupled to a fourth shoulder gear through a second opening in the rotating body, and wherein the fourth shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to an output gear.

[0016] Example 6 relates to the robotic device according to Example 1, wherein the conversion body is a shoulder shell, the shoulder shell includes a top opening defined in the shoulder shell and a side opening defined in the shoulder shell, the top opening including at least one coupling feature.

[0017] Example 7 relates to the robotic device according to Example 6, wherein the first drive shaft is operably coupled to the at least one coupling feature on the shoulder housing, whereby rotation of the first drive shaft causes rotation of the shoulder housing.

[0018] Example 8 relates to the robotic device according to Example 7, wherein the second transmission shaft is disposed through a top opening in the shoulder housing and is operably coupled to a second drive gear, wherein the second drive gear is disposed in a cavity in the shoulder housing.

[0019] Example 9 relates to the robotic apparatus according to Example 8, wherein the second drive gear is rotatably coupled to a first shoulder gear, wherein the first shoulder gear is operably coupled to the rotating body.

[0020] Example 10 relates to the robotic device according to Example 6, wherein the third transmission shaft is disposed through the top opening in the shoulder housing and is operably coupled to a third drive gear, wherein the third drive gear is disposed in a cavity in the shoulder housing.

[0021] Example 11 relates to a robot device according to Example 10, wherein the third drive gear is rotatably coupled to the second shoulder gear, wherein the second shoulder gear is operably coupled to the third shoulder gear through a first opening in the rotating body, wherein the third shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to the fourth shoulder gear, wherein the fourth shoulder gear is operably coupled to the fifth shoulder gear through a second opening in the rotating body, and wherein the fifth shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to the output gear.

[0022] In Example 12, the robotic device includes an elongated device body, a first shoulder joint, and a first arm operably coupled to the output gear, the elongated device body being sized and configured to be disposed through a port or incision into a cavity of a patient. The elongated device body includes: a first drive shaft rotatably disposed within the device body, the first drive shaft including a first lumen extending along the length of the first drive shaft; a second drive shaft rotatably disposed within the first lumen so that the second drive shaft is disposed within and coaxial with the first drive shaft, the second drive shaft including a second lumen extending along the length of the second drive shaft; and a third drive shaft rotatably disposed within the second lumen so that the third drive shaft is disposed within and coaxial with the second drive shaft. The first shoulder joint includes: a conversion body operably coupled to at least one of the first transmission shaft, the second transmission shaft or the third transmission shaft; a rotating body capable of rotating relative to the conversion body; and an output gear operably coupled to the rotating body, wherein the output gear is capable of rotating around an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first transmission shaft.

[0023] Example 13 relates to a robotic device according to Example 12, wherein the first transmission shaft is operably coupled to a first drive gear, and wherein the third transmission shaft is rotatably disposed through an opening in the converter, and the third transmission shaft is operably coupled to a third drive gear.

[0024] Example 14 relates to the robot apparatus according to Example 13, wherein the first driving gear and the third driving gear are rotatably coupled to the rotating body.

[0025] Example 15 relates to the robotic apparatus according to Example 12, wherein the second transmission shaft is operably coupled to the second drive gear, wherein the second drive gear is operably coupled to the output gear via at least one shoulder gear.

[0026] Example 16 relates to the robotic device according to Example 12, wherein the first transmission shaft is operably coupled to the conversion body, whereby rotation of the first transmission shaft causes rotation of the conversion body.

[0027] Example 17 relates to the robotic device according to Example 12, wherein the second transmission shaft is operably coupled to a second drive gear, wherein the second drive gear is rotatably coupled to a first shoulder gear, wherein the first shoulder gear is operably coupled to the rotating body.

[0028] Example 18 relates to the robotic apparatus according to Example 12, wherein the third transmission shaft is operably coupled to a third drive gear, wherein the third drive gear is operably coupled to the output gear via at least one shoulder gear.

[0029] In Example 19, the robotic device includes an elongated device body, a first shoulder joint, and a first arm operably coupled to the first shoulder joint, the elongated device body being sized and configured to be placed into a patient's cavity through a port or incision. The elongated device body includes a first drive train, a second drive train, and a third drive train. The first drive train includes a first motor and a first drive shaft operably coupled to the first motor, the first drive shaft being rotatably disposed in the device body, the first drive shaft including a first inner cavity extending along the length of the first drive shaft. The second drive train includes a second motor and a second drive shaft operably coupled to the second motor, the second drive shaft being rotatably disposed in the first inner cavity so that the second drive shaft is disposed in the first drive shaft and coaxial with the first drive shaft, the second drive shaft including a second inner cavity extending along the length of the second drive shaft. The third drive train includes a third motor and a third drive shaft operably coupled to the third motor, the third drive shaft being rotatably disposed in the second inner cavity so that the third drive shaft is disposed in the second drive shaft and coaxial with the second drive shaft. The first shoulder joint includes a conversion body operably coupled to at least one of the first transmission shaft, the second transmission shaft, or the third transmission shaft, and a rotating body rotatable relative to the conversion body.

[0030] Although a plurality of embodiments are disclosed, other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the present invention. As will be appreciated, the present invention is capable of modification in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive in nature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1A is a perspective view of a robotic device according to one embodiment.

[0032] Figure 1B According to an embodiment Figure 1A A perspective view of the motor section of the robotic device.

[0033] Figure 2 According to an embodiment Figure 1A A cross-sectional front view of a device body of a robotic device.

[0034] Figure 3A is a cross-sectional front view of a portion of a device body of the robotic device of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment.

[0035] Figure 3B is a perspective view of certain internal components of a device body of the robotic device of FIG. 1 , according to one embodiment.

[0036] Figure 3C is a cross-sectional bottom view of certain internal components of a device body of the robotic device of FIG. 1 , according to one embodiment.

[0037] Figure 3D is a bottom view of certain internal components of a device body of the robotic device of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment.

[0038] Figure 3E is a side view of certain internal components of a device body of the robotic device of FIG. 1 , according to one embodiment.

[0039] Figure 4A is a cross-sectional front view of a portion of a device body of the robotic device of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment.

[0040] Figure 4B is a perspective view of various components of the right shoulder joint of the robotic device of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment.

[0041] Figure 5A is a perspective view of an arm of a robotic device according to one embodiment.

[0042] Figure 5B According to an embodiment Figure 5A Side view of one of the arms.

[0043] Fig. 6A is a side view of an upper arm of a robotic device according to one embodiment.

[0044] Figure 6B According to an embodiment Fig. 6A Cross-sectional side view of the upper arm.

[0045] Figure 6C According to an embodiment Fig. 6A A cross-sectional side view of a portion of the upper arm.

[0046] Fig.6D According to an embodiment Fig. 6A Perspective view of the upper arm.

[0047] Figure 7 is a side view of a forearm of a robotic device according to one embodiment.

[0048] Fig. 8A is a perspective view of an elbow joint according to one embodiment.

[0049] Figure 8B According to an embodiment Fig. 8A Cross-sectional view of the elbow joint.

[0050] Fig. 9A is a perspective view of an end effector according to one embodiment.

[0051] Fig. 9B According to an embodiment Fig. 9A Side view of the end effector.

[0052] Fig. 9C According to an embodiment Fig. 9A Cross-sectional side view of the end effector.

[0053] Fig. 10A According to an embodiment Figure 7 Perspective view of the distal portion of the forearm.

[0054] Fig. 10B According to an embodiment Fig. 10A Different perspective views of the distal portion of the forearm.

[0055] Fig. 10C According to an embodiment Fig. 10A Cross-sectional side view of the distal portion of the forearm.

[0056] Fig.11A is a perspective view of certain internal components of the distal portion of the forearm of FIG. 10 including certain motors and gears according to one embodiment.

[0057] Fig. 11B is a perspective cross-sectional view of certain internal components of the distal portion of the forearm of FIG. 10 , according to one embodiment.

[0058] Fig. 11C is a perspective view of certain internal components of the distal portion of the forearm of FIG. 10 including certain motors, according to one embodiment.

[0059] Fig. 12A is a perspective view of various components of another embodiment of a right shoulder joint according to one embodiment.

[0060] Fig. 12B According to an embodiment Fig. 12A A cross-sectional side view of the various components of the right shoulder joint.

[0061] Fig.13 is a cross-sectional side view of a joint for a robotic device according to yet another embodiment.

[0062] Fig.14A According to an embodiment Fig.13 Side view of the various components of the joint.

[0063] Fig. 14B According to an embodiment Fig.13 Side view of the various components of the joint.

[0064] Fig.15A is a cross-sectional side view of a joint for a robotic device according to another embodiment.

[0065] Fig. 15B According to another embodiment Fig.15A A cross-sectional perspective view of a joint.

[0066] Fig.16A According to another embodiment Fig.15A Perspective view of the joints.

[0067] Fig. 16B According to another embodiment Fig.15A Perspective view of the joints.

[0068] Fig.17A According to another embodiment Fig.15A Side view of some parts of the joint.

[0069] Fig. 17B According to another embodiment Fig.15A Side view of some parts of the joint.

[0070] Fig. 17C According to another embodiment Fig.15A Side view of some parts of the joint.

[0071] Fig.17D According to another embodiment Fig.15A Side view of some parts of the joint. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0072] Various embodiments disclosed or contemplated herein relate to surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods. More specifically, various embodiments relate to various medical devices, including robotic devices, and related methods and systems. Certain embodiments relate to such devices for use in laparoscopic endoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery. Further embodiments relate to certain robotic arms and / or end effectors, including grippers and / or cautery end effectors, that can be used with the robotic devices.

[0073] The robotic device in these various embodiments has a compact joint design as described herein, and in some embodiments, the arm or other component extending from the joint has at least three degrees of freedom. More specifically, these embodiments have a compact shoulder joint, each of which has three nested bevel gear sets providing three intersecting degrees of freedom, as will be described in further detail herein. The compactness of the device comes from three concentric drive shafts, which are coupled to and drive three bevel gear sets at each shoulder. As will be described herein, nesting the three drive shafts of each shoulder within each other enables the three motors (motors) driving the drive shafts (and therefore the three bevel gear sets of each shoulder) to be positioned axially along the length of the device body (away from the three gear sets), thereby making the overall circumferential or radial dimensions (width and thickness) of the device body smaller because the motors and drive shafts do not need to be positioned next to the coupled bevel gear sets.

