JP2010035875A - Medical manipulator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately determine the degree of deterioration in flexible members which are wound around distal end pulleys and proximal end pulleys through a connection shaft. <P>SOLUTION: A medical manipulator 10 includes: an actuator block 30 having motors 40a-40c; a connection part 15 which is freely attachable/detachable to/from the actuator block 30 and has proximal end pulleys 50a-50c to be connected to the rotary shafts of the motors 40a-40c; a distal end operation part 12 arranged at the distal end of a connection shaft 48 extending from the connection part 15; the distal end pulleys 57a-57c for driving the distal end operation part 12; and wires 54a-54c which are wound around the proximal end pulleys 50a-50c and the distal end pulleys 57a-57c through the inside of the connection shaft 48 and transmit the rotation of the motors 40a-40c to the distal end operation part 12. The diameters R1 of the distal end pulleys 57a-57c at the distal end are smaller than the diameters R2 of the proximal end pulleys 50a-50c at the proximal end. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a medical manipulator that drives a distal end working unit provided at the distal end of a connecting shaft via a flexible member by driving a motor from a control unit.

  In endoscopic surgery (also called laparoscopic surgery), a plurality of holes are made in a patient's abdomen, etc., and a trocar (tubular instrument) is inserted as a passing port of the instrument, and then a shaft is provided. The distal end of the forceps is inserted into a body cavity through a trocar and the affected area is operated. A gripper, a scissors, an electric scalpel blade, and the like are attached to the distal end of the forceps as a working unit for gripping a living tissue.

  Endoscopic surgery using forceps requires a certain amount of training because the inside of the body cavity, which is the working space, is narrow and the forceps are operated using the trocar as a fulcrum. In addition, since the forceps used in the related art do not have a joint at the distal end working portion, the degree of freedom is small, and the distal end working portion can only operate on the extension line of the shaft. Therefore, there are limits to the cases that can be performed by normal training, and a considerably high level of training and proficiency is required to apply to various other cases.

  From such a viewpoint, a conventional forceps has been improved and a forceps having a plurality of joints in a working unit has been developed (for example, see Patent Document 1). The manipulator described in Patent Document 1 includes an operation unit that is operated manually and a work unit that is detachably attached to the operation unit. In such a manipulator, there are no restrictions or inconveniences like conventional forceps, the procedure is easy, the number of applicable cases increases, and various types of procedures can be handled by exchanging the types of working parts. Can do.

  On the other hand, a medical robot system that drives such a manipulator with a robot arm has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2004-105451 A US Pat. No. 6,331,181

  As described above, the working unit in the medical manipulator may be configured to be replaceable with respect to the operation unit. This makes it possible to wear various types according to the procedure, clean only the working part after the procedure is completed, and replace only the working part with a new one periodically. Sufficient reliability can be ensured. That is, it is desirable that the operation unit is provided with many electrical components and is relatively expensive and can be used for as long as possible. However, the operation unit is inexpensive because there are no weak electrical components, and the operation unit Therefore, it is desirable to replace the tip operation unit with a new one at an appropriate time in consideration of mechanical life and damage caused by cleaning with steam and heat. As described above, it is assumed that the working unit is periodically replaced with a new one, and it is only necessary to have an appropriate life, and it is not necessary to have an excessively high strength.

  On the other hand, the working part has a connecting part connected to the actuator part and a connecting shaft extending from the connecting part, and the tip operating part is provided at the tip of the connecting shaft and is wound around the pulley of the connecting part. Interlocks with a flexible member such as a plurality of wires. These flexible members repeat the arc state wound around the pulley according to the reciprocating motion and the linear state apart from the pulley, and are repeatedly subjected to bending stress. In particular, the lifetime is relatively short.

