Patent ID: 6764445
Filing Date: 2004-07-20
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A tissue stabilizer for use with a robotic surgical system to treat a target tissue within a patient body, the robotic surgical system having a plurality of manipulators with actuators for moving surgical end effectors in response to inputs by a system operator into an input device, the tissue stabilizer comprising:a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; a first stabilizer body having a stabilizing surface adapted to engage and inhibit movement of the target tissue; a joint coupling the distal end of the shaft to the stabilizer; a drive system drivingly coupled to the joint so that the stabilizer body can be moved relative to the shaft from outside the patient body; a wrist assembly coupling the stabilizer body to the shaft, the wrist assembly providing the stabilizer body first and second degrees of freedom relative to the shaft; and another stabilizer body with a stabilizing surface adapted to engage and inhibit relative movement of the tissue, the drive system coupled to the other stabilizer body to selectively position the other stabilizer body relative to the shaft and to the stabilizer body, wherein the stabilizing surfaces of the first and second stabilizer bodies remain substantially aligned when the drive system moves the stabilizer bodies relative to each other to engage a common surface of the tissue.