Lauren M Branscombe

US Patent:

20220241029, Aug 4, 2022

Filed:

Feb 2, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/165315

Inventors:

- Nashville TN, US
Neal Dillon - Nashville TN, US
Evan Blum - Nashville TN, US
Lauren Branscombe - Nashville TN, US

International Classification:

A61B 34/30

Abstract:

A minimally invasive surgery device includes a guide tube with a highly-curved distal end housed within a channel. The highly-curved distal end is configured with a curvature optimized for improved triangulation in a tissue workspace. The highly-curved distal end of the guide tube extends from a curved channel inside an endoscopic device on a surgical robot. The combination of the curved channel and the highly-curved distal end of the guide tube provides improved maneuverability in the workspace. In some embodiments, the highly-curved distal end includes nitinol and shapeset to a desired curvature. The highly-curved distal ends may be curved to achieve a stable shape with repeatable performance. In some embodiments, each first and second guide tube includes a double-curvature configuration.

US Patent:

20220175482, Jun 9, 2022

Filed:

Dec 7, 2020

Appl. No.:

17/113892

Inventors:

- Nashville TN, US
Neal Dillon - Nashville TN, US
Lauren Branscombe - Nashville TN, US
Evan Blum - Nashville TN, US
Stephanie Amack - Nashville TN, US

International Classification:

A61B 34/00
A61B 90/00
A61B 34/30
A61B 46/10

Abstract:

A highly intuitive physician input device for communication with a minimally invasive endoscopic concentric tube surgical robot. The physician input device can comprise a user interface handle assembly, a user interface linear joint assembly, a user interfaced bearing block assembly, and a user interface base assembly, and sensors distributed throughout to measure each of these axes, possibly redundantly for safety. Due to the network of sensors and encoders built in to the physician input device, it is capable of triggering a movement in the endoscopic concentric tube robot corresponding to that of the movements made on the physician input device. There are at least four movement controls the physician input device is capable of communicating to the concentric tube robot, those being translation, pan, tilt, and axial rotation. In some embodiments a fifth control includes actuation of a tool such as a gripper.