WO2018177038A1

WO2018177038A1 - Serpentine joint for surgical robot, surgical instrument and endoscope

Info

Publication number: WO2018177038A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/076310
Authority: WO
Inventors: 李涛; 何超; 王常春; 何裕源; 袁帅
Original assignee: 微创（上海）医疗机器人有限公司
Priority date: 2017-03-30
Filing date: 2018-02-11
Publication date: 2018-10-04
Also published as: CN106955161A

Abstract

Disclosed is a serpentine joint for a surgical robot, the serpentine joint comprising at least one joint connector pair (1) and a flexible structure (2), wherein a first joint connector (10) of each joint connector pair (1) comprises a first spherical face (11); a first meshing mechanism (12) is provided on the first spherical face (11); a second joint connector (20) of each joint connector pair (1) comprises a second spherical face (21); a second meshing mechanism (22) is provided on the second spherical face (21); the first meshing mechanism (12) and the second meshing mechanism (22) are meshed together; and the flexible structure (2) controls the oscillation direction and the oscillation angle of the joint connector pair (1), realising oscillation of the serpentine joint. Using the spherical faces as supporting structures when the joint connector pair (1) oscillates improves the bearing capacity of the serpentine joint; and the meshing movement of the meshing mechanisms (12, 22) realises oscillation of the joint connector pair (1), and the meshing precision of the meshing mechanisms (12, 22) is improved, which can realise high bending precision of the serpentine joint. A surgical instrument and an endoscope comprise the serpentine joint, thereby enabling an end of the instrument or an imaging system to achieve the desired position and posture.

Description

Serpentine joints, surgical instruments and endoscopes for surgical robots

Technical field

The present invention relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a serpentine joint, a surgical instrument and an endoscope for a surgical robot.

Background technique

With the rapid development of robots, a variety of distinctive robots are constantly emerging, and the research on bionic robots is becoming more and more prominent. Bionic robots take into account the advantages of biology and the advantages of robots, making their research and application more and more extensive. Among them, the research of snake-shaped robots is also increasing. From the first underwater snake-shaped robot developed in Japan to the first snake-shaped robot developed by China National Defense Science and Technology University, the field is constantly developing and expanding.

The root cause of the development and development of a snake-shaped robot is that it can perform actions that cannot be performed by a normal robot. Its movement is similar to that of snakes in nature. It can achieve plane torsion and space torsion. It avoids obstacles during exercise and is used to accomplish tasks that people or other machines cannot. In view of this feature, snake-shaped robots for medical operations have also appeared slowly. Especially in the process of micro-trauma surgery, in order to achieve a small wound, to achieve better therapeutic effect, and to reduce damage to other tissues during the operation, surgical instruments with serpentine joints and endoscopes with serpentine joints are often used. In order to achieve the avoidance of other organs during the operation. This advantage makes the surgical robot of the serpentine joint well applicable in the medical field. However, the snake joints currently used in medical devices have the following drawbacks:

(1) The angle of rotation is small. A surgical instrument that resembles a dinosaur has appeared abroad. Its principle is similar to a snake-shaped joint, and its bending function is realized by controlling the rotation of its multiple joints. However, the device is limited by the structure of the joint and the distribution of the transmission wire, and the joint cannot be greatly bent, and the spatial torsion characteristics cannot be proved.

(2) Poor carrying capacity and low motion accuracy. For example, CN106061425A discloses a mechanical toggle joint having an enhanced range of motion, as shown in FIG. 19, the joint 700 includes a first disc 710 and a second disc 720, the first disc 710 including teeth 712 714, the second disk member 720 includes

pins

722, 724, 726, the engagement between the

teeth

712, 714 and the

pins

722, 724, 726, and by allowing at least one of the teeth to be in the swinging process of the joint The pin is disengaged to achieve a large angular range of the joint. However, since the

teeth

712, 714 and the

pins

722, 724, 726 can provide a weak support, the joint 700 also provides

support projections

740 and 744 on the

discs

710 and 720, respectively, to support the disc 710. The pressure load between 720, thereby increasing the structural complexity, and the joint of such a large motion range shown in Fig. 19 is difficult to achieve fine control of the bending angle. Patent US Pat. No. 6,917,974 B2 proposes a serpentine type of serpentine joint. As shown in Fig. 20, the joint 70 can realize the torsional movement of the space by different arrangement of the joint elements 72-76, but during the bending and torsion process, Only relying on the connecting portion in the middle of the curved end faces of two adjacent joint elements to support the front end of the joint, the bearing capacity is poor, although it is mentioned that the connection between adjacent joint elements adopts a toothed fit (using a tooth profile) Pin 86), but with the use of a toothed fit as the support for the joint, the load bearing capacity is still poor when moving to the extreme position; and when it moves to a certain position, it depends on the wire passing through the hole 78 (not shown) The tension is applied to achieve the rest of the joint with low precision.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a serpentine joint for a surgical robot to improve the bearing capacity of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot to improve the motion accuracy of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot; and an object of the present invention is to provide a snake Surgical instruments for joints and an endoscope with a serpentine joint.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a serpentine joint for a surgical robot having at least one degree of freedom with a serpentine joint, and comprising: at least one joint joint pair and a flexible structure; wherein

