JP2010142575A - Endoscope holding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope holding device provided with a tactile sensor that detects tactile pressure applied to an endoscope in a wider range and easily adjusts detection sensitivity.
An endoscope holding portion of an endoscope holding device has a circular hole for penetrating a main body portion of the endoscope, and has a thread at one end. 53, a tactile sensor that is attached to the inside of the holder 53 and senses a tactile pressure applied to the main body 2 of the endoscope, and is screwed into a screw thread of the holder to compress the tactile sensor to adjust the sensor sensitivity. And a sensor characteristic adjusting member 60 capable of performing the same. The tactile sensor of the endoscope holding apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of sensor elements 57 and 58.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope holding apparatus including a tactile sensor for detecting pressure applied to a patient's body by an endoscope. In particular, the present invention relates to an endoscope holding apparatus including a tactile sensor that has a wider range of pressure that can be detected than before and can easily adjust sensitivity.

  In recent years, endoscopes have been widely used in the medical field and the industrial field. Particularly in the medical field, observation images can be obtained in real time even in deep parts of the body, such as the abdominal cavity and chest cavity (hereinafter referred to as body cavity), and they are actively used because they are less invasive. Endoscopes generally have a main body that can obtain an observation image inside the patient's body with an image sensor such as a CCD fixed to the tip, and a display that displays the obtained observation image. Has been.

  In surgery using an endoscope, the patient is anesthetized, a small hole is made, the body part of the endoscope is inserted into the body, the position and angle are adjusted, and the image of the observation site is captured by the imaging device. Projected on the display. The surgeon performs an operation by inserting an instrument such as a forceps within the field of view of the endoscope while visually recognizing the image on the display unit.

  One method for quickly obtaining the most necessary observation image during surgery is a method in which the surgeon himself adjusts the position and angle of the endoscope to obtain an image. However, in that case, it is necessary to change between an endoscope and a surgical instrument such as a forceps, which may hinder rapid surgery. In addition, if the endoscope is held by hand, precise control of the position and angle becomes difficult, and the observation image may be misaligned and camera shake may occur, and a clear observation image of the required observation site may not be obtained. There is. For this reason, various apparatuses that mechanically hold the endoscope have been developed.

  The present inventors have already proposed an endoscope holding apparatus (Patent Document 1). The endoscope holding device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is movable in the vertical direction around the first insertion portion that can move in the left-right direction around the part where the endoscope is inserted into the body cavity, and the part that is inserted into the body cavity. A second holding portion and a third holding portion that is movable obliquely in the front-rear direction with a portion inserted into the body cavity as a passing point. The endoscope is held by the third holding unit. With the above configuration, the endoscope holding device of Patent Document 1 can hold the endoscope so as to be movable in the left-right direction, the up-down direction, and the oblique front-back direction.

  In addition, in Patent Document 2, the third holding is performed so that the pressure applied to the site where the endoscope is inserted into the body cavity and the contact of the end of the endoscope with the organ can be detected. A configuration of an endoscope holding device that holds an endoscope via a tactile sensor whose portion includes a coiled carbon fiber is proposed.

Furthermore, in the patent document 3, the inventors provide a sensor characteristic adjusting member that preliminarily applies pressure to the tactile sensor to adjust the tactile sensor, thereby adding the tactile sensor to adjust the zero point of detection. By doing so, a technology that enables sensing in a region / range where the sensitivity of the sensor is high is disclosed.
JP 2004-129956 A JP 2008-17903 A Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-75444

  The endoscope holding device provided with the tactile sensor can accurately detect the pressure when the endoscope contacts the inside of the patient's body. In order to further improve the excellent characteristics of such an endoscope holding apparatus, the present inventors have provided an endoscope including a tactile sensor that can be more easily adjusted in sensitivity and can detect a wider pressure range. Providing the holding device has led to the present invention as a problem to be solved.

