How Surgical Tools Give Haptic Feedback Near Operation Limits
This patent describes a surgical instrument that uses a motor to move a tool, continuously tracking its position and providing a tactile vibration or haptic feedback to the surgeon as the tool approaches the end of its movement, improving precision and safety.
Original patent title: “Surgical instrument having force feedback capabilities”
This patent describes a surgical instrument that uses a motor to move a tool, continuously tracking its position and providing a tactile vibration or haptic feedback to the surgeon as the tool approaches the end of its movement, improving precision and safety. Granted to Cilag GmbH International in 2025 with 33 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2044.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This surgical instrument includes a shaft and an end effector, which has a first and second jaw that move relative to each other. A motor-driven 'driver' moves these jaws through a specific action, like closing or firing staples. A control circuit continuously monitors the driver's position throughout this movement. As the driver gets close to the end of its motion, the control circuit delivers a feedback to the user, such as a tactile vibration (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 2) or a haptic signal (Claim 5), to indicate that the limit of the surgical function is approaching. For example, a surgeon using a motorized stapler might feel a specific vibration pattern in the handle as the staples are almost fully deployed, preventing them from over-compressing tissue.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover surgical instruments that provide only visual or auditory feedback without any tactile or haptic component.
- Does not cover feedback systems that only alert the user *after* the driver has already reached or exceeded its limit position.
- Does not cover surgical instruments where the driver's movement is not motorized.
- Does not cover feedback based on factors other than the driver's position or status throughout its motion.
- Does not cover surgical instruments where the end effector does not include a first and second jaw movable relative to each other.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The clever bit is the continuous monitoring of the driver's position and the delivery of a *modulating signal profile* (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 4) for haptic feedback *as the driver approaches* the conclusion of its motion. This provides a nuanced, anticipatory warning, allowing the surgeon to react proactively rather than just being alerted when a hard stop is hit.
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
Motorized surgical staplers
Advanced laparoscopic instruments with power assist
Robotic surgery systems providing haptic feedback to the surgeon's console
Powered articulation joints in endoscopic tools
Why it matters
The bigger picture
In surgery, precision and avoiding tissue damage are critical. This patent aims to enhance surgeon control and patient safety by providing real-time, anticipatory feedback. This can help prevent errors like over-clamping, over-stapling, or improper articulation in complex procedures, especially in minimally invasive surgery where direct tactile feel is often reduced.
Filed
February 21, 2024
Granted
September 2, 2025
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Cilag GmbH International, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is part of Johnson & Johnson, a major player in medical devices. Other companies like Medtronic and Intuitive Surgical are also actively developing and integrating advanced haptic feedback systems into their robotic and power-assisted surgical instruments to improve surgeon control and patient outcomes.
Market impact
This technology contributes to the ongoing trend of increasing automation and precision in surgical instruments. It helps enable the development of safer, more intuitive power-assisted and robotic surgical tools, potentially reducing complications and improving recovery times for patients. It supports the broader adoption of minimally invasive surgical techniques by restoring a sense of 'feel' that might otherwise be lost.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This surgical instrument includes a shaft and an end effector, which has a first and second jaw that move relative to each other. A motor-driven 'driver' moves these jaws through a specific action, like closing or firing staples. A control circuit continuously monitors the driver's position throughout this movement. As the driver gets close to the end of its motion, the control circuit delivers a feedback to the user, such as a tactile vibration (Claim 2) or a haptic signal (Claim 5), to indicate that the limit of the surgical function is approaching. For example, a surgeon using a motorized stapler might feel a specific vibration pattern in the handle as the staples are almost fully deployed, preventing them from over-compressing tissue.
The clever bit
The clever bit is the continuous monitoring of the driver's position and the delivery of a *modulating signal profile* (Claim 4) for haptic feedback *as the driver approaches* the conclusion of its motion. This provides a nuanced, anticipatory warning, allowing the surgeon to react proactively rather than just being alerted when a hard stop is hit.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover surgical instruments that provide only visual or auditory feedback without any tactile or haptic component.
- Does not cover feedback systems that only alert the user *after* the driver has already reached or exceeded its limit position.
- Does not cover surgical instruments where the driver's movement is not motorized.
- Does not cover feedback based on factors other than the driver's position or status throughout its motion.
- Does not cover surgical instruments where the end effector does not include a first and second jaw movable relative to each other.
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
Moderate
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
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
$79K – $253K
Midpoint $158K · 17.4 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
33 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
IV, F. E. S., Leimbach, R. L., Morgan, J. R., & Overmyer, M. D. (2025). How Surgical Tools Give Haptic Feedback Near Operation Limits (U.S. Patent No. 12,402,879). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12402879/surgical-instrument-having-force-feedback-capabilities
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 Surgical Tools Give Haptic Feedback Near Operation Limits cover?
This patent describes a surgical instrument that uses a motor to move a tool, continuously tracking its position and providing a tactile vibration or haptic feedback to the surgeon as the tool approaches the end of its movement, improving precision and safety.
Who owns patent US 12402879?
Cilag GmbH International owns this patent, granted in 2025.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on February 21, 2044, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
In surgery, precision and avoiding tissue damage are critical. This patent aims to enhance surgeon control and patient safety by providing real-time, anticipatory feedback. This can help prevent errors like over-clamping, over-stapling, or improper articulation in complex procedures, especially in minimally invasive surgery where direct tactile feel is often reduced.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover surgical instruments that provide only visual or auditory feedback without any tactile or haptic component.
Same assignee
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