[0074] It should be understood that the various embodiments of the robotic devices and related methods and systems disclosed herein may be incorporated into or used with any other known medical devices, systems, and methods. For example, the various embodiments disclosed herein may be incorporated into or used with any medical device and system disclosed in the following patent documents, including U.S. Patent 8,968,332 (issued on March 3, 2015, entitled “Magnetically Coupleable Robotic Devices and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent 8,834,488 (issued on September 16, 2014, entitled “Magnetically Coupleable Surgical Robotic Devices and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent Application 14 / 617,232 (filed on February 9, 2015, entitled “Robotic Surgical Devices and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent 9,579,088 (issued on February 28, 2017, entitled “Methods, Systems, and Devices for Surgical Visualization and Device Manipulation”), U.S. Patent 8,343,171 (issued on January 1, 2013, entitled “Methods and Systems of Actuation in Robotic Devices”), U.S. Patent No. 8,828,024 (issued on September 9, 2014, entitled “Methods and Systems of Actuation in Robotic Devices”), U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 454,035 (filed on August 7, 2014, entitled “Methods and Systems of Actuation in Robotic Devices”), U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 192,663 (filed on August 15, 2008, entitled “Medical Inflation, Attachment, and Delivery Devices and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 018,530 (filed on February 8, 2016, entitled “Medical Inflation, Attachment, and Delivery Devices and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent No. 8,974,440 (issued on March 10, 2015, entitled “Modular and Cooperative Medical Devices and Related Systems and Methods”), U.S. Patent No. 8,679,096 (issued on March 25, 2014, entitled “Multifunctional Operational Component for Robotic Devices”), U.S. Patent No. 9,179,981 (issued on November 10, 2015, entitled “Multifunctional Operational Component for Robotic Devices”), U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 936,234 (filed on November 9, 2015, entitled “Multifunctional Operational Component for Robotic Devices”), U.S. Patent No. 8,894,633 (issued on November 25, 2014, entitled “Modular and Cooperative Medical Devices and Related Systems and Methods”), U.S. Patent No. 8,968,267 (issued on March 3, 2015, entitled “Methods and Systems for Handling or Delivering Materials for Natural U.S. Patent No. 9,060,781 (issued on June 23, 2015, entitled “Methods, Systems, and Devices Relating to Surgical End Effectors”), U.S. Patent No. 14 / 745,487 (filed on June 22, 2015, entitled “Methods, Systems, and Devices Relating to Surgical End Effectors”), U.S. Patent No. 9,089,353 (issued on July 28, 2015, entitled “Robotic Surgical Devices, Systems, and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent No. 14 / 800,423 (filed on July 15, 2015, entitled “Robotic Surgical Devices, Systems, and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent No. 13 / 573,849 (filed on October 9, 2012, entitled “Robotic Surgical Devices, Systems, and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 738,706 (filed on January 10, 2013, entitled “Methods, Systems, and Devices for Surgical Access and Insertion”), U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 833,605 (filed on March 15, 2013, entitled “Robotic Surgical Devices, Systems, and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 661,465 (filed on March 18, 2015, entitled “Methods, Systems, and Devices for Surgical Access and Insertion”), U.S. Patent No. 9,498,292 (issued on November 22, 2016, entitled “Single Site Robotic Devices and Related Systems and Methods”), U.S. Patent Application 15 / 357,663 (filed on November 21, 2016, entitled “Single Site Robotic Devices and Related Systems and Methods”), U.S. Patent 9,010,214 (issued on April 21, 2015, entitled “Local Control Robotic Surgical Devices and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent Application 14 / 656,109 (filed on March 12, 2015, entitled “Local Control Robotic Surgical Devices and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent Application 14 / 208,515 (filed on March 13, 2014, entitled “Methods, Systems, and Devices Relating to Robotic Surgical Devices, End Effectors, and Controllers”), U.S. Patent Application 14 / 210,934 (filed on March 14, 2014, entitled “Methods, Systems, and Devices Relating to Force Control Surgical Systems”), U.S. Patent Application 14 / 212,686 (filed on March 14, 2014, entitled “Robotic Surgical Devices, Systems, and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 334,383 (filed on July 17, 2014, entitled “Robotic Surgical Devices, Systems, and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 853,477 (filed on September 14, 2015, entitled “Quick-Release End Effectors and Related Systems and Methods”), U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 938,667 (filed on November 11, 2015, entitled “Robotic Device with Compact Joint Design and Related Systems and Methods”), U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 227,813 (filed on August 3, 2016, entitled “Robotic Surgical Devices, Systems, and Related Methods”), Methods”), U.S. Patent Application 15 / 599,231 (filed on May 18, 2017, entitled “Robotic Surgical Devices, Systems, and Related Methods”), U.S. Patent Application 15 / 687,113 (filed on August 25, 2017, entitled “Quick-Release End Effector Tool Interface”), U.S. Patent Application 62 / 425,149 (filed on November 22, 2016, entitled “Improved Gross Positioning Device and Related Systems and Methods”), U.S. Patent Application 62 / 427,357 (filed on November 29, 2016, entitled “Controller with User Presence Detection and Related Systems and Methods”), U.S. Patent Application 62 / 433,837 (filed on December 14, 2016, entitled “Releasable Attachment Device for Coupling to Medical Devices and Related Systems and Methods”), U.S. Patent 7,492,116 (filed on October 31, 2007, entitled "Robot for Surgical Applications") and 7,772,796 (filed on April 3, 2007, entitled "Robot for Surgical Applications") and 8,179,073 (issued on May 15, 2011, entitled "Robotic Devices with Agent Delivery Components and Related Methods"), all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0075] Embodiments of certain devices and systems disclosed in the above-listed applications may be positioned within a patient's body cavity in combination with the robotic arms and / or end effectors disclosed herein. As used herein, an "in-vivo device" refers to any device that is capable of being positioned, operated, or controlled at least in part by a user while positioned within a patient's body cavity, including any device coupled to a support member (e.g., a rod or other such member) disposed through an opening or aperture in the body cavity, and also includes any device positioned substantially against or adjacent to a wall of the patient's body cavity, further including any such device that is internally actuated (without an external power source), and additionally includes any device that can be used laparoscope- or endoscope-wise during a surgical procedure. As used herein, the terms "robot" and "robotic device" shall refer to any device that can perform a task automatically or in response to a command.

[0076] Certain embodiments provide for inserting the present invention into a cavity while maintaining adequate insufflation of the cavity. Further embodiments minimize physical contact between the surgeon or surgical user and the present invention during the insertion process. Other embodiments enhance safety for the patient and the insertion process of the present invention. For example, some embodiments provide visualization of the present invention when inserting the present invention into a patient's cavity to ensure that no destructive contact occurs between the system / device and the patient. In addition, certain embodiments allow minimization of incision size / length. Further embodiments reduce the complexity of the entry / insertion procedure and / or the steps required for the procedure. Other embodiments relate to devices having a minimal profile, minimal size, or generally minimized in function and appearance to enhance ease of operation and use.

[0077] Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate to "combination" or "modular" medical devices that can be assembled in various configurations. For the purposes of this application, "combination devices" and "modular devices" refer to any medical device having modular or interchangeable components that can be arranged in various different configurations. Modular components and combination devices disclosed herein also include segmented triangular or quadrilateral combination devices. These devices, which are composed of modular components (also referred to herein as "segments") connected to produce triangular or quadrilateral configurations, can provide leverage and / or stability during use, while also providing a large amount of loading space within the device, which can be used for larger components or more operating components. As with the various combination devices disclosed and discussed above, according to one embodiment, these triangular or quadrilateral devices can be positioned in a patient's body cavity in the same manner as those devices discussed and disclosed above.

[0078] exist Figure 1A and Figure 1B An exemplary embodiment of the robotic device 10 is shown in FIG. Figure 1A As shown, the device 10 has an elongated device body 12, a right shoulder joint 14, and a left shoulder joint 16. Figure 1A The arms are not shown, but it should be understood that a robotic arm or other component can be coupled (connected) to each of the right shoulder joint 14 and the left shoulder joint 16. The body 12 has a motor section 12A and a shaft section 12B, wherein a motor (discussed below) is disposed in the motor section 12A and an elongated drive shaft (discussed below) is disposed in the shaft section 12B. In one embodiment, control electronics 18 (circuit boards, processors, etc.) are disposed on an outer surface of the motor section 12A, preferably as Figure 1A and Figure 1B It will be appreciated that according to some embodiments, a cover (not shown) will be positioned over the top of the control electronics 18 .

[0079] As will be discussed in further detail below, each of the nested or compact shoulder joints 14, 16 provides three intersecting degrees of freedom. As an example, the left shoulder joint 16 has Figure 1AThe three intersecting degrees of freedom shown. The first degree of freedom is shown by arrow A, which represents the rotation around an axis 20 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device body 12, and the rotation causes any arm (not shown) coupled to the shoulder 16 to rotate around the axis 20, thereby moving left and right relative to the device body 12 ("yaw"). The second degree of freedom is shown by arrow B, which represents the rotation around an axis 22 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device body 12, and the rotation causes any arm (not shown) coupled to the shoulder 16 to rotate around the axis 22, thereby moving "up and down" relative to the device body 12 ("pitch"). More specifically, if the device body 12 is placed on a plane along its longitudinal axis, the arm (not shown) will move in and out of the plane. The third degree of freedom is shown by arrow C, which represents the rotation around the axis 24, and the rotation causes any arm (not shown) coupled to the shoulder 16 to rotate around its own longitudinal axis (or "roll"). These three degrees of freedom are intersecting because all three axes of rotation intersect at a single point 26, as shown in Figure 1A Although the above description relates to the left shoulder joint 16, it should be understood that the right shoulder joint 14 also has substantially the same three intersecting degrees of freedom.

[0080] It should be noted that the third degree of freedom is not limited to actuating the arm so that the arm rotates on its own longitudinal axis. Instead, the form of actuation is determined based on the configuration of the arm coupled to the shoulder. In certain embodiments, the arm coupled to the shoulder is configured so that rotation about axis 24 causes the arm to roll (rotate on its own axis). According to other embodiments, which will be described in further detail below, the arm coupled to the shoulder is configured so that rotation about axis 24 actuates rotation of the elbow of the arm. In further embodiments, it should be understood that the type of actuation that occurs due to rotation about axis 24 is limited only by the configuration of the arm to which it is coupled.

[0081] Figure 2A cross-sectional front view of a body 12 according to an exemplary embodiment is shown, wherein certain internal components of the body 12 are visible. The body 12 has a right nested drive shafting 40 and a left nested drive shafting 41, wherein both shaftings are rotatably disposed within the body 12. As explained herein, the word "nested" is intended to describe components that are concentric so that at least one of the components is positioned within another of the components, and each of the components has a common axis of rotation. In the remainder of this description of the body 12 and its components, the description will focus on the right side of the body 12, the right nested drive shafting 40, and the components coupled thereto. It should be understood that the components on the left side of the body 12, the left nested drive shafting 41, the components coupled thereto, the relationship of these components to each other, and their functionality are substantially similar to those on the right side of the body 12.

[0082] about Figure 2 , the right nested transmission shaft system 40 is composed of a first or outer transmission shaft 40A, a second or intermediate transmission shaft 40B and a third or inner transmission shaft 40C. As shown, the right nested transmission shaft system 40 extends from the motor section 12A into and through the shaft section 12B. As shown, the inner transmission shaft 40C is rotatably disposed in the intermediate transmission shaft 40B and has a driven gear 42C fixedly or integrally attached at its proximal end. At its distal end, the inner transmission shaft 40C is coupled to the third or lower drive bevel gear 44C. As shown, the intermediate transmission shaft 40B is rotatably disposed in the outer transmission shaft 40A and has a driven gear 42B fixedly or integrally attached at its proximal end. At its distal end, the intermediate transmission shaft 40B is coupled to the second or intermediate drive bevel gear 44B. The outer transmission shaft 40A is rotatably disposed on the right side of the body 12 and has a driven gear 42A fixedly or integrally attached at its proximal end. At its distal end, the outer drive shaft 40A is coupled to a first or upper drive bevel gear 44A. The right nested drive shafting 40 is supported at its proximal end by a first bearing set 46 and at its distal end by a second bearing set 48 .

[0083] According to one embodiment, the shaft section 12B is coupled to the motor section 12A via two or more screws 60A, 60B or other known attachment components or means. In one embodiment, five screws like screws 60A, 60B are used to couple the shaft section 12B and the motor section 12A.

[0084] According to one embodiment, Figures 3A-3EAn expanded view of the various internal components at the proximal end of the body 12, including the proximal ends of the drive shafts 40A, 40B, 40C and the associated gears and motors that drive those drive shafts 40A, 40B, 40C, is shown in FIG. Figure 3A As shown, the proximal end of the inner transmission shaft 40C including the driven gear 42C is rotatably supported in the body 12 via the first shaft bearing 62 and the second shaft bearing 64. In addition, the proximal end of the intermediate transmission shaft 40B including the driven gear 42B is rotatably supported in the body 12 via the second shaft bearing 64 and the third shaft bearing 66. In addition, the proximal end of the outer transmission shaft 40A including the driven gear 42A is rotatably supported in the body 12 via the third shaft bearing 66 and the first bearing group 46.

[0085] Best as Figure 3B-3E As shown, each of the nested drive shaft systems 40, 41 has three motors operably coupled thereto. More specifically, it is best to Figure 3B As shown in the side view of , the motor 80A has a motor drive gear 82A coupled to the driven gear 42A (the driven gear 42A is coupled to the outer transmission shaft 40A). In addition, the motor 80B has a motor drive gear 82B coupled to the driven gear 42B (the driven gear 42B is coupled to the intermediate transmission shaft 40B). In addition, the motor 80C has a motor drive gear 82C coupled to the driven gear 42C (the driven gear 42C is coupled to the inner transmission shaft 40C). Therefore, in operation, the motor 80A can be actuated to drive the outer transmission shaft 40A to rotate by driving the motor drive gear 82A to rotate (the rotation of the motor drive gear 82A drives the driven gear 42A to rotate). Similarly, the motor 80B can be actuated to drive the intermediate transmission shaft 40B to rotate by driving the motor drive gear 82B to rotate (the rotation of the motor drive gear 82B drives the driven gear 42B to rotate). In a similar manner, the motor 80C can be actuated to drive the inner transmission shaft 40C to rotate by driving the motor drive gear 82C to rotate (the rotation of the motor drive gear 82C drives the driven gear 42C to rotate).

[0086] Figure 3C and Figure 3D A bottom view of a motor and a drive shaft according to one embodiment is provided. More specifically, Figure 3CA partial cutaway bottom view of the motor segment 12A is shown, wherein the outer body of the motor segment 12A has been removed on the right half of the segment 12A so that the left nested drive shaft system 41 and the coupled motor are shown in the cutaway portion of the figure. As can be seen from the figure, the motor segment 12A is constructed so that the entire segment 12A is mirrored about its centerline D, as shown in this embodiment. That is, the left side of the motor segment 12A and the internal components therein are mirror images of the right side of the segment 12A and its components.

[0087] also, Figure 3D A bottom view of the right nested drive shaft system 40 and the coupled motors 80A, 80B, 80C is shown, thereby illustrating the arrangement of the motors 80A, 80B, 80C around the drive shaft system 40 .

[0088] In such Figure 3E In one embodiment shown, the drive shafts 40A, 40B, 40C are coupled to potentiometers 86A, 86B, 86C, which provide absolute position feedback associated with each drive shaft 40A, 40B, 40C. As shown, the driven gear 42A (of the outer drive shaft 40A) is coupled to the potentiometer gear 84A, which is coupled to the potentiometer 86A, and the driven gear 42B (of the intermediate drive shaft 40B) is coupled to the potentiometer gear 84B, which is coupled to the potentiometer 86B. Similarly, the driven gear 42C (of the inner drive shaft 40C) is coupled to the potentiometer gear 84C, which is coupled to the potentiometer 86C. The potentiometer gears 84A, 84B, 84C and the potentiometers 86A, 86B, 86C are coupled to pins 88. In one embodiment, each of the potentiometers 86A, 86B, 86C is a single turn potentiometer.Alternatively, these components 86A, 86B, 86C may be any known sensor or meter for detecting or monitoring position information.