Each joint joint pair includes a first joint joint at a lower end and a second joint joint at an upper end, the first joint joint includes a first spherical surface, and the first spherical surface is provided with a first engagement mechanism, the second The joint joint includes a second spherical surface, and the second spherical surface is provided with a second meshing mechanism,

The first articulation joint and the second articulation joint are engaged by the first engagement mechanism and the second engagement mechanism, the flexible structure controlling a swing of the articulating pair.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint for a surgical robot, the first joint joint is provided with a plurality of first axial through holes arranged circumferentially, and the flexible structure extends through the first axial passage a second joint joint is provided with a plurality of second axial through holes arranged circumferentially, the flexible structure extending through the second axial through hole, at least two of the first axial through holes The position corresponds to the position of at least two of the second axial through holes.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint for a surgical robot, the number of the first axial through holes is the same as the number of the second axial through holes, and the position of the first axial through hole One-to-one correspondence with the position of the second axial hole.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint for a surgical robot, a center of the first joint joint is provided with a third axial through hole; a center of the second joint joint is provided with a fourth axial through hole; The third axial through hole corresponds to the fourth axial through hole.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint of the surgical robot, the diameter of the first spherical surface and the diameter of the second spherical surface are equal.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint for a surgical robot, the first engaging mechanism includes a plurality of first rods arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other, and a first slot is disposed between two adjacent first rods. The second engaging mechanism includes a plurality of second rods arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other, and a second slot is disposed between the adjacent two second rods; wherein the first rod and the second slot Correspondingly, the second rod corresponds to the first slot.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint of the surgical robot, the number of the first rods is larger than the number of the second rods.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint for a surgical robot, the first joint joint further includes a first end surface, the first end surface is opposite to the first spherical surface; and the second joint joint further includes The second end surface is opposite to the second spherical surface.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint of the surgical robot, the first end surface and the second end surface are equal in diameter.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint for a surgical robot, the first end surface is provided with a first groove that penetrates in a radial direction; and the second end surface is provided with a second groove that penetrates in a radial direction.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint for a surgical robot, when the surgical robot has n degrees of freedom with a serpentine joint, the flexible structure is at least 2n, wherein n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint for a surgical robot, the serpentine joint includes a plurality of the joint joint pairs, and the plurality of joint joint pairs are sequentially adjacent to each other.

Optionally, in the two adjacent joint joint pairs, the first joint joint and the second joint joint adjacent to and belonging to two different joint joint pairs are fixedly connected or detachably connected.

Optionally, in the first joint joint and the second joint joint adjacent to and belonging to the two joint joint pairs, the extending direction of the first rod of the first joint joint and the joint of the second joint joint The second rod extends in parallel or out of plane.

Optionally, in the first joint joint and the second joint joint adjacent to and belonging to two different joint joint pairs, the extending direction of the first rod and the second joint joint of the first joint joint The angle between the extending directions of the second rods is 45° or 90°.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint for a surgical robot, at least two distal ends of the flexible structure and a second joint of the most distal one of the joints of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot The joint is fixed.

Optionally, in the serpentine joint of the surgical robot, the distal end of all the flexible structures is fixed with the second joint of the surgical robot in the most distally located joint joint of the serpentine joint .

The present invention also provides a surgical instrument including an instrument end, a serpentine joint for a surgical robot, a tubular member, a flexible member, and a controller as described above; wherein the instrument end, the surgical robot uses a snake a joint, the tubular and the controller are connected in sequence; the flexible member is connected to the controller at one end, and the other end is connected to the end of the instrument through the tubular body and the surgical robot with a serpentine joint; The proximal end of the flexible structure of the surgical robot with the serpentine joint is connected to the controller via the tubular; the controller controls the movement of the end of the instrument by the flexible member, and the flexibility of the serpentine joint through the surgical robot The structure controls the swing of the serpentine joint.

The present invention also provides an endoscope including an imaging system, a serpentine joint for a surgical robot, a tubular, and a controller as described above; wherein the imaging system, the surgical robot uses a serpentine shape a joint, the tubular, and the controller are sequentially connected; the surgical robot is connected to the controller via the tubular proximal end of the flexible structure of the serpentine joint; the controller is used by the surgical robot The flexible structure of the serpentine joint controls the serpentine joint to oscillate, thereby adjusting the pose of the imaging system.

