JP2019037353A - Arthroscope operation system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an arthroscope operation system capable of conveniently operating an arthroscope.SOLUTION: An arthroscope operation system includes an arthroscope having a lens at a tip, a drive unit and a user interface, a drive part moves the arthroscope in three-dimensional directions from a fixed reference position in a three-dimensional space, a reception part receives an operation signal from the user interface, the user interface is a touch interface, an image display part displays a picked-up image caught by the arthroscope, a touch recognition part recognizes a user's touch to the image display part, a transmission part transmits the operation signal to the drive unit, when a recognition part of the user interface recognizes the touch, a transmission part of the user interface transmits movement information of the arthroscope corresponding to the recognized touch in three-dimensional directions as an operation signal to the drive unit, and when a reception part of the drive unit receives the operation signal, a drive part of the drive unit operates the arthroscope so as to move in three-dimensional directions on the basis of the operation signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an arthroscopic operation system.

  In joint surgery, arthroscopic surgery with less invasiveness is performed. In general, arthroscopic surgery requires a total of two or more doctors, an operator who performs a surgical operation within a joint, and an assistant who holds and operates the arthroscope.

  However, in recent years, the shortage of doctors has become a problem in many hospitals, and it may be difficult to perform an operation that requires a plurality of doctors. For this reason, in arthroscopic surgery, for example, there is a need for a system that allows even one doctor to perform surgery.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an arthroscopic operation system capable of easily operating an arthroscope.

In order to achieve the above object, the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention comprises:
An arthroscope having a lens at the tip, a drive unit, and a user interface;
The drive unit and the user interface are connected via a network,
The arthroscope is
Connected to the drive unit;
The drive unit is
A driving unit and a receiving unit;
The drive unit moves the arthroscope in a three-dimensional direction from a fixed reference position in a three-dimensional space,
The receiving unit receives a steering signal from the user interface,
The user interface is
Touch interface,
An image display unit, a touch recognition unit, and a transmission unit;
The image display unit displays a captured image captured by the arthroscope,
The touch recognition unit recognizes a user's touch on the image display unit;
The transmission unit transmits a steering signal to the drive unit,
When the recognition unit of the user interface recognizes the touch,
The transmission unit of the user interface transmits movement information in the three-dimensional direction of the arthroscope corresponding to the recognized touch as a steering signal to the drive unit,
When the receiving unit of the drive unit receives the steering signal,
The drive unit of the drive unit controls the arthroscope so as to move in a three-dimensional direction based on the control signal.

  According to the present invention, the arthroscope can be easily operated. Therefore, for example, in an arthroscopic surgery, the surgeon can operate the arthroscope so that even one doctor can perform the surgery.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an arthroscopic operation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an arthroscope in the arthroscopic operation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an arthroscopic operation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a distal end region of the arthroscope in the arthroscopic operation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of correspondence between the user's touch on the image display unit and the movement of the arthroscope in the arthroscopic operation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an arthroscopic operation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an arthroscopic operation system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an arthroscopic operation system according to the fourth embodiment.

The arthroscopic operation system of the present invention further includes, for example, a fixed unit,
The drive unit is fixed to the fixed unit;
By fixing to the fixed unit, the reference position in the three-dimensional space of the arthroscope is fixed via the drive unit.

In the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention, for example, the arthroscope further includes a pressure sensing unit and a direction changing unit,
The pressure sensing unit is disposed at a tip of the arthroscope,
The pressure sensing unit and the direction changing unit are linked,
When the pressure sensing unit senses a pressure exceeding a predetermined value, the direction changing unit changes the direction of the tip of the arthroscope.

  In the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention, for example, the tip region of the arthroscope is flexible.

In the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention, for example, the arthroscope further includes a position information sensor,
The position information sensor is disposed at a base portion opposite to the tip of the arthroscope,
Position information in the three-dimensional space of the arthroscope is acquired by the position information sensor.

  In the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention, for example, the position information sensor is a motion sensor.

