US 5,524,180 · Granted 1996-06-04
The Surgical Robot Patent That Freed Surgeons' Hands
Imagine a robotic arm that holds a camera inside your body during surgery, and a surgeon controls it by tapping a foot pedal instead of using their hands. This patent describes exactly that: a computer-controlled robot that positions a surgical camera (endoscope) wherever the surgeon wants it, leaving their hands completely free to operate.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a robotic system where a foot pedal sends signals to a computer that controls a robotic arm holding a surgical instrument like an endoscope. What's protected here is the specific combination of foot-pedal input, computer control logic, and a robotic arm assembly that moves the surgical instrument in real time based on the surgeon's foot commands. Anyone building a similar surgeon-controlled robotic arm system would need to license or design around this patent.
Why it matters
This patent represents an early breakthrough in surgical robotics, a field that has since revolutionized minimally invasive surgery. By letting surgeons operate instruments with their feet while keeping both hands free, the technology opens the door to safer, more precise operations where the surgeon never has to look away from the surgical field or juggle manual instrument control. Computer Motion, Inc. pioneered this approach in the 1990s, establishing foundational IP in what would become a multi-billion-dollar medical robotics market.
Real-world use
When a surgeon performs laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery today, they often use foot pedals to adjust camera angles and instrument positions without breaking their surgical focus or using their hands.
Original USPTO abstract
A robotic system that moves a surgical instrument in response to the actuation of a foot pedal that can be operated by the foot of a surgeon. The robotic system has an end effector that is adapted to hold a surgical instrument such as an endoscope. The end effector is coupled to a robotic arm assembly which can move the endoscope relative to the patient. The system includes a computer which controls the movement of the robotic arm in response to input signals received from the foot pedal.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,524,180
- Filing date
- 1993-06-03
- Grant date
- 1996-06-04
- Assignee
- Computer Motion, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- WANG; YULUN, LABY; KEITH P.
- CPC class
- A61B34/70
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