JP2021058224A - Joint member, treatment instrument and bending control method of treatment instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a joint member of a treatment instrument which can be bent and can sufficiently stand a load caused by tissue traction while being thin enough to be inserted into an endoscope channel, a treatment instrument using the joint member, and a bending control method of the treatment instrument.SOLUTION: Recess parts C11, 12 are formed on one end side of a joint member 12 in an axial direction AD, salient parts P11, 12 are formed on the other side of the joint member 12 in the axial direction AD, and the recess parts C11, 12 of one joint member out of two adjacent joint members, slide-contact the salient parts P11, 12 of the other joint member. The joint member 12 comprises: a tubular member 121; and a plate-shaped member 122 which is arranged traversing the tubular member 121 in a vertical direction of the axial direction AD. The plate-shaped member 122 comprises: a bending open hole which penetrates the plate-shaped member 122 in the axial direction AD; and a device open hole which penetrates the plate-shaped member 122 in the axial direction AD.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a treatment tool inserted into an endoscope or the like and used, a joint member constituting the treatment tool, and a method for controlling bending of the treatment tool.

Compared with open surgery, endoscopic surgery does not require or is very small incision on the body surface because it is an operation, and has advantages such as less burden on the body and no surgical scars. For example, EMR (endoscopic mucosal resection and ESD (endoscopic submucosal dissection)) are used for early gastric cancer and the like, which are unlikely to have metastasized to lymph nodes.
A treatment tool equipped with a high-frequency scalpel and forceps is inserted into the endoscope used for such endoscopic surgery, but in order to perform the surgery more easily, the direction of the high-frequency scalpel and forceps should be changed. Patent Document 1 discloses a bending treatment tool that enables the above. The bending treatment tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes forceps and electric scalpels attached to the tip of the bending portion, a bending portion for flexibly operating the forceps and electric scalpel at the tip, bending motion of the bending portion, and forceps. It includes an operation unit that operates an electric knife and a sheath / wire unit that transmits the operation of the operation unit.
Further, in Patent Document 2, a surgical manipulator operating device and a surgical manipulator system that can be operated without impairing the feeling of operation by providing a manual operation unit and an electric operation unit in a flexible endoscope having a treatment tool. Is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-128534 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-154895

In the treatment tool, it is necessary to arrange the above-mentioned bent structure, a member for driving the bent structure, and the like in an extremely limited space. According to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a flexible treatment tool can be configured with a thickness that can be inserted into an endoscopic channel having a diameter of 3.8 mm or less.
The end effector provided at the tip of the treatment tool is the part that performs transendoscopic treatment, and has various functions such as biopsy forceps, grasping forceps, high-frequency snare, high-frequency knife, local injection needle, and peeling forceps. Used. When performing treatment with such an end effector, a certain load may be applied to the tip of the treatment tool. For example, it is a load applied during the gripping operation of the grasping forceps and the excision operation of the scalpel.
As in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is expected that by providing the treatment tool with a bent portion, for example, an operation of grasping and lifting the tissue with grasping forceps can be performed with a higher degree of freedom. For that purpose, it is desired to increase the load that can be lifted by the tip of the treatment tool.
However, in the bending treatment tool described in Patent Document 1, the hinge member constituting the bending portion has each hole (through hole for device, through hole for device, through which a wire or the like is inserted into a member whose basic embodiment is columnar (solid). It is formed by providing a through hole for bending) and each convex portion or concave portion for bending operation. Therefore, if it is composed of the small-diameter wire used in the small-diameter treatment tool, the weight of the hinge member becomes heavy, and the weight of the hinge member increases the load that can be lifted at the tip of the treatment tool, that is, For example, the inventors have found that it becomes difficult to increase the force for grasping and pulling mucous tissue with grasping forceps.
Further, in the hinge member described in Patent Document 1, it is manufactured to process a columnar (solid) member while maintaining the strength of the member to shorten the axial distance between the through hole for a device and the through hole for bending. The inventors have found the problem of becoming difficult. Further, in the hinge member described in Patent Document 1, when the bent portion is bent, the wire inserted into the hole comes into contact with the entire inner wall in the axial direction of the hole. As a result, the sliding friction resistance between the wire and the hinge member increases, a large wire traction force is required, the load that the tip of the treatment tool can lift is smaller than the maximum load that the wire can traction, and the mucous membrane tissue is gripped with sufficient traction force. The inventors have found that there is a problem that it is difficult to do.
In addition, in the treatment tools used for flexible endoscopic surgery, although the diameter is small, the mucosal tissue is lifted at the tip while bending, so the members at the bending do not deform even when a large load due to wire pulling is applied. Strength is required. Therefore, it is desired that the member of the bent portion is made of a strong metal member such as SUS. However, if the hinge member having the above structure in Patent Document 1 is made of metal so that the outer diameter is 3.8 mm or less, it is difficult to process with high accuracy and the manufacturing cost is high. The inventors have found a problem.