  The flexible member is wound between a proximal end pulley provided at the connecting portion and driven by a motor, and a distal end pulley that drives the distal end operating portion, and both the proximal end pulley side and the distal end pulley side are wound. Will be subjected to repeated bending stress to the same extent, and deterioration will proceed to the same extent. Therefore, it is difficult to specify which of the proximal pulley side and the distal pulley side is deteriorated to the extent that the flexible member cannot be used first, and varies depending on individual differences. However, there is a tip working part in the vicinity of the tip pulley, and there is a certain amount of exposed part so that the flexible member can be seen, but the connection that holds the base pulley rotatably. Since the part needs to be detachable from the operation part, and since airtightness is required, it has a block structure, and it is relatively difficult to check the state of the flexible member. That is, the degree of deterioration of the flexible member on the distal end side can be confirmed, but the degree of deterioration of the flexible member on the proximal end side is difficult to confirm, and is estimated based on the degree of deterioration on the distal end side, or It is necessary to replace it early.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a medical manipulator that can appropriately determine the degree of deterioration of a flexible member.

  A medical manipulator according to the present invention includes an actuator unit including a motor, a connection unit including a proximal pulley that is detachably attached to the actuator unit and connected to a rotation shaft of the motor, and a connection extending from the connection unit. Rotating the motor by being wound between the proximal pulley and the distal pulley, passing through the connecting shaft, the distal pulley operating at the distal end of the shaft, the distal pulley driving the distal actuator, And a flexible member that transmits to the distal end working portion, wherein the distal end pulley has a smaller diameter than the proximal end pulley.

  Thus, when the distal end pulley is set to have a smaller diameter than the proximal end pulley, the distal end pulley side is more bent and the deterioration progresses faster than the proximal end pulley side. Therefore, it is sufficient to check the tip pulley side with good visibility for the life of the flexible member, and it is not necessary to check the base pulley side with poor visibility, and the degree of deterioration of the flexible member is appropriate. Can be judged.

  The diameter of the proximal pulley may be 1.1 to 5.0 times the diameter of the distal pulley.

  The flexible member may be a linear body, and the diameter of the tip pulley may be 2 to 120 times the diameter of the linear body.

  The flexible member has two reciprocating lines in the connecting shaft, and has an arc guide that makes the two lines of the flexible member substantially parallel to the width of the proximal pulley, and the arc guide The radius of curvature of may be larger than the radius of the tip pulley. By providing such an arc guide, the reciprocating two lines in the connecting shaft of the flexible member are substantially parallel, and the connecting shaft can be reduced in diameter. Since the arc guide has a larger radius of curvature than the tip pulley, the fastest deterioration of the flexible member is limited to the vicinity of the tip pulley.

  A visual recognition portion that is provided near the distal end portion of the connection shaft and exposes the flexible member may be provided. Thus, if a visual recognition part is provided near the front-end | tip of a connection shaft, it will be easier to confirm the state of a flexible member.

  The flexible member may be a wire.

  According to the medical manipulator according to the present invention, since the distal end pulley is set to have a smaller diameter than the proximal end pulley, the distal end pulley side has a higher degree of bending than the proximal end pulley side. Deterioration progresses faster. Therefore, it is sufficient to check the tip pulley side with good visibility for the life of the flexible member, and it is not necessary to check the base pulley side with poor visibility, and the degree of deterioration of the flexible member is appropriate. Can be judged.

  Hereinafter, the medical manipulator according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the medical manipulator 10 according to the present embodiment is for performing a predetermined treatment by holding a part of a living body or a curved needle or the like on the distal end working unit 12. Usually, it is also called a grasping forceps or a needle driver (needle holder).

  The medical manipulator 10 includes an operation unit 14 that is manually held and operated, and a work unit 16 that is detachable from the operation unit 14, and a controller that is detachable from the operation unit 14 via a connector 24. A manipulator system having a (control unit) 27 is configured.

  The medical manipulator 10 has an operation unit 14 and a working unit 16 as a basic configuration. A controller 27 controls the medical manipulator 10 electrically, and extends from the lower end of the grip handle 26. The existing cable 62 is connected via the connector 24. For example, part or all of the functions of the controller 27 serving as the control unit can be integrally mounted on the operation unit 14.

  The controller 27 has a clock function.

