Patent ID: 11896202
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  B  F | IPC A  B  F

Claim 7:
8. A method, comprising:
locating a robotic surgical tool adjacent a patient, the robotic surgical tool comprising:
a drive housing having opposing first and second ends and at least one spline extending between the first and second ends and including a drive gear that rotates with rotation of the at least one spline;
a carriage movably mounted to the at least one spline;
an elongate shaft having a proximal end coupled to the carriage and extending from the carriage and penetrating the first end;
an end effector arranged at a distal end of the elongate shaft;
a wrist that interposes the end effector and the distal end of the shaft; and
an activating mechanism housed in the carriage and operatively coupled to the drive gear, the activating mechanism including
a first carrier extending at least partially about the shaft and operatively coupled to a first drive member that extends to the wrist;
a second carrier extending at least partially about the shaft and operatively coupled to a second drive member that extends to the wrist;
a first transfer gear extending about the shaft and defining internal threads, the first carrier radially interposing the shaft and the first transfer gear and defining external threads matable with the internal threads of the first transfer gear; and
a second transfer gear extending about the shaft and defining internal threads, the second carrier radially interposing the shaft and the second transfer gear and defining external threads matable with the internal threads of the second transfer gear;

rotating the at least one spline and the drive gear by actuating a drive input arranged at the first end and operatively coupled to the at least one spline and thereby actuating the activating mechanism as the drive gear rotates;
causing the first carrier and the first drive member to move along the shaft in a first axial direction;
causing the second carrier and the second drive member to move along the shaft in a second axial direction, where the first and second axial directions are equal and opposite;
mating the drive gear with the first and second transfer gears;
rotating the drive gear and thereby simultaneously rotating the first and second transfer gears, wherein the internal threads of the first and second transfer gears are threaded in opposite directions; and
causing the first and second carriers to move in equal but opposite axial directions along the shaft as the first and second transfer gears rotate.