In view of the above points, the present invention provides a joint member of a flexible treatment tool that is thin enough to be inserted into an endoscopic channel but can sufficiently withstand a load due to bending and traction of mucosal tissue. It is an object of the present invention to provide a treatment tool used and a method for controlling bending of the treatment tool.

(Structure 1)
It is a substantially tubular joint member that is arranged side by side on substantially the same axis and constitutes a bendable treatment tool. A recess is formed on one end side of the joint member in the axial direction, and the joint member is formed in the axial direction. A convex portion is formed on the other end side, and the concave portion of one joint member in two joint members adjacent to each other is in sliding contact with the convex portion of the other joint member, and the joint member is tubular. A member and a plate-shaped member arranged so as to cross the tubular member in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the plate-shaped member penetrates the plate-shaped member in the axial direction for bending. A joint member including a hole and a through hole for a device that penetrates the plate-shaped member in the axial direction.

(Structure 2)
A pair of the recesses are formed on one end side of the joint member in the axial direction so as to face the radial direction of the joint member, and on the other end side of the joint member in the axial direction, they face each other in the radial direction of the joint member. The joint member according to the configuration 1, wherein the pair of the convex portions is formed so as to be formed.

(Structure 3)
The joint member according to the configuration 2, wherein the line connecting the pair of the concave portions and the line connecting the pair of the convex portions are substantially parallel.

(Structure 4)
The joint member according to the configuration 2, wherein the relative angle between the line connecting the pair of the concave portions and the line connecting the pair of the convex portions is approximately 90 °.

(Structure 5)
The joint member according to the configuration 2, wherein the relative angle between the line connecting the pair of the concave portions and the line connecting the pair of the convex portions is approximately 120 °.

(Structure 6)
The joint member according to the configuration 5 having a bending limiting member that limits bending due to sliding contact between two joint members adjacent to each other to bending to one side.

(Structure 7)
The pair of convex portions are formed as a part of the outer peripheral portion of the tubular member, and the plate-shaped member has a notch portion that engages with the pair of the convex portions, so that the plate-shaped member is paired. The joint member according to any one of configurations 2 to 6, which is engaged with the convex portion.

(Structure 8)
The joint member according to the configuration 7, wherein the plate-shaped member includes a slit from the notch to the bending through hole or the device through hole.

(Structure 9)
Any of configurations 1 to 8 in which a slit wider than the diameter of the driving member is formed at a portion of the outer peripheral portion of the tubular member that is inside the bending due to sliding contact between two joint members adjacent to each other. The joint member described in.

(Structure 10)
The concave portion and the convex portion are formed on one end side in the axial direction of the joint member so as to face the radial direction of the joint member, and the radial direction of the joint member is formed on the other end side in the axial direction of the joint member. The joint member according to the configuration 1, wherein the convex portion and the concave portion are formed so as to face each other.

(Structure 11)
The joint member according to the configuration 10, wherein the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on one end side in the axial direction of the joint member and the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on the other end side are substantially parallel.

