Patent ID: 6850817

Claim:
A system for allowing a surgeon to control a surgical instrument that is inserted through an incision of a patient, wherein a pivot point is disposed at the incision, comprising: a manipulator arm holding the surgical instrument, the arm having a driven joint and an actuator for spinning the surgical instrument; a first input device for receiving an input command from the surgeon; and a computer for receiving said input command, for computing a movement of said arm based on said input command, for providing an output command to actuate said driven joint and said actuator, and for moving the surgical instrument about the pivot point, wherein the surgical instrument has an elongate shaft, a wrist joint, and an end effector, the shaft having a proximal end adjacent the arm, the wrist pivotably coupling a distal end of the shaft to the end effector, wherein the computer moves the end effector by pivoting the shaft forearm about the pivot point and by pivoting of the wrist within the patient.