In the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention, for example, the arthroscope further includes a laser sensor,
The laser sensor is disposed at the tip of the arthroscope,
The laser sensor irradiates a laser, and acquires information on an object irradiated with the laser.

  In the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention, for example, the image display unit of the user interface further displays information on the object acquired by the laser sensor.

  In the arthroscopic operation system according to the present invention, for example, the information on the object includes a distance from a tip of the arthroscope to the object, a two-dimensional image of the object, and a three-dimensional image of the object. Is at least one selected from.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, in each following figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part. Moreover, the description of each embodiment can use each other's description unless there is particular mention. Further, the configurations of the embodiments can be combined unless otherwise specified.

[Embodiment 1]
An example of the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an example of an arthroscopic operation system 10 according to the present embodiment. The arthroscopic operation system 10 includes an arthroscope 11, a drive unit 12, and a user interface 13. The arthroscope 11 is connected to the drive unit 12. The user interface 13 and the drive unit 12 are connected via a network. The network is not particularly limited, and a known network can be used. For example, the network may be wired or wireless. Examples of the network include an Internet line, a telephone line, and a LAN (Local Area Network).

  In the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment, when the touch recognition unit 132 of the user interface 13 recognizes the user's touch on the image display unit 131, the transmission unit 133 causes the arthroscope 11 corresponding to the recognized touch. Is transmitted to the drive unit 12 as a steering signal. In the drive unit 12, when the receiving unit 122 receives the steering signal, the driving unit 121 controls the arthroscope 11 to move in a three-dimensional direction based on the steering signal.

  The arthroscope 11 has a lens at the tip and performs imaging. The arthroscope 11 is not particularly limited, and a known arthroscope can be used. The arthroscope 11 may be, for example, a rigid mirror formed of a metal tube or a flexible mirror. For example, the arthroscope 11 may be a flexible mirror only at the tip. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, a flexible protective tube is introduced into the outer tube of the rigid endoscope. In addition, the inside of the joint may be observed with a fiberscope. Since the fiberscope has a small diameter and can be bent at its distal end, for example, even in a small joint having a narrow joint space and a complicated structure, a plurality of portals (piercing portions) can be provided without providing a plurality of portals (piercing portions). A wide range of can be mirrored. The arthroscope 11 has, for example, a cylindrical shape, and may have a fiber laser cable for line laser in addition to the above-described fiberscope, for example.

  The imaging target of the arthroscope 11 is, for example, joints such as knees, shoulders, hips, elbows, and feet, and parts inside the joints such as ligaments, meniscus, cartilage, and rotator cuffs. The arthroscopic operating system 10 can be used, for example, for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the arthroscope 11 may be used for imaging other body parts.

  The arthroscope 11 is connected to the drive unit 12. The connection of the arthroscope 11 to the drive unit 12 is not particularly limited, and for example, as long as the movement of the arthroscope 11 can be controlled by the drive unit 12 as shown in FIG.

  The drive unit 12 is a unit that controls the movement of the arthroscope 11. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the position of the arthroscope 11 in the three-dimensional space by six independently driven actuators (Stewart platforms). And the angle can be arbitrarily controlled. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the drive unit 12 is configured such that the major axis direction of the arthroscope 11 is the x direction (x axis), the horizontal direction at the fixed reference position of the arthroscope 11 and the vertical direction to the x direction. When the correct direction is the y direction (y axis) and the x direction and the direction perpendicular to the y direction are the z direction (z axis), the movement of the arthroscope 11 in the respective axial directions and the shaft rotation can be controlled.

  For example, the arthroscope 11 may have a flexible structure at the tip region, and the imaging direction by the lens may be controlled by the bending. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the flexible structure is obtained by cutting the cylindrical structure in the distal end region with a plane that is non-perpendicular to the major axis direction of the arthroscope 11, Hereinafter, it can be formed by connecting a plurality of cylindrical parts). With the structure described above, the tip region can be bent by rotating the cylindrical parts around the major axis direction of the arthroscope 11. When the distal end region of the arthroscope 11 has a flexible structure, the drive unit 12 can control the bending direction and the bending angle of the distal end region, for example. Thereby, for example, the user can easily display the part that the user wants to observe on the monitor.

