AU2019415870B2

AU2019415870B2 - Medical robot

Info

Publication number: AU2019415870B2
Application number: AU2019415870A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Chenlong CHU; Meng HAN; Baofeng Jin; Wenbo Liu; Dongdong Zhang
Original assignee: Sinovation Beijing Medical Tech Co Ltd
Current assignee: Sinovation Beijing Medical Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-29
Filing date: 2019-12-27
Publication date: 2022-04-14
Anticipated expiration: 2039-12-27
Also published as: WO2020135784A1; CN111012499A; CN111012499B; AU2019415870A1; CN215778612U

Abstract

A medical robot, comprising: a fixed connection apparatus (100), used to fix a structure connected to an end thereof; a position adjusting apparatus (200), including a base, a power structure and at least two sets of moving components, each set of moving components including two elements capable of relative motion, and the power structure being capable of causing the two elements to perform relative motion; a control apparatus, used to regulate and control the power structure and make an external communication connection; a guide apparatus (400), used to limit a motion path of a surgical instrument; the position adjustment apparatus (200) being connected to an end of the fixed connection apparatus (100), the guide apparatus (400) being hinged to the two sets of moving components of the position adjustment apparatus (200) by means of a connector, causing the guide apparatus (400) to change its position in space according to motion of the two sets of moving components, thereby implementing positioning of the guide apparatus (400) in three-dimensional space. The present robot has small volume and a flexible structure, and is adapted for joint use with current navigation systems, ultrasound systems, etc.

Description

Surgical Robot

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201811644911.2, filed on December 29, 2018 and entitled "surgical robot", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of medical equipment technologies, in particular to a surgical robot.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.

[0004] As a common surgical type in clinical surgery, the puncture surgery may be specifically applied in not but limited to hematoma aspiration, cyst aspiration, tissue biopsy, drug delivery, and the like.

[0005] In traditional puncture surgery, a puncture needle is generally positioned by determining a position of a lesion based on a patient's CT image, and then, a doctor roughly determines a puncture path based on the position of the lesion to perform puncture. For safety reasons, a CT scan is generally performed every 1-2 cm of insertion of the needle to correct a moving direction of the puncture needle. Thus, during the entire surgery, the patient needs to receive multiple CT scans, suffering from a relative great amount of radiation. In addition, the design of the puncture path in this method relies heavily on the doctor's experience and judgment, and there is also the risk of puncturing the blood vessel and causing hemorrhage. For small and deep lesions, there are still large errors and the risk of failing to reach the lesion.

[0006] In recent years, the emergence of stereotactic technology has helped doctors to position the surgical approach by more scientific methods, and has been widely applied deep brain stimulation, stereotactic EEG electrode implantation for positioning epileptic lesion, and other surgeries. Stereotactic methods include a stereotactic frame method and a stereotactic surgical robot method, both of which acquire spatial coordinates of each position of a head by scanning the head CT in advance and three-dimensional reconstruction. Then, the doctor designs an approach under this coordinate system, and achieves precise puncture path guidance during the surgery based on the coordinates.

[0007] Compared with the traditional surgical method, the stereotactic technology has obvious advantages in the accuracy because it can avoid important tissues in advance and ensure the safety and effectiveness of the surgery. However, the prior art has a problem in its long preparation time. For surgeries such as suction and biopsy, the preparation time for the surgery is greatly lengthened if adopting the stereotactic technology, which thereby is not suitable for emergency operations such as hemorrhagic stroke. Furthermore, a marked scan CT is required during the preparation for the surgery, which increases the radiation exposure of a patient; and additional trauma may be caused during the installation of a head frame. In addition, the high price makes it difficult to popularize the stereotactic surgical robot in ordinary hospitals, thereby failing to benefit the majority of patients.

SUMMARY According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a surgical robot, comprising: a connection fixing device, configured to fix a structure connected to a distal end of the connection fixing device; a position adjusting device, comprising a base, a power structure, and at least two sets of moving assemblies, wherein each set of moving assemblies comprises two components capable of moving relatively, and the power structure is capable of prompting the two components to move relative to each other; a controlling device, configured to regulate the power structure and communicate with outside; and a guiding device, configured to define a movement path of surgical instruments; wherein the position adjusting device is connected to the distal end of the connection fixing device, and the guiding device is hinged with the two sets of moving assemblies of the position adjusting device via a first connector and a second connector, respectively, such that a spatial position of the guiding device changes based on movements of the moving assemblies, thereby positioning the guiding device in a three-dimensional space, wherein the guiding device includes a guiding catheter, and the guiding catheter is controlled and positioned in a three-dimensional space by moving the first connector and the second connector.