[0089] Figure 4A and Figure 4B The right shoulder joint 14 and its various components are shown according to one embodiment. More specifically, Figure 4A A cross-sectional front view of the internal components of both the right shoulder joint 14 and the left shoulder joint 16 is shown, and Figure 4B An exploded view of the internal components of the right shoulder joint 14 is shown. Figure 4A and Figure 4BAs shown, the outer transmission shaft 40A is coupled (or rotatably constrained) to the upper drive bevel gear 44A, while the intermediate transmission shaft 40B is coupled to the intermediate drive bevel gear 44B, and the inner transmission shaft 40C is coupled to the lower drive bevel gear 44C. The outer transmission shaft 40A and the upper drive bevel gear 44A are supported by the second bearing set 48 and the first shoulder bearing 100, wherein the first shoulder bearing 100 is positioned in the distal end of the bevel gear 44A, preferably as shown in FIG. Figure 4A The intermediate transmission shaft 40B and the intermediate driving bevel gear 44B are supported by the first shoulder bearing 100 and the second shoulder bearing 102, wherein the second shoulder bearing 102 is positioned in the distal end of the bevel gear 44B, preferably as shown in FIG. Figure 4A shown.

[0090] The right shoulder 14 also has a differential yoke (also called "shoulder housing" or "converter") 104 (the same is true for the left shoulder 16). Figure 4B As shown, the yoke 104 has a body 104A and a yoke shaft 104B, wherein the body 104A defines a yoke opening 104C. As shown, the yoke 104 is configured to be positioned on the inner transmission shaft 40C so that the transmission shaft 40C is positioned through the yoke opening 104C. The transmission shaft 40C is rotatably supported in the yoke opening 104C by a third shoulder bearing 106 and a fourth shoulder bearing 108 disposed in the opening 104C. As described above, the inner transmission shaft 40C is coupled to the lower drive bevel gear 44C. The bevel gears 44A, 44B, 44C and the transmission shafts 40A, 40B, 40C and the bearings 100, 102, 106, 108 are coupled together and "preloaded" by a screw 110 coupled to the inner transmission shaft 40C. Alternatively, any known attachment components can be used to couple these components together and preload them.

[0091] Continue to refer Figure 4A and Figure 4B, the yoke shaft 104B is rotatably coupled to a bevel gear body (also referred to as a "rotatable arm", "rotatable body", "rotating arm", "rotating body", "pitch arm" or "pitch body") 120. The bevel gear body 120 has two openings 120A, 120B defined therein, wherein a body bevel gear 120C is disposed around one side of the opening 120A so that rotation of the bevel gear 120C causes rotation of the bevel gear body 120. The opening 120A is configured to receive the yoke shaft 104B so that the yoke shaft 104B is positioned through the opening 120A. When the bevel gear body 120 is coupled to the yoke shaft 104B, the first internal bevel gear 122 is also positioned on the yoke shaft 104B and is supported by a fifth shoulder bearing 124 and a sixth shoulder bearing 126, wherein the fifth shoulder bearing 124 is disposed within the distal end of the bevel gear 122 and the sixth shoulder bearing 126 is disposed within the body bevel gear 120C.

[0092] It should be understood that the rotating body 120 may be any component that has two openings as described herein and that may be coupled to various components as described.

[0093] The first internal bevel gear 122 is operably coupled to the first spur gear 130 so that rotation of the first internal bevel gear 122 causes rotation of the spur gear 130. The first spur gear 130 is also positioned on the yoke shaft 104B, and the two gears 122, 130 are coupled together through the opening 120A in the bevel gear body 120. In one embodiment, the first internal bevel gear 122 has two protrusions 128A, 128B that cooperate with the spur gear 130 to couple the two gears 122, 130 together. Alternatively, any coupling component or mechanism may be used to couple the two gears 122, 130 together. The first spur gear 130 is partially supported by the sixth bearing 126 discussed above, and is also partially supported by the seventh shoulder bearing 132, which is disposed within the distal end of the spur gear 130. The bearings 124, 126, 132 all help support the first internal bevel gear 122, the bevel gear body 120, and the first spur gear 130 so that all three (bevel gear 122, body 120, and spur gear 130) can rotate about the yoke shaft 104B. The bearings 124, 126, 132 are preloaded by countersunk screws 134 that are screwed into threaded cavities 135 at the ends of the yoke shaft 104B.

[0094] The first spur gear 130 is rotatably coupled to a second spur gear 136 such that rotation of the first spur gear 130 causes rotation of the second spur gear 136. The second spur gear 136 is positioned on a horizontal shaft 138A of a gear link 138 (also referred to herein as an "L-shaped shaft" 138) and is partially supported by an eighth shoulder bearing 140 and a ninth shoulder bearing 142. The eighth shoulder bearing 140 is positioned within a distal end of the second spur gear 136. The second spur gear 136 is operably coupled to a second internal bevel gear 144 such that rotation of the spur gear 136 causes rotation of the bevel gear 144. The second internal bevel gear 144 is also positioned on the horizontal shaft 138A, and the two gears 136, 144 are coupled together through an opening 120B in the bevel gear body 120. Thus, the horizontal shaft 138A is also positioned through the opening 120B in the gear body 120.

[0095] In one embodiment, the second internal bevel gear 144 has two protrusions 146A, 146B that cooperate with the spur gear 136 to couple the two gears 136, 144 together. Alternatively, any coupling component or mechanism may be used to couple the two gears 136, 144 together. The second internal bevel gear 144 is partially supported by the ninth shoulder bearing 142 discussed above, and is also partially supported by the tenth shoulder bearing 148, which is disposed within the distal end of the bevel gear 144. The bearings 140, 142, 148 all help support the second internal bevel gear 144, the bevel gear body 120, and the second spur gear 136 so that all three (bevel gear 144, body 120, and spur gear 136) can rotate about the horizontal axis 138A. The bearings 140, 142, 148 are preloaded by countersunk screws 150 which are screwed into threaded bores 152 at the ends of the horizontal shaft 138A.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the L-shaped shaft 138 has a horizontal shaft 138A and a vertical shaft 138B as discussed above. As discussed above, the horizontal shaft 138A receives the second internal bevel gear 144, the bevel gear body 120, and the second spur gear 136 together with the bearings 140, 142, 148 so that all three bevel gears 144, the gear body 120, and the spur gear 136 are disposed on the shaft 183A, wherein the bevel gears 144 and the spur gears 136 are rotatably disposed on the shaft 138A, and the gear body 120 is non-rotatably disposed on the shaft 138A, as discussed in further detail below. The vertical shaft 138B receives the output bevel gear 154, which is supported by the eleventh bearing 156 and the twelfth bearing 158 so that the bevel gear 154 is rotatably disposed around the shaft 138B. The bearings 156, 158 are preloaded by countersunk screws 160 which are screwed into threaded cavities (not shown) at the ends of the shaft 138B.

[0097] The L-shaped shaft 138 is coupled to the gear body 120 via two wings 138C, 138D, which are coupled to a slot 120D defined in the gear body 120 so that the L-shaped shaft moves when the gear body 120 moves. Alternatively, the L-shaped shaft 138 may be coupled to the body 120 by any known component or mechanism.

[0098] In use, the upper driving bevel gear 44A is rotatably coupled to the bevel gear 120C (located on the bevel gear body 120) so that the rotation of the upper driving bevel gear 44A causes the rotation of the bevel gear 120C. In addition, the lower driving bevel gear 44C is also rotatably coupled to the bevel gear 120C on the bevel gear body 120 so that the rotation of the lower driving bevel gear 44C also causes the rotation of the bevel gear 120C. In this way, the two bevel gears 44A, 44C work together to drive the yoke 104 to rotate around the transmission shaft 40C and drive the bevel gear body 120 to rotate around the yoke shaft 104B. In other words, if the two bevel gears 44A, 44C are actuated to rotate in opposite directions, the bevel gear body 120 is caused to rotate around the yoke shaft 104B, and if the two bevel gears 44A, 44C are actuated to rotate in the same direction, the yoke 104 is caused to rotate around the transmission shaft 40C. Furthermore, the two gears 44A, 44C may be actuated to do both simultaneously.

[0099] In addition, the intermediate drive bevel gear 44B is rotatably coupled to the first internal bevel gear 122, so that the rotation of the intermediate drive bevel gear 44B causes the rotation of the first internal bevel gear 122, and the rotation of the first internal bevel gear 122 causes the rotation of the first spur gear 130. The rotation of the first spur gear 130 causes the rotation of the second spur gear 136, and the rotation of the second spur gear 136 causes the rotation of the second internal bevel gear 144. The second internal bevel gear 144 is rotatably coupled to the output bevel gear 154, so that the rotation of the second internal bevel gear 144 causes the rotation of the output bevel gear 154. According to some embodiments, the output bevel gear 154 can be coupled to a robot arm (not shown) or other component of a robot device, so that the rotation of the output bevel gear 154 causes the rotation of the component.

[0100] Thus, according to some embodiments, it is best to Figure 2 , Figure 4A and Figure 4B The right shoulder 14 (and Figure 1A The left shoulder 16 shown in FIG. 1 has a compact joint design based on three concentric drive shafts (composed of drive shafts 40A, 40B, 40C, preferably as shown in FIG. 1 ). Figure 2 ) and three nested bevel gear sets (consisting of bevel gears 44A, 44B, 44C, preferably as shown) coupled to these drive shafts. Figure 2 and Figure 4A As discussed above and preferably as Figure 1A As shown, in some embodiments, the three degrees of freedom are intersecting degrees of freedom. The nested drive shafts 40A, 40B, 40C allow the motors (motors 80A, 80B, 80C) coupled thereto to be axially positioned at a proximal position along the length of the device body 12 at a distance from the shoulders 14, 16 (and therefore at a distance from the gear sets associated with the gears 44A, 44B, 44C), thereby allowing the overall circumferential or radial dimensions (width and thickness) of the device body 12 to be smaller. More specifically, the construction according to these embodiments allows the motor and drive shaft to be positioned axially beside the bevel gear sets, thereby allowing the device body 12 to have a smaller overall circumferential or radial dimension (smaller circumference or radius) relative to any device in which the motor and drive shaft are positioned beside the shoulders (at the same length as the shoulders) along the length of the device.

[0101] As above Figure 1A As discussed in the context of , each shoulder joint 14, 16 provides three degrees of freedom. Figure 4A and Figure 4BIn the embodiment shown, two of the degrees of freedom (i.e., pitch and yaw of the arms coupled to shoulders 14, 16) are achieved via bevel gears 44A and 44C coupled to output bevel gear 120C, as described above. In addition, the third degree of freedom is achieved via bevel gear 44B driving bevel gear 122, which ultimately drives output bevel gear 154, as described above. As described above with respect to Figure 1A As discussed in further detail, the actuation produced by the rotation of the output bevel gear 154 depends on the configuration of the arm to which it is coupled. In certain embodiments, the rotation of the bevel gear 154 causes a roll: a rotation of the arm about its longitudinal axis. Figures 5A-8B In some alternatives to the discussed embodiments, rotation of the bevel gear 154 passes through (through) the shoulder and causes the elbow of the arm to rotate. In further embodiments, rotation of the output bevel gear 154 can actuate the arm in other ways, depending on the configuration of the arm.

[0102] According to Figure 5A and Figure 5B One embodiment shown provides a robotic arm 200 (or, alternatively, two such arms) that can be coupled to the shoulder of the embodiment of the apparatus 10 discussed above. Alternatively, the arm 200 can be coupled to any known robotic surgical device. In this particular embodiment, the arm 200 is a right arm 200. It should be noted that Figure 5A Both a right arm 200 and a left arm 202 are shown. In the remainder of this discussion, the description will focus on the right arm 200. It should be understood that the components of the left arm 202, their relationship to each other, and their functionality are substantially similar to those of the right arm 200.

[0103] Continue to refer Figure 5A and Figure 5B The right arm 200 has a shoulder joint (also referred to as “shoulder” or “first joint” in this document) 204, an upper arm (also referred to as “first arm link” or “first arm component”) 206, an elbow joint (also referred to as “elbow” or “second joint” in this document) 208, a forearm (also referred to as “second arm link” or “second arm component” in this document) 210, a wrist joint (also referred to as “wrist” or “third joint” in this document) 212, and an end effector 214.

[0104] In one embodiment, the arm 200 (and arm 202) is configured to couple to a shoulder having 3 degrees of freedom ("DOF"), such as the device 10 described above. Alternatively, the arm 200 can be coupled to any known robotic device having a shoulder having 3 DOF. In another alternative, the arm 200 can be coupled to any known robotic device.