  An endoscope holding apparatus according to the present invention includes a holder in which a circular hole for holding an endoscope is formed so as to penetrate therethrough and a thread is provided at one end thereof, and is attached to the endoscope attached to the inside of the holder. It includes a tactile sensor that senses a tactile pressure, and a sensor characteristic adjusting member that can be screwed into a screw thread of the holder to compress the tactile sensor and adjust the sensor sensitivity. In the endoscope holding apparatus according to the present invention, the tactile sensor includes a plurality of sensor elements. As a result, the endoscope holding apparatus of the present invention can freely select and use a plurality of sensor elements having desirable characteristics, and the sensitivity and pressure range of the entire tactile sensor can be easily set.

  The tactile sensor of the endoscope holding apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that at least one sensor element contains a coiled carbon fiber. The coiled carbon fiber has an inductance (L) component, a capacitance (C) component, and a resistance (R) component due to its helical structure, and can act as an LCR resonance circuit. A highly sensitive sensor element that can output a change in pressure as a signal can be configured.

  The tactile sensor of the endoscope holding apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of annular sensor elements having a circular cross section and an annular sensor element having a square cross section are arranged. . A tactile sensor comprising an annular sensor element having a circular cross section and an annular sensor element having a square cross section is compared with a tactile sensor composed of a single sensor element by a sensor characteristic adjusting member. Since it is easier to deform when a pressure is applied, the sensitivity adjustment of the sensor characteristics can be performed more easily.

  The tactile sensor of the endoscope holding apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the detection sensitivities of the sensor elements are different from each other. The tactile sensor of the present invention can have all the characteristics of a plurality of sensor elements included therein, and can detect the tactile pressure with high accuracy in a wider range.

  In the endoscope holding apparatus according to the present invention, the tactile sensor includes a plurality of sensor elements. The tactile sensor having such a configuration can adjust the sensor detection range and the detection sensitivity very easily by combining a plurality of sensor elements. As a result, it is possible to control the movement of the endoscope before it causes a contact that causes damage to the internal organs without missing a slight pressure change.

  The endoscope holding apparatus according to the present invention includes a tactile sensor including an annular sensor element having a circular cross section and an annular sensor element having a square cross section. It is easier to deform when given. As a result, the detection sensitivity can be adjusted more easily, and an endoscope holding apparatus with little variation among sensors and stable quality can be obtained more easily than before.

  The tactile sensor of the endoscope holding apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of sensor elements having different detection sensitivities, so that the tactile pressure can be detected with higher accuracy in a wider pressure range as a whole.

  Hereinafter, an endoscope holding apparatus 10 which is the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the endoscope holding device 10. The endoscope holding apparatus 10 includes a first holding unit 20, a second holding unit 21, and a third holding unit 22. The main body 2 of the endoscope is held by a holder 53 of the third holding unit 22. A tactile sensor is disposed between the holder 53 and the main body 2 of the endoscope, and senses a tactile pressure applied to the main body of the endoscope.

  The endoscope holding device 10 is attached to an articulated arm 3. One end of the arm 3 is fixed to the side of the operating table 4, and the endoscope holding device 10 can be moved in the vertical and horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the operating table 4. The arm 3, the first holding unit 20, the second holding unit 21, and the third holding unit 22 of the endoscope holding device 10 move through a moving path specified by a control unit (not shown) It is possible to stop at the set position and posture.

  The first holding unit 20 of the endoscope holding device 10 is disposed at the tip of the arm 3 so as to be rotatable by a pivot pin 24. The first holding portion 20 is attached to a first arc plate 25 having an arc angle of about 100 ° supported substantially horizontally by the arm 3 and a first rail 26 provided on the inner peripheral portion of the first arc plate 25. The first slider 27 is guided and moved. Here, the first arc plate 25 is moved so that the insertion position of the endoscope main body 2 into the patient's body cavity becomes the center position of the arc while being held substantially horizontally by the arm 3. . The first slider 27 can move in the left-right direction to draw an arc on a horizontal plane by moving on the first arc plate 25.

