Patent ID: 9532837
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61G,F16M

Claim:
1. A repositionable friction-based medical instrument support system for supporting a medical instrument during laparoscopic uterine surgery and providing at least four degrees of freedom of movement for repositioning of the medical instrument during surgery, the medical instrument support system comprising: an adjustable-friction ball and socket joint configured to provide three degrees of rotational freedom, the ball and socket joint comprising: a support coupling comprising: a connecting member attaching the support coupling to the ball and socket joint; a support rod configured to be positioned at least partially within the axially extending lumen of the support coupling and in contact with the resilient member, the support rod configured to be translatable at least partially through the axially extending lumen to provide one degree of translational freedom; and a docking port positioned at or near a distal end of the support rod, the docking port configured to receive a portion of the medical instrument, wherein the actuator is capable of setting the first friction force at a magnitude sufficient to resist a gravitational force applied by the medical instrument to the docking port, but that enables rotational movement of the ball member with respect to the socket responsive to an externally applied force that overcomes the first friction force, wherein the support coupling and support rod are configured such that a second friction force between the resilient member and the support rod is sufficient to resist the gravitational force applied by the medical instrument to the docking port, but that enables translational movement of the support rod through the axially extending lumen of the support coupling responsive to an externally applied force that overcomes the second friction force, and wherein the support coupling further comprises at least one rotational stop configured to contact an outer surface of the support rod to limit rotational motion of the support rod about a longitudinal axis of the support coupling body.