[0105] According to one embodiment, the upper arm 206 is Figures 6A-6D The upper arm 206 has a body (also referred to as a "housing", "external structure" or "housing") 220. In this particular embodiment, the body 220 is composed of a first body part 220A and a second body part 220B coupled together via a countersunk screw 222, which is coupled to a distal end (preferably, a "coupling shaft") 224 of a coupling shaft (also referred to as a "cylindrical shaft" or "coupling shaft"). Figure 6B More specifically, the two body parts 220A, 220B are constrained together via the coupling of the screw 222 and the distal end of the shaft 224, so that tightening the screw 222 into the shaft 224 creates a clamping force between the two body parts 220A, 220B. Tightening of the coupling between the screw 222 and the shaft 224 also causes the shaft 224 to be drawn into a corresponding cylindrical lumen 225 defined in the body part 220B, preferably as shown in FIG. Figure 6B More specifically, the shaft 224 is positioned within the cylindrical lumen 225 and is forced to move distally when the screw 222 is tightened into the shaft 224. Alternatively, the body 220 is a single, integral component. In a further alternative, the body 220 may be composed of three or more different components.

[0106] In the particular embodiment shown where the upper arm 206 is coupled to the shoulder 14, the upper arm 206 is coupled to the shoulder 14 by removing / replacing some of the components of the shoulder 14. More specifically, in this particular example, it is preferred that Figure 4B The following components are shown removed and replaced by components of the upper arm 206, the removed and replaced components are: the second internal bevel gear 144, the tenth shoulder bearing 148, the L-shaped shaft gear connecting rod 138, the eleventh bearing 156, the output bevel gear 154, the twelfth bearing 158 and the countersunk screw 160. Thus, the proximal end 226 of the upper arm 206 is configured to mate with the bevel gear body 120 (preferably as Figure 4B 120) so that the distal end of the coupling shaft 224 extends through the opening 120B in the gear body 120. More specifically, the proximal end 226 has a protrusion 226A (best shown in FIG. Fig.6D The protrusion 226A is geometrically aligned with the groove 120D defined in the gear body 120 (best shown in FIG. Figure 4B) match so that the proximal end 226 is coupled to the gear body 120. Alternatively, the proximal end 226 and the gear body 120 may have any features or configurations that produce a geometric match between the two components and thus produce a coupling of the two components. In one embodiment, the coupling shaft 224 and therefore the entire upper arm 206 is threadably coupled to the distal end of the shaft 224 via the countersunk screw 150 (preferably as shown in FIG. Figure 4B ) is attached to the gear body 120. In addition, the upper arm 206 has a first upper arm bevel gear 228 disposed in the proximal end 226, and the first upper arm bevel gear 228 is rotationally coupled (rotationally) to the second spur gear 136 (best as shown) at its proximal end. Figure 4B ), so that the rotation of the spur gear 136 causes the bevel gear 228 to rotate. In one embodiment, it is best to Fig.6D As shown, the first gear 228 has a protrusion 228A at its proximal end, and the protrusion 228A geometrically matches the features or components on the spur gear 136, thereby allowing the two gears 228, 136 to be coupled. Alternatively, the gears 228, 136 can have any configuration that allows them to be coupled together. Although this specific exemplary embodiment relates to the upper arm 206 coupled to the above-mentioned device 10, it should be understood that according to various alternative embodiments, the first bevel gear 228 can be rotationally coupled (in terms of rotation) to a gear or shaft or other rotating component of any robotic device to which the upper arm 206 is coupled.

[0107] Continue to refer Fig. 6A and Figure 6B, the first upper arm bevel gear 228 is constrained and supported by a coupling shaft 224 (the coupling shaft 224 is positioned through the gear 228 so that the gear 228 rotates around the shaft 224), and can be coupled to the second upper arm bevel gear 230 (and further constrained and supported by the second upper arm bevel gear 230) so that the rotation of the first bevel gear 228 causes the rotation of the second bevel gear 230. The second bevel gear 230 is rotationally (rotationally) coupled to a transmission shaft 232 so that the rotation of the bevel gear 230 causes the rotation of the transmission shaft 232. In one embodiment, the gear 230 and the transmission shaft 232 have geometric features that allow the two components to be coupled in a manner similar to the gear 228 and the spur gear 136 described above. Alternatively, the gear 230 and the transmission shaft 232 can be coupled in any known manner so that the rotation of one causes the rotation of the other. The drive shaft 232 is supported by a first upper arm bearing 234 and a second upper arm bearing 236. According to one embodiment, these bearings 234, 236 also serve as alignment features to help align and constrain the first body component 220A and the second body component 220B. That is, each of the first body component 220A and the second body component 220B has a bearing receiving opening 235, 237 defined within the components 220A, 220B so that when the components 220A, 220B are coupled to each other as shown, the bearings 234, 236 can be positioned therein. Thus, the assembly and coupling of the two components 220A, 220B is facilitated and aligned by positioning the bearings 234, 236 in the bearing receiving openings 235, 237. At its distal end, the drive shaft 232 is rotationally (rotationally) coupled to a third upper arm bevel gear 238 so that rotation of the drive shaft 232 causes rotation of the gear 238. The drive shaft 232 and the gear 238 have geometric features that allow the two components to be matingly coupled in a manner similar to the gear 230 and the drive shaft 232, or in any known manner such that rotation of one causes rotation of the other as described above.

[0108] The upper arm 206 has a distal opening 244 defined at or near the distal end of the arm 206. As described in further detail below, the distal opening 244 is configured to receive any forearm (e.g., forearm 210) component or other component coupled to the upper arm 206 so that the forearm or other component can rotate relative to the upper arm 206. Fig.6D As shown, the opening 244 has two bearings 246A, 246B disposed therein, which provide support for components disposed therethrough, as described below.

[0109] According to some embodiments, the upper arm 206 has at least one retaining ring, which is used to help hold the distal ends of the upper arm 206 together. In other words, the retaining ring can help maintain the coupling of the first body part 220A and the second body part 220B. In this specific embodiment, the upper arm 206 has two retaining rings 240A, 240B, preferably Fig. 6A As shown. Alternatively, any upper arm embodiment disclosed or contemplated herein may have one, three, or any number of retaining rings to help hold the distal ends of the upper arm together. In addition, it should be understood that any known mechanism or component for helping to maintain the coupling of the two body components 220A, 220B may be used. In another embodiment, the upper arm 206 may also have an end-mounted retaining ring 242, preferably as shown in FIG. Figure 6C As with the retaining rings 240A, 240B, the end mounted retaining ring 242 helps to hold the distal ends of the upper arm 206 together.

[0110] In some embodiments, the upper arm 206 may also have an anchor point 248 disposed on the second body member 220B, preferably Figure 6B As shown. The anchor point 248 is configured to serve as an anchor point or attachment point for one or more slender elastic members (also referred to herein as "elastic tendons" or "elastic bands") (not shown), which extend beyond the elbow joint 208 and are coupled to a forearm (e.g., forearm 210) attached to the elbow joint 208, so that when the forearm is actuated to bend at the elbow joint 208, the elastic band (not shown) can apply a restraining force to the upper arm 206 and the forearm (e.g., forearm 210). That is, the elastic band is intended to reduce any loose coupling or "slack" of the various components at the joint 208, thereby enhancing the coupling of these components. Therefore, when the forearm (e.g., forearm 210) is actuated to bend at the elbow joint 208, the elastic band is stretched, so that a force is applied at the elbow joint 208 to force the forearm to return to an optimal position such as. Figure 5B The force of the "straight" position shown. In the embodiment shown, the anchor point 248 is a countersunk bolt 248 that can be threadably coupled to the second body member 220B. Alternatively, in place of the bolt 248, any component or mechanism that can serve as an anchor point 248 can be incorporated into the arm 206.

[0111] In one embodiment, the third upper arm bevel gear 238 is configured to be coupled to a matching bevel gear fixed to a forearm (e.g., forearm 210), which is coupled to the upper arm 206. Therefore, in one embodiment, a transmission system in the upper arm 206 can be used to rotate the forearm (e.g., forearm 210) relative to the upper arm 206. The transmission system is composed of the first upper arm bevel gear 228, the second upper arm bevel gear 230, the transmission shaft 232, and the third upper arm bevel gear 238. In use, the first upper arm bevel gear 228 can be actuated (according to some embodiments, by the rotation of the spur gear 136) to rotate, thereby rotating the second upper arm bevel gear 230, thereby rotating the transmission shaft 232. The rotation of the transmission shaft 232 causes the third upper arm bevel gear 238 to rotate, thereby causing any forearm components coupled to the third upper arm bevel gear 238 to rotate relative to the upper arm 206. As a result, rotation of the bevel gear 238 causes the forearm (eg, forearm 210 ) to move relative to the upper arm 206 at the elbow joint (eg, elbow joint 208 ).

[0112] According to one embodiment, coupling the upper arm 206 to the above-described apparatus 10 produces an arm with five degrees of freedom. Figure 4A and Figure 4B As discussed above, each shoulder (e.g. Figure 1A The shoulder 14, 16 discussed above provides three degrees of freedom in the form of pitch, yaw and roll of the elbow. In this embodiment, the fourth degree of freedom is the rotation of the end effector about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the forearm, and the fifth degree of freedom is the rotation of each of the grippers to cause the grippers to open and close. In this embodiment, the third degree of freedom (i.e., the rotation of the output bevel gear 154 as discussed above) is used to actuate the elbow joint 208 rather than causing roll of the upper arm 206. Therefore, in this particular embodiment, the upper arm 206 does not rotate about its own longitudinal axis.

[0113] Figure 7 , Fig. 8A and Figure 8BA forearm 210 is shown coupled to the upper arm 206 according to one embodiment. The forearm 210 has a forearm body 300 (also referred to as a "housing" or "enclosure") that houses and constrains one or more motors (discussed below). In certain embodiments, the body 300 may have a cautery connection (not shown) disposed in the body 300 and a cautery wire opening 303 defined therein. In one embodiment as shown, the body 300 is comprised of three components, namely: a main body 300A, an electronics cover 300B, and a distal cover 300C. The electronics cover 300B houses a controller (not shown), which may include a printed circuit board ("PCB") that is coupled to the motor (discussed below) so that the controller is operable to control the motor. In addition, the electronics cover 300B may seal and fluidly protect the controller and any other electronics (not shown) housed within the body 300 from the external environment. The distal cover 300C is positioned at or on the distal end of the body 300 and has a lip 302 defined therein, the lip 302 being configured to receive and help retain any elastic restraints for coupling and fluidly sealing a sterile cover (not shown) to the forearm 210 so that the cover can remain in its proper position during use. Alternatively, the distal cover 300C can have any known components or mechanisms for receiving, retaining or coupling to a sterile cover. In addition, the distal cover 300C defines an opening 304 at its distal end, the opening 304 being configured to receive an interchangeable end effector, as discussed in further detail below.

[0114] The forearm 210 also has two protrusions 264A, 264B, preferably Fig. 8A and Figure 8BAs shown, the two protrusions 264A, 264B form a portion of the joint 208 at which the upper arm 206 is coupled to the forearm 210. In this embodiment, the two protrusions 264A, 264B (and therefore the elbow joint 208) are positioned at a point along the length of the forearm 210, between the distal end 260 and the proximal end 262 of the forearm 210. That is, the protrusions 264A, 264B are spaced apart from both the distal end 260 and the proximal end 262 of the forearm 210. In this particular embodiment, as shown, the protrusions 264A, 264B (and therefore the joint 208) are positioned at or substantially adjacent to the midpoint along the length of the forearm 210. Alternatively, the protrusions 264A, 264B (and therefore the joint 208) are positioned anywhere along the length of the forearm 210 such that the protrusions 264A, 264B are spaced apart from both the proximal end 262 and the distal end 260. In this way, rotation of the forearm 210 does not occur at the proximal end 262 of the forearm 210, but rather occurs at some other point along the length of the forearm 210 as determined by the location of the protrusions 264A, 264B.

[0115] Each protrusion 264A, 264B has an opening 266A, 266B, respectively, defined therein as shown. Figure 8B As shown, the joint gear 268 is disposed in the joint 208 between the two protrusions 264A and 264B so that the shaft 268A of the gear 268 is rotatably disposed in the opening 264A. In addition, the joint shaft 270 is also disposed in the joint 208 between the two protrusions 264A and 264B so that the shaft 270 is rotatably disposed in the opening 264B at one end and disposed in the gear 268 at the other end.

[0116] like Figure 8B As shown, when the upper arm 206 is coupled to the forearm 210, the distal end of the upper arm 206 is disposed between the two protrusions 264A, 264B so that the opening 244 (best as shown above in Fig. 6A , Figure 6B and Fig.6DThe distal end of the upper arm 206 is coupled to the forearm 210 via the joint shaft 270, which is arranged to pass through the opening 264B, the opening 244 (and supported by the bearings 246A, 246B in the opening 244 as discussed above) and enter the gear 268 so that the distal end of the upper arm 206 is rotatably held in the joint 210 between the two protrusions 264A, 266B as shown in the figure.

[0117] The joint gear 268 is rotationally coupled (rotationally) to the third upper arm bevel gear 238 (eg, Figure 8B As shown), so that the rotation of the third upper arm bevel gear 238 causes the rotation of the joint gear 268.