  The second holding unit 21 of the endoscope holding device 10 is disposed on the upper surface of the first slider 27 of the first holding unit 20. The second holding portion 21 includes a second arc plate 33 that is fixed on the first slider 27 so as to be perpendicular to the first arc plate 25 and has an arc angle of about 100 °, and the second arc plate 33 And a second slider 34 that is guided by a second rail 35 provided on the inner peripheral portion and moves in a vertical arc. The second holding device can move as the first slider 27 moves. The second slider 34 can move in the vertical direction to draw an arc on a plane perpendicular to the first arc plate 25 by moving on the second arc plate 33.

  An exploded perspective view of the third holding part 22 of the endoscope holding apparatus 10 is shown in FIG. The third holding part 22 includes a linear slider 45, a knuckle part 50, and a holder 53. The linear slider 45 has a guide hole 44 through which a pair of holding pins 43 projecting from the second slider 34 is inserted, and is held in a slidable state with respect to the second slider 34.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a linear rack 46 is provided on the bottom surface of the linear slider 45, and a pinion gear 48 is engaged therewith. The linear slider 45 is supported by the second slider 34 by the pair of holding pins 43, and the rotation of the pinion gear 48 is controlled by a control means (not shown), whereby the linear slider 45 is inclined in the front-rear direction. Can be moved to. In addition, the diagonally forward here refers to a direction toward the center of the second arc plate 33 at an angle formed by the linear slider 45 with respect to the horizontal plane. In the endoscope holding apparatus 10 in the state of FIG. Is the direction indicated by arrow A. Such an obliquely forward direction is usually a direction in which the main body 2 of the endoscope is inserted deeper into the body of the patient lying on the operating table 4, and an obliquely backward direction is the body of the patient. The direction in which the endoscope is taken out from

  A support shaft 49 is provided at the front end of the linear slider 45 so as to be perpendicular to the linear slider 45. An inverted U-shaped knuckle portion 50 is supported rotatably with respect to the support shaft 49. At both ends of the knuckle portion 50 on the opening side, a pair of female screw holes 51 are formed on the same axis perpendicular to the support shaft 49. A pair of ball plungers 52 are screwed into the screw holes 51. The ball plunger 52 rotatably supports a holder 53 having a hexahedral outer shape with a ball at its tip.

  The main body 2 of the endoscope is held inside the holder 53. A conical support hole 58 is formed in the center of the upper surface and the lower surface of the holder 53, and a ball plunger 52 screwed into the knuckle portion 50 is inserted into the hole 53. The mirror main body 2 is supported by the knuckle portion 50 of the third holding portion 22 in a rotatable state.

  That is, the holder 53 and the endoscope main body 2 are held so as to be rotatable about both the support shaft 49 and the ball plunger 52, and the endoscope main body 2 is inclined obliquely in the front-rear direction. When an external force other than is received, the external force can be followed to rotate.

  The endoscope holding device 10 having the above-described configuration has a horizontal movement in which the movement of the first holding unit 20, the second holding unit 21, and the third holding unit 22 controlled by the control unit is combined. Combining arc motion (horizontal motion in the left-right direction in FIG. 1), vertical arc motion (vertical motion in FIG. 1) and linear motion substantially parallel to the linear slider 45 (slant longitudinal motion in FIG. 1). The movement is given to the main body 2 of the endoscope. When the movement of the endoscope holding device 10 in the left-right direction, the up-down direction, or the oblique front-rear direction is deviated with respect to the designated path, the endoscope main body 2 that is particularly held is When moving obliquely forward, that is, in a direction to enter the patient's body, the endoscope main body 2 and the patient's tissue are in strong contact, and an unintended large pressure is applied to the endoscope main body 2. There is a case. In this embodiment, in order to sense pressure (that is, tactile pressure) applied to the main body 2 of the endoscope at this time, a tactile sensor is disposed inside the holder 53 that holds the endoscope. Has been.

  In the following description, the portion of the third holding portion 22 of the endoscope holding device 10 that is disposed at the tip of the knuckle portion 50 and directly holds the main body portion 2 of the endoscope is the endoscope holding portion 23. Called. The endoscope holding unit 23 preferably includes a pipe support 55, a tactile sensor, a sensor characteristic adjusting member 60, and a holder 53. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the endoscope holding portion 23 in a state where the main body portion 2 of the endoscope is held. An exploded perspective view of the endoscope holding portion 23 is shown in FIG.

