# Intuitive Surgical Operations — Patents explained on PatentBrief

Intuitive Surgical Operations has 1 landmark patent explained in plain English on PatentBrief.

- [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._