In the serpentine joint for a surgical robot provided by the present invention, having at least one degree of freedom, and including at least one joint joint pair and a flexible structure, each of the joint joint pairs including a first joint joint and a second joint joint, The first joint joint includes a first spherical surface, the first spherical surface is provided with a first engaging mechanism, the second joint joint includes a second spherical surface, and the second spherical surface is provided with a second engaging mechanism, the first The joint joint and the second joint joint are engaged by the first engagement mechanism and the second engagement mechanism, the flexible structure controlling a swing direction and a swing angle of the joint joint pair to implement the serpentine joint The swing. In the present invention, the spherical surface is used as a support structure for the joint when the joint is swung, and the spherical surface has a higher supporting ability, thereby improving the bearing capacity of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot; further, the meshing motion of the meshing mechanism is realized. The swing of the joint joint pair improves the meshing accuracy, and the high bending precision of the serpentine joint for the surgical robot can be achieved. In the surgical instrument and endoscope provided by the present invention, the serpentine joint is included to enable the end of the instrument or the imaging system to reach a desired position and posture.

DRAWINGS

1 is a schematic structural view of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot having an articulating joint according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a schematic structural view of a first joint joint according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

3 is a schematic structural view of a second joint joint according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

4 is a schematic structural view of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot having two joint joint pairs according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a schematic view showing the bending of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a schematic structural view of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot having two joint joint pairs according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a schematic structural view of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot having four joint joint pairs according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

8 to 10 are schematic views showing the bending of the four joint joint pairs shown in Fig. 7;

11 is a schematic structural view of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot having four joint joint pairs according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

12 to 14 are schematic views showing the bending of the four joint joint pairs shown in Fig. 11;

15 is a schematic structural view of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot having four joint joint pairs according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

16 to 18 are schematic views showing the bending of the four joint joint pairs shown in Fig. 15;

Figure 19 is a schematic view of a mechanical toggle joint in the prior art;

Figure 20 is a schematic view of a curved-faced serpentine joint in the prior art.

detailed description

The serpentine joint, the surgical instrument and the endoscope for the surgical robot proposed by the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the description and appended claims. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and all use non-precise proportions, and are only for convenience and clarity to assist the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention. In particular, the various drawings need to show different emphasis, and often use different proportions.

In the present application, "proximal" and "distal", "lower end" and "upper end" are relative orientations, relative positions, directions of elements or actions relative to each other from the perspective of a physician using the medical device, although "Proximal" and "distal" are not limiting, but "proximal" and "lower" generally refer to the end of the medical device that is near the doctor during normal operation, while "distal" or "upper" is usually Refers to the end that first enters the patient's body.

Embodiment 1

In the embodiment of the present application, the surgical robot uses a serpentine joint having a degree of freedom, including a joint joint pair and a flexible structure. First, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of a first joint joint according to an embodiment of the present invention; 3 is a schematic structural view of a second joint joint according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, each joint joint pair 1 includes a first joint joint 10 at a lower end and a second joint joint 20 at an upper end, the first joint joint 10 including a first spherical surface 11, the first joint A spherical surface 11 is provided with a first engagement mechanism 12, the second joint joint 20 includes a second spherical surface 21, and the second spherical surface 21 is provided with a second engagement mechanism 22, the first joint joint 10 and the The second joint joint 20 is engaged by the first engagement mechanism 12 and the second engagement mechanism 22, and the flexible structure controls the swing of the joint joint pair 1. In the embodiment of the present application, the spherical surface is used as a support structure for the joint when the joint is swung, and the spherical surface has a higher supporting ability, thereby improving the bearing capacity of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot; further, the mutual engagement by the meshing mechanism Engagement to achieve the swing of the joint joint pair can achieve high precision control of the surgical robot with the serpentine joint swing.

In the embodiment of the present application, the first joint joint 10 and the second joint joint 20 are swung in one direction, and the flexible structure 20 controls the swing angle to form a degree of freedom. In the embodiment of the present application, in order to control the swing of the joint joint pair, the number of the flexible joints 2 required for the joint joint pair is at least two.

Correspondingly, with continued reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 , the first joint joint 10 is provided with a first axial through hole 13 arranged circumferentially (that is, the circumference of the first joint joint 10 is provided with a first axis To the through hole 13), the first axial through hole 13 extends through the flexible structure; the second joint joint 20 is provided with a second axial through hole 23 arranged circumferentially (ie, the first The circumference of the two joint joint 20 is provided with a second axial through hole 23) through which the flexible structure extends. Further, the number of the first axial through holes 13 is at least two, and the first axial through holes 13 are evenly distributed on the circumference of the first joint joint 10; the second axial through hole The number of 23 is at least two, preferably the second axial through hole 23 is evenly distributed on the circumference of the second joint joint 20, at least two of the first axial through holes 13 and the second shaft The position of the through hole 23 corresponds to provide a sufficient number of passages for the flexible structure to extend through so that the flexible structure controls the joint joint pair to oscillate. Here, preferably, the first axial through hole 13 is the same as the number of the second axial through holes 23, and the positions are in one-to-one correspondence.