[0008] In view of this, the inventor proposes a surgical robot with a small size and flexible installation in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art. The surgical robot has fast response, can position the puncture accurately, causes a small trauma, has a small size, a light weight and a low price, and is easy to cooperate with the existing technology.

[0009] The present invention provides a surgical robot, including:

[0010] a connection fixing device, configured to fix a structure connected to a distal end thereof;

[0011] a position adjusting device, including a base, a power structure, and at least two sets of moving assemblies, wherein each set of the moving assemblies includes two components capable of moving relatively, and the power structure can prompt the two components to move relative to each other;

[0012] a controlling device, configured to regulate the power structure and communicate with outside; and

[0013] a guiding device, configured to define a movement path of surgical instruments;

[0014] wherein the position adjusting device is connected to the distal end of the connection fixing device, and the guiding device is hinged with the moving assemblies of the position adjusting device via a connector such that a spatial position of the guiding device changes based on movements of the moving assemblies, thereby positioning the guiding device in a three-dimensional space.

[0015] In an embodiment, the position adjusting device of the surgical robot according to the present invention includes two sets of moving assemblies. Each set of moving assemblies includes two planes that are arranged in parallel and can move relatively, and the power structure can prompt the two planes of each set of moving assemblies to move relative to each other in directions perpendicular to each other.

[0016] The guiding device of the surgical robot according to the present invention may have any suitable shape, as long as it has a through hole which allows an elongated instrument to pass through and then to be positioned. The through hole is preferably cylindrical or conical, most preferably cylindrical, and the through hole may have different inner diameters to meet medical devices having different sizes.

[0017] The position of a part of the surgical robot according to the present invention, such as a base, a connector, a guiding device, a part of the base, a part of the connector, and a part of the guiding device, can be detected in medical imaging. In an embodiment, the guiding device of the surgical robot according to the present invention includes a part whose position can be detected in the medical imaging. That is, the guiding device or a part thereof is made of a material whose position can be detected in the medical imaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray computed tomography (CT), or X-ray imaging, and other existing medical imaging techniques. Thus, the spatial position of the guiding device can be determined in the medical imaging, and then can be adjusted to enable the guiding device to reach a designated position. In a preferred example, the part of the guiding device whose position can be monitored in the medical imaging has a special structure, which can be detected in the medical imaging for further calculating the spatial position of the through hole of the guiding device. For example, two parallel half-arc structures of different lengths are provided at different heights, positions of the two parallel half-arc structures are identified according to medical images, and the spatial position of the central through hole of the guiding device is calculated. However, the design of the special structure is not limited to this as long as the spatial position of the central through hole of the guiding device can be determined by calculation.

[0018] The surgical robot according to the present invention may further include a positioning marker. The positioning marker may be fixedly installed, or may be detachable, or may be installed via a pre-designed connecting structure, or form an independent positioning fitting. There are many options for the positioning marker, as long as the spatial position of the guiding device can be determined by the medical imaging or by the cooperation with other positioning systems. The positioning marker includes, but is not limited to a marker whose position can be detected in the medical imaging (such as MRI, CT, X-ray and other existing medical imaging techniques), an optical marker, a magnetic positioning marker, etc.. The optical marker may be an active optical marker emitting light actively, or a passive optical marker reflecting light passively. Different positioning markers need to cooperate with different systems.

[0019] In the case that the surgical robot according to the present invention adopts a marker that can be detected by medical imaging, the entire surgical robot shall be compatible with the corresponding medical imaging equipment. When adopting a marker that can be monitored by magnetic resonance, the robot according to the present invention is compatible with magnetic resonance and is mainly assembled by non-magnetic components, such that the surgical site of interest and the image and position of the robot of the present invention can be acquired in the magnetic resonance imaging. The positioning marker may be provided in any suitable part of the robot of the present invention except the connection fixing device. In an embodiment, the positioning marker is provided on the base of the position adjusting device, and a position feedback device is additionally provided to reduce errors caused by the power structure during use, thereby preventing conduction errors when calculating the position of the guiding device based on the position of the base. In another embodiment, the positioning marker is provided on the guiding device.