  As a tactile sensor, an annular sensor element 57 (hereinafter also referred to as an O-ring-like element 57) having one or more cross sections formed in a circle and an annular sensor element 58 formed with one or more cross sections formed into a quadrangle. (Hereinafter, it is also referred to as an angular section ring-shaped element 58) is preferably used so as to be in contact with each other. Further, it is preferable that the O-ring element 57 and the angular section ring element 58 have different detection sensitivities.

  A circular hole 54 is formed through the center of the holder 53. The pipe support 55 has a T-shaped cross section and is formed with a through-hole 57 that can be inserted and held through the main body 2 of the endoscope at the center. On the outer periphery of the pipe support 55, one or two or more O-ring elements 57 and one or two or more angular section ring elements 58 are mounted. The pipe support 55, one or more O-ring elements 57, and one or more square cross-section ring elements 58 are disposed inside the circular hole 54 of the holder 53.

  At least one sensor element among one or two or more O-ring-shaped elements 57 and one or two or more square-shaped ring-shaped elements 58 is formed by dispersing a coiled carbon fiber in a resin or rubber as a matrix. Preferably it is. For other sensor elements that do not use coiled carbon fiber, known piezoelectric elements can be applied. However, in order to detect contact pressure in any direction with high sensitivity, at least one sensor element is coiled. The carbon fibers are preferably formed by being dispersed in a resin or rubber as a matrix.

  The hardness of the matrix constituting at least one of the sensor elements is preferably 10 to 100 in terms of JIS A hardness (JIS K6301). If the JIS A hardness is less than 10, the matrix becomes too soft, and noise detection becomes large, which is not preferable. On the other hand, when the JIS A hardness exceeds 100, the matrix becomes too hard, the propagation property of the contact pressure is poor, and the detection sensitivity is lowered. The matrix is a dielectric, has a capacitance (C), and acts as a capacitor.

  As the resin constituting the matrix, silicone resin, urethane resin, epoxy resin, copolymer resin of styrene and thermoplastic elastomer, or the like is used. As the rubber, silicone rubber, urethane rubber or the like is used. The hardness of the matrix is important for improving the sensitivity of the sensor element. When a silicone resin or silicone rubber with excellent elasticity is used as the matrix, the contact pressure can be expanded and contracted even with a minute contact pressure. It can be detected with high sensitivity. On the other hand, when a hard silicone resin, urethane resin, copolymer resin of styrene and thermoplastic elastomer, etc. are used, it will not expand or contract unless the contact pressure is large, and the sensitivity of the sensor element is low, but a wide contact pressure range is detected. can do. By making use of these characteristics, each of the O-ring element 57 and the square cross-section ring element 58 is formed of a different matrix resin, so that a wider contact pressure range can be detected.

  As the coiled carbon fiber dispersed in the matrix, one of carbon fibers forming a helical structure or two carbon fibers forming a double helical structure may be used in combination of one or both. Can do. The coiled carbon fiber has a coil diameter of 20 nm to 100 μm and a coil length of 10 nm to 50 mm. Coiled carbon fibers having a coil diameter of less than 20 nm are difficult to manufacture. Similarly, coiled carbon fibers having a coil diameter exceeding 100 μm are also difficult to manufacture. Further, when the coil length is less than 10 nm, it becomes difficult to sufficiently exhibit the function as an inductance component. On the other hand, the coil length may be formed to exceed 50 mm, and it may be cut to an appropriate length according to the thickness of the sensor. Furthermore, the diameter of the coiled carbon fiber is preferably 1 nm to 10 μm. This is because if the fiber diameter is less than 1 nm, it is difficult to produce a coiled carbon fiber, and if it exceeds 10 μm, it is difficult to set the coil diameter in the above range. The fiber is not limited to a perfect circle in cross section, and may be oval, rectangular, or indefinite. The coiled carbon fiber may be manufactured by any manufacturing method.