  In the following description, the width direction in FIG. 1 is defined as the X direction, the height direction is defined as the Y direction, and the extending direction of the connecting shaft 48 is defined as the Z direction. Further, the right side is defined as the X1 direction, the left side as the X2 direction, the upward direction as the Y1 direction, the downward direction as the Y2 direction, the forward direction as the Z1 direction, and the backward direction as the Z2 direction. Further, unless otherwise specified, the description of these directions is based on the case where the medical manipulator 10 is in the reference posture (neutral posture). These directions are for convenience of explanation, and it is needless to say that the medical manipulator 10 can be used in any orientation (for example, upside down).

  The working unit 16 connects the tip operating unit 12 that performs the work, the connection unit 15 connected to the actuator block (actuator unit) 30 of the operation unit 14, and the tip operating unit 12 and the connection unit 15. A long and hollow connecting shaft 48. The working unit 16 can be detached from the operation unit 14 by a predetermined operation in the actuator block 30 and can perform cleaning, sterilization, maintenance, and the like.

  The distal end working unit 12 and the connecting shaft 48 are configured to have a small diameter, and can be inserted into a body cavity 22 from a cylindrical trocar 20 provided in a patient's abdomen or the like. Various procedures such as excision of the affected area, grasping, suturing and ligation can be performed.

  Next, the operation unit 14 will be described in detail.

  The operation unit 14 includes a grip handle 26 that is gripped by a human hand, a bridge 28 that extends from the top of the grip handle 26, and an actuator block 30 that is connected to the tip of the bridge 28.

  The connecting portion 15 includes an engagement piece 200 on the left and right side surfaces, and three fitting holes 202a, 202b, and 202c that open on the upper and lower surfaces. The three fitting holes 202a to 202c are provided in the vicinity of the ends in the Z1 direction and the Z2 direction, and extend in the Y direction.

  In the actuator block 30, motors (DC motors) 40 a, 40 b, and 40 c are provided in parallel along the Z direction so as to correspond to the three-degree-of-freedom mechanism of the distal end working unit 12. These motors 40 a to 40 c rotate under the action of the controller 27 based on the operation of the operation unit 14. The motors 40a to 40c are small and have a small diameter, and the actuator block 30 is configured in a compact flat shape. The motors 40a to 40c incorporate speed reducers 42a, 42b and 42c. The reduction gears 42a to 42c are, for example, planetary types, and the reduction ratio is about 1: 100 to 1: 300.

  The actuator block 30 is provided below the end of the operation unit 14 in the Z1 direction. Here, the actuator block 30 means a place where the working unit 16 is mounted, and is not limited to a place where the motors 40a to 40c are stored, but includes a connection surface 30a (see FIG. 3) with the bridge 28.

  The motors 40 a to 40 c are provided with rotary encoders 44 a, 44 b and 44 c that can detect the rotation angle, and the detected angle signals are supplied to the controller 27.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the grip handle 26 extends from the end of the bridge 28 in the Y2 direction and has a length suitable for being gripped by a hand. Is provided with input means for the operation of the distal end working unit 12. That is, as such an input means, the trigger lever 32 and the switch 36 are provided in the Z1 direction close to the grip handle 26, and the composite input unit 34 and the operation switch 35 are provided in the Y1 direction.

  An LED 29 is provided at an easily visible position on the upper surface of the bridge 28 in the Z1 direction of the operation switch 35. The LED 29 is an indicator that indicates the control state of the medical manipulator 10, is a size that can be easily recognized by an operator, and is sufficiently small and light to such an extent that the operation is not hindered.

  A cable 62 connected to the controller 27 is provided at the lower end of the grip handle 26. The grip handle 26 and the cable 62 may be connected by a connector.

  The operation switch 35 is an input means for setting whether the operation state of the medical manipulator 10 is valid or invalid. The LED 29 is provided at a position with good visibility at a substantially central portion on the upper surface of the bridge 28. Since the LED 29 is arranged side by side with the operation switch 35, for example, the LED 29 is lit in synchronization with an ON operation by the operation switch 35. Thus, the operator can reliably recognize the input state by the LED 29 while operating the operation switch 35.