In other embodiments of the present application, the number of the first axial through holes 13 and the second axial through holes 23 may also be different. The number of the first axial through holes between the plurality of joint joints in the serpentine joint may be the same or different, and the number of the second axial through holes is also the same, but at this time, the serpentine joint is required to provide at least two A channel is provided for the flexible structure to extend through. Specifically, at least two of the first axial through holes 13 of one of the joint joints correspond to the positions of the second axial through holes 23, so as to control the flexible structure of the pair of joints to extend, At the same time, at least the joint joints of the joint joints provide the first axial through holes 13 and the second axial through holes 23 at corresponding positions to form a passage for the flexible structure to extend. That is, the first axial through hole 13 of the joint joint pair also corresponds to the position of the second axial through hole 23 of the proximal joint joint pair, and the proximal adjacent joint joint is centered The second axial through hole 23 corresponds to the position of the first axial through hole 13 of the same joint joint pair, and so on. Preferably, the joint joint to the distal joint joint pair is provided with a first axial through hole 13 and a second axial through hole 23 at corresponding positions to form a passage for the flexible structure to extend through (ie, at this time) The flexible structure is attached to the distal joint joint pair).

In the embodiment of the present application, the flexible structure 2 is a steel wire rope. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 , with reference to FIG. 5 , the number of the wire ropes 2 is the same as the number of the first axial through holes 13 , which is the same as the above. The number of the two axial through holes 23 is the same, wherein each of the steel wires 2 passes through a first axial through hole 13 and a corresponding one of the second axial through holes 23, thereby controlling the swinging direction of the joint joint pair 1 And amplitude (swing angle). Preferably, the aperture of the first axial through hole 13 and the aperture of the second axial through hole 23 are both larger or slightly larger than the diameter of the wire rope 2, thereby facilitating the passage of the wire rope 20 The first axial through hole 13 and the second axial through hole 23 are described. Further, in the present embodiment, for one joint joint pair 1, the distal end of the wire rope 2 is fixed to the second joint joint 20.

With reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the center of the first joint joint 10 is provided with a third axial through hole 14; the center of the second joint joint 20 is provided with a fourth axial through hole 24; The three-axis through hole 14 corresponds to the fourth axial through hole 24. The third axial through hole 14 and the fourth axial through hole 24 can pass other components or cables, thereby fully utilizing the internal space of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot, making it more suitable. Used in microtrauma surgery.

In the embodiment of the present application, the first joint joint 10 is located at the proximal end of the second joint joint 20. The first engaging mechanism 12 includes a plurality of first rods 120 arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other, and a first slot 121 is disposed between two adjacent first rods 120; the second engaging mechanism 22 includes a plurality of mutual a second tooth 220 disposed parallel and spaced apart, and a second tooth groove 221 disposed between the two adjacent second teeth 220; wherein the first rod 120 corresponds to the second groove 221, the second The rod 220 corresponds to the first gullet 121. In this embodiment, the first engagement mechanism 12 and the second engagement mechanism 22 can be designed with reference to a spur gear, that is, a person skilled in the art can select an appropriate modulus and number of teeth according to the requirements of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot. The relevant parameters of the spur gear are designed, and the parameters of the gear are applied to the spherical surface. The diameter of the first spherical surface 11 and the second spherical surface 21 depends on the diameter of the indexing circle of the gear, that is, depending on the mode. Number, number of teeth. Unlike the prior art joints shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the first rod 120 and the first gullet 121 in this embodiment extend from one side of the first spherical surface 11 to the other side (by the third axial through hole). Except for the 14-cut portion, the second rod 220 and the second slot 221 also extend from one side of the second spherical surface 21 to the other side (except for the portion that is cut by the fourth axial through hole 24), so that when When the engaging mechanism 12 is engaged with the second engaging mechanism 22, there is a larger contact area between the corresponding rod and the slot, thereby improving the supporting ability. When installed, the first joint joint 10 and the second joint joint 20 are arranged in such a manner that the first rod 120 extends in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the second rod 220, and the first rod 120 is substantially seated in the second groove 221 The second rod 220 is generally seated in the first gullet 121. Further, the number of the first rods 120 is greater than the number of the second rods 220, for example, the first rods 120 are one more than the second rods 220. Therefore, when the surgical robot swings with the serpentine joint, the two outermost first rods 120 on the first joint joint 10 can also be restrained to improve the serpentine joint bending of the surgical robot ( Reliability when moving). Here, the greater the number of rods on the first joint joint 10 and the second joint joint 20, the higher the precision of engagement between the first joint joint 10 and the second joint joint 20, thereby The amplitude of the surgical robot when the snake-shaped joint is bent (moved) is more refined. In the embodiment of the present application, the spherical surface and the meshing mechanism are used as the supporting structure when the serpentine joint of the surgical robot is bent (moved), thereby improving the bearing capacity of the serpentine joint for the surgical robot.

Further, the first joint joint 10 further includes a first end surface 15 opposite to the first spherical surface 11; the second joint joint 20 further includes a second end surface 25, the second The end surface 25 is opposed to the second spherical surface 21. Preferably, the first end surface 15 and the second end surface 25 are equal in diameter. Further, the first end surface 15 is provided with a first groove 16 that penetrates in a radial direction; and the second end surface 25 is provided with a second groove 26 that penetrates in a radial direction. Preferably, the first groove 16 and the second groove 26 are both semi-circular grooves. The first groove 16 and the second groove 26 can facilitate the fastening connection with adjacent joint joints or components to prevent mutual rotation. Preferably, the first groove 16 is parallel or perpendicular to the first rod 120, and the second groove 26 is parallel or perpendicular to the second rod 220. Thereby, the direction of the swing between the first joint joint 10 and the second joint joint 20 can be easily understood by the first groove 16 and the second groove 26.

