US 5,907,664 · Granted 1999-05-25
The Foot-Pedal Robot That Lets Surgeons Control Cameras Without Their Hands
Imagine a robotic arm holding a camera inside a patient's body, and a surgeon controls it by stepping on a foot pedal—like an accelerator pedal in a car. The computer reads each foot movement and moves the camera exactly where the surgeon needs it, keeping their hands free to work with other instruments.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a robotic surgical system where a foot pedal sends signals to a computer that controls a robotic arm holding a surgical camera or other instrument. What's protected here is the specific mechanism of translating foot pedal input into precise robotic arm movements to position an endoscope relative to a patient during surgery.
Why it matters
This patent represents an early and foundational approach to robotic-assisted surgery, where computers amplify a surgeon's control and precision. By freeing up the surgeon's hands and adding computer-guided positioning, the system reduces fatigue and improves the surgeon's ability to focus on the procedure itself rather than manually adjusting camera angles.
Real-world use
During minimally invasive abdominal surgery, a surgeon steps on the foot pedal to move the endoscope camera left, right, or closer, keeping both hands available to operate surgical tools inside the patient.
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 5,907,664
- Filing date
- 1996-03-11
- Grant date
- 1999-05-25
- Assignee
- Computer Motion, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- WANG; YULUN, LABY; KEITH PHILLIP
- CPC class
- A61B34/70
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