[0118] Although the joint 208 is composed of the two protrusions 264A, 264B and the joint shaft 270 and the joint bevel gear 268 in this specific embodiment, it should be understood that any known joint or rotational coupling structure or mechanism can be incorporated into these various arm embodiments.

[0119] In some embodiments, the forearm 210 may also have an anchor point 272, preferably Fig. 8A and Figure 8B As shown. Similar to the anchor point 248 discussed above, the anchor point 272 is configured to serve as another anchor point or attachment point (in combination with the anchor point 248) for any elastic tendon (not shown) extending beyond the elbow joint 208 as discussed above. In the illustrated embodiment, the anchor point 272 is a countersunk bolt 272 that can be threadably coupled to the forearm 210. Alternatively, in place of the bolt 272, any component or mechanism that can serve as an anchor point 272 can be incorporated into the forearm 210.

[0120] An exemplary interchangeable end effector 320 that can be coupled to the forearm 210 discussed above is Figures 9A-9C Alternatively, it should be understood that the end effector 320 can be coupled to any known robotic arm or robotic surgical device. It should also be understood that any interchangeable end effector can be coupled to the forearm 210 or removed and replaced by any other known interchangeable end effector.

[0121] The end effector 320 in this exemplary embodiment is a gripper end effector 320 having a gripper component 322 having a first gripper arm 322A and a second gripper arm 322B. The end effector 320 has a twistable knob 324 that can be grasped by a user to couple and decouple the end effector 320 to an arm (e.g., forearm 210). The knob 324 is coupled to a locking collar 326 having a locking protrusion 326A that can be matingly coupled to four notches 382 defined in the cover 300C, as described in further detail below. Rotation of the knob 324 causes rotation of the locking collar 326, thereby allowing the protrusion 326A to be positioned into the recess 382 and thereby coupling the end effector 320 to the forearm 210. In certain embodiments, a sealing ring (also referred to herein as an "O-ring") 328 is disposed around the end effector 320 at the proximal end of the knob 324 or at a portion of the knob 324, such that when the end effector 320 is coupled to the forearm 210 as described above, the ring 328 can provide a fluid-tight coupling of the end effector 320 to the forearm 210. In addition, according to some embodiments, the ring 328 can also provide an outward pressure or force acting on both the end effector 320 and the forearm 210, such that reverse rotation of the knob 324 that may cause the end effector 320 to become disengaged during use is reduced or eliminated.

[0122] The end effector 320 has a rotation drive system and a gripper arm actuation drive system. The rotation drive system is composed of a rotatable yoke 330, which is coupled to the gripper 322 so that rotation of the yoke 330 causes rotation of the gripper 322. That is, the yoke 330 has two flanges 330A, 330B (preferably Fig. 9A 330B) so that the grabber 322 is disposed between the two flanges 330A, 330B and coupled to the two flanges 330A, 330B via a pin 331. At its proximal end, the yoke 330 has a matable coupling component 332 that is configured to couple to a rotation drive component 370 in the distal end of the forearm 210, as described in further detail below. More specifically, in this exemplary embodiment, the matable coupling component 332 is two protrusions 332, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig. 9A and Fig. 9CThe rotatable yoke 330 is constrained in the axial direction (so that the yoke 330 does not move distally or proximally relative to the length of the end effector 320) by a groove 334 defined around the outer surface of the yoke 330 so that a pin (not shown) can pass through an opening 336 in the knob 324 (preferably as shown in FIG. Fig. 9A The forearm 322 is inserted into and positioned in the groove 334, thereby allowing the yoke 330 to rotate but preventing it from moving in the axial direction. Therefore, the rotation of the rotation drive component 370 in the forearm causes the rotation of the rotatable yoke 330, and the rotation of the rotatable yoke 330 causes the rotation of the grabber 322.

[0123] The grabber arm actuation drive system is composed of a rotatable cylinder 338 with internal threads, a drive pin 340 with external threads that can be threadedly coupled to the cylinder 338, and two connecting rods (including connecting rod 342) coupled to the pin 340. The rotatable cylinder 338 has a matable coupling component 344 at its proximal end, and the matable coupling component 344 is configured to couple to the actuation drive component 372 in the distal end of the forearm 210, as described in further detail below. More specifically, in this exemplary embodiment, the matable coupling component 344 is two protrusions 344, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig. 9A and Fig. 9C The rotatable cylinder 338 is constrained in the axial direction by a groove 346 defined around the outer surface of the cylinder 338 so that a pin (not shown) can be inserted through an opening (not shown) in the knob 324 (similar to the opening 336 discussed above) and positioned in the groove 346, thereby allowing the cylinder 338 to rotate but preventing it from moving in the axial direction.

[0124] The rotatable cylinder 338 has an inner cavity 347, and the inner cavity 347 has a threaded inner cavity inner surface 348. The drive pin 340 has a distal head (also referred to as a "coupling member") 350 and a proximal body 352 with external threads, and the proximal body 352 with external threads is set to be sized to be disposed in the inner cavity 347 of the cylinder 338 so that the proximal body 352 can be threadedly coupled to the inner cavity inner surface 348. The distal head 350 has two openings 354A and 354B defined therein, and the two openings 354A and 354B can be coupled to the two connecting rods. More specifically, the connecting rod 342 is coupled to the distal head 350 at the opening 354A by a pin or a similar coupling member (not shown). In addition, a second connecting rod (not shown) is coupled to the distal head 350 at the opening 354B in the same manner. The connecting rod (342 and the connecting rod not shown) are coupled to the proximal ends of the grabber arms 322A, 322B. Thus, rotation of the actuation drive component 372 in the forearm 210 causes rotation of the rotatable cylinder 338, which causes axial movement of the drive pin 340 (via the threadable coupling of the cylinder 338 and the pin 34), which causes movement of the connecting rod (342 and the connecting rod not shown), which causes the grabber arms 322A, 322B to rotate about the axis at the pin 331 in the yoke 330, so that the arms 322A, 322B move between the open position and the closed position.

[0125] Figures 10A-10C The distal cap 300C of the body 300 is shown along with the end effector interface 364 according to one embodiment.

[0126] Best as Fig. 10A As shown, according to one embodiment, the distal cover 300C discussed above can be coupled to the main body 300A and the electronic device cover 300B by a fastener 360, and the fastener 360 is positioned through the distal cover 300C and the electronic device cover 300B to couple the distal cover 300C and the electronic device cover 300B to the main body 300A. In one embodiment, the fastener 360 is a bolt 360. Alternatively, any known fastener or attachment mechanism can be used.

[0127] According to another embodiment, another fastener 362 is provided to further couple the distal cover 300C to the body 300A. The fastener 362 is a pin 362. Alternatively, the fastener 362 may be any known fastener or attachment mechanism.

[0128] Best as Fig. 10B and Fig. 10C As shown, according to some embodiments, the distal cover 300C accommodates the end effector interface 364. The end effector interface 364 is configured to be coupled to an actuation component of an end effector (e.g., the end effector 320 discussed above). More specifically, in those exemplary embodiments in which the end effector interface 364 is coupled to the end effector 320, the interface 364 is configured to be coupled to the rotation drive system and the gripper drive system as discussed above. The interface 364 has a first sealing ring 366, a second sealing ring 368, a rotatable rotation drive component 370, a rotatable gripper actuation drive component 372, and an electrical contact spring 374.

[0129] It should be understood that the interface 364 can be coupled to a variety of end effectors. Although the following description will specifically refer to the end effector 320 and how the components of the interface 364 are associated with and coupled to the end effector 320, this is not intended to limit the use of the end effector interface 364 to only the end effector 320. Instead, the interface 364 can be coupled to any end effector having suitable components to couple thereto.

[0130] In this embodiment, the rotatable rotary drive component 370 is a rotatable drive cylinder 370 having matable coupling components 370A, 370B (preferably Fig. 10B ), the matable coupling parts 370A, 370B are configured to mate with the matable coupling parts 332 of the rotatable yoke 330 in the end effector 320, as discussed above. More specifically, the matable coupling parts 370A, 370B in this embodiment are protrusions 370A, 370B, which can mate or couple with the matable coupling parts 332 of the rotatable yoke 330 in the end effector 320.

[0131] In this embodiment, the rotatable gripper actuation drive member 372 is a rotatable drive cylinder 372 having matable coupling members 372A, 372B (preferably Fig. 10B As shown in the figure, the matable coupling parts 372A, 372B are configured to be mated with the matable coupling parts 344 of the rotatable cylinder 338 in the end effector 320, as discussed above. More specifically, the matable coupling parts 372A, 372B in this embodiment are protrusions 372A, 372B, which can be mated or coupled with the matable coupling parts 344 of the rotatable cylinder 338 in the end effector 320.

[0132] In one embodiment, the rotatable gripper actuation drive component 372 can transfer electrical energy to the gripper of the end effector (e.g., the gripper 322 of the end effector 320) to perform cauterization. That is, the rotatable cylinder 372 has a proximal lumen 378 defined in the proximal end of the cylinder 372, and the proximal lumen 378 is configured to receive the electrical contact spring 374. The spring 374 extends proximally into the lumen 380 defined in the body 300 so that the spring 374 is positioned adjacent to the cautery wire opening 303 discussed above so that a cautery wire (or cautery cable) positioned through the opening 303 can be coupled to the spring 374. Alternatively, the spring 374 can be any electrical contact component. It should be understood that according to certain embodiments, the cautery wire opening 303 is defined on both sides of the body 300 so that the same body 300 configuration can be used in the left and right arms of the device.

[0133] As shown, the rotatable drive cylinder 372 is positioned or nested within the rotatable drive cylinder 370. The first sealing ring 366 is an O-ring 366 disposed between the distal cap 300C and the rotatable drive cylinder 370. The second sealing ring 368 is an O-ring 368 disposed between the rotatable drive cylinder 370 and the rotatable drive cylinder 372. The two rotatable drive cylinders 370, 372 are supported together by the first bearing 376 and the first sealing ring 366 and are rotatably held in place.

[0134] Best as Fig. 10B As shown, according to another embodiment, the distal cover 300C has at least two notches defined in the distal cover opening 304, which can cooperate or couple with the locking protrusions 326A on the end effector 320 as discussed above. In this specific embodiment, the cover 300C has four notches 382, ​​which can cooperate with the four protrusions 326A discussed above so that the end effector 320 can be coupled to the distal cover 300C with a single rotation or "twist" of the knob 324 of the end effector 320. Alternatively, any known locking mechanism or feature can be used.

[0135] According to one embodiment, Figures 11A-11C The motor within the body 300 is shown, which provides power to the rotatable rotary drive component 370 and the rotatable gripper actuation drive component 372 discussed above. More specifically, according to one embodiment, the forearm 210 has two motors 400, 402 disposed therein, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig. 11CAs shown. In one embodiment, the motors 400, 402 are 6 mm brushless motors. Alternatively, the motors 400, 402 may be any known type of motors for robotic arms.

[0136] Best as Fig.11A As shown, the motor 400 is coupled to a shaft 404, which is coupled to a bushing 406, which in turn is coupled to the drive gear (also referred to as a "spur gear") 408. Alternatively, the shaft 404 may be directly coupled to the drive gear 408. The drive gear 408 is rotatably coupled to gear teeth 410, which are attached to or otherwise coupled to the rotatable gripper actuation drive member 372. Thus, actuation of the motor 400 causes rotation of the shaft 404, which causes rotation of the drive gear 408, which causes rotation of the rotatable gripper actuation drive member 372, which ultimately causes the gripper arms 322A, 322B to move between the open position and the closed position as described above.

[0137] Also like Fig.11A As shown, the motor 402 is coupled to a shaft 420, which is coupled to a bushing 422, which in turn is coupled to the drive gear (also referred to as a "spur gear") 424. Alternatively, the shaft 420 may be directly coupled to the drive gear 424. The drive gear 424 is rotatably coupled to gear teeth 426, which are attached to or otherwise coupled to the rotatable rotary drive component 370. Thus, actuation of the motor 402 causes rotation of the shaft 420, which causes rotation of the drive gear 424, which causes rotation of the rotatable rotary drive component 370, which ultimately causes the gripper end effector to rotate as described above.

[0138] According to one embodiment, the motors 400, 402 are held or secured in place in the forearm 210 by a locking wedge 430. In use according to one embodiment, the locking wedge 430 can be pushed along the two motors 400, 402 toward the distal end of the forearm 210 so that the angled portion or wedge portion 434 is positioned in the wedge-shaped opening 432 defined in the body 300 to help hold or "lock" the two motors 400, 402 in place. Positioning the wedge portion 434 in the wedge-shaped opening 432 forces the wedge portion 434 against the motors 400, 402, thereby creating a friction-based contact between the wedge portion 434 and the motors 400, 402, thereby helping to hold the motors 400, 402 in place via friction. According to one embodiment, the locking wedge 430 can be manually positioned to lock the motors 400, 402 in place.

