Patent ID: 7727185

Claim:
A robotic medical system for use with a coaxial arrangement of an outer medical implement and an inner medical implement, comprising: a user interface configured for receiving at least one command from a user; a first drive mechanism configured for receiving the outer medical implement; a second drive mechanism configured for receiving the inner medical implement; a linear drive arrangement mechanically coupled to the first and second drive mechanisms; a motor array; and an electric controller configured for directing the motor array to cause the first drive mechanism to axially rotate the outer medical implement, to cause the second drive mechanism to axially rotate the inner medical implement, and to cause the linear drive mechanism to linearly translate the first and second drive mechanisms relative to each other in response to the at least one command received from the user at the user interface, wherein the outer medical implement is controllably bendable by the first drive mechanism such that the outer medical implement has three degrees of freedom of movement.