[0020] When the surgical robot according to the present invention adopts a positioning marker whose position can be detected by CT, it is available to adopt a marker with any suitable material and shape. Preferably, the positioning marker is made of a high-density material, and has a relatively clear outline and regular geometric shape in CT. More preferably, a metal sphere is adopted. In an embodiment, at least three metal spheres are provided on the base, and the position of the base can be determined by the positions of the metal spheres in the CT. In order to reduce errors caused by the process of calculating the position of the guiding device based on the base, a position feedback device is additionally provided to ensure the positioning accuracy of the guiding device. In another embodiment, at least three metal spheres are provided on the guiding device, such that the spatial position of the guiding device can be determined by the volume and installation positions of the metal spheres in the CT. In still another embodiment, spatial positions of a first connector and a second connector are calibrated respectively with the positioning marker, and further, a spatial position of the guiding device can be calculated. The above metal sphere may be made of a metal compatible with magnetic resonance, such that the surgical robot according to the present invention is compatible with both T and MRI methods. The CT equipment may be any suitable equipment, including but not limited to an O-arm CT, C-arm CT, and so on.

[0021] When the surgical robot according to the present invention adopts a marker whose position can be detected by X-ray imaging, the distribution and configuration of the marker may refer to the description of the aforementioned CT imaging. It is known to those skilled in the art to acquire the spatial position of the calibrated structure by the relevant positioning marker, which will not be described again.

[0022] In the case that the surgical robot according to the present invention adopts an optical marker, the marker may be monitored by a camera. The optical marker may be an active optical marker that can emit light, or a passive optical marker that can reflect light. The optical marker is well known to those skilled in the art, and may have various shapes and features, such as a spherical marker, and corner points. In an example, the light emitted by a spherical marker emitting light actively or the light reflected by a spherical marker (reflective sphere) reflecting light passively is monitored by a binocular camera to determine the spatial position of the spherical marker and the guiding device. When adopting a reflective sphere marker, a light-emitting unit is further required to emit light to the reflective sphere, and the camera monitors the light reflected by the reflective sphere to calculate the position of the reflective sphere.

[0023] In the case that the surgical robot according to the present invention adopts a magnetic positioning marker, an electromagnetic sensing device matched with the magnetic positioning marker is adopted to monitor the spatial position of the magnetic positioning device to thereby acquire the spatial position of the component (such as, the guiding device) marked by the magnetic positioning marker. The magnetic positioning marker may be configured to track different parts of the surgical robot according to the present invention, such as a base, a connector, and a guide.

[0024] The connection fixing device of the surgical robot according to the present invention has various structures such as a universal arm, a bracket, an arc-shaped frame, or a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical connecting structure, which is capable of fixing the position adjusting device in a proper position relative to the patient. In an embodiment, the connection fixing device is an arc-shaped frame that can slide along a guide rail on a hospital bed, and the position adjusting device is connected to the arc-shaped frame and can be slid on the arc-shaped frame and locked at any position. In another embodiment, the connection fixing device is a rectangular frame that can slide along the guide rail on the hospital bed, and the position adjusting device is connected to a cross beam of the rectangular frame and can be slid on the cross beam and locked at any position. In still another embodiment, the connection fixing device is a universal arm including at least one joint. Preferably, the universal arm includes three joints, and particularly includes a fastening structure, a supporting arm, a firstjoint, a first adjusting arm, a secondjoint, a second adjusting arm, a third joint, and a connecting arm. The fastening structure connects a fixture to the supporting arm, the first joint connects the supporting arm to the first adjusting arm, the second joint connects the first adjusting arm to the second adjusting arm, and the third joint connects the second adjusting arm to the connecting arm. In an embodiment, the connection fixing device is a multi-joint drawer extension device, which can be pulled to a desired length.

[0025] The power structure of the surgical robot according to the present invention may be implemented by various solutions for realizing the movement of the two components of the two sets of the moving assemblies in the position adjusting device as required, such as a motor, a wire drive structure, and a torque transmission structure.

[0026] In an embodiment, the power structure of the surgical robot according to the present invention is a motor, which may, for example, adopt four stepper motors. The stepper motors are connected to the plane via a kinematic pair and push a plane to move via the kinematic pair. The two stepper motors realize the relative movement between two planes of a set of moving assemblies, and each of the two planes may move in mutually perpendicular directions, such that the connector connected to the plane can move in two dimensions. The kinematic pair may be of a screw and thread structure, and the stepping motor drives the screw to move and further drive the plane to move. The movement of the two sets of moving assemblies drives the movement and positioning of the guiding device in a three-dimensional space.