  In this case, the controller 27 reads the state of the operation switch 35, sets the operation mode when it is in the on state, and sets the motors 40a to 40c to a predetermined origin as an automatic home position return operation when switching from the on state to the off state. Return to the home position after returning to the origin. The operation mode is a mode in which the operation commands of the operation unit 14 are validated to drive the motors 40a to 40c. The stop mode is a mode in which the motors 40a to 40c are stopped regardless of the presence or absence of an operation command from the operation unit 14. These modes and operations are distinguished and controlled by the controller 27, and the lighting state of the LED 29 is switched.

  That is, the LED 29 is lit in green in the operation mode, lit in red in the stop mode, and flashes red in the automatic origin return mode in which the operation mode is changed to the stop mode.

  The composite input unit 34 is a composite input unit that gives rotation commands in the roll direction (axial rotation direction) and yaw direction (left-right direction) to the distal end working unit 12, and is, for example, a first input unit that operates in axial rotation. The roll direction can be instructed by using the second input means operating in the lateral direction. The trigger lever 32 is an input means for giving an open / close command to the gripper 60 (see FIGS. 1 and 5) of the distal end working unit 12.

  The composite input unit 34 and the trigger lever 32 are provided with input sensors 39a, 39b, and 39c for detecting operation amounts, respectively, and supply the detected operation signals to the controller 27.

  The trigger lever 32 is a lever that slightly protrudes in the Z1 direction slightly below the bridge 28, and is provided at a position where the operation with the index finger is easy.

  The trigger lever 32 is connected to the grip handle 26 by an arm 98 and is configured to advance and retreat with respect to the grip handle 26. The arm 98 is connected to the input sensor 39 c in the grip handle 26, and the advance / retreat amount of the trigger lever 32 is measured by the input sensor 39 c and supplied to the controller 27. The trigger lever 32 is configured to be able to perform an operation of applying a finger and pulling in the direction of the grip handle 26 (that is, the Z2 direction) and an operation of pushing out from the grip handle 26 in the Z1 direction. An open / close command can be given.

  Note that the switch 36 provided in the Y2 direction of the trigger lever 32 is an alternate type, and the gripper 60 is opened or closed by the trigger lever 32 by operating the switch 36, for example, a closed state. Can be held.

  On the upper surface 30b of the actuator block 30 on which the connecting portion 15 is placed, working portion detecting means 107 for detecting the presence or absence of the connecting portion 15 is provided in the vicinity of the end in the Z2 direction. The working unit detection means 107 is configured as a photo interrupter composed of an LED 107a that is a projector and a photodiode 107b that is a light receiver provided at opposite positions, and is connected between the LED 107a and the photodiode 107b. When the light shielding piece 109 (see FIG. 2) at the rear end of the portion 15 is inserted and shielded from light, it can be detected that the connecting portion 15 is mounted. The LED 107a and the photodiode 107b are provided in positions close to each other in the direction facing the X direction.

  The actuator block 30 further includes two independent engaging portions 210 that hold the connecting portion 15 of the working portion 16, and three alignment pins 212 a, 212 b, and 212 c that have a positioning function and a holding mechanism for the connecting portion 15. Is provided.

  The two engaging portions 210 are provided at symmetrical positions on the left and right side surfaces (X1 and X2 side surfaces) of the actuator block 30, and have an operation surface 204 and a lever 206 extending from the operation surface 204 in the Y1 direction. . The lever 206 slightly protrudes in the Y1 direction from the upper surface of the actuator block 30, and the inside of the tip is tapered. The engaging portion 210 is elastically biased in the direction in which the lever 206 is directed inward by an elastic member (not shown).

  Two alignment pins 212a to 212c are provided near the end in the Z1 direction on the upper surface of the actuator block 30 and one near the end in the Z2 direction at positions facing the fitting holes 202a to 202c, and extend in the Y1 direction. Exist. Two alignment pins 212a and 212b are provided side by side in the X direction in the vicinity of the end in the Z1 direction.