(Structure 12)
The joint according to the configuration 10, wherein the relative angle between the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on one end side in the axial direction of the joint member and the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on the other end side is approximately 90 °. Element.

(Structure 13)
The joint according to the configuration 10, wherein the relative angle between the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on one end side in the axial direction of the joint member and the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on the other end side is approximately 120 °. Element.

(Structure 14)
The joint member according to any one of configurations 1 to 13, which has a bending angle limiting member that limits the bending angle due to sliding contact between two joint members adjacent to each other to less than 30 °.

(Structure 15)
The bending angle limiting member is a protrusion formed on the convex portion, the tubular member, or the plate-shaped member, and the protrusion abuts against the adjacent joint member as the adjacent joint member bends. The joint member according to the configuration 14, wherein the bending angle of two joint members adjacent to each other is limited to less than 30 °.

(Structure 16)
The joint member according to any one of configurations 1 to 15, wherein the concave portion and the convex portion are integrally formed as a part of an outer peripheral portion of the tubular member.

(Structure 17)
A treatment tool formed by assembling the joint members according to any one of configurations 1 to 16 to each other.

(Structure 18)
The tubular member having a plurality of tubular members having a concave portion formed on one end side in the axial direction and a convex portion formed on the other end side, and a plate-shaped member having a through hole for bending and a through hole for a device, which are adjacent to each other. The concave portion of one tubular member in the above is flexibly configured by sliding contact with the convex portion of the other tubular member, and the plate-shaped member is formed on the tubular member with respect to at least one of the tubular members. A treatment tool that is arranged across the axial direction of the.

(Structure 19)
The treatment tool according to the configuration 17 or 18, wherein a plurality of the bending through holes are formed in the plate-shaped member, and a plurality of driving members inserted into the plurality of bending through holes are provided. It is a bending control method of a treatment tool having the basic bending shafts of the above and provided with the driving member corresponding to each of the basic bending shafts, and is substantially axial to the treatment tool at the base end portion of the bending portion of the treatment tool. In a multidimensional oblique coordinate system having coordinate axes corresponding to the basic bending axes on orthogonal planes, a step of vector-decomposing a target position based on an input bending instruction into a coordinate axis vector along the coordinate axes, and the coordinate axis vector. A method for controlling bending of a treatment tool, comprising a step of calculating a traction amount of the driving member corresponding to the basic bending axis corresponding to each coordinate axis based on the above.

(Structure 20)
The plurality of basic bending axes are three basic bending axes having a relative angle of 120 ° to each other, and the multidimensional oblique coordinate system is represented by three coordinate axes having a relative angle of 120 ° to each other. The method for controlling bending of the treatment tool according to the configuration 19, which is an oblique coordinate system.

(Structure 21)
In the calculation of the traction amount, the step of calculating the amount of change in the path length of the driving member before and after the bending of the treatment tool and the extension amount of the driving member due to the load applied to the driving member when the treatment tool is bent are calculated. The bending control method for a treatment tool according to the configuration 19 or 20, further comprising a step of calculating the traction amount based on the amount of change in the path length and the amount of elongation of the driving member.

According to the present invention, since it is composed of a tubular member whose inside is basically hollow and a plate-shaped member, the weight of the joint member can be lightly formed while maintaining the strength. Further, since the bending through hole is formed in the plate-shaped member, the contact range between the driving member such as a wire and the bending through hole can be reduced, and the sliding friction resistance can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to construct a flexible treatment tool that is thin enough to be inserted into the endoscopic channel and can sufficiently withstand the load due to tissue traction.