[0027] The motor may be a non-magnetic motor. That is, the motor is compatible with magnetic resonance.

[0028] The surgical robot according to the present invention includes a controlling device, which is configured to regulate the power structure and communicate with the outside. The controlling device has the capabilities of processing, receiving and transmitting data, receives commands from a user or an associated navigation system and the like which are matched with the controlling device, and issues commands to the power structure to adjust the position of the guiding device and enable the guiding device to reach a desired spatial position. The controlling device may exist in many ways, which may, for example, exist as a separate entity, or may be integrated into a control center of a common navigation system, or may be integrated with the structure of the position adjusting device. The controlling device may be controlled by a wire, or may be controlled by connecting to the network via a wireless device. In some embodiments, the controlling device may interact with a mobile smart device, such as a tablet computer, in the hospital for data and commands through wireless connection, so as to facilitate the control of the surgical robot by the user.

[0029] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise", "comprising", and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".

[0030] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described below, and partly become obvious from the description, or be understood by implementing the present invention. The objectives and advantages of the present invention will be implemented and achieved through the structure specifically indicated in the description, claims, and the accompanying drawings.

[0031] In order to make the aforesaid objectives, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, preferred embodiments are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] To describe the technical solutions of specific embodiments of the present invention or the prior art more clearly, a brief introduction may be given hereinafter to the accompanying drawings that may be used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the description below are used for illustrating some embodiments of the present invention, and a person of ordinary skill in the art may still derive other drawings from these accompanying drawings without creative efforts.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a surgical robot according to the present invention;

[0034] FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a connection fixing structure 100 of a surgical robot of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment;

[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an appearance of a part 200 and a part 400 in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment;

[0036] FIG. 4 shows an internal structure of the part 200 in FIG. 3;

[0037] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a positioning fitting 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a state in which the positioning fitting 500 cooperates with other parts of the surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a surgical robot according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which a controlling device 300 is separate and controls a position adjusting device 200 through wired connection;

[0040] FIG. 8 is a structural diagram of a surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] FIG. 9 shows a structure of a guiding device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] FIG. 10 shows a design of a positioning marker assembled on a guiding device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 11 shows a design of a positioning marker assembled on a base according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

[0044] FIG. 12 shows a design of a positioning marker assembled on a connector according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Reference numerals

[0046] 000-Fixture; 100-Connection fixing device; 200-Position adjusting device; 300-Controlling device; 400-Guiding device; 101-Fastening structure; 102-Supporting arm, 103-First joint, 104-First adjusting arm; 105-Second joint; 106-Second adjusting arm; 107-Third joint; 108-Connecting arm; 2001-Housing; 201-Base; 211-First plane; 212-Second plane; 213-First motor; 214-Second motor; 221-Third plane; 222-Fourth plane; 223-Third motor; 224-Fourth motor; 215-First connector; 225-Second connector; 401-Guiding catheter; 402-Long-arc structure; 403-Short-arc structure; 500-Positioning fitting; 511-First spherical optical marker; 512-Second spherical optical marker; 513-Third spherical optical marker; 514-Fourth spherical optical marker; 601-Positioning marker; 602-Positioning marker; 603-Positioning marker; 604-Positioning marker; 605-Positioning marker; and 606-Positioning marker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, but not all of them. All the other embodiments derived by those of ordinary skills in the art without creative efforts based on the embodiments of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 1, the surgical robot includes a connection fixing device 100, a position adjusting 200, a controlling device 300, and a guiding device 400. The connection fixing device 100 has a proximal end connected to a fixture such as a wall, a hospital bed, a ceiling, a floor, and a head frame, and has a distal end connected to a base 201 of the position adjusting device 200 to fix the position adjusting device 200 in a desired position. The position adjusting device 200 includes a base, a power structure, and at least two sets of moving assemblies which can realize relative movement between the assemblies and drive the guiding device 400 to a desired position. The controlling device 300 controls the movement of the position adjusting device 200 and realizes the communication connection with other systems. The guiding device 400 defines the medical device to a designated spatial position and direction, and generally includes a through hole suitable for defining an elongated medical device, such as a drill bit, an electrode, and a puncture needle.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows the connection fixing device 100 of the surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. The connection fixing device 100 connects the fixture to the position adjusting device 200. The fixture 000 may be a wall, a stage, a ceiling, a hospital bed, and a head frame, and is preferably a hospital bed to keep the position adjusting device 200 to be relatively close to a patient and to have a relatively fixed position. The fastening structure 101 connects the fixture 000 to the supporting arm 102, and the first joint 103 connects the supporting arm 102 to the first adjusting arm 104 that preferably can be adjusted universally. The second joint 105 connects the first adjusting arm 104 to the second adjusting arm 106, and the third joint 107 connects the second adjusting arm 106 to the connecting arm 108. The fastening device 101 may be various clamping structures, such as a spring clip. The supporting arm 102, the first adjusting arm 104, the second adjusting arm 106, and the connecting arm 108 are of long rigid structures, such as a cylinder and a cuboid. A reference may be made to FIG. 8 that shows a specific exemplary structure, in which the fastening device 101 is not shown, and the supporting arm 102 is shown. The first joint 103 connects the supporting arm 102 to the first adjusting arm 104, and the first joint 103 may be rotated by 360 degrees to thereby be tightened and fixed. The second joint 105 connects the first adjusting arm 104 to the second adjusting arm 106, and the third joint 107 connects the second adjusting arm 106 to the connecting arm 108. The connecting arm 108 is connected to the position adjusting device 200, and the position adjusting device 200 is hinged with the guiding device 400.