  Thus, since the three alignment pins 212a to 212c are provided, the connecting portion 15 is supported at three points, and positioning can be performed easily and reliably. In addition, since the three alignment pins 212a to 212c are not linearly arranged, the connection portion 15 can be stably held against twisting in any direction. If two or more of the alignment pins 212a to 212c are provided, the connecting portion 15 is reliably positioned and stably held. In this case, it is more stable if two separated in the Z direction are selected.

  When removing the connection portion 15 from the operation portion 14, the levers 206 provided on both side surfaces of the actuator block 30 are pushed and tilted so as to open outward, and the wedge portion 206 a of the lever 206 is moved to the connection portion 15. It releases from the engagement piece 200 provided in the both sides | surfaces. As a result, the connecting portion 15 can be pulled upward (Y1 direction) from the operation portion 14 and can be removed. When the three alignment pins 212 on the upper surface 30 b of the actuator block 30 are fitted into the fitting holes 202 provided in the pulley housing 300, the connection portion 15 can be stably held.

  When attaching the connection portion 15 to the operation portion 14, the three alignment pins 212 are fitted into the fitting holes 202, respectively, and the connection portion 15 is pushed down (Y2 direction). As a result, the lever 206 once expands outward and then returns to its original position to engage with the engaging piece 200 and the connection is completed.

  On the connection surface 30 a of the operation unit 14, the camera 106 that reads the QR code of the ID unit 104 (see FIG. 4) of the connected work unit 16 and supplies the QR code to the controller 27, and the ID unit 104 of the connected work unit 16. Two LEDs 105 are provided for illuminating. The camera 106 is attached at a position facing the ID unit 104 of the working unit 16, and LEDs 105 are provided on the left and right of the camera 106. Here, as a reader of the ID (identification code) of the ID unit 104, a barcode reader or a barcode scanner can be used instead of the camera 106.

  The operation unit 14 is provided with many electrical components, and is expensive compared to the working unit 16 but has a long life.

  Next, the working unit 16 will be described in detail. The working unit 16 can be removed and cleaned from the operation unit 14 after the procedure is completed, and furthermore, only the working unit 16 can be periodically replaced with a new one to ensure sufficient reliability. . The working unit 16 is inexpensive because it does not have weak electrical components, and the distal end working unit 12 operates in the body cavity 22 and receives a load. Therefore, the working unit 16 is moderate in consideration of mechanical life, damage caused by washing of steam and heat, and the like. It is supposed to be replaced with a new one at the time.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the connecting portion 15 of the working portion 16 is covered with a resin cover 37, and is connected to the drive shafts of the motors 40 a to 40 c to be driven and rotated. Each of 50a, 50b and 50c is rotatably held. The base end pulleys 50 a to 50 c are stored in the pulley storage body 300.

  Wires 54 a, 54 b and 54 c (see FIGS. 5, 6, and 7) are wound around the proximal end pulleys 50 a to 50 c and extend to the distal end working unit 12 through the hollow portion of the connecting shaft 48. ing. A part of the wires 54a to 54c is fixed so as not to slip with respect to the proximal pulleys 50a to 50c (and 57a to 57c). The wires 54a to 54c can be of the same type and the same diameter.

  The pulley housing 300 of the connecting portion 15 needs to be detachable with respect to the operation portion 14 and has a block structure because it requires airtightness, and is covered with a cover 37. It is relatively difficult to confirm the state of the wires 54a to 54c.

  Cross-shaped coupling convex portions 51a, 51b and 51c are respectively provided at the lower ends in the Y2 direction of the base pulleys 50a to 50c constituting the connecting portion 15, and the rotation shafts of the motors 40a to 40c constituting the actuator block 30 are crossed. Shaped recesses 41a, 41b and 41c are provided. The coupling convex portions 51a to 51c and the coupling concave portions 41a to 41c can be engaged with each other, that is, in a state where the connection portion 15 is mounted on the actuator block 30, the rotation of the motors 40a to 40c is the proximal pulleys 50a to 50c. Is reliably transmitted. These engaging portions are not limited to a cross shape.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the vicinity of the rear end of the connection unit 15, an ID unit 104 with an ID (identification code) that can identify the working unit 16 is provided.

