According to GlobalData’s company profile on Vicarious Surgical, surgical robots was a key innovation area identified from patents. Vicarious Surgical's grant share as of June 2023 was 1%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.

A patent for a surgical robotic system with removable tool elements

A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230200920A1) describes a method for removing and inserting tool elements on a wrist portion of a robot arm in a surgical robotic system. The method involves providing a tool base portion that is connected to the end portion of the robot arm. Two pulley elements are rotatably coupled to the tool base portion and secured with an axle element. The first and second tool elements can be coupled together and positioned in an open tool exchange position, allowing them to be mounted on or removed from the tool base portion.

The patent also includes an end region device for the robot arm in a surgical robotic system. This device consists of a tool base portion connected to the end portion of the robot arm through a connector. Two pulley elements are rotatably coupled to the tool base portion and secured with an axle element. The device also includes a first tool element that is coupled with a second tool element. Similar to the method described above, the first and second tool elements can be positioned in an open tool exchange position, enabling them to be mounted on or removed from the tool base portion.

Furthermore, the patent describes a wrist portion of a robot arm in a surgical robotic system. This wrist portion includes a tool base portion connected to the end portion of the robot arm through a connector. It also features two pulley elements, each with a main body and a surface feature. The first tool element has a main body with a complementary surface feature to the first pulley element, while the second tool element has a main body with a complementary surface feature to the second pulley element. When the surface features of the pulley elements are aligned in an open tool exchange position, the first and second tool elements can be removably and replaceably mounted on the pulley elements.

In summary, the patent describes a method and devices for removing and inserting tool elements on a wrist portion of a robot arm in a surgical robotic system. The method involves using a tool base portion, pulley elements, and axle elements to facilitate the mounting and removal of tool elements. The devices include a tool base portion, pulley elements, and complementary tool elements that can be positioned in an open tool exchange position for easy tool swapping. These innovations have the potential to enhance the efficiency and versatility of surgical robotic systems.

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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies