How a Surgical Robot Attaches Tools and Stays Sterile
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.
Original patent title: “Surgical system instrument mounting”
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. Granted to Intuitive Surgical Operations in 2024 with 22 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2042.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This surgical system uses a robot arm to hold and control medical instruments. It features an "instrument manipulator interface" that can attach and detach a medical instrument, placing it in a "mounted state." This interface has multiple "actuator outputs" that connect to matching inputs on the instrument, allowing the robot to transfer control forces, like opening and closing surgical jaws. A key feature is that these actuator outputs extend from the mounting surface in directions "substantially parallel to a shaft" of the medical instrument (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). Once mounted, the instrument and its interface can rotate together around a "roll axis" relative to the robot arm's end, which helps with precise movements during surgery. The system also includes a "sterile drape assembly" with a "rotatable seal" (Claim 1) to keep the surgical area clean even as the instrument rotates.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover surgical systems where instruments are permanently attached to the robot arm, as it specifies a "removably couple" mechanism.
- Does not cover systems where the actuator outputs are not aligned parallel to the instrument's shaft, which is a specific claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → requirement.
- Does not cover systems without a sterile drape assembly that includes a rotatable seal between the instrument interface and the arm.
- Does not cover systems where the instrument and its interface cannot rotate together about a roll axis relative to the arm's distal link.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The clever part is the combination of actuator outputs extending parallel to the instrument's shaft, allowing for a compact and robust connection, with a sterile drape assembly that includes a rotatable seal. This seal enables the instrument to spin freely around its "roll axis" without breaking the sterile barrier, which is essential for complex surgical maneuvers.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Intuitive Surgical da Vinci surgical systems
Other advanced robotic surgery platforms
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent describes improvements to robotic surgical systems, which are crucial for minimally invasive procedures. By ensuring instruments can be securely attached, precisely controlled, and rotated while maintaining a sterile field, it contributes to safer and more effective surgeries. Such innovations help surgeons perform complex tasks with enhanced dexterity and vision, reducing patient recovery times and complications.
Filed
June 10, 2022
Granted
October 29, 2024
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Intuitive Surgical, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a dominant player in the robotic surgery market and continues to develop and refine its da Vinci systems. Other companies like Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson (through its Ethicon subsidiary), and Stryker are also actively developing and advancing their own robotic surgical platforms, often incorporating similar principles for instrument attachment and sterile management.
Market impact
Innovations like this patent contribute to the ongoing evolution of robotic surgery, enhancing the precision, versatility, and safety of these systems. By improving how instruments are mounted and controlled while maintaining sterility, such advancements enable more complex procedures to be performed robotically. This can lead to broader adoption of robotic surgery, potentially expanding the market for these sophisticated medical devices and influencing design standards for future generations of surgical robots.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This surgical system uses a robot arm to hold and control medical instruments. It features an "instrument manipulator interface" that can attach and detach a medical instrument, placing it in a "mounted state." This interface has multiple "actuator outputs" that connect to matching inputs on the instrument, allowing the robot to transfer control forces, like opening and closing surgical jaws. A key feature is that these actuator outputs extend from the mounting surface in directions "substantially parallel to a shaft" of the medical instrument (Claim 1). Once mounted, the instrument and its interface can rotate together around a "roll axis" relative to the robot arm's end, which helps with precise movements during surgery. The system also includes a "sterile drape assembly" with a "rotatable seal" (Claim 1) to keep the surgical area clean even as the instrument rotates.
The clever bit
The clever part is the combination of actuator outputs extending parallel to the instrument's shaft, allowing for a compact and robust connection, with a sterile drape assembly that includes a rotatable seal. This seal enables the instrument to spin freely around its "roll axis" without breaking the sterile barrier, which is essential for complex surgical maneuvers.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover surgical systems where instruments are permanently attached to the robot arm, as it specifies a "removably couple" mechanism.
- Does not cover systems where the actuator outputs are not aligned parallel to the instrument's shaft, which is a specific claim requirement.
- Does not cover systems without a sterile drape assembly that includes a rotatable seal between the instrument interface and the arm.
- Does not cover systems where the instrument and its interface cannot rotate together about a roll axis relative to the arm's distal link.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$64K – $206K
Midpoint $129K · 15.7 yr remaining · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
22 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Cooper, T. G., McGrogan, A. K., Gomez, D. H., Solomon, T. R., Ramstad, C. R., Duval, E. F., Brown, J. D., Holop, R. E., & Rogers, T. W. (2024). How a Surgical Robot Attaches Tools and Stays Sterile (U.S. Patent No. 12,127,807). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12127807/surgical-system-instrument-mounting
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How a Surgical Robot Attaches Tools and Stays Sterile cover?
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.
Who owns patent US 12127807?
Intuitive Surgical Operations owns this patent, granted in 2024.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on June 10, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent describes improvements to robotic surgical systems, which are crucial for minimally invasive procedures. By ensuring instruments can be securely attached, precisely controlled, and rotated while maintaining a sterile field, it contributes to safer and more effective surgeries. Such innovations help surgeons perform complex tasks with enhanced dexterity and vision, reducing patient recovery times and complications.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover surgical systems where instruments are permanently attached to the robot arm, as it specifies a "removably couple" mechanism.
Same assignee
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