  A QR code, which is a different two-dimensional bar code, is attached to the ID unit 104 so that each work unit 16 can be identified. The QR code of the ID unit 104 includes various types of information such as a manufacturing place, a manufacturing date, and a product name in addition to the model, specification, and serial number corresponding to each of the working units 16.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the wires 54 a, 54 b and 54 c inserted through the connecting shaft 48 are respectively wound around corresponding tip pulleys 57 a, 57 b and 57 c of the tip working unit 12 including the gripper 60.

  Therefore, when the proximal pulley 50a is rotationally driven by the motor 40a in a state where the wire 54a is wound between the proximal pulley 50a and the distal pulley 57a, the rotational driving force is transmitted via the wire 54a to the distal pulley. Then, the tip pulley 57a is rotated. Then, the rotation of the tip pulley 57a is sequentially transmitted to, for example, a gear, and the gripper 60 can be opened and closed.

  The tip operating unit 12 is provided with a cover 160 that covers a mechanism unit that performs opening / closing driving and driving in the roll direction.

  A gap 52 is provided between the cover 160 and the connecting shaft 48 so that the mechanism portion is exposed.

  As is apparent from FIG. 5, the distal end working unit 12 is provided in the vicinity of the distal end pulleys 57 a to 57 c and there is an exposed portion such as the gap 52 so that the wires 54 a to 54 c can be visually recognized.

  Further, a pair of viewing holes (viewing portions) 49 provided on the left and right side surfaces are provided at the tip of the connecting shaft 48. The upper and lower members are connected to the front of the viewing hole 49 by a vertical bridge 49a, and the strength is maintained. The gap 52 between the vertical bridge 49a and the cover 160 is narrow, and it is possible to considerably prevent foreign matters (biological tissue, medicine, thread, etc.) from entering each gear or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the visual recognition hole 49 is provided at a position where the front end pulleys 57a to 57c are exposed, and the winding portions of the wires 54a to 54c wound around the front end pulleys 57a to 57c can be observed particularly well. It is. Thereby, the change of the wires 54a-54c which arises near the front-end | tip pulleys 57a-57c can be confirmed easily. Since the wires 54a to 54c are subjected to repeated bending loads by the tip pulleys 57a to 57c, the use conditions are severer than those of the other portions, and the state change of the wires 54a to 54c can be detected quickly by seeing the vicinity.

  The viewing hole 49 has an arc shape at the four corners. According to the visual recognition hole 49, the wires 54a to 54c can be visually recognized, and it is easy to determine a change in the state of the wires 54a to 54c. Therefore, when the wires 54a to 54c change, the use of the working unit 16 can be stopped or predetermined maintenance can be appropriately performed, and the use can be prevented from being stopped unnecessarily early before the state changes. . Since the visual recognition hole 49 has an arc shape at the end portion, it is difficult for the thread used for the surgical suture to be caught and to enter the inside.

  In addition, since the visual recognition hole 49 is for visually recognizing the inside, it does not need to be a hole that physically penetrates, and may be closed with a transparent body, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the power transmission member including the base end pulleys 50a to 50c, the wires 54a to 54c, and the front end pulleys 57a to 57c allows the front end working unit 12 to move in the roll direction (Or axis rotation direction) and the yaw direction (Oy It is configured as a three-degree-of-freedom mechanism consisting of a left and right direction with respect to the axis) and a gripper opening and closing (opening and closing with respect to the Og axis). Since the three-degree-of-freedom mechanism has an operation mechanism interference, the motors 40a to 40c cooperate to compensate for the mechanism interference.

  The motors 40a to 40c are driven based on signals obtained from input sensors 39a, 39b, and 39c that detect the operation amounts of the composite input unit 34 and the trigger lever 32 under the action of the controller 27.