Embodiment 2

In this embodiment, the surgical robot uses a serpentine joint having one degree of freedom, including two joint joint pairs and a flexible structure. Please refer to FIG. 4 , which is a structural diagram of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the number of joint joint pairs is two, that is, a first joint joint pair 1a and a second joint joint pair 1b, and each joint joint pair is configured as in the first embodiment. Further, in the present embodiment, the extending direction of the second rod of the first joint joint pair 1a and the extending direction of the first rod of the adjacent second joint joint pair 1b are parallel to each other. In the present embodiment, the first joint joint pair 1a and the second joint joint pair 1b swing in the same direction, whereby the surgical robot uses only one degree of freedom for the serpentine joint, but can achieve a larger swing angle. Wherein, the swing angle of the first joint joint pair 1a of the proximal end and the swing angle of the second joint joint pair 1b of the distal end may be the same or different; that is, the first curved surface and the second surface of the first joint joint pair 1a The ratio of the diameter of the curved surface may be the same as or different from the ratio of the first curved surface and the second curved surface in the second joint joint pair 1b. Further, the meshing mechanism in the proximal first joint joint pair 1a and the distal second joint joint 1b may be the same or different. That is, the modulus and the number of teeth of the meshing mechanism in the proximal joint joint pair 1a and the distal second joint joint pair 1b may be the same or different. Correspondingly, the number of rods of the engaging mechanism in the proximal first joint joint pair 1a, the rod height, the rod spacing, and the like, the number of rods of the engaging mechanism in the second joint joint pair 1b at the distal end, the rod height, the rod spacing, etc. They can be the same or different.

When the swing angle of the first joint joint pair 1a of the proximal end is the same as the swing angle of the second joint joint pair 1b of the distal end, the swing angle of the two joint joint pairs is the swing angle of the first joint joint pair 1a. Twice, that is, the surgical robot can swing a larger angle with a serpentine joint; at the same time, because the two joint joints achieve a large angle of swing, the surgical robot will have a better bearing capacity with a serpentine joint. Further, since a large angle of swing is achieved by the two joint joint pairs, the swing angle of each joint joint pair is small relative to the swing of the same angle by one joint joint, whereby the flexible structure can be more convenient More refined control of the swing angle.

Further, the second joint joint 20a of the first joint joint pair 1a of the proximal end is detachably connected with the first joint joint 10b of the second joint joint pair 1b of the distal end, for example, by a snap structure, or The fastening is fixed, for example by welding, and for example by integral molding.

With continued reference to FIG. 4, here, the first groove on the second end face of the second joint joint 20a in the proximal first joint joint pair 1a and the first in the second joint joint pair 1b on the distal end The angle between the axes of the first grooves on the first end face of the joint joint 10b (the angle between the two is zero), the first joint joint pair of the proximal end can be conveniently understood The relationship between 1a and the direction of the swing between the second joint joint pair 1b at the distal end.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the number of the wire ropes 2 is eight, and the joint joint pair 1a and the joint joint pair 1b are respectively controlled to swing. In a preferred embodiment, the distal ends of all eight wire ropes 2 are fixed to the second joint joint 20b in the joint joint pair 1b. In another preferred embodiment, the distal end of the four wire ropes 2 that control the joint of the joint joint 1a is fixed to the second joint joint 20a of the joint joint pair 1a, and the other four distal ends of the wire rope 2 that control the joint joint to the 1b swing The joint joint is fixed to the second joint joint 20b of the 1b. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that in the present embodiment, the serpentine joint has one degree of freedom, so that only two wires are needed for the control of the two pairs of joints. On this basis, the number of wire ropes 2 can be increased to achieve more precise control. The added wire rope 2 may be fixedly coupled to the second joint joint 20b of the joint joint pair 1b, or may be fixedly coupled to the second joint joint 20a of the joint joint pair 1a. Here, the two joint joints are fixedly connected, and by controlling the tension of each wire rope 2, the swing of the two joint joints can be realized, that is, the deflection of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot is realized.

