# Intuitive Surgical Operations — Patents explained on PatentBrief

Intuitive Surgical Operations has 4 landmark patents explained in plain English on PatentBrief.

- [How a Surgical Robot Attaches Tools and Stays Sterile](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12127807/surgical-system-instrument-mounting) — granted 2024
  Intuitive Surgical's patent details a robotic surgical system that securely mounts medical instruments, transfers precise movements, and ensures sterility through a unique rotating drape mechanism.
- [Uniform Scaling of Haptic Forces in Surgical Systems](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12114954/uniform-scaling-of-haptic-actuators) — granted 2024
  This patent describes a surgical system that uses a single scaling factor to adjust the strength of touch feedback from multiple motors, ensuring the feedback feels consistent even when one motor reaches its maximum power.
- [How a Robot Arm Can Be Manually Moved While Staying Safe](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12064197/system-and-methods-for-positioning-a-manipulator-arm-by-clutching-within-a-null-) — granted 2024
  This patent describes how a robotic arm can be partly moved by a human, like pushing it, while the robot's computer automatically handles other movements to keep it stable or avoid obstacles.
- [How Surgical Robots Reconfigure Their Arms Without Moving the Tool Tip](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9949801/systems-and-methods-for-commanded-reconfiguration-of-a-surgical-manipulator-usin) — granted 2018
  This patent describes how a surgical robot arm can move and reshape itself to avoid obstacles or improve its position, all while keeping its surgical tool perfectly still at the patient's entry point or target.

**Full profile:** https://patentbrief.org/company/intuitive-surgical-operations

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Plain-English explanations of US patents._