US Patent Issued to INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS on Jan. 28 for "Devices, systems and methods for controlling cable drive mechanisms" (California Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 29 -- United States Patent no. 12,208,520, issued on Jan. 28, was assigned to INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS INC. (Sunnyvale, Calif.).

"Devices, systems and methods for controlling cable drive mechanisms" was invented by Bram Gilbert Antoon Lambrecht (Redwood City, Calif.), Thomas G. Cooper (Menlo Park, Calif.) and Andrew Cullen Waterbury (Santa Clara, Calif.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A cable-driven device, such as a joint or instrument of a computer-assisted manipulator system, may comprise a capstan mechanism to wind/unwind cables. The capstan mechanism comprises a capstan that has a groove in an outer surface of the capstan to guide the cables, which are routed fr...