Patents by Inventor Brian A. Rockrohr

Brian A. Rockrohr has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11850016
    Abstract: A drive assembly of an instrument drive unit, is provided. The drive assembly includes a drive screw, a drive nut, a follower, a biasing element, and a drive element. The drive nut is threadedly engaged with a threaded portion of the drive screw such that rotation of the drive screw results in longitudinal movement of the drive nut. The follower is longitudinally slidable with respect to the drive screw. The biasing element is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the drive nut and the follower. The drive element is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the follower. Longitudinal translation of the drive element is configured to drive a function of the surgical instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventor: Brian Rockrohr
  • Publication number: 20230320796
    Abstract: A surgical instrument for use with and for selective connection to an instrument drive unit includes an end effector, an instrument drive connector including a plurality of drive assemblies, and a plurality of drive members in mechanical cooperation with the instrument drive connector and the end effector. Each drive assembly of the plurality of drive assemblies includes a drive screw including an elongated threaded body and a drive nut threadedly engaged with the elongated threaded body of the drive screw such that rotation of the drive screw results in longitudinal movement of the drive nut. Each drive member of the plurality of drive members includes a proximal end portion secured to a respective drive nut of one of the plurality of drive assemblies such that longitudinal translation of the respective drive nut causes longitudinal translation of the drive member to drive a function of the end effector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventor: Brian Rockrohr
  • Publication number: 20230320795
    Abstract: A surgical robotic arm includes an instrument having a plurality of cables that are movable longitudinally and an end effector movable by the cables. The surgical robotic arm also includes a drive unit having a plurality of motors each of which is configured to move one of the cables and a plurality of torque sensors, each of which is configured to measure torque output by one of the motors. The surgical robotic arm also includes a controller configured to receive a torque measurement from each of the torque sensors and control each of the motors to apply a minimum torque to maintain a minimum tension on each of the cables based on the torque measurement from each of the torque sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Brian K. Wells, Brian A. Rockrohr, Alok Agrawal
  • Patent number: 11717361
    Abstract: A robotic system includes an electrosurgical generator; an electrosurgical instrument including an electrosurgical connector; and a robotic arm having an instrument drive unit coupled to the electrosurgical instrument. The instrument drive unit includes a drive unit housing having: an electrosurgical receptacle coupled to the electrosurgical generator and configured to engage the electrosurgical connector; an activation link configured to engage the electrosurgical connector; and a detection switch actuatable by the actuation link upon being engaged by the electrosurgical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventor: Brian Rockrohr
  • Patent number: 11666395
    Abstract: A surgical instrument for use with and for selective connection to an instrument drive unit includes an end effector, an instrument drive connector including a plurality of drive assemblies, and a plurality of drive members in mechanical cooperation with the instrument drive connector and the end effector. Each drive assembly of the plurality of drive assemblies includes a drive screw including an elongated threaded body and a drive nut threadedly engaged with the elongated threaded body of the drive screw such that rotation of the drive screw results in longitudinal movement of the drive nut. Each drive member of the plurality of drive members includes a proximal end portion secured to a respective drive nut of one of the plurality of drive assemblies such that longitudinal translation of the respective drive nut causes longitudinal translation of the drive member to drive a function of the end effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventor: Brian A. Rockrohr
  • Patent number: 11618171
    Abstract: An end effector for use and connection to a robot arm of a robotic surgical system, wherein the end effector is controlled and/or articulated by at least one cable extending from a respective motor of a control device of the robot surgical system, is provided. The end effector includes a wrist assembly, and a jaw assembly. The jaw assembly includes a cam pulley rotatably supported on at least one support plate of the jaw assembly, wherein the cam pulley is operatively connected to a proximal end of each of the jaws of the jaw assembly such that rotation of the cam pulley results in one of an opening and closing of the jaw assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventor: Brian Rockrohr
  • Publication number: 20230092980
    Abstract: A surgical robotic system having multiple robotic arm carts and a surgeon console including a processor and a memory. The memory including instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor cause the surgical robotic system to receive data indicating a first pose of the first movable cart and a second pose of the second movable cart and determine a relative location of the first movable cart and the second movable cart based on the first pose and the second pose.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Brian A. Rockrohr, Paul M. Loschak, Ulrich Hagn, Jaimeen V. Kapadia, Rainer C. Konietschke
  • Patent number: 11596489
    Abstract: A robotic surgical system includes a controller, a surgical instrument supporting an end effector, and one or more connector members coupled to the end effector and movable to operate the end effector. Memory is operably coupled to the controller and is configured to maintain reference data of the one or more connector members. A sensor is secured to the one or more connector members and is disposed in electrical communication with the controller. The sensor is configured to register real-time data of the one or more connector members and communicate the real-time data to the controller. The controller is configured to compare the real-time data to the reference data and provide an output signal in response to a comparison of the real-time data to the reference data. A pair of connector members may be coupled to the end effector to impart three outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Jaimeen Kapadia, Brian Rockrohr
  • Patent number: 11547508
    Abstract: A sterile interface module for coupling an electromechanical robotic surgical instrument to a robotic surgical assembly is provided. The surgical instrument includes an end effector and is configured to be actuated by the robotic surgical assembly. The sterile interface module includes a body member and a drive assembly. The body member is configured to selectively couple the surgical instrument to the robotic surgical assembly. The body member is formed of a dielectric material. The drive assembly is supported within the body member and is configured to transmit rotational forces from the robotic surgical assembly to the surgical instrument to actuate the surgical instrument to enable the surgical instrument to perform a function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Jaimeen Kapadia, Mark MacLeod, Brian Rockrohr