  The coiled carbon fiber has stretchability (elasticity), and the expansion and contraction changes the electrical characteristics such as inductance (L), capacitance (C), and electrical resistance (R). Tactile pressure can be detected. For example, when the coiled carbon fiber is stretched, the inductance, capacitance, and electrical resistance may increase, and when contracted, the inductance, capacitance, and electrical resistance may decrease. When the coiled carbon fiber is stretched or contracted and then returned to its original length, the inductance, capacitance, and electrical resistance return to their original values with good reproducibility. When contact pressure is applied to the coiled carbon fiber dispersed in the matrix from the outside of the matrix, the matrix first expands and contracts, and then the coiled carbon fiber expands and contracts. The values of inductance, capacitance, and electric resistance change based on the applied contact pressure.

  As a method of dispersing the coiled carbon fiber in the matrix, the coiled carbon fiber is added to the silicone resin as the matrix precursor, and the mixture is stirred and dispersed uniformly, then defoamed, filled in a mold and molded. And a method of heating and melting pellets of polystyrene or thermoplastic elastomer, adding a coiled carbon fiber thereto, stirring and dispersing uniformly, then pouring into a mold, and pressure molding.

  When the matrix is formed of a dielectric and has a capacitance component, the matrix existing between the sensor elements acts as a capacitor. Then, the coiled carbon fibers are connected to each other via a surrounding matrix, so that the sensor element is configured as an electrically equivalent circuit which is a composite resonance circuit, and all the sensor elements can act as one LCR resonance circuit.

  A tactile sensor composed of one or two or more O-ring elements 57 and one or two or more angular section ring elements 58 is connected to a pair of electrodes (not shown). The electrode is connected to a sensor main body (not shown). A minute change in the tactile pressure applied to the tactile sensor changes the inductance, capacitance, and electric resistance of the tactile sensor, and the sensor output signal changes due to the change. The change in the sensor output signal is input to the sensor body through the electrodes. The sensor main body includes an oscillation circuit that oscillates a reference signal, a phase shift unit as a detection unit and a signal adjustment unit, and a detection unit as a detection unit. A change in the sensor output signal is orthogonal to the detection unit. It is detected by detection, and the change tendency and change amount of the inductance, capacitance, and electric resistance are obtained. When at least one of the O-ring element 57 and the square cross-section ring element 58 includes the coiled carbon fiber, a minute pressure received from any direction can be detected with high sensitivity.

  Of two or more sensor elements out of one or two or more O-ring elements 57 and one or two or more angular cross-section ring elements 58, coiled carbon fibers are dispersed in a resin or rubber as a matrix. If so, the detection sensitivity as the sensor element is preferably different from each other by adjusting the type or hardness of the matrix or the type or content of the coiled carbon fiber. Thereby, it becomes possible to detect the tactile pressure in a wider pressure range as the whole tactile sensor.

  A screw thread is provided inside one end of the holder 53, and the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60 and the adjusting screw fixing nut 61 are screwed into the screw thread of the holder 53 so as to come into contact with the tactile sensor. It is possible to press the sensor compression plate 62 arranged on the tactile sensor side. The pressed sensor compression plate 62 applies a compressive force to all the O-ring elements 57 and the square-section ring elements 58 that are mounted. The compressive force applied here can be adjusted with high accuracy by adjusting the position of the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60 relative to the holder 53.

  The sensor characteristic adjusting member 60, the adjusting screw fixing nut 61, and the sensor compression plate 62 are all made of general-purpose plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, ABS resin, acrylic resin, polyamide, polyacetal, polycarbonate, polyethylene. It can be molded from an engineer plastic such as terephthalate or cyclic polyolefin, and an engineer plastic such as polyacetal is particularly preferred in consideration of the resistance of the threaded portion.

  When the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60 is connected by screwing as shown in FIG. 3, the length of the screw portion used for the connecting portion is preferably about 5 to 10 mm. If this length is too short, there are inconveniences such as easy disengagement and screwing at an angle. On the other hand, if it is too long, many rotations are required before fixing, resulting in poor operability. The thickness of the sensor compression plate 62 is preferably about 1 to 5 mm. If the thickness is too thin, it is not only inconvenient to handle, but also easily deforms and it is difficult to apply a uniform pressure to the tactile sensor. If the thickness is too thick, the length of the screw part is required to connect the sensor adjustment member. This is because it is difficult to ensure the above.