[0050] A reference may be made to FIGS. 3 and 4 that show the appearance and internal structure of the position adjusting device 200 and the guiding device 400 according to an embodiment. The position adjusting device includes a housing 2001, a base 201, a power structure, a first moving assembly and a second moving assembly. The first moving assembly includes a first plane 211 and a second plane 212, and power accessories corresponding thereto are a first motor 213 and a second motor 214. The second moving assembly includes a third plane 221 and a fourth plane 222 (not shown here), and power structures corresponding thereto are a third motor 223 and a fourth motor 224. The first motor 213 controls the movement of the first plane 211 through a kinematic pair, and the second motor 214 controls the movement of the second plane 212 through a kinematic pair. The movement directions of the second plane 212 and the first plane 211 are perpendicular to each other, thereby driving the first connector 215 connected to the first plane 211 to move in two dimensions. The third motor 223 controls the movement of the third plane 221 via a kinematic pair, and the fourth motor 224 controls the movement of the fourth plane 222 via a kinematic pair. The movement directions of the fourth plane 222 and the third plane 221 are perpendicular to each other, thereby driving the second connector 225 connected to the third plane 221 to move in two dimensions. The guiding catheter 401 can be controlled and positioned in a three-dimensional space by moving the first connector 215 and the second connector 225. The guiding device 400 may merely include a guiding catheter 401, or may further have special structures 402 and 403, or may be equipped with a positioning fitting.

[0051] The position adjusting device 200 and the guiding device 400 are made of suitable materials (such as, engineering plastics). In an embodiment, the motors (the first motor 213, the second motor 214, the third motor 223 and the fourth motor 224) are non-magnetic motors, and the connection fixing device 100, other parts of the position adjusting device 200, and the guiding device 400 are made of materials compatible with magnetic resonance, such as engineering plastics and rubber, such that the surgical robot according to the present invention can be used under the magnetic resonance condition.

[0052] The controlling device 300 is configured to control the movement of the position adjusting device 200. The controlling device may be a separate module or an integrated one. When being separate, the controlling device can effectively control the stepping motors by the wired or wireless connection, and may control the first motor 213, the second motor 214, the third motor 223, and the fourth motor 224 in a specific example. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the controlling device is integrated onto the position adjusting device 200. FIG. 7 shows another embodiment in which the controlling device is separate and controls the position adjusting device 200 by the effective communication connection. In another case, the controlling device may be integrated into other instruments that are used together or may directly accept commands from other instruments. For example, in the case that the controlling device 300 cooperates with a surgical navigator, a control center of the surgical navigator may be used to control the surgical robot according to the present invention after being relayed by the controlling device 300.

[0053] The guiding device 400 is of a structure including through holes which allow various elongated medical devices to pass through to determine a direction. The shape of the guiding device 400 is not limited. Preferably, the through holes have a cylindrical shape, and may have different aperture specifications to suit different medical devices.

