Patent ID: 6860878
Filing Date: 2005-03-01
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A remotely controllable medical apparatus comprising: a master side including a user interface manually manipulable by a user for sending operation command signals to a signal processor, the signal processor processing the command signals and sending processed signals; a slave side having instruments controlled from said master side and including; an instrument driver; and an instrument exchange mechanism mechanically intercoupled to the instrument driver; the instrument exchange mechanism comprising; a plurality of separate instrument members each capable of assisting in a medical procedure to be performed at an operative site; and an instrument storage chamber for releasably receiving said plurality of instrument members, accommodated in separate storage locations within the instrument storage chamber; said instrument driver constructed and arranged for cooperative positioning relative to the instrument storage chamber, for selective alignment with one of said instrument members at a time, and for displacing the aligned instrument member from the instrument storage chamber toward the operative site; at least one of said instrument driver and instrument storage chamber being positionally controllable so as to provide relative displacement therebetween to selectively align said instrument driver with a selected instrument member; the instrument driver being remotely drivable via the user interface to insert and withdraw selected instruments.