Embodiment 3

In this embodiment, the surgical robot uses a serpentine joint having two degrees of freedom, including two joint joint pairs and a flexible structure. Please refer to FIG. 6 , which is a structural diagram of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the number of joint joint pairs is two, that is, a first joint joint pair 1a and a second joint joint pair 1b, and each joint joint pair is configured as in the first embodiment. Here, the direction in which the second rod of the first joint joint pair 1a extends is out of plane with the direction in which the first rod of the adjacent second joint joint pair 1b extends. Specifically, the extending direction of the second rod of the first joint joint pair 1a and the extending direction of the first rod of the adjacent second joint joint pair 1b are perpendicular to each other (ie, the angle is 90°). The two joint joint pairs have two different directions of oscillation, forming two degrees of freedom, so that the serpentine joint has two degrees of freedom. At this time, at least four wires 2 are required in the present embodiment to control the swing of the serpentine joint. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the fixed position of the wire rope for controlling the joint joint in the swinging direction may be on the second joint joint of the joint joint pair or the second joint joint pair at the distal end of the joint joint pair. Joint joint (if any). For example, in the present embodiment, the wire rope 2 of the joint joint pair 1a is controlled, which may be fixed to the second joint joint 20a of the joint joint pair 1a, or may be fixed to the joint joint pair 1b at the distal end of the joint joint pair 1a. Two joint joints 20b. The other two wire ropes 2 for controlling the joint joint pair 1b can only be fixed to the second joint joint 20b of the joint joint pair 1b. Thus, by the control of the flexible structure, the first joint joint pair 1a at the proximal end and the second joint joint pair 1b at the distal end are respectively deflected in two directions, thereby realizing a spatial twisting action of the serpentine joint for the surgical robot.

Embodiment 4

In this embodiment, the surgical robot uses a serpentine joint having two degrees of freedom, including four joint joint pairs and a flexible structure. Please refer to FIG. 7 , which is a structural diagram of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the number of joint joint pairs is four, that is, a first joint joint pair 1a, a second joint joint pair 1b, a third joint joint pair 1c, and a fourth joint joint pair 1d which are sequentially adjacent. Here, the extending direction of the second rod of the first joint joint pair 1a and the extending direction of the first rod of the adjacent second joint joint pair 1b are parallel to each other; the extending direction of the second rod of the third joint joint pair 1c is The extending directions of the first rods of the adjacent fourth joint joint pair 1d are parallel to each other; the extending direction of the second rod of the second joint joint pair 1b and the extending direction of the first rod of the adjacent third joint joint pair 1c are mutually The opposite side is vertical. That is, the first joint joint pair 1a and the second joint joint pair 1b swing in the same direction; the third joint joint pair 1c and the fourth joint joint pair 1d swing in the same direction and are perpendicular to the first joint joint pair 1a swing direction. Thereby, the serpentine joint of the surgical robot has two degrees of freedom, and it is possible to realize a large angle of bending and a spatial torsional motion. The motion state of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot can be referred to FIG. 8 to FIG.

In the serpentine joint of the present embodiment, there are eight wire ropes 2 in total. Specifically, all eight wire ropes 2 are fixed to the second joint joint 20d of the joint joint pair 1d, or each of the two wire ropes 2 is fixed to a joint joint pair. Those skilled in the art should know that in the present embodiment, the serpentine joint has two degrees of freedom, so that the wire rope 2 only needs four wires, so that the control of the two pairs of joint joints can be realized. On the basis of this, the number of the wire ropes 2 can be increased, that is, one swinging direction can be controlled by a plurality of wire ropes 2 to achieve more precise control. The added wire rope 2 can be fixedly connected to the second joint joint 20d of the joint joint pair 1d, or can be fixedly connected to other joint joint pairs.

Embodiment 5

In this embodiment, the surgical robot uses a serpentine joint having two degrees of freedom, including four joint joint pairs and a flexible structure. Please refer to FIG. 11 , which is a structural diagram of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, the number of joint joint pairs is four, that is, a first joint joint pair 1a, a second joint joint pair 1b, a third joint joint pair 1c, and a fourth joint joint pair 1d which are sequentially adjacent. Here, the extending direction of the second rod of the first joint joint pair 1a and the extending direction of the first rod of the adjacent second joint joint pair 1b are parallel to each other; the extending direction of the second rod of the third joint joint pair 1c is The extending directions of the first rods of the adjacent fourth joint joint pair 1d are parallel to each other; the angle between the extending direction of the second rod of the second joint joint pair 1b and the extending direction of the first rod of the third joint joint pair 1c is 45°. That is, the first joint joint pair 1a and the third joint joint pair 1c swing in the same direction; the second joint joint pair 1b and the fourth joint joint pair 1d swing in the same direction, and are different from the first joint joint pair 1a in the swing direction. In the fourth embodiment, in the present embodiment, the serpentine joint has two degrees of freedom, and therefore, at least four wire ropes 2 are required to control the serpentine joint. Thereby, the serpentine joint of the surgical robot can realize a large angle of bending and a spatial torsional motion. The motion state of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot can be referred to FIG. 12 to FIG. 14 .