  Sensing is performed in a region / range where the sensitivity of the sensor is high by adjusting the position of the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60 with respect to the holder 53 and applying a compressive force to all the O-ring-shaped elements 57 and the square-shaped ring-shaped elements 58 that are mounted. Adjustment for this can be performed easily and with high accuracy. That is, when the O-ring-shaped element 57 and the square-section ring-shaped element 58 having potential variations in initial characteristics such as detection sensitivity, detection width, detection speed, and quantitativeness are arranged in the holder 53, By applying a compressive force by the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60, it is possible to adjust variations in characteristics of these sensor elements.

  When the tactile sensor is composed of one or two or more O-ring elements 57 and one or two or more angular cross-section ring elements 58, the circular hole 54 in the holder 53 is shown in FIG. In this way, a gap is partially formed between the sensor elements. For this reason, compared with the case where the sensor element is mounted without a gap, the compression is easier when compressed by the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60. For this reason, the tactile sensor of this embodiment can adjust very easily so that it may become desired detection sensitivity.

  By configuring the plurality of O-ring elements 57 and the square cross-section ring elements 58 to have different detection sensitivities, it is possible to sense tactile pressure in a wider pressure range as a tactile sensor. As a result, a slight change in tactile pressure is not overlooked, and the movement of the endoscope can be controlled before the endoscope causes a contact that causes damage to the internal organs.

  Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described more specifically with reference to Examples 1 to 3 and a comparative example.

(Embodiment 1) For the tactile sensor of the endoscope holding apparatus 10 of this embodiment, two O-ring elements 57 and one angular section ring-shaped element 58 are used. As shown in FIG. 3, the O-ring element 57 and the square cross-section ring element 58 are alternately mounted on the outer periphery of the pipe support 55 of the endoscope holding portion 23, and are inserted into the circular hole 54 of the holder 53. Has been placed.

  The two O-ring elements 57 used in this embodiment have the same configuration and the same dimensions. That is, the O-ring-like element 57 has a structure in which 5.0% by weight of coiled carbon fiber is dispersed in a two-component RTV rubber (trade name: KE103; manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) which is a kind of silicone resin as a matrix. Has been. As the coiled carbon fiber, one having a coil length of 90 μm or less and an average coil diameter of about 5 μm is used. The O-ring element 57 is formed so as to have a circular shape with an inner diameter of 14 mm, an outer diameter of 18 mm, and a cross section of 2 mm in diameter.

  FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of one square cross-section ring-shaped element 58 used in this embodiment. The angular cross-section ring-shaped element has a ring inner diameter of 14 mm, and the cross section is formed in a square shape with a side of 2 mm. Similarly to the O-ring element 57, the rectangular cross-section ring element 58 is configured by dispersing 5.0 wt% of the coiled carbon fiber 66 in the two-component RTV rubber as the matrix 65. The coiled carbon fiber 66 has a coil length of 90 μm or less and a coil diameter of about 5 μm on average. The coiled carbon fiber 65 shown in FIG. 5 is drawn with exaggerated size in order to facilitate understanding of its dispersed state and shape.

  In order to measure the detection sensitivity and the detection range of the tactile sensor, a load was applied to the tip of the main body 2 of the endoscope held by the endoscope holding unit 23, and the output voltage of the tactile sensor was measured. The tactile sensor of the present embodiment is compressed in advance by the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60 so that the ratio of the element volume after compression to the element volume before compression becomes 0.9. The main body 2 of the endoscope is held so that the distance from the rotation axis defined by the ball plunger 52 of the endoscope holding unit 23 to the tip of the endoscope is 200 mm.

  When an upward load of 100 gf was applied to the distal end of the endoscope main body 2 held as described above, the output voltage of the tactile sensor was 3.3V. Further, the detection range represented by the output voltage of the touch sensor was 0 to 20.0V. The maximum value of the detection range in this embodiment is a value corresponding to the upper limit value of the output voltage range of the signal processing circuit in the sensor main body to which the tactile sensor is connected, and the configuration of the signal processing circuit is changed. By widening the output voltage range, it is possible to detect a range wider than 20.0V.