[0139] Fig. 12A and Fig. 12B Another embodiment of the right shoulder joint 14 and its various components is shown. More specifically, Fig. 12A An exploded view of the internal components of the right shoulder joint 14 is shown, and Fig. 12B A cross-sectional front view of the internal components of the right shoulder joint 14 is shown. Fig. 12A and Fig. 12B As shown in FIG. 1 and as will be described in further detail below, the outer transmission shaft 40A (described above with respect to FIG. Figure 2-3E The intermediate transmission shaft 40B (discussed above) is coupled (or rotationally constrained) to the shoulder rolling housing (also referred to herein as the "shoulder housing" or "converter") 500, and the intermediate transmission shaft 40B (discussed above with respect to Figure 2-3E The inner drive shaft 40C (discussed above) is coupled to the upper drive bevel gear 502, and the inner drive shaft 40C (discussed above Figure 2-3E discussed) extends through the spacer 512 and is coupled to the lower drive bevel gear 504.

[0140] Although the remainder of this specification will focus on the right shoulder joint 14 and its components, it should be understood that the components of the left shoulder joint 16, the components coupled to the left shoulder joint 16, the relationship of these components to each other, and their functionality can be substantially similar to the right shoulder joint 14.

[0141] Best as Fig. 12B As shown, the outer transmission shaft 40A and the shoulder housing 500 are supported by a first bearing 506 disposed outside the housing 500. Fig. 12A and Fig. 12BAs shown, the outer transmission shaft 40A and the shoulder housing 500 are further supported by a second bearing 508 disposed in the housing 500. The intermediate transmission shaft 40B and the upper drive bevel gear 502 are supported by the second bearing 508 and a third bearing 510 positioned in the distal end of the upper drive bevel gear 502, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig. 12B The bearings 506, 508, 510 are preloaded using a single countersunk screw 514 screwed into the distal end of the inner drive shaft 40C. Alternatively, any attachment member may be used to preload the bearings 506, 508, 510.

[0142] According to one embodiment, it is best if Fig. 12A As shown, the shoulder housing 500 is composed of two housing parts, namely: a first housing part (or "first housing shell") 500A and a second housing part (or "second housing shell") 500B. In this embodiment, the two housings 500A, 500B are coupled together by screws 516 and retaining rings 518. Alternatively, any known attachment parts or mechanisms can be used to couple the two housings 500A, 500B together. In another alternative, the housing 500 is a single integral housing.

[0143] As mentioned above, the outer drive shaft 40A is coupled (or rotationally constrained) to the shoulder roll housing 500. More specifically, the protrusions 501A, 501B extending from the top of the housing 500 (more specifically, according to this embodiment, extending from each of the two housing shells 500A, 500B) can cooperate with two recesses 503A, 503B in the outer drive shaft 40A. Alternatively, any mechanism or feature for coupling the drive shaft 40A and the housing 500 can be used. Thus, rotation of the outer drive shaft 40A causes the shoulder housing 500 to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft 40A, thereby causing any arm coupled to the shoulder (at the output bevel gear 550 discussed below) to rotate about the same axis, thereby causing the arm to move from left to right ("yaw") relative to the device body (e.g., the body 12 discussed above).

[0144] The upper driving bevel gear 502 can be cooperatively coupled to the first driven bevel gear 520 so that rotation of the upper driving bevel gear 502 causes the first driven bevel gear 520 to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 528A of the second driven bevel gear 528 discussed below. The first driven bevel gear 520 drives the shoulder 14 to pitch by causing the bevel gear body 522 to rotate about the same longitudinal axis of the shaft 528A, thereby causing the arm to move "up and down" relative to the device body. That is, at its distal end, the first driven bevel gear 520 is coupled to the bevel gear body (also referred to as a "rotatable arm", "rotatable body", "rotating arm", "rotating body", "pitch arm" or "pitch body") 522 so that rotation of the first driven bevel gear 520 causes rotation of the bevel gear body 522. More specifically, the bevel gear body 522 has two openings 522A, 522B defined therein (preferably as Fig. 12A 522A), wherein a matable coupling member 522C is disposed around one side of the opening 522A, and the matable coupling member 522C is coupled to the first driven bevel gear 520 so that rotation of the bevel gear 520 causes rotation of the bevel gear body 522. In this exemplary embodiment, the first driven bevel gear 520 has an opening 520A defined therethrough so that the bevel gear 520 is rotatably disposed on the second driven bevel gear 528, which will be discussed in further detail below. The first driven bevel gear 520 is constrained by a fourth bearing 524 and a fifth bearing 526.

[0145] It should be understood that the rotating body 522 can be any component that has two openings as described herein and can be coupled to various components as described.

[0146] The lower driving bevel gear 504 can be cooperatively coupled to the second driven bevel gear 528 so that the rotation of the lower driving bevel gear 504 causes the rotation of the second driven bevel gear 528. As described above, the second driven bevel gear 528 is rotatably disposed through the opening 520A in the first driven bevel gear 520 so that the second driven bevel gear 528 is at least partially disposed within the first driven bevel gear 520. The second driven bevel gear 528 is coupled to the first spur gear 530 so that the rotation of the second driven bevel gear 528 causes the rotation of the first spur gear 530. That is, the shaft 528A of the second driven bevel gear 528 extends through the opening 522A in the bevel gear body 522 and is coupled to the first spur gear 530. In a specific embodiment, the second driven bevel gear 528 is cooperatively coupled to the first spur gear 530 via a geometric coupling. The second driven bevel gear 528 is constrained by the fourth bearing 524 and the sixth bearing 532. It will be appreciated that the bearings 524, 526, 532 are preloaded using a spring 534 and are translationally constrained by a retaining ring 536. In one embodiment, the spring 534 is a Belleville spring 534.

[0147] The first spur gear 530 discussed above can be matingly coupled to the second spur gear 538 so that rotation of the first spur gear 530 causes rotation of the second spur gear 538. The second spur gear 538 is coupled to the third driven bevel gear 540 so that rotation of the second spur gear 538 causes rotation of the third driven bevel gear 540. That is, the shaft 540A of the third driven bevel gear 540 extends through the opening 522B in the bevel gear body 522 and is coupled to the second spur gear 538. In a specific embodiment, the second spur gear 538 can be matingly coupled to the shaft 540A of the third driven bevel gear 540 via a geometric coupling. The third driven bevel gear 540 is constrained by a seventh bearing 542 and an eighth bearing 544. According to one embodiment, both bearings 542, 544 are disposed in the bevel gear body 522 or press-fitted in the bevel gear body 522. It will be appreciated that the bearings 542, 544 are preloaded using a spring 546 and are translationally constrained by a retaining ring 548. In one embodiment, the spring 546 is a Belleville spring 546.

[0148] The third driven bevel gear 540 can be cooperatively coupled to a fourth driven bevel gear (also referred to herein as a "yaw output gear" or "output gear") 550 so that rotation of the third driven bevel gear 540 causes rotation of the output gear 550. The output gear 550 is constrained by a ninth bearing 552 and a tenth bearing 554. According to one embodiment, the bearings 552, 554 are held in place by the bevel gear body 522. In addition, the gear 550 is constrained in translation by a retaining ring 556.

[0149] In such Fig. 12A and Fig. 12B In the embodiment shown, the pitch, yaw and roll rotations are coupled. That is, the actuation of one of the rotations will cause the actuation of at least one of the other rotations due to their coupling characteristics, which makes it necessary to perform some offset if secondary actuation is not desired. For example, when it is desired to move the device arm coupled to the shoulder "up and down" (pitch), the bevel gear 502 is actuated to rotate, thereby rotating the gear 520 as described above. However, this is not the only movement caused by the actuation of the bevel gear 502. That is, the coupling characteristics of these drive components cause the output gear 550 to rotate as well. If secondary rotation is not desired, it must be negated by the offsetting actuation of the bevel gear 504 to prevent the output gear 550 from rotating. Similarly, the actuation of the drive components to cause yaw (rotation of the shoulder housing 500 around the longitudinal axis of the transmission shaft 40A) may also cause some pitch and roll. Therefore, if secondary actuation is not desired, the coupling characteristics of these three rotations require offsetting actuation.

[0150] According to one embodiment, the bevel gear body 522 is composed of two parts 522C and 522D coupled together, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig. 12A Alternatively, the bevel gear body 522 may be a single integral component 522 .

[0151] Best as Figure 13-17DFurther embodiments shown relate to joint embodiments that can be incorporated into a shoulder joint, elbow joint, wrist joint, or other joint of a robotic arm. These joint embodiments have four degrees of freedom, however, in some cases only three motors are required. In some embodiments, the following joint embodiments can be incorporated into the wrist joint, thereby producing a wrist joint with four degrees of freedom, which is two more degrees of freedom than the known robotic gripper drive train. Therefore, compared to known wrist joints, the wrist joint embodiment is a dexterous wrist joint that provides surgeons with greater flexibility. In other embodiments, the following joint embodiments can be incorporated into the shoulder joint, thereby allowing four degrees of freedom to enter the robotic arm coupled thereto through the shoulder joint. As a result of this embodiment, larger motors can be used to actuate the joints of the robotic arm coupled thereto, and also allow the length of the arm component to be determined based on multiple factors rather than just the motor size.

[0152] As described above, these embodiments can control four degrees of freedom using only three motors. As will be described in detail below, these configurations with only three motors are possible because all three motors are coupled together in a common state in which the fourth degree of freedom is achieved. As will be described in detail below, the coupling of the three motors can be achieved in several ways, including by providing a braking force condition on one of the outputs so that only a deliberate command will cause the robot joint to actuate.

[0153] It should be understood that at least two of the embodiments described below have four degrees of freedom. Figure 13-14B The first embodiment shown uses four motors, while Figures 15A-17D The second embodiment shown requires only three motors.

[0154] Fig.13 A cross-sectional front view of a joint 600 is shown having a set of nested drive shafts 602, 604, 606, 608. More specifically, the set of four nested drive shafts 602, 604, 606, 608 includes a first (also referred to herein as an "inner") drive shaft 602, a second (also referred to herein as a "first middle") drive shaft 604, a third (also referred to as a "second middle") drive shaft 606, and a fourth (also referred to as an "outer") drive shaft 608. It should be understood that Fig.13 The specific lengths of the drive shafts 602, 604, 606, 608 shown in are merely exemplary, and the lengths may vary depending on various circumstances, including whether the joint 600 is a shoulder joint, an elbow joint, a wrist joint, or some other type of joint.

[0155] The first transmission shaft 602 is rotatably disposed within the second transmission shaft 604 as shown, and has a first driven gear 610 fixedly or integrally attached at its proximal end as shown. The first transmission shaft 602 is supported at its proximal end by a first proximal bearing 640 and a second proximal bearing 642, wherein the first bearing 640 is supported by a housing (not shown) of the joint 600, and the second bearing 642 is supported by a second driven gear 612. At its distal end, the first transmission shaft 602 is rotationally coupled (rotationally) to a first bevel gear 620, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig.13 , Fig.14A and Fig. 14B According to one embodiment, the transmission shaft 602 is coupled to the gear 620 via a geometric coupling, and the gear 620 is axially held relative to the transmission shaft 602 by bolts 660. The transmission shaft 602 and the gear 620 are constrained in the first distal bearing 650 in the radial direction.

[0156] The first bevel gear 620 is rotatably coupled to the first intermediate bevel gear 680, preferably Fig.13 , Fig.14A and Fig. 14BAs shown. The bevel gear 680 is fixedly coupled or integral with a rotatable cylinder 681, which is fixedly coupled to a drive column 662, which extends distally from the rotatable cylinder 681 toward the distal end of the joint 600. The drive column 662 is held in place by a first column bolt 664 and a second column bolt 666 and is constrained by a first column bearing 668 and a second column bearing 670. The rotation of the first intermediate bevel gear 680 causes the cylinder 681 to rotate around the axis of the bevel gear 680, and the rotation of the cylinder 681 around the axis of the bevel gear 680 causes the drive column 662 to rotate around the axis of the bevel gear 680, which is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the transmission shafts 602, 604, 606, 608. Therefore, the portion of the joint 600 away from the rotatable cylinder 681 rotates with the drive column 662. Therefore, actuation of a motor (not shown) coupled to the first driven gear 610 causes rotation of the first driven gear 610, which causes rotation of the first transmission shaft 602. The rotation of the first transmission shaft 602 causes rotation of the first bevel gear 620, which causes the first intermediate bevel gear 680 to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the transmission shafts 602, 604, 606, 608. The rotation of the first intermediate bevel gear 680 causes rotation of the rotatable cylinder 681, which causes rotation of the drive column 662, which causes the portion of the joint 600 that is away from the first intermediate bevel gear 680 to rotate around the same rotation axis as the first intermediate bevel gear 680.

[0157] The second transmission shaft 604 is rotatably disposed within the third transmission shaft 606 as shown, and has a second driven gear 612 fixedly or integrally attached at its proximal end. The second transmission shaft 604 is supported at its proximal end by a second proximal bearing 642 and a third proximal bearing 644, wherein the second bearing 642 is supported by the second driven gear 612 and the third bearing 644 is supported by the third driven gear 614. At its distal end, the second transmission shaft 604 is rotationally coupled (rotationally) to a second bevel gear 622, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig.13 , Fig.14A and Fig. 14B According to one embodiment, the transmission shaft 604 is coupled to the gear 622 via a geometric coupling, and the transmission shaft 604 and the gear 622 are constrained by a second distal bearing 652 .

