Appeal No. 95-3598
Application 08/125,671
APPENDED CLAIMS
1. A laparoscopic surgical apparatus comprising:
a laparoscopic instrument having a distal end portion
insertable through a laparoscopic trocar sleeve into an abdominal
cavity of a patient, said distal end portion including a
plurality of at least partially opposable articulated
manipulating fingers;
a glove having a plurality of hollow finger parts;
position sensing means operatively connected to said
glove for detecting positions and configurations of said hollow
finger parts upon insertion of a surgeon’s hand into said glove
and upon movement of said finger parts by said surgeon during a
laparoscopic procedure;
actuator means operatively connected to said sensing
means and to said instrument for moving said manipulating fingers
to essentially duplicate positions and configurations of said
finger parts in response to signals from said sensing means; and
cauterization means including a laser-transmitting
optical fiber for cauterizing organic tissues of the patient,
said optical fiber being at least partially connected to said
instrument at said distal end portion independently of motions
of said fingers in response to said actuator means.
18. A laparoscopic surgical method comprising the
steps of:
providing a laparoscopic instrument having a distal end
portion including a plurality of at least partially opposable
articulated manipulating fingers;
inserting said distal end portion through a
laparoscopic trocar sleeve into an abdominal cavity of a patient;
automatically detecting positions and configurations of
a surgeon’s fingers upon movement of said surgeon’s fingers
outside of the patient during a laparoscopic procedure; and
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