(Embodiment 2) Three angular section ring-shaped elements are used for the tactile sensor of the endoscope holding apparatus in the present embodiment. Two of them have the same configuration as the angular section ring-shaped element 58 of the first embodiment. The remaining one ring-shaped ring-shaped element has the same outer shape as the other ring-shaped ring-shaped elements, but the composition thereof is different. That is, this square cross-section ring-shaped element is configured by dispersing 10.0% by weight of coiled carbon fiber in a two-component RTV rubber as a matrix. Since the content of the coiled carbon fiber is 10.0% by weight, this square cross-section ring-shaped element has higher detection sensitivity than other square cross-section ring-shaped elements. The three ring-shaped elements having a square cross section are mounted so that their side surfaces are in contact with the outer periphery of the pipe support 55 of the endoscope holding portion 23 and are arranged inside the circular hole 54 of the holder 53. The configuration of the endoscope holding device other than the tactile sensor is the same as that of the first embodiment, and a duplicate description is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the detection sensitivity and the detection range of the tactile sensor are measured in a state where the tactile sensor is compressed by the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60 so that the compression ratio is the same as in the first embodiment. The output voltage of the tactile sensor when an upward load of 100 gf was applied to the tip of the main body 2 of the endoscope was 2.4V. The detection range represented by the output voltage of the tactile sensor was 0 to 14.0V.

(Embodiment 3) Three O-ring elements 57 are used for the tactile sensor of the endoscope holding apparatus in this embodiment. The O-ring-shaped element 57 is mounted so that the side surfaces thereof are in contact with the outer periphery of the pipe support 55 of the endoscope holding unit 23 and is disposed inside the circular hole 54 of the holder 53. In this embodiment, the detection sensitivity and the detection range of the tactile sensor are measured at the same compression ratio as in the first embodiment. The output voltage of the touch sensor when an upward load of 100 gf was applied to the distal end of the main body 2 of the endoscope was 3.1V. Further, the detection range represented by the output voltage of the touch sensor was 0 to 20.0V. The maximum value of the detection range in this embodiment is a value corresponding to the upper limit value of the output voltage range of the signal processing circuit in the sensor main body to which the tactile sensor is connected, and the configuration of the signal processing circuit is changed. By widening the output voltage range, it is possible to detect a range wider than 20.0V.

(Comparative Example) FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the endoscope holding unit 71 of the endoscope holding apparatus of the comparative example. The tactile sensor of the comparative example is composed of one cylindrical sensor element 70 disposed on the outer periphery of the pipe support 55. This sensor element 70 is a cylindrical sensor element having an inner diameter of 14 mm, an outer diameter of 18 mm, and a length of 6 mm. Coiled carbon is contained in a two-component RTV rubber (trade name: KE103; manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) as a matrix. It is formed by adding 5.0% by weight of fibers. The coil length of the added coiled carbon fiber is 90 μm or less, and the average diameter of the coil is about 5 μm.

  The detection sensitivity and the detection range of the sensor element 70 constituting the tactile sensor of the comparative example were measured. First, measurement was performed in a state where the sensor element 70 was not compressed by the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60. The output voltage of the tactile sensor when an upward load of 100 gf was applied to the distal end of the main body 2 of the endoscope was 1.3V. The detection range represented by the output voltage of the tactile sensor was 0 to 7.4V. Next, the sensor element 70 was compressed by the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60 so that the ratio of the element volume after compression to the element volume before compression was 0.9, and the detection sensitivity and the detection range were measured. The output voltage of the tactile sensor when an upward load of 100 gf was applied to the tip of the main body 2 of the endoscope was 1.8V. The detection range represented by the output voltage of the tactile sensor was 0 to 10.2V.