[0158] The second bevel gear 622 is rotatably coupled to the second intermediate bevel gear 682, preferably Fig.13 , Fig.14A and Fig. 14B As shown. In addition, the bevel gear 682 is rotatably coupled to the first output bevel gear 690, which is rotationally coupled (rotationally) or integral with the first (or "inner") rotatable output member 672. The second intermediate bevel gear 682 is supported by the third distal bearing 654, which is supported by a portion of the first intermediate bevel gear 680. Therefore, actuation of the motor (not shown) coupled to the second driven gear 612 causes rotation of the second driven gear 612, which causes rotation of the second drive shaft 604. The rotation of the second drive shaft 604 causes rotation of the second bevel gear 622, which causes the second intermediate bevel gear 682 to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the drive shafts 602, 604, 606, 608. The rotation of the second intermediate bevel gear 682 causes the first output bevel gear 690 to rotate around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the transmission shafts 602, 604, 606, 608, and the rotation of the first output bevel gear 690 around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the transmission shafts 602, 604, 606, 608 causes the first rotatable output member 672 to rotate around the same rotation axis. It should be understood that the first rotatable output member 672 is configured to be coupled to an actuatable component (e.g., a portion of a robot upper arm, an end effector, or a robot arm wrist) depending on the position of the joint 600 on the robot device.

[0159] The third transmission shaft 606 is rotatably disposed within the fourth transmission shaft 608 as shown, and has a third driven gear 614 fixedly or integrally attached at its proximal end. The third transmission shaft 606 is supported at its proximal end by a third proximal bearing 644 and a fourth proximal bearing 646, wherein the third bearing 644 is supported by the third driven gear 614 and the fourth bearing 646 is supported by the fourth driven gear 616. At its distal end, the third transmission shaft 606 is rotationally coupled (rotationally) to a third bevel gear 624, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig.13 , Fig.14A and Fig. 14B According to one embodiment, the transmission shaft 606 is coupled to the gear 624 via a geometric coupling, and the transmission shaft 606 and the gear 624 are constrained by a fourth distal bearing 656 .

[0160] The third bevel gear 624 is rotatably coupled to the third intermediate bevel gear 684, preferably Fig.13 , Fig.14A and Fig. 14BAs shown. In addition, the bevel gear 684 is rotatably coupled to a second output bevel gear 692, which is rotationally coupled (rotationally) or integral with the second (or "outer") rotatable output member 674. The third intermediate bevel gear 684 is supported by a fifth distal bearing 657. The second output bevel gear 692 is supported relative to the first output bevel gear 690 by a first output bearing 694 and a second output bearing 696. Therefore, actuation of a motor (not shown) coupled to the third driven gear 614 causes rotation of the third driven gear 614, which causes rotation of the third transmission shaft 606. Rotation of the third transmission shaft 606 causes rotation of the third bevel gear 624, which causes the third intermediate bevel gear 684 to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the transmission shafts 602, 604, 606, 608. The rotation of the third intermediate bevel gear 684 causes the second output bevel gear 692 to rotate around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the transmission shafts 602, 604, 606, 608, and the rotation of the second output bevel gear 692 around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the transmission shafts 602, 604, 606, 608 causes the second rotatable output member 674 to rotate around the same rotation axis. It should be understood that the second rotatable output member 674 is configured to be coupled to an actuatable component (e.g., a portion of a robot upper arm, an end effector, or a robot arm wrist) according to the position of the joint 600 on the robot device.

[0161] The fourth transmission shaft 608 is rotatably arranged around the third transmission shaft 606 (and therefore also around the first transmission shaft 602 and the second transmission shaft 604), and has a fourth driven gear 616 fixedly or integrally attached at its proximal end. The fourth transmission shaft 608 is supported at its proximal end by a fourth proximal bearing 646 and a fifth proximal bearing 648, wherein the fourth bearing 646 is supported by the fourth driven gear 616 and the fifth bearing 648 is supported by a housing (not shown) of the joint 600. In addition, the fifth bearing 648 is held in place by a retaining ring 649. At its distal end, the fourth transmission shaft 608 is rotationally coupled (rotationally) to or integral with the first retaining member 700, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig.13 , Fig.14A and Fig. 14B The first retaining member 700 has two arms 700A and 700B, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig.13 and Fig.14AAs shown, the rotatable cylinder 681 and the attached first intermediate bevel gear 680 are arranged between the two arms 700A, 700B. In addition, two bolts 702, 704 are respectively positioned through the arms 700A, 700B and screwed into the rotatable cylinder 681. The two bolts 702, 704 are supported in the radial direction by the first bolt bearing 706 and the second bolt bearing 708, preferably as shown in FIG. Fig.13 More specifically, the two bolts have heads 702A, 704A (preferably Fig.13 ), the heads 702A, 704A are sized to fit within the bearings 706, 708. The heads 702A, 704A are positioned to contact (or "rest" on) washers 710, 712, respectively.

[0162] Thus, actuation of a motor (not shown) coupled to the fourth driven gear 616 causes rotation of the fourth driven gear 616, which causes rotation of the fourth transmission shaft 608. The rotation of the fourth transmission shaft 608 causes the first retaining member 700 to rotate about an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the transmission shafts 602, 604, 606, 608. The rotation of the retaining member 700 causes rotation of the two arms 700A, 700B, which causes rotation of the two bolts 702, 704, which causes rotation of the two bolts 702, 704, which causes rotation of the rotatable cylinder 681 and the entire distal end of the joint 600 (away from the bearing 648) to rotate.

[0163] It should be understood that the driven gears 610, 612, 614, 616 located at the proximal ends of the drive shafts 602, 604, 606, 608, respectively, are configured to be coupled to a gear (not shown) driven by a motor (not shown). In this particular exemplary figure, the motor and associated gears are omitted. According to one embodiment, the motor and associated gears can be coupled to the gears of the drive shafts 602, 604, 606, 608, respectively. Figure 3B The motor and associated gears shown in are configured in a similar manner. Alternatively, any motor configuration may be used.

[0164] In this embodiment, it should be understood that the joint 600 provides four degrees of freedom. For example, one degree of freedom is achieved by coupling the first transmission shaft 602 to the rotatable cylinder 681 and the drive column 662, which allows the portion of the joint 600 away from the first intermediate bevel gear 680 to rotate around an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the transmission shafts 602, 604, 606, 608. Another degree of freedom is achieved by coupling the second transmission shaft 604 to the first (or "inner") rotatable output member 672, which allows the output member 672 to rotate around an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the transmission shafts 602, 604, 606, 608. Yet another degree of freedom is achieved by coupling the third drive shaft 606 to the second (or "outer") rotatable output member 674, which allows the output member 674 to rotate about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the drive shafts 602, 604, 606, 608. Finally, another degree of freedom is achieved by coupling or integrating the fourth drive shaft 608 to the first retaining member 700, which allows the entire distal end of the joint 600 (away from the bearing 648) to rotate about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the drive shafts 602, 604, 606, 608.

[0165] In some alternative embodiments, the joint 600 may also have an optional passive retaining member (also referred to as a "second retaining member") 720. The passive retaining member 720 is typically incorporated in embodiments where the joint 600 is a wrist joint 600, but may also be incorporated into other types of joints. In a specific example, the passive retaining member 720 may be used to couple the joint 600 to a Figures 9A-9C. According to one embodiment, the passive retaining member 720 provides a fixed base for the first rotatable output member 672 and the second rotatable output member 674. The retaining member 720 has a channel 722 defined on the outer surface of the member 720, which can be used to help secure any flexible outer protective sleeve (not shown) thereto. The retaining member 720 is positioned on the bolt heads 702A, 704A so that the bolt heads 702A, 704A help retain the member 720 in its coupling with the joint 600, wherein the first retaining member bearing 724 and the second retaining member bearing 726 serve as an interface between the member 720 and the heads 702A, 704A.

[0166] In other embodiments, the joint 600 does not have a passive retaining member, preferably Fig.14A In certain embodiments, this is the configuration used when the joint 600 is a shoulder joint 600 rather than a wrist joint.

[0167] The alternative joint implementation is best as Figures 15A-17D As shown, the joint has four degrees of freedom, however only three motors are required, as mentioned above. In some embodiments, the following joint embodiments can be incorporated into a wrist joint, while in other embodiments, the following joint embodiments can be incorporated into a shoulder joint. As mentioned above, this three-motor configuration is possible because all three motors are coupled together in a common state, and the fourth degree of freedom is achieved in the common state. More specifically, the coupling of the three motors can be achieved in several ways, including by providing a braking force condition on one of the outputs so that only a deliberate command will cause the robot joint to actuate.

[0168] Fig.15A and Fig. 15B A cross-sectional front view of a joint 800 according to one embodiment is shown, the joint 800 having a set of nested drive shafts (not shown) that are arranged in a manner similar to that described above with respect to FIG. Figure 13-14B The described configuration is similarly coupled to separate bevel gears as discussed below. Although the actual nested drive shafts are not shown in this particular embodiment, it should be understood that the drive shafts (not shown) are substantially similar to those described above with respect to Figure 13-14B More specifically, in this embodiment, the joint 800 has a set of three nested drive shafts, including a first (also referred to herein as an "inner") drive shaft (not shown), a second (also referred to herein as an "intermediate") drive shaft (not shown), and a third (also referred to herein as an "outer") drive shaft (not shown).

[0169] The first transmission shaft (not shown) is rotationally coupled to the first bevel gear 802, preferably Fig.15A , Fig. 15B , Fig.16A , Fig. 16B and Fig.17A As shown, the transmission shaft (not shown) causes the rotation of the first bevel gear 802. According to one embodiment, the transmission shaft (not shown) is coupled to the gear 802 via a geometric coupling, and the gear 802 is axially held relative to the transmission shaft (not shown) by a bolt 804 screwed into the transmission shaft (not shown). The transmission shaft (not shown) and the gear 802 are constrained in a first bearing 806, which is embedded in a second bevel gear 830 to be discussed below.

[0170] The first bevel gear 802 is rotatably coupled to the first intermediate bevel gear 810, preferably Fig.15A , Fig. 15B , Fig.16A , Fig. 16B and Fig.17A As shown, the first bevel gear 802 is rotatably coupled to the first output bevel gear 812 so that the rotation of the first intermediate bevel gear 810 causes the rotation of the first output bevel gear 812. The first intermediate bevel gear 810 is axially constrained by the second bearing 814, which is embedded in the third intermediate bevel gear 854. The first output bevel gear 812 is constrained by the third bearing 816 and the fourth bearing 818, which are embedded in the second output bevel gear 836. In addition, the first output bevel gear 812 is further constrained where the gear 812 intersects with the crossbar 856 (this will be discussed in detail below) and is constrained by the fifth bearing 820 and the axial bolt 822. The fifth bearing 820 rotationally (rotationally) separates the first output bevel gear 812 from the crossbar 856 (providing a rotation interface between the two). The output bevel gear 812 is rotationally coupled (rotationally) to or integral with a first universal output interface 824, which may be coupled to any component intended to be actuated. Alternatively, any type of known coupling component or interface may be coupled to or integral with the bevel gear 812.

[0171] Therefore, actuation of the motor (not shown) coupled to the first transmission shaft (not shown) causes rotation of the first transmission shaft (not shown). The rotation of the first transmission shaft (not shown) causes rotation of the first bevel gear 802, and the rotation of the first bevel gear 802 causes the first intermediate bevel gear 810 to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first bevel gear 802. Moreover, the rotation of the first intermediate bevel gear 810 causes rotation of the first output bevel gear 812, and the rotation of the first output bevel gear 812 causes the first universal output interface 824 to rotate around the same rotation axis as the first bevel gear 802.

[0172] The second transmission shaft (not shown) is rotationally coupled to the second bevel gear 830, preferably Fig.15A , Fig. 15B , Fig.16A , Fig. 16B and Fig. 17B As shown, so that the rotation of the transmission shaft (not shown) causes the rotation of the second bevel gear 830. According to one embodiment, the transmission shaft (not shown) is coupled to the gear 830 via a geometric coupling, and the gear 830 is partially axially maintained relative to the transmission shaft (not shown) by a bolt 804 that is screwed into the first transmission shaft (not shown) as discussed above. According to one embodiment, the bolt 804 compresses the first bevel gear 802 and the second bevel gear 830 so that their axial movement is minimized or prevented. The second transmission shaft (not shown) and the gear 830 are constrained in the sixth bearing 832, and the sixth bearing 832 is embedded in the third bevel gear 850 to be discussed below.

[0173] The second bevel gear 830 is rotatably coupled to the second intermediate bevel gear 834, preferably Fig.15A , Fig. 15B , Fig.16A , Fig. 16B and Fig. 17BAs shown, so that the rotation of the second bevel gear 830 causes the rotation of the second intermediate bevel gear 834. The intermediate bevel gear 834 is rotatably coupled to the second output bevel gear 836, so that the rotation of the second intermediate bevel gear 834 causes the rotation of the second output bevel gear 836. The second intermediate bevel gear 834 is axially constrained by the seventh bearing 838 provided on the cross bar 856 and the bolt 840 threadedly coupled to the cross bar 856. The second output bevel gear 836 is constrained by the third bearing 816 and the fourth bearing 818 discussed above. The output bevel gear 836 is rotationally (rotationally) coupled to the second universal output interface 842 or is integrated with the second universal output interface 842, and the second universal output interface 842 can be coupled to any component intended to be actuated. Alternatively, any type of known coupling component or interface can be coupled to the bevel gear 836 or is integrated with the bevel gear 836.

