Patent ID: 11877814
Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 9:
10. A medical instrument system for driving a medical instrument comprising a medical instrument, the medical instrument comprising an end effector and a plurality of transmission systems, the medical instrument comprising:
a plurality of actuators, wherein during use each transmission system of the plurality of transmission systems couples the end effector to a respective actuator of the plurality of actuators such that the plurality of actuators is operable to drive the plurality of transmission systems to move the end effector in multiple degrees of freedom of motion; and
a control system operably coupled to the plurality of actuators, the control system programmed to execute operations comprising:
computing tensions to apply to the plurality of transmission systems based on: positions of the plurality of actuators, a desired configuration of the end effector, and inhibiting slack in the plurality of transmission systems by limiting a minimum value of the tensions
generating, based on the tensions, control signals for the plurality of actuators, and
using the control signals to cause the plurality of actuators to apply the tensions to the plurality of transmission systems such that the end effector moves toward the desired configuration of the end effector and and slack in the plurality of transmission systems is inhibited.