  The drive unit 12 includes a drive unit 121 and a reception unit 122. The drive unit 121 moves the arthroscope 11 in the three-dimensional direction from the fixed reference position in the three-dimensional space, as described above, based on the steering signal received from the user interface 13. The receiving unit 122 receives the steering signal from the user interface 13. The steering signal will be described later.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the arthroscopic operation system 10 may further include a fixed unit 14, and the drive unit 12 may be fixed to the fixed unit 14. Since the position of the fixed unit 14 in the three-dimensional space is fixed, the reference position of the arthroscope 11 in the three-dimensional space is determined via the drive unit 12 by fixing the drive unit 12 to the fixed unit 14. Fixed. Thereby, for example, it is possible to suppress blurring of an image captured by the arthroscope 11. The fixing unit 14 is fixed to an operating table, for example.

  The user interface 13 is a touch interface, and is, for example, an iPad (registered trademark) or a touch panel personal computer. The user interface 13 includes an image display unit 131, a touch recognition unit 132, and a transmission unit 133. The user interface 13 is installed on an operating table, for example. Thereby, for example, an operator who performs a surgical operation can confirm an image on the image display unit 131 and can input to the touch recognition unit 132 to operate the arthroscope 11.

  The image display unit 131 displays a captured image captured by the arthroscope 11. The captured image is, for example, a two-dimensional image of the object and a three-dimensional image of the object. In addition, the image display unit 131 may display information other than the captured image, for example. Information other than the captured image is, for example, information related to the arthroscope, measurement information, and operation information. The information regarding the arthroscope is, for example, magnification of the arthroscope 11 and position information of the arthroscope 11. The measurement information is, for example, information on an object acquired by a laser sensor described later. The operation information is, for example, information that supports operation of the arthroscope 11 and buttons that can be operated by the user touching the arthroscope 11.

  The arthroscope operating system 10 may further include, for example, an arthroscope holding position setting camera, and the setting camera may image the vicinity of the tip of the arthroscope 11. The captured image is displayed on the image display unit 131, for example. Thereby, the user can determine the holding position of the arthroscope 11 based on the image displayed on the image display unit 131.

  The touch recognition unit 132 recognizes the user's touch on the image display unit 131. The touch is not particularly limited, and includes, for example, swipe, pinch-in, pinch-out, and the like in addition to touch.

  The transmission unit 133 transmits the movement information of the arthroscope in the three-dimensional direction corresponding to the recognized touch to the drive unit 12 as a steering signal. Based on the steering signal, the drive unit 12 moves the arthroscope 11 in a three-dimensional direction from a fixed reference position in the three-dimensional space.

  Next, the correspondence between the touch recognized by the touch recognition unit 132 and the movement of the arthroscope 11 in the three-dimensional direction will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of correspondence between the user's touch on the image display unit and the movement of the arthroscope. According to the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment, for example, the arthroscope 11 can be operated as follows. In addition, operation of the arthroscope 11 by the arthroscope operation system 10 of this embodiment is not limited to operation shown in FIG.

  As shown in the upper left of FIG. 5, when the user swipes the image display unit 131 in the left-right direction, the arthroscope 11 moves in the y-axis direction, and when the user swipes up and down, the arthroscope 11 moves in the z-axis direction. Move to. As shown in the lower left of FIG. 5, when the user performs pinch-in and pinch-out operations on the image display unit 131, the arthroscope 11 moves in the x-axis direction. Further, as shown in the right of FIG. 5, the user's two-finger touch corresponds to the axis rotation of the arthroscope 11, and when the user rotates the two fingers clockwise and counterclockwise, the arthroscope 11 moves to the x axis. When the user swipes the two fingers up and down, the arthroscope 11 rotates around the y axis, and when the user swipes the two fingers left and right, the arthroscope 11 rotates around the z-axis.