  • Publication number: 20220240963
    Abstract: A surgical instrument end effector includes a first jaw member and a second jaw member. The first jaw member has a first tissue contacting surface. The first tissue contacting surface is configured to self-interface and includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first plurality of teeth having a first tooth pitch. The second portion includes a second plurality of teeth having the first tooth pitch. The second plurality of teeth is offset from the first plurality of teeth by ½ of the first tooth pitch. The second jaw member includes a second tissue contacting surface. The second tissue contacting surface is positioned to enable the first and second tissue contacting surfaces to interface with one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventor: Brian A. Rockrohr
  • Patent number: 11278287
    Abstract: A surgical clip applier is provided including a channel assembly and overlying a clip carrier having a clip counter plate slidably supported in the channel assembly, wherein the clip counter plate is configured and adapted to display a change in status of the clip applier upon actuation of the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Brian Rockrohr, Jaroslaw T. Malkowski
  • Publication number: 20220071725
    Abstract: A surgical tool configured to selectively connect to a drive unit includes an elongate shaft, an end effector, an adapter, and first, second, third, and fourth cables. The end effector includes a first and second jaws. The cables extend through the elongate shaft with a distal portion of the first and fourth cables secured to a first side of the first and second jaws, respectively, and a distal portion of the second and third cables secured to a second side of the first and second jaws, respectively. The adapter is configured to selectively connect to the drive unit and includes a differential drive mechanism configured to manipulate proximal portions of the cables which manipulate the end effector in pitch, yaw, and jaw DOFs. Each of the cables are biased proximally and configured to maintain the end effector in a desired pose when the tool is disconnected from the drive unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventor: Brian Rockrohr
  • Publication number: 20220071726
    Abstract: A method of controlling an end effector of a surgical robot includes receiving a desired pose, generating motor torques, transmitting the motor torques, generating null torques, generating desired torques, and transmitting the desired torques to an IDU such that the IDU moves the end effector to the desired pose. A primary controller receives the desired pose of the end effector in three DOF. The primary controller generates the motor torques in response to receiving the desired pose. The primary controller transmits the motor torques which are received in a secondary controller. The secondary controller generates null torques to maintain tension in cables of a differential drive mechanism of the IDU. The desired torques are generated for each motor of the IDU to include a sum of the motor torques and the null torques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Brian Rockrohr, Jiqi Cheng, Dwight Meglan, Farrukh Rahman, Brian Wells, Alok Agrawal
  • Patent number: 11266472
    Abstract: An instrument drive assembly includes a housing assembly and a coupling assembly. The housing assembly includes a drive assembly. The coupling assembly releasably couples an instrument drive shaft to a drive member of the drive assembly and an instrument sleeve of the surgical instrument to the housing assembly. Actuation of a retention mechanism of the coupling assembly between a locked and unlocked configuration couples and decouples the instrument sleeve of the surgical instrument therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Robert Pedros, Brian Rockrohr, Michael Zemlok
  • Patent number: 11259861
    Abstract: An electrosurgical system includes an electrosurgical instrument and an electrosurgical generator. The generator includes an energy source having an active terminal and a return terminal that outputs electrosurgical energy and a controller that controls the energy source. A cable is coupled between the electrosurgical instrument and the electrosurgical generator where the cable includes a first conductor and a second conductor. The controller is configured to electrically couple the active terminal and/or the return terminal to the electrosurgical instrument using the first conductor and/or the second conductor based on whether the electrosurgical instrument is a monopolar instrument or a bipolar instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventor: Brian Rockrohr
  • Patent number: 11246673
    Abstract: A sterile barrier assembly includes a tab sliding along a sliding path in a cavity of the sterile barrier assembly and a barrier membrane partitioning the cavity into a sterile side and a non-sterile side. The barrier membrane moves with the tab as the tab slides along the sliding path. A first portion of the tab interfaces with an output of a surgical tool driving unit on the non-sterile side. A second portion of the tab interfaces with a tool driver of a surgical tool on the sterile side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Jaimeen Kapadia, Brian Rockrohr
  • Publication number: 20210401515
    Abstract: A robotic surgical system and method of selectively binding articulation limits to a surgical instrument includes detecting a proximal or a distal linear movement of the surgical instrument, calculating a distance between a tool center point of the surgical instrument after the proximal or the distal linear movement and a remote center of motion, assigning and binding an articulation limit to the surgical instrument based on the calculated distance when the detected linear movement is distal linear movement, and assigning a non-binding articulation limit to the surgical instrument based on the calculated distance when the detected linear movement is proximal a linear movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Brian Rockrohr, Eric Taylor, Matthew Hartzsch, Colin Murphy
  • Patent number: 11191600
    Abstract: A robotic surgical system includes a surgical instrument and a robotic surgical assembly. The robotic surgical assembly defines an instrument opening and includes a floating plate and a drive assembly. The floating plate is movable between an extended position and a compressed position. The surgical instrument is laterally receivable in the instrument opening of the robotic surgical assembly while the floating plate is disposed in the compressed position. The floating plate is movable to the extended position to couple the surgical instrument to the robotic surgical assembly while the surgical instrument is received in the instrument opening of the robotic surgical assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Brian Rockrohr, Jaimeen Kapadia
  • Patent number: D956219
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Chi Min Seow, Brian A. Rockrohr
  • Patent number: D963851
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Chi Min Seow, Brian A. Rockrohr