A perspective view showing an outline of the treatment tool of the embodiment according to the present invention. The figure which shows the bending state of the bending part of the treatment tool of embodiment Perspective view showing a joint member Front view showing a tubular member Side view showing a tubular member Top view showing a plate-shaped member The figure which shows the sliding contact (bending) state between two joint members Front view showing the base end member Side view showing the base end member Front view showing the tip member Side view showing the tip member Cross-sectional view showing the structure of the bent portion mainly of the treatment tool Explanatory drawing showing the positional relationship between the basic bending shaft of the treatment tool and the driving member (wire) The figure which shows the example of the joint member provided with the bending limiting member. The figure which shows the example of the treatment tool provided with the grasping forceps as an end effector. The figure which shows the example of the joint member which the basic bending axis is orthogonal The figure which shows the example of the joint member which the basic bending axis is parallel The figure which shows the example of the joint member which the concave part and the convex part are formed on one end side, and the convex part and the concave part are formed on the other end side. The figure which shows the state of the internal drive member (wire) in the sliding contact (bending) state of a joint member. The figure which shows the example of the joint member which formed the slit for suppressing the contact with a drive member (wire). The figure which shows another example of a joint member Front view showing the outline of the operation unit and the electric drive Block diagram showing the outline of the configuration of the electric drive The figure which shows the basic flow of the bending control algorithm of a treatment tool Explanatory drawing about the point expressing the target position on a predetermined coordinate system for bending control of a treatment tool. Explanatory drawing about the point expressing the target position on a predetermined coordinate system for bending control of a treatment tool. Explanatory diagram of vector decomposition in multidimensional oblique coordinate system Explanatory drawing about change of path length of drive member (wire) in bending of bending part Explanatory drawing about traction amount of drive member (wire)

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiment is an embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention to the scope thereof.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a treatment tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a bent portion and an end effector portion. As will be described later, the bent portion 1 and the sheath portion 2 are covered with a polymer tube or the like, but in FIGS. 1 and 2, the polymer can be understood so that the structure of the bent portion can be understood. The figure shows a state in which there is no coating with a tube or the like.
As its basic embodiment, the treatment tool T of the present embodiment passes through the end effector 5, the bending portion 1 for bending the end effector 5 in a desired direction, and the bending through hole of the joint member, and passes through the bending portion 1. A tubular sheath portion 2 having a drive member (drive wire) for bending and a core wire for driving an end effector inside, and an operation portion 3 for performing operations such as bending by pulling the drive wire and the core wire. I have. Although the drive wire is used as a specific example of the drive member here, the drive member is not limited to the metallic wire.
The treatment tool T is used by being inserted into the endoscopic channel, and the outer diameter of the bent portion 1 and the sheath portion 2 is formed to be 3.8 mm or less, more preferably 2.6 mm or less.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bent portion 1 is a plurality of joint members 12 that are combined with the base end member 11 and the tip end member 13 provided on the base end side and the tip end side, respectively, so as to bend while sliding with each other. And.
As will be described below, in the joint member 12, the direction of the bending axis (line connecting the convex portions) on one end side in the axial direction and the direction of the bending axis (line connecting the concave portions) on the other end side are different. By connecting such joint members 12 in succession, the joint members 12 are made multi-joint and can be bent in an arbitrary direction as a whole as shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the joint member 12.
The joint member 12 has recesses C11 and C12 formed on one end side of the axial direction AD so as to face the radial direction of the joint member, and convex portions P11 and P12 on the other end side so as to face the radial direction of the joint member. Is formed. The concave portions C11 and C12 of one joint member in the two joint members 12 adjacent to each other are in sliding contact with the convex portions P11 and P12 of the other joint member (see FIG. 7).
The joint member 12 includes a tubular member 121 and a plate-shaped member 122 arranged so as to cross the tubular member 121 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. Note that "arranged across the axial direction AD" is not limited to the plate-shaped member 122 being provided perpendicular to the axial direction AD, but "" axial direction AD and ". Anything that "crosses" in the vertical direction, that is, one that crosses the inside of the tubular member 121 (excluding those that traverse in the axial direction AD).