  As described above, when the distal end region of the arthroscope 11 is flexible and the drive unit 12 controls the movement of the distal end region, the user's touch on the image display unit 131 and the arthroscope 11 movement information of the tip region may correspond. In this case, for example, the touch corresponding to the movement information of the tip region of the arthroscope 11 and the touch corresponding to the movement information of the arthroscope 11 in the three-dimensional direction may be different or overlapping. May be. In the latter case, for example, the movement information corresponding to the touch can be switched by an operation button or the like displayed on the image display unit 131. The touch corresponding to the movement information of the tip region is the same as the touch corresponding to the movement information of the arthroscope 11, for example.

  As described above, according to the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment, the arthroscope can be easily operated. For example, in an arthroscopic surgery, the surgeon can operate the arthroscope. Even humans can perform surgery.

[Embodiment 2]
Another example of the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an example of the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment. The arthroscopic operation system 10 of this embodiment is the same as the arthroscope operation system 10 of the first embodiment except that the arthroscope 11 further includes a pressure sensing unit 111 and a direction changing unit 112. The arthroscope 11 may be a device or a system including the pressure sensing unit 111 and the direction changing unit 112 as one body.

  The pressure sensing unit 111 is disposed at the tip of the arthroscope 11. The pressure sensing unit 111 and the direction changing unit 112 are interlocked. When the pressure sensing unit 111 senses a pressure exceeding a predetermined value, the direction changing unit 112 changes the direction of the distal end of the arthroscope 11.

  The pressure sensing unit 111 is not particularly limited as long as it can sense the pressure applied to the tip of the arthroscope 11. For example, a known pressure sensor can be used.

  The predetermined value is, for example, a threshold value of pressure at which it is determined that the tip of the arthroscope 11 is in contact with tissue such as articular cartilage, and is, for example, 1 to 100N, 10 to 50N, or 20N.

  The direction conversion unit 112 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU).

  When the pressure sensing unit 111 senses a pressure exceeding the predetermined value, the direction changing unit 112 changes the direction of the distal end of the arthroscope 11. Thereby, for example, it is possible to prevent the arthroscope 11 from proceeding in the same direction even though the tip of the arthroscope 11 is in contact with tissue such as articular cartilage. For this reason, for example, even when the user is not aware of the contact of the arthroscope 11 with the tissue, the tissue damage by the arthroscope 11 can be prevented.

  The operation of the arthroscope in arthroscopic surgery generally requires training of the operator. According to the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment, for example, even when the user is not proficient in the operation of the arthroscope, the tissue damage can be prevented and the arthroscope can be operated easily. .

[Embodiment 3]
Another example of the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an example of the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment. The arthroscopic operating system 10 of the present embodiment is the same as the arthroscopic operating system 10 of the first embodiment except that the arthroscope 11 further includes a position information sensor 113.

  The position information sensor 113 is disposed at the base of the arthroscope 11 opposite to the distal end, and the position information sensor 113 acquires position information of the arthroscope 11 in the three-dimensional space.

  The position information sensor 113 is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire position information of the arthroscope 11 in the three-dimensional space. The position information sensor 113 is, for example, a composite sensor (motion sensor) that three-dimensionally detects the position, velocity, angular velocity, and the like of the arthroscope 11.

  The arthroscope operating system 10 of the present embodiment further includes, for example, the position information in the three-dimensional space of the arthroscope 11 acquired by the position information sensor 113, the length of the arthroscope 11, the curvature of the distal bending portion, and the like. Based on this, the position of the lens in the arthroscope 11 may be calculated, and position information of the imaged part in the three-dimensional space may be obtained.

  According to the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment, position information of the arthroscope 11 in the three-dimensional space can be acquired, and thereby, for example, position information of the imaged part can be acquired.

[Embodiment 4]
Another example of the arthroscopic operation system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an example of the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment. The arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment is the same as the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the first embodiment except that the arthroscope 11 further includes a laser sensor 114.

  The laser sensor 114 is disposed at the distal end of the arthroscope 11, irradiates a laser, and acquires information on an object irradiated with the laser.