  The wires 54a to 54c are preliminarily adjusted and assembled so as to have an appropriate prescribed tension between the proximal pulleys 50a to 50c and the distal pulleys 57a to 57c. Each of the wires 54 a to 54 c is provided so that two reciprocating wires in the connecting shaft 48 are substantially parallel.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the wires 54 a to 54 c (typically shown for the wire 54 b in FIG. 7) pass through the connection shaft 48, and the proximal pulleys 50 a to 50 c on the proximal end side and the distal end side. The rotation of the motors 40a to 40c is transmitted to the distal end working unit 12 by being wound around the front end pulleys 57a to 57c.

  Here, the distal end pulleys 57a to 57c have a smaller diameter than the proximal end pulleys 50a to 50c, the degree of bending is stronger on the distal end side, and the progress of deterioration is faster than that on the proximal end side. Therefore, the life of the wires 54a to 54c is sufficient if the tip pulleys 57a to 57c having good visibility are confirmed, and it is not necessary to confirm the proximal pulleys 50a to 50c having poor visibility. The degree of degradation of 54c can be determined appropriately.

  When the diameter R2 of the base end pulleys 50a to 50c is 1.1 to 5.0 times the diameter R1 of the front end pulleys 57a to 57c, a moderate difference in diameter is obtained, and the base end pulleys 50a to 50c are pulleys. It fits in the storage body 300 and is suitable.

  When the diameter R1 of the tip pulleys 57a to 57c is 2 to 120 times the diameter of the wires 54a to 54c, it is suitable as a pulley and can be arranged in the connecting shaft 48.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the proximal pulley 50b has a relatively large diameter, an arc guide 350 that makes the two wires 54b substantially parallel to the width of the distal pulley 57b may be provided. A pair of left and right arc guides 350 are provided in the pulley housing 300 in accordance with the two-way wire 54b. The arc guide 350 only needs to have a shape that is arranged substantially in parallel so that the reciprocating two-wire wire 54b can be arranged in the sufficiently thin connecting shaft 48 matched to the trocar 20. A groove for preventing a shift in the height direction (Y direction) may be provided on a side surface of the arc guide 350. The arc guide 350 may be made of a smooth and lubricious resin or the like.

  The radius of curvature r3 of the arc guide 350 is larger than the radius R1 / 2 of the distal end pulley 57b, larger than the radius R2 / 2 of the proximal end pulley 50b, and the degree of bending with respect to the wire 54b is extremely small. The radius of curvature r3 only needs to be larger than at least the radius R1 / 2 of the tip pulley 57b.

  By providing such an arc guide 350, the reciprocating two lines in the connecting shaft 48 are substantially parallel to the wire 54b, and the connecting shaft 48 can have a small diameter. Since the arc guide 350 has a radius of curvature larger than that of the front end pulley 57b, the fastest deterioration of the wire 54b is limited to the vicinity of the front end front end pulley 57b. Of course, the arc guide 350 may be provided for the other wires 54a and 54c.

  As described above, according to the medical manipulator 10 according to the present embodiment, the distal end distal pulleys 57a to 57c are set to have a smaller diameter than the proximal proximal pulleys 50a to 50c. The degree of bending becomes stronger on the pulleys 57a to 57c side, and the progress of deterioration becomes faster than that on the base end pulleys 50a to 50c side. Therefore, it is suppressed that the proximal pulleys 50a to 50c on the proximal side are deteriorated earlier due to individual differences, and it is sufficient to check the distal pulleys 57a to 57c with good visibility for the life of the wires 54a to 54c. become. Thereby, it is not necessary to check the proximal pulleys 50a to 50c which are inferior in visibility, and the degree of deterioration of the wires 54a to 54c can be determined appropriately. Further, it is not necessary to estimate the degree of deterioration on the proximal end side based on the degree of deterioration on the distal end side of the wires 54a to 54c, and further, it is necessary to replace the working unit 16 early based on the estimation. Absent.

  The above embodiment may be applied to a medical robot system 800 as shown in FIG. 9, for example.