Embodiment 6

In this embodiment, the surgical robot uses a serpentine joint having two degrees of freedom, including four joint joint pairs and a flexible structure. Please refer to FIG. 15 , which is a structural diagram of a joint joint of a serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 15, the number of joint joint pairs is four, that is, a first joint joint pair 1a, a second joint joint pair 1b, a third joint joint pair 1c, and a fourth joint joint pair 1d which are sequentially adjacent. Here, the extending direction of the second rod of the first joint joint pair 1a is perpendicular to the extending direction of the first rod of the adjacent second joint joint pair 1b; the extension of the second rod of the second joint joint pair 1b The direction of the first rod extending direction of the adjacent third joint joint pair 1c is perpendicular to each other; the extending direction of the second rod of the third joint joint pair 1c and the first rod of the adjacent fourth joint joint pair 1d The extending directions are perpendicular to each other. That is, the first joint joint pair 1a and the third joint joint pair 1c swing in the same direction; the second joint joint pair 1b and the fourth joint joint pair 1d swing in the same direction and are perpendicular to the first joint joint pair 1a swing direction. In the fourth embodiment, in the present embodiment, the serpentine joint has two degrees of freedom, and therefore, at least four wire ropes 2 are required to control the serpentine joint. As a result, the surgical robot can realize a large angle of bending with a serpentine joint, and can also realize a spatial torsional motion. The motion state of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot can be referred to FIG. 16 to FIG. 18.

In other embodiments of the present application, the number of joint joints included in the serpentine joint may be more, for example, two to ten natural numbers, for example, five, six, eight or Ten equals; the rods in the adjacent two joint joints may extend in parallel or in different directions (ie, neither parallel nor intersect). When the second rod of the pair of joint joints is different from the direction of extension of the first rod of the pair of adjacent joint joints, the angle may be any value greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°, preferably, The angle is 45° or 90°, so that the surgical robot can realize a rich spatial torsion action with a serpentine joint.

Further, the serpentine joint has n (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1) degrees of freedom, that is, when the swinging direction of the joint joint pair in the serpentine joint is n kinds, the joint joint in the serpentine joint The number of pairs is greater than or equal to n, and the number of flexible structures is at least 2n. The fixed position of the flexible joint controlling the joint of the joint to the swinging direction may be on the second joint joint of the joint pair or the second joint joint of the joint joint of the distal end of the joint pair (if any) . Thus, the distal end of at least 2 flexible structures is secured to the second joint joint of the most distally located joint joint of the pair of articulating joints. More preferably, one end of all of said flexible structures is secured to a second articulating joint of a pair of articulating joints located at the most distal end of said serpentine joint. For example, the wire rope passes through the first axial through hole and the second axial through hole on each joint joint and is then fixed to the second end face of the second joint joint of the most distal one of the joint joints, thereby passing the wire rope The stretching achieves bending (motion) control of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot.

The invention also provides a surgical instrument comprising an instrument tip, a serpentine joint, a tubular, a flexible member, and a controller; wherein the instrument tip, the serpentine joint, the tubular body, and the The controller is connected in sequence; the flexible member is connected to the controller at one end, the other end is connected to the end of the instrument through the tubular body, the serpentine joint; the proximal end of the flexible structure of the serpentine joint passes through The tubular is coupled to the controller; the controller controls movement of the instrument tip by the flexible member, and the swing of the serpentine joint is controlled by the flexible structure of the serpentine joint. Specifically, the end of the instrument mainly includes a surgical tool such as a scissors, a pliers, an electric hook, etc., which are directly operated in a human body; the two ends of the serpentine joint are respectively connected to the end of the instrument and the tubular, and the tubular is a hollow thin-walled tube. For supporting the end of the instrument so that the end of the instrument can extend into the human body while the proximal end of the surgical instrument is placed outside the body; the controller is used to control the movement of the end of the instrument and the movement of the serpentine joint; The distal end of the flexible structure of the serpentine joint is connected to the controller via the tubular body. The surgical instrument controls the posture of the serpentine joint to bring the end of the instrument to a desired position and posture, and controls the end of the instrument to perform clamping, cutting, and the like at the end of the instrument.

The invention also provides an endoscope comprising an imaging system, a serpentine joint, a tubular, and a controller; wherein the imaging system, the serpentine joint, the tubular, and the a controller is coupled in sequence; a proximal end of the flexible structure of the serpentine joint is coupled to the controller via the tubular; the controller controls movement of the serpentine joint by a flexible structure of the serpentine joint (swing ). The imaging system includes an objective lens group of an endoscope that realizes acquisition of a picture in an endoscope field of view; the serpentine joint is used to connect an imaging system and a tube, and adjust an attitude of the imaging system; the tube is hollow and thin a wall tube for supporting the end and the head end of the endoscope such that the end of the endoscope can extend into the human body while the head end of the endoscope is placed outside the body; the controller is for controlling the serpentine The swing of the joint; the proximal end of the flexible structure of the serpentine joint is connected to the controller via a tubular. The endoscope achieves control of the pose of the serpentine joint through the controller such that the endoscopic imaging system can reach a desired pose.

In summary, the present invention provides a serpentine joint for a surgical robot having at least one degree of freedom, including at least one joint joint pair and a flexible structure, each of the joint joint pairs including a first joint joint and a second joint joint. The first joint joint includes a first spherical surface, the first spherical surface is provided with a first engaging mechanism, the second joint joint includes a second spherical surface, and the second spherical surface is provided with a second engaging mechanism, the first An articulating joint and the second articulating joint are engaged by the first engaging mechanism and the second engaging mechanism, the flexible structure controlling a swinging direction and a swinging angle of the joint joint pair to achieve the serpentine shape The swing of the joint. In the present invention, the joint joint adopts a spherical surface as a support structure for the joint when the joint is swung, and the spherical surface has a higher supporting ability, thereby improving the bearing capacity of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot; further, through the meshing mechanism The meshing motion realizes the swing of the joint joint pair, improves the meshing precision of the meshing mechanism, and can achieve high bending precision of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot.