  In the laser sensor 114, the laser is, for example, a line laser.

  The information on the object is, for example, a distance from the tip of the arthroscope 11 to the object, a two-dimensional image of the object, and a three-dimensional image of the object. The information on the object is, for example, the length, area, and distortion of the object.

  The object is, for example, a damaged part or a lesion part of a tissue.

  The acquisition of the information on the object can be calculated by, for example, performing image processing on the image of the object irradiated with the laser.

  According to the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to acquire information on an object irradiated with the laser. Conventionally, in arthroscopic surgery, measurement of an object has been performed visually using, for example, a scaled probe. According to the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment, for example, since a laser is used, non-contact and accurate digital measurement can be performed. Therefore, according to the arthroscopic operation system 10 of the present embodiment, for example, by accurately evaluating a lesion or the like, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the operation and obtain a stable and good surgical result.

  While the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, since the arthroscope can be easily operated, for example, in an arthroscopic surgery, the surgeon can operate the arthroscope so that even one doctor can perform the operation. For this reason, for example, even when it is difficult to perform an operation requiring a plurality of doctors due to a shortage of doctors, an arthroscopic surgery can be performed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Arthroscope operation system 11 Arthroscope 111 Pressure sensing part 112 Direction conversion part 113 Position information sensor 114 Laser sensor 12 Drive unit 121 Drive part 122 Reception part 13 User interface 131 Image display part 132 Touch recognition part 133 Transmission part 14 Fixed unit

Claims (9)

An arthroscope having a lens at the tip, a drive unit, and a user interface;
The drive unit and the user interface are connected via a network,
The arthroscope is
Connected to the drive unit;
The drive unit is
A driving unit and a receiving unit;
The drive unit moves the arthroscope in a three-dimensional direction from a fixed reference position in a three-dimensional space,
The receiving unit receives a steering signal from the user interface,
The user interface is
Touch interface,
An image display unit, a touch recognition unit, and a transmission unit;
The image display unit displays a captured image captured by the arthroscope,
The touch recognition unit recognizes a user's touch on the image display unit;
The transmission unit transmits a steering signal to the drive unit,
When the recognition unit of the user interface recognizes the touch,
The transmission unit of the user interface transmits movement information in the three-dimensional direction of the arthroscope corresponding to the recognized touch as a steering signal to the drive unit,
When the receiving unit of the drive unit receives the steering signal,
The arthroscope operating system, wherein the drive unit of the drive unit steers the arthroscope in a three-dimensional direction based on the steering signal. In addition, it has a fixed unit,
The drive unit is fixed to the fixed unit;
The arthroscopic operation system according to claim 1, wherein a reference position in the three-dimensional space of the arthroscope is fixed through the driving unit by being fixed to the fixing unit. The arthroscope further includes a pressure sensing unit and a direction changing unit,
The pressure sensing unit is disposed at a tip of the arthroscope,
The pressure sensing unit and the direction changing unit are linked,
The arthroscopic operation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the pressure sensing unit senses a pressure exceeding a predetermined value, the direction changing unit changes a direction of the tip of the arthroscope. The arthroscope operating system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a tip region of the arthroscope is flexible. The arthroscope further includes a position information sensor,
The position information sensor is disposed at a base portion opposite to the tip of the arthroscope,
The arthroscopic operation system according to claim 1, wherein the position information sensor acquires position information of the arthroscope in a three-dimensional space. The arthroscopic operation system according to claim 5, wherein the position information sensor is a motion sensor. The arthroscope further includes a laser sensor;
The laser sensor is disposed at the tip of the arthroscope,
The arthroscopic operation system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the laser sensor irradiates a laser and acquires information on an object irradiated with the laser. The arthroscopic operation system according to claim 7, wherein the image display unit of the user interface further displays information on an object acquired by the laser sensor. The information of the object is at least one selected from the group consisting of a distance from the tip of the arthroscope to the object, a two-dimensional image of the object, and a three-dimensional image of the object. Item 9. The arthroscopic operation system according to Item 7 or 8.

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