  FIG. 7 shows the detection sensitivity and detection range of the sensor elements of the endoscope holding apparatuses shown in Examples 1 to 3 and the comparative example. The compression rate in the figure is a value obtained by calculating the ratio of the volume after compression with reference to the volume before the tactile sensor is compressed by the sensor characteristic adjusting member 60, and when the tactile sensor is not compressed at all. The value is 1.0. As is clear from the measurement results of the detection sensitivity and detection range of each example and comparative example, in the case of Example 1 in which the tactile sensor is composed of an O-ring element and a square cross-section ring element, The output voltage of the sensor is the highest for the same load. Therefore, detection is possible even with a minute load, and the detection range of the sensor is the widest while having high detection sensitivity. Further, in the case of Example 2 in which the tactile sensor is configured with a plurality of square cross-section ring-shaped elements, by increasing the amount of addition of the coiled carbon fiber of one of the square cross-section ring-shaped elements, While having higher detection sensitivity than the comparative example, the detection range of the sensor is widened. Further, in the case of Example 3 in which the tactile sensor is configured by a plurality of O-ring elements, the detection sensitivity is slightly lower than that in Example 1, but a very wide detection range can be obtained.

  As described above, specific examples of the endoscope holding device according to the present invention have been described in detail based on the best modes and examples for carrying out the invention. However, these are merely examples, and the scope of the claims is limited. Not what you want. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above. For example, the tactile sensors of Examples 1 to 3 are formed by adding 5.0% by weight or 10.0% of a coiled carbon fiber to a resin as a matrix. It is possible to further improve the detection sensitivity by adjusting.

  Further, for example, the tactile sensor may be mounted between the endoscope and the pipe support, or may be mounted on another part, for example, the support part of the holder 53 by the ball plunger 52 or the support part of the knuckle part 50. You can also. Furthermore, tactile sensors can be provided at a plurality of locations to increase detection sensitivity.

  The configuration of the tactile sensor of the endoscope holding apparatus according to the present invention is particularly sensitive to pressure sensing in the fields of industrial robot arms, medical equipment other than endoscopes, other industrial control equipment, and humanoid robots. It can be applied to various devices that need to control the above.

It is a perspective view of endoscope holding device 10 of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the 3rd holding | maintenance part of the endoscope holding | maintenance apparatus 10 of this invention, and the main-body part 2 of the endoscope hold | maintained there. It is a fragmentary sectional side view of the endoscope holding part 23 of the endoscope holding apparatus 10 of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the endoscope holding part 23 of the endoscope holding apparatus 10 of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the square cross-section ring-shaped element 58 of the endoscope holding | maintenance apparatus 10 of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional side view of the endoscope holding part 71 of the endoscope holding apparatus of a comparative example. It is a figure which shows the detection sensitivity and detection range of the tactile sensor of an Example and a comparative example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Endoscope body part 3 Arm 4 Operating table 10 Endoscope holding device 20 1st holding part 21 2nd holding part 22 3rd holding part 23,71 Endoscope holding part 24 Pivoting pin 25 1st circular arc plate 26 First rail 27 First slider 33 Second arc plate 34 Second slider 35 Second rail 43 Holding pin 44 Guide hole 45 Linear slider 46 Linear rack 48 Pinion gear 49 Support shaft 50 Knuckle portion 52 Ball plunger 53 Holder 54 Circular hole 57 Annular sensor element (O-ring element) having a circular cross section
58 Annular sensor element with a square cross-section (ring-shaped element with a square cross section)
60 sensor characteristic adjusting member 61 adjusting screw fixing nut 62 sensor compression plate 65 matrix 66 coiled carbon fiber 70 sensor element

Claims (4)

A holder in which a circular hole for holding the endoscope is formed, and a thread is provided at one end;
A tactile sensor that is attached to the inside of the holder and senses a contact pressure applied to the endoscope;
A sensor characteristic adjusting member that is screwed into the thread of the holder and compresses the tactile sensor to adjust the sensor sensitivity;
The endoscope holding apparatus, wherein the tactile sensor includes a plurality of sensor elements.   The endoscope holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor elements includes a coiled carbon fiber.   3. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of annular sensor elements each having a circular cross section and a plurality of annular sensor elements each having a square cross section are arranged. Endoscope holding device.   The endoscope holding device according to claim 1, wherein detection sensitivities of the sensor elements are different from each other.

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