ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 26 -- United States Patent no. 12,636,010, issued on May 26, was assigned to Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.).
"Wrist architecture" was invented by Nicholas Ragosta (San Francisco) and Matthew A. Wixey (Trumbull, Conn.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A method of using a medical instrument can include applying a distally-directed or proximally-directed load via a drive member to an end effector coupled to an elongated shaft via a wrist assembly so as to actuate the end effector; and reacting the distally-directed or proximally-directed load to an inner link of the wrist assembly that is pivotally coupled to a first outer link and a second outer link. T...