  The medical robot system 800 includes an articulated robot arm 802 and a console 804, and the working unit 806 is connected to the tip of the robot arm 802. A manipulator 808 having a mechanism similar to that of the medical manipulator 10 is provided at the tip of the robot arm 802. The robot arm 802 may be any means that moves the working unit 806, and is not limited to a stationary type, but may be an autonomous moving type, for example. The console 804 may take a configuration such as a table type or a control panel type.

  If the robot arm 802 has six or more independent joints (such as a rotation axis and a slide axis), the position and orientation of the working unit 806 can be arbitrarily set. The manipulator 808 at the tip is integrated with the tip 810 of the robot arm 802. The manipulator 808 has an actuator block 812 having a proximal end connected to the distal end portion 810 and containing a motor therein instead of the actuator block 30 (see FIG. 1).

  The robot arm 802 may operate under the action of the console 804, and may be configured to perform an automatic operation by a program, an operation following a joystick 814 provided on the console 804, and a composite operation thereof. The console 804 includes the function of the controller 27 (see FIG. 1). The working unit 806 is provided with the distal end working unit 12.

  The console 804 is provided with two joysticks 814 as operation command units and a monitor 816. Although not shown, two robot arms 802 can be individually operated by two joysticks 814. The two joysticks 814 are provided at positions that can be easily operated with both hands. On the monitor 816, information such as an image by an endoscope is displayed.

  The joystick 814 can move up and down, move left and right, twist, and tilt, and can move the robot arm 802 in accordance with these operations. The joystick 814 may be a master arm. The communication means between the robot arm 802 and the console 804 may be wired, wireless, network, or a combination thereof.

  The medical manipulator according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

It is a perspective view of the medical manipulator concerning this embodiment. It is a side view of the medical manipulator which isolate | separated the working part and the operation part. It is a perspective view of an operation part. It is a partial cross section perspective view of a connection part. It is a perspective view of a front-end | tip operation | movement part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the basic composition of a pulley, a wire, and a front-end | tip operation | movement part. It is a schematic plan view which shows a front end pulley, a base end pulley, and the wire wound around these pulleys with a medical manipulator. It is a schematic plan view which shows the front end pulley, the base end pulley, and the wire wound around these pulleys with the medical manipulator which concerns on a modification. It is a perspective view of the medical robot system which connected the manipulator to the front-end | tip of a robot arm.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Medical manipulator 12 ... Tip operation | movement part 14 ... Operation part 15 ... Connection part 16,806 ... Working part 27 ... Controller 30, 812 ... Actuator block 40a-40c ... Motor 48 ... Connection shaft 49 ... Visual recognition hole 50a-50c ... Base end pulleys 54a to 54c ... Wires 57a to 57c ... End pulley 60 ... Gripper 300 ... Pulley storage body 350 ... Arc guide 800 ... Medical robot system

Claims (6)

An actuator unit equipped with a motor;
A connecting portion comprising a proximal pulley that is detachably attached to the actuator portion and connected to a rotating shaft of the motor;
A tip operating portion provided at the tip of a connecting shaft extending from the connecting portion;
A tip pulley for driving the tip working unit;
A flexible member that passes through the connecting shaft, is wound between the proximal pulley and the distal pulley, and transmits the rotation of the motor to the distal working portion;
Have
The medical manipulator characterized in that the distal pulley has a smaller diameter than the proximal pulley. The medical manipulator according to claim 1, wherein
The medical manipulator characterized in that the diameter of the proximal pulley is 1.1 to 5.0 times the diameter of the distal pulley. The medical manipulator according to claim 1 or 2,
The flexible member is a wire;
The diameter of the tip pulley is 2 to 120 times the diameter of the wire body. The medical manipulator according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The flexible member is provided with two reciprocating wires in the connecting shaft;
An arc guide that makes the two-line flexible member substantially parallel to the width of the proximal pulley,
A medical manipulator characterized in that a radius of curvature of the arc guide is larger than a radius of the tip pulley. The medical manipulator according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A medical manipulator having a visual recognition part provided near the distal end of the connection shaft and exposing the flexible member. In the medical manipulator according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The medical manipulator, wherein the flexible member is a wire.

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