The above description is only for the description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any changes and modifications made by those skilled in the art in light of the above disclosure are all within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

A serpentine joint for a surgical robot, characterized in that the surgical robot has at least one degree of freedom with a serpentine joint, and includes: at least one joint joint pair and a flexible structure;

Each joint joint pair includes a first joint joint at a lower end and a second joint joint at an upper end, the first joint joint includes a first spherical surface, and the first spherical surface is provided with a first engagement mechanism, the second The joint joint includes a second spherical surface, and the second spherical surface is provided with a second meshing mechanism,

The first articulation joint and the second articulation joint are engaged by the first engagement mechanism and the second engagement mechanism, the flexible structure controlling a swing of the articulating pair.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein said first joint joint is provided with a plurality of first axial through holes arranged circumferentially, said flexible structure extending through said first shaft a second through joint, wherein the second joint joint is provided with a plurality of second axial through holes arranged circumferentially, the flexible structure extending through the second axial through hole, at least two of the first axial through holes The position of the hole corresponds to the position of at least two of said second axial through holes.
The serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 2, wherein the number of the first axial through holes is the same as the number of the second axial through holes, and the first axial through hole The position is in one-to-one correspondence with the position of the second axial hole.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein a center of said first joint joint is provided with a third axial through hole; and a center of said second joint joint is provided with a fourth axial passage a hole; the third axial through hole corresponds to the fourth axial through hole.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of said first spherical surface and a diameter of said second spherical surface are equal.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein said first engaging means comprises a plurality of first rods arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other, and a first one is disposed between adjacent ones of said first rods a second engaging mechanism comprising a plurality of second rods arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other, wherein a second tooth groove is disposed between two adjacent second rods; wherein the first rod and the second rod Corresponding to the cogging, the second rod corresponds to the first slot.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 6, wherein the number of the first rods is larger than the number of the second rods.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein said first joint joint further comprises a first end surface, said first end surface being opposite said first spherical surface; said second joint joint further A second end surface is included, the second end surface being opposite to the second spherical surface.
The serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 8, wherein the first end surface and the second end surface have the same diameter.
The serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 9, wherein the first end surface is provided with a first groove that penetrates in a radial direction; and the second end surface is provided with a second concave portion that is radially penetrated. groove.
The serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein when the serpentine joint of the surgical robot has n degrees of freedom, the flexible structure is at least 2n, wherein n is greater than or equal to 1. Natural number.
The serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the serpentine joint includes a plurality of the joint joint pairs, and the plurality of joint joint pairs are sequentially adjacent to each other.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 12, wherein the adjacent two joint joints are adjacent to each other and are fixed to the first joint joint and the second joint joint of the two different joint joint pairs. Connected or detachable connection.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 12, wherein said first joint joint and said second joint joint are adjacent and belong to two joint joint pairs, said first joint joint The direction in which the first rod extends is parallel or out-of-plane with the direction in which the second rod of the second joint joint extends.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 14, wherein in the first joint joint and the second joint joint adjacent to and belonging to two different joint joint pairs, the first joint joint is An angle between the extending direction of the first rod and the extending direction of the second rod of the second joint joint is 45° or 90°.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 12, wherein a distal end of at least two of said flexible structures is the same as a distal end of an articulated joint of said surgical robot The two joint joints are fixed.
A serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to claim 16, wherein a distal end of all of said flexible structures and a second joint of a distalmost one of said serpentine joints of said surgical robot The joint is fixed.
A surgical instrument, comprising: a device end, a serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to any one of claims 1 to 17, a tubular member, a flexible member, and a controller; wherein The end of the instrument, the surgical robot with a serpentine joint, the tubular and the controller are sequentially connected; the flexible member is connected to the controller at one end, and the other end passes through the tubular object, and the surgical robot uses a serpentine shape a joint is coupled to the distal end of the instrument; the surgical robot is coupled to the controller via the tubular proximal end of the flexible structure of the serpentine joint; the controller controls movement of the distal end of the instrument through the flexible member The surgical robot controls the swing of the serpentine joint with a flexible structure of a serpentine joint.
An endoscope, comprising: an imaging system, a serpentine joint for a surgical robot according to any one of claims 1 to 17, a tube, and a controller; wherein the imaging a system, the surgical robot is sequentially connected with a serpentine joint, the tubular body, and the controller; the proximal end of the surgical robot with a flexible structure of a serpentine joint is connected to the controller via the tubular; The controller controls the swing of the serpentine joint by the flexible structure of the serpentine joint of the surgical robot, thereby adjusting the posture of the imaging system.