4 and 5 are a front view and a side view showing the tubular member 121.
The tubular member 121 is basically a cylindrical (hollow) member, and recesses C11 and C12 are formed on one end side thereof, and convex portions P11 and P12 are formed on the other end side thereof.
The recesses C11 and C12 are formed so as to cut out a part of the outer peripheral portion of the cylinder in a substantially arc shape. As shown in FIG. 7, the base end surface TSs on both sides of the recesses C11 and C12 are cut with an inclination of a predetermined angle β [deg]. As can be understood from FIG. 7, the joint members are prevented from interfering with each other during the bending operation.
The two adjacent joint members are slidably contacted by the concave portions C11 and C12 of one joint member and the convex portions P11 and P12 of the other joint member, and are bent at a certain bending angle α [deg]. The bending angle α is an angle at which one joint member on the distal end side slides with respect to the joint member on the proximal end side from a straight state in which the central axes of two adjacent joint members coincide with each other. It is represented by the angle formed by the central axis of the joint member (L3 in FIG. 7) and the central axis of the joint member on the tip side (L4 in FIG. 7).
The convex portions P11 and P12 are also formed as a part of the cylindrical outer peripheral portion, and as shown in FIG. 7, have a substantially arc shape (an arc cut near the upper portion) formed so as to be in sliding contact with the concave portions C11 and C12. It has a protruding portion, and engages with the plate-shaped member 122 described below at the root portion thereof.
The convex portions P11 and P12 are formed in an arc shape with the vicinity of the upper portion cut off in order to reduce the sliding resistance by reducing the contact range with the concave portions C11 and C12.
Further, the convex portions P11 and P12 are engaged with the plate-shaped member 122, and also function as a bending angle limiting member that limits the bending angle due to sliding contact between two joint members adjacent to each other to less than 30 °. A protrusion AL is provided. As shown in FIG. 7, as the adjacent joint member bends, the adjacent joint member and the protrusion AL abut each other, so that the bending angle of the two joint members adjacent to each other is limited to less than 30 °. Is. Here, a protrusion AL as a bending angle limiting member is provided on the convex portions P11 and P12 as an example, but the protrusion AL is a different part of the tubular member depending on the difference in the configuration of the joint member. Or, it may be provided on a plate-shaped member or the like.
In order to increase the bending angle per joint member, it can be realized by forming the arc portions of the convex portions P11 and P12 to be longer (so that the central angle of the arc is larger). When the bending angle per joint member is large, the bending R of the bent portion can be reduced, so that even when an endoscope having an optical system with a focal length of several millimeters such as a flexible endoscope is used, the focal point is focused. The flexion treatment tool can be moved within a range close to the matching lens. However, if the bending angle per joint member is made too large, the tube covering the bent portion is sandwiched between the two joint members to hinder the movement of the bent portion, or the arc portions of the convex portions P11 and P12. By increasing the central angle, the root portions of the convex portions P11 and P12 may become thin, resulting in insufficient strength. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the protrusion AL limits this to less than 30 °. If there is no risk of these adverse effects, the bending angle per joint member may be 45 °, 30 °, or the like.
Further, the bending angle may be set to 22.5 °.
When the bending angle is 45 °, the bent portion can be bent to 90 ° by the configuration in which the same "basic bending axis" described later appears twice. Similarly, when the bending angle is 30 ° and 22.5 °, the same "basic bending axis" appears three times and four times, respectively, and the bent portion can be bent to 90 °.
Further, by forming the arc portions of both the convex portions P11 and P12 and the concave portions C11 and C12 so that the central angles thereof are 180 degrees or more, the concave portions C11 and C12 and the convex portions P11 and P12 are in the axial direction (FIG. 3). It is possible to prevent the vehicle from deviating in the AD direction.
The tubular member 121 can be manufactured with high processing accuracy at a low cost by, for example, laser-cutting a standard SUS pipe. By manufacturing from the pipe member in this way, the thickness in the circumferential direction can be made uniform. For example, even when the wall thickness is as thin as 0.2 mm, the entire body including the convex portions P11 and P12 can be easily formed to have a uniform thickness by manufacturing based on the 0.2 mm pipe member. can do. Since the thickness can be uniformly formed, stable strength can be obtained, and concave