[0054] In an embodiment, the guiding device 400 further includes a positioning marker. The positioning marker may be integrated on the guiding catheter 401 or may be a detachable independent component. There are many options for the positioning marker, and a most appropriate solution may be selected according to needs. For example, the positioning marker may be a component that can be monitored in medical imaging (MRI, CT, X-ray), or may be a magnetic positioning marker whose position can be detected in electromagnetic navigation, or an optical marker. In an embodiment, three or more positioning markers constitute an independent fitting, such as a positioning fitting 500 which has a special geometric structure and is equipped with four spherical optical markers (a first spherical optical marker 511 , a second spherical optical marker 512, a third spherical optical marker 513, and a fourth spherical optical marker 514). As shown in FIG. 5, the optical marker emits light actively. During use, the positioning fitting 500 is inserted into the through hole of the guiding catheter 401. After the light emitted by the optical marker is captured by a camera, the position of the positioning fitting 500 may be determined by calculation, thereby determining spatial positions of the guiding catheter 401 and the through hole therefor. In another embodiment, the positioning fitting 500 is of a special geometric structure equipped with four spherical optical markers which are the first spherical optical marker 511, the second spherical optical marker 512, the third spherical optical marker 513, and the fourth spherical optical marker 514 as shown in FIG. 5. The optical marker may reflect light. After being reflected by the passive optical marker, the light emitted by the light-emitting unit is received by the camera. Then, the spatial position of the guiding catheter 401 and the spatial position of the through hole in the guiding catheter 401 are determined by calculation. The optical marker is not limited to the spherical optical marker, but also includes existing technologies known to those skilled in the art, such as corner points, as long as the optical tracking can be achieved.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 5, in an embodiment, the positioning fitting 500 is detachable, and includes a body 501 and a cone 502. The body 501 is equipped with four spherical optical markers (the first spherical optical marker 511, the second spherical optical marker 512, the third spherical optical marker 513 and the fourth spherical optical marker 514). A reference may be made to FIG. 6 for the use state. A cone 502 of the positioning fitting 500 is inserted into the through hole of the guiding catheter 401, and the position of the guiding catheter 401 is calibrated via the body 501 and then displayed in a virtual three-dimensional model of software. The guiding catheter 401 is adjusted to a desired position according to a plan as made before the surgery, and then surgical instruments such as electric drills, guide wires and electrodes are guided to pass through the through hole of the guiding catheter 401 to perform stereotactic surgery.

[0056] The position of a part of the surgical robot according to the present invention, such as a base, a connector, a guiding device, a part of the base, a part of the connector, and a part of the guiding device, can be detected in medical imaging. In an embodiment, the guiding device 400 or a part thereof of the surgical robot according to the present invention is configured to be positioned directly in the medical imaging. In a specific embodiment, referring to FIG. 4, the guiding catheter 401 may be made of a specific material, such that its structure can be displayed in the medical imaging (such as MRI, CT, X-ray and other existing medical imaging techniques), and the center position and the direction of the through hole can be determined by calculation. In another specific embodiment, referring to FIG. 9, the parts 402 and 403 of the guiding catheter 401 are made of a material whose outline and position can be shown in the medical imaging; 402 and 403 are part of the catheter wall of the guiding catheter 401 and appeared as two parallel arc structures with different lengths, such that the center position and direction of the through hole of the guiding catheter 401 can be calculated. Obviously, the structural design of this embodiment is only exemplary, and any structure that can determine the center position and direction of the through hole by calculation is included in the scope of the present invention.

[0057] In another solution, the surgical robot according to the present invention includes a marker whose position can be displayed in the medical imaging, such that the guiding device 400 can be positioned in the medical imaging.

[0058] In a specific embodiment of this solution, referring to FIG. 10, the surgical robot according to the present invention is embedded with three positioning markers 601, 602 and 603 on the guiding catheter 401. Since the sizes and embedding positions of the markers and the size of the guiding catheter 401 are known, the orientation and position of the guiding catheter 401 can be calculated in the medical imaging based on the positions of the three positioning markers. The number of the markers may be more than three, and the markers may be detachable as long as they are installed in place before use.

[0059] In another specific embodiment of this solution, the surgical robot according to the present invention is equipped with positioning markers on the base 201 or a fixed position relative to the base 201. A reference may be made to FIG. 11 that shows three positioning markers 601, 602 and 603. Since the installation position is known, the position of the base 201 can be determined by the positioning markers 601, 602, and 603 in the medical imaging, and the orientation and position of the guiding catheter 401 can be calculated by the controlling device 300 based on the movement of the motor and the base 201. In order to ensure that the movement distance calculated based on the rotation of the motor is correct, a position feedback device is additionally provided in this solution to confirm that the movement distance recorded based on the rotation of the motor is completely correct. Obviously, the number of the positioning markers may be more than three, and the positioning markers may have other shapes whose geometric center can be calculated, and may further be detachable.