[0174] Therefore, actuation of the motor (not shown) coupled to the second transmission shaft (not shown) causes rotation of the second transmission shaft (not shown). The rotation of the second transmission shaft (not shown) causes rotation of the second bevel gear 830, which causes the second intermediate bevel gear 834 to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the second bevel gear 830. And the rotation of the second intermediate bevel gear 834 causes rotation of the second output bevel gear 836, which causes the second universal output interface 842 to rotate around the same rotation axis as the second bevel gear 830.

[0175] The third transmission shaft (not shown) is rotationally coupled to the third bevel gear 850, preferably Fig.15A , Fig. 15B , Fig.16A , Fig. 16B and Fig. 17C As shown, so that the rotation of the transmission shaft (not shown) causes the rotation of the third bevel gear 850. According to one embodiment, the transmission shaft (not shown) is coupled to the gear 850 via a geometric coupling, and the gear 850 is partially axially retained relative to the transmission shaft (not shown) by a bolt 804 that is screwed into the first transmission shaft (not shown) as discussed above. The third transmission shaft (not shown) and the gear 850 are constrained in an eighth bearing 852, and the eighth bearing 852 is embedded in a housing (not shown) of the joint 800 to be discussed below. In one embodiment, a retaining ring 858 is provided on the shaft of the third bevel gear 850 so that the third bevel gear 850 cannot move axially relative to the eighth bearing 852.

[0176] The third bevel gear 850 is rotatably coupled to the third intermediate bevel gear 854, preferably Fig.15A , Fig. 15B , Fig.16A , Fig. 16B and Fig. 17C As shown, the rotation of the third bevel gear 850 causes the rotation of the third intermediate bevel gear 854. The intermediate bevel gear 854 is rotationally (rotationally) coupled to a rotatable cylinder (also referred to as a "crossbar" in this article) 856 or is integral with the rotatable cylinder (also referred to as a "crossbar" in this article) 856, so that the rotation of the third intermediate bevel gear 854 causes the rotation of the rotatable cylinder 856. The second intermediate bevel gear 834 is axially constrained by the second bearing 814 and the seventh bearing 838 provided on the crossbar 856 and the bolt 840 threadedly coupled to the crossbar 856. The crossbar 856 is rotationally (rotationally) coupled to the distal portion of the joint 800 (the distal portion is the portion away from the crossbar 856), so that the rotatable crossbar 856 causes the distal portion of the joint 800 to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the axis of the third bevel gear 850. According to one embodiment, a distal cover 860 is disposed on a distal portion of the joint 800. In one embodiment, the distal cover 860 provides a sealing surface for any external sealing bag system, such as those discussed elsewhere herein.

[0177] Therefore, actuation of the motor (not shown) coupled to the third transmission shaft (not shown) causes rotation of the third transmission shaft (not shown). The rotation of the third transmission shaft (not shown) causes rotation of the third bevel gear 850, which causes the third intermediate bevel gear 854 to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the third bevel gear 850. And the rotation of the third intermediate bevel gear 854 causes rotation of the crossbar 856, which causes the distal portion of the joint 800 to rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to (the rotation axis of) the third bevel gear 850.

[0178] In addition to the three different degrees of freedom described above with respect to the first and second output bevel gears 812, 836, and the rotatable crossbar 856, a fourth degree of freedom may be provided by a support member (also referred to herein as a "spacer member") 870 positioned on a portion of the joint 800, preferably as Fig.15A , Fig. 15B , Fig.16A , Fig. 16B and Fig.17DMore specifically, the support member 870 has a first arm 872 and a second arm 874, wherein the two arms have openings 876, 878, and the openings 876, 878 are configured to receive the heads of the bolts 840, 841, so that the retainer 870 constrains the heads of the bolts 840, 841, thereby maintaining the coupling and spacing of the bevel gear sets (the coupling of the first bevel gear 802 with the first intermediate bevel gear 810, the coupling of the second bevel gear 830 with the second intermediate bevel gear 834, and the coupling of the third bevel gear 850 with the third intermediate bevel gear 854). The arms 872, 874 have interfaces 880, 882 that contact the third bevel gear 850, so that the retainer 870 can rotate relative to the third bevel gear 850.

[0179] In some embodiments, the support member 870 enables the joint 800 to allow movement around four degrees of freedom using only three complex motors (typically very expensive components) instead of four. That is, the three expensive motors are coupled together in a common state to enable the fourth degree of freedom. For example, the coupling can be achieved by providing a braking system (in the form of a smaller, less complex and cheaper motor) on one of the outputs so that only deliberate commands will cause the joint to actuate. In other words, the use of simple motors for braking allows the coupling characteristics of the bevel gear differential system to be exploited.

[0180] In use, various device embodiments disclosed or contemplated herein are used to perform minimally invasive surgery in a target cavity (e.g., the peritoneal cavity) of a patient. Figure 1A , the device body 12 is positioned through the incision into the target cavity so that the shoulders 14, 16 and the arms attached thereto are positioned within the target cavity, wherein the shaft section 12B is disposed through the incision and the motor section 12A is positioned outside the patient's body. In those embodiments, the device body 12 is attached to some type of support member outside the patient's body to provide stability and ensure that the body 12 remains stationary when desired.

[0181] Although a plurality of embodiments are disclosed, other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the present invention. As will be appreciated, the present invention is capable of modification in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive in nature.

[0182] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A robotic device, comprising: (a) an elongated device body, the elongated device body comprising: (i) a first drive shaft rotatably disposed within the device body, the first drive shaft comprising a first internal cavity defined along a length of the first drive shaft; (ii) a second drive shaft rotatably disposed within the first lumen, the second drive shaft comprising a second lumen defined along a length of the second drive shaft; and (iii) a third transmission shaft, the third transmission shaft being rotatably disposed in the second inner cavity; (b) a first shoulder joint, the first shoulder joint comprising: (i) a converter body operably coupled to at least one of the first transmission shaft, the second transmission shaft, or the third transmission shaft; and (ii) a rotating body capable of rotating relative to the conversion body, wherein the first shoulder joint comprises three rotation axes intersecting substantially at a single intersection point, wherein the second transmission shaft is operably coupled to a second drive gear, wherein the second drive gear is rotatably coupled to a first shoulder gear, wherein the first shoulder gear is operably coupled to a second shoulder gear through a first opening in the rotating body, wherein the second shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to a third shoulder gear, wherein the third shoulder gear is operably coupled to a fourth shoulder gear through a second opening in the rotating body, wherein the fourth shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to an output gear; and (c) a first arm operably coupled to the first shoulder joint.

2. The robot device according to claim 1, wherein the conversion body is a yoke body, and the yoke body comprises: (a) a yoke shaft extending from the yoke body, wherein a longitudinal axis of the yoke shaft is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the first transmission shaft; as well as (b) A yoke opening defined in the yoke body.

3. The robot device according to claim 2, wherein the first transmission shaft is operably coupled to a first drive gear, and wherein the third transmission shaft is rotatably disposed through the yoke opening, the third transmission shaft being operably coupled to a third drive gear. 4 . The robot apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first driving gear and the third driving gear are rotatably coupled to the rotating body.

5. The robotic device according to claim 1, wherein the conversion body is a shoulder housing, the shoulder housing comprising: (a) a top opening defined in the shoulder housing, the top opening comprising at least one coupling feature; as well as (b) A side opening defined in the shoulder housing.

6. The robotic device of claim 5, wherein the first drive shaft is operably coupled to the at least one coupling feature on the shoulder housing, whereby rotation of the first drive shaft causes rotation of the shoulder housing.

7. The robotic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second drive shaft is disposed through a top opening in the shoulder housing and is operably coupled to a second drive gear, wherein the second drive gear is disposed within a cavity in the shoulder housing.

8. The robotic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second drive gear is rotatably coupled to a first shoulder gear, wherein the first shoulder gear is operably coupled to the rotating body.

9. The robotic apparatus of claim 5, wherein the third drive shaft is disposed through a top opening in the shoulder housing and is operably coupled to a third drive gear, wherein the third drive gear is disposed within a cavity in the shoulder housing.

10. The robotic device of claim 9, wherein the third drive gear is rotatably coupled to the second shoulder gear, wherein the second shoulder gear is operably coupled to the third shoulder gear through a first opening in the rotating body, wherein the third shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to the fourth shoulder gear, wherein the fourth shoulder gear is operably coupled to the fifth shoulder gear through a second opening in the rotating body, and wherein the fifth shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to the output gear.

11. A robotic device comprising: (a) an elongated device body sized and configured to be disposed through a port or incision into a cavity of a patient, the elongated device body comprising: (i) a first transmission shaft rotatably disposed within the device body, the first transmission shaft comprising a first internal cavity extending along a length of the first transmission shaft; (ii) a second drive shaft rotatably disposed within the first lumen such that the second drive shaft is disposed within and coaxial with the first drive shaft, the second drive shaft comprising a second lumen extending along a length of the second drive shaft; and (iii) a third transmission shaft rotatably disposed within the second inner cavity such that the third transmission shaft is disposed within and coaxial with the second transmission shaft; (b) a first shoulder joint, the first shoulder joint comprising: (i) a converter body operably coupled to at least one of the first drive shaft, the second drive shaft, or the third drive shaft, wherein the converter body is rotatable about a first axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated device body; (ii) a rotating body rotatable relative to the conversion body about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated device body; and (iii) an output gear operatively coupled to the rotating body, wherein the output gear is rotatable about a third axis, wherein the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis intersect substantially at a single intersection point, wherein the second transmission shaft is operably coupled to a second drive gear, wherein the second drive gear is rotatably coupled to a first shoulder gear, wherein the first shoulder gear is operably coupled to a second shoulder gear through a first opening in the rotating body, wherein the second shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to a third shoulder gear, wherein the third shoulder gear is operably coupled to a fourth shoulder gear through a second opening in the rotating body, wherein the fourth shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to the output gear; and (c) a first arm operably coupled to the output gear, wherein the third axis is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first arm.

12. The robotic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first transmission shaft is operably coupled to a first drive gear, and wherein the third transmission shaft is rotatably disposed through an opening in the conversion body, the third transmission shaft being operably coupled to a third drive gear. 13 . The robot apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the first driving gear and the third driving gear are rotatably coupled to the rotating body.

14. The robotic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second drive shaft is operably coupled to a second drive gear, wherein the second drive gear is operably coupled to an output gear via at least one shoulder gear.

15. The robotic device of claim 11, wherein the first drive shaft is operably coupled to the translation body, whereby rotation of the first drive shaft causes rotation of the translation body.

16. The robotic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second transmission shaft is operably coupled to a second drive gear, wherein the second drive gear is rotatably coupled to a first shoulder gear, wherein the first shoulder gear is operably coupled to the rotating body.

17. The robotic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the third drive shaft is operably coupled to a third drive gear, wherein the third drive gear is operably coupled to an output gear via at least one shoulder gear.

18. A robotic device comprising: (a) an elongated device body sized and configured to be disposed through a port or incision into a cavity of a patient, the elongated device body comprising: (i) a first transmission system, the first transmission system comprising: (A) a first motor; and (B) a first drive shaft operably coupled to the first motor, the first drive shaft rotatably disposed within the device body, the first drive shaft comprising a first lumen extending along a length of the first drive shaft; (ii) a second transmission system, the second transmission system comprising: (A) a second motor; and (B) a second drive shaft operably coupled to the second motor, the second drive shaft rotatably disposed within the first internal cavity such that the second drive shaft is disposed within and coaxial with the first drive shaft, the second drive shaft including a second internal cavity extending along a length of the second drive shaft; and (iii) a third transmission system, the third transmission system comprising: (A) a third motor; and (B) a third drive shaft operably coupled to the third motor, the third drive shaft rotatably disposed within the second inner cavity such that the third drive shaft is disposed within and coaxial with the second drive shaft; (b) a first shoulder joint, the first shoulder joint comprising: (i) a converter body operably coupled to at least one of the first transmission shaft, the second transmission shaft, or the third transmission shaft; and (ii) a rotating body capable of rotating relative to the conversion body, wherein the first shoulder joint comprises three rotation axes intersecting substantially at a single intersection point, wherein the second transmission shaft is operably coupled to a second drive gear, wherein the second drive gear is rotatably coupled to a first shoulder gear, wherein the first shoulder gear is operably coupled to a second shoulder gear through a first opening in the rotating body, wherein the second shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to a third shoulder gear, wherein the third shoulder gear is operably coupled to a fourth shoulder gear through a second opening in the rotating body, wherein the fourth shoulder gear is rotatably coupled to an output gear; and (c) a first arm operably coupled to the first shoulder joint.

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