Testing and Calibrating Surgical Instrument Tips with Built-in Alignment Features
This patent describes a special design for the tip of a surgical tool, called an end effector, that includes features to help correctly position it for testing and calibration.
Original patent title: “End effector assembly, instrument, system, and method facilitating testing and/or calibration of a surgical instrument”
This patent describes a special design for the tip of a surgical tool, called an end effector, that includes features to help correctly position it for testing and calibration. Granted in 2026.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The abstractabstractA short summary at the front of the patent describing the invention. Not legally binding.Read more → describes an end effector assembly of a surgical instrument, which is the working tip of the tool. This assembly includes a clevis, a U-shaped part, that supports first and second jaw members. At least one jaw is movable to grasp tissue. Crucially, the clevis features "first and second locating features on outwardly-facings sides of the first and second spaced-apart arms." These features are specifically "configured to facilitate engagement and alignment of the end effector assembly within a test fixture." For example, when a manufacturer needs to verify the gripping strength of a laparoscopic grasper, these built-in features ensure the grasper's tip snaps into the correct position in the testing machine, making the calibration process precise and repeatable.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover the main body or handle of the surgical instrument, only the end effector assembly.
- Does not cover the design of the test fixture itself, only the features on the end effector that interact with it.
- Does not cover end effector assemblies that lack specific locating features on the outwardly-facing sides of the clevis arms.
- Does not cover end effectors where the jaw members are not movable relative to the clevis.
- Does not cover the actual methods or processes used for testing and calibration, only the structural facilitation.
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 integrating specific "locating features" directly onto the outer sides of the end effector's clevis. This design ensures the surgical tool's tip automatically aligns correctly within a test fixture, making calibration and quality control more precise and repeatable.
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
Laparoscopic graspers
Robotic surgical instrument end effectors
Endoscopic biopsy forceps
Surgical stapler tips
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Surgical instruments, especially those used in minimally invasive procedures, require extreme precision. Ensuring these instruments are properly calibrated and tested is crucial for patient safety and surgical success. This patent addresses a common challenge by making the testing process more efficient and reliable, which can reduce errors and improve surgical outcomes.
Filed
December 5, 2022
Granted
September 15, 2026
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies like Medtronic, Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson), and Stryker, which produce a wide range of surgical instruments, continuously invest in improving manufacturing and quality control processes. This patent's focus on efficient calibration would be relevant to their ongoing efforts to ensure instrument precision and reliability.
Market impact
This type of innovation contributes to higher quality and safer surgical instruments by streamlining the critical testing and calibration phases. It enables manufacturers to produce more reliable devices, potentially reducing surgical complications and improving patient outcomes. Such advancements can also lead to more efficient production lines and lower manufacturing costs over time.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The abstract describes an end effector assembly of a surgical instrument, which is the working tip of the tool. This assembly includes a clevis, a U-shaped part, that supports first and second jaw members. At least one jaw is movable to grasp tissue. Crucially, the clevis features "first and second locating features on outwardly-facings sides of the first and second spaced-apart arms." These features are specifically "configured to facilitate engagement and alignment of the end effector assembly within a test fixture." For example, when a manufacturer needs to verify the gripping strength of a laparoscopic grasper, these built-in features ensure the grasper's tip snaps into the correct position in the testing machine, making the calibration process precise and repeatable.
The clever bit
The clever bit is integrating specific "locating features" directly onto the outer sides of the end effector's clevis. This design ensures the surgical tool's tip automatically aligns correctly within a test fixture, making calibration and quality control more precise and repeatable.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover the main body or handle of the surgical instrument, only the end effector assembly.
- Does not cover the design of the test fixture itself, only the features on the end effector that interact with it.
- Does not cover end effector assemblies that lack specific locating features on the outwardly-facing sides of the clevis arms.
- Does not cover end effectors where the jaw members are not movable relative to the clevis.
- Does not cover the actual methods or processes used for testing and calibration, only the structural facilitation.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow 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
$26K – $84K
Midpoint $53K · 16.1 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
Concepts involved
Cite this patent
(2026). Testing and Calibrating Surgical Instrument Tips with Built-in Alignment Features (U.S. Patent No. 12,733,950). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12733950/end-effector-assembly-instrument-system-and-method-facilitating-testing
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 Testing and Calibrating Surgical Instrument Tips with Built-in Alignment Features cover?
This patent describes a special design for the tip of a surgical tool, called an end effector, that includes features to help correctly position it for testing and calibration.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Surgical instruments, especially those used in minimally invasive procedures, require extreme precision. Ensuring these instruments are properly calibrated and tested is crucial for patient safety and surgical success. This patent addresses a common challenge by making the testing process more efficient and reliable, which can reduce errors and improve surgical outcomes.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover the main body or handle of the surgical instrument, only the end effector assembly.
Patent monitoring