[0060] In still another specific embodiment of this solution, the surgical robot according to the present invention is provided with positioning markers on the connector or a plane in a fixed positional relationship with the connector. A reference may be made to FIG. 12 that shows an example, which includes two sets of positioning markers. The first set of the markers 601, 602, and 603 may determine the spatial position of the first connector 215, and the second set of the markers 604, 605, and 606 may determine the spatial position of the second connector 225, such that the direction and position of the guiding catheter 401 can be calculated. The number of each set of the positioning markers may be more than three; and the positioning markers may have other shapes whose geometric center can be calculated, and may further be detachable.

[0061] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly defined or limited, the terms "install", "connected with", "connected to" should be comprehended in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to a fixed connection, detachable connection or integrated connection, or may be a mechanical connection or electrical connection, or may refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection via an intermediary, or may be an internal communication of two elements. The specific meanings about the foregoing terms in the present invention may be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific circumstances.

[0062] At last, it shall be noted that the above embodiments are only specific embodiments of the present invention to illustrate, instead of limiting, the technical solutions of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art shall be understood that: for any person skilled in the art, modifications may still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, or changes may be easily conceived, or equivalent substitutions may be made for some of the technical features; these modifications, changes or substitutions do not deviate the nature of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A surgical robot, comprising: a connection fixing device, configured to fix a structure connected to a distal end of the connection fixing device; a position adjusting device, comprising a base, a power structure, and at least two sets of moving assemblies, wherein each set of moving assemblies comprises two components capable of moving relatively, and the power structure is capable of prompting the two components to move relative to each other; a controlling device, configured to regulate the power structure and communicate with outside; and a guiding device, configured to define a movement path of surgical instruments; wherein the position adjusting device is connected to the distal end of the connection fixing device, and the guiding device is hinged with the two sets of moving assemblies of the position adjusting device via a first connector and a second connector, respectively, such that a spatial position of the guiding device changes based on movements of the moving assemblies, thereby positioning the guiding device in a three-dimensional space, wherein the guiding device includes a guiding catheter, and the guiding catheter is controlled and positioned in a three-dimensional space by moving the first connector and the second connector.
2. The surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein a position of a part of the surgical robot is detectable in medical imaging.
3. The surgical robot according to claim 2, wherein the position of the guiding device or a part of the guiding device is detectable in the medical imaging.
4. The surgical robot according to claim 1, further comprising: a positioning marker.
5. The surgical robot according to claim 4, wherein a position of the positioning marker is detectable in the medical imaging.
6. The surgical robot according to claim 5, wherein the medical imaging is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray computed tomography (CT), or X-ray imaging.
7. The surgical robot according to claim 4, wherein the positioning marker is an optical marker whose position is detectable by an optical tracking system.
8. The surgical robot according to claim 7, wherein the optical marker is an active optical marker capable of emitting light or a passive optical marker capable of reflecting light.
9. The surgical robot according to claim 4, wherein the positioning marker is a magnetic positioning marker whose position is detectable by an electromagnetic navigation system.
10. The surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein the connection fixing device is any mechanical structure capable of fixing the position adjusting device relative to a patient.
11. The surgical robot according to claim 10, wherein the connection fixing device is selected from any one of a universal arm, a bracket, an arc-shaped frame, or a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical connecting structure.
12. The surgical robot according to claim 11, wherein the connection fixing device is the universal arm comprising at least one joint.
13. The surgical robot according to claim 12, wherein the universal arm comprises a fastening structure, a supporting arm, a first joint, a first adjusting arm, a second joint, a second adjusting arm, a third joint, and a connecting arm, wherein the fastening structure connects a fixture and the supporting arm, the first joint connects the supporting arm and the first adjusting arm, the second joint connects the first adjusting arm and the second adjusting arm, and the third joint connects the second adjusting arm and the connecting arm.
14. The surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein the power structure is a motor.
15. The surgical robot according to claim 14, wherein the motor is compatible with magnetic resonance.
16. The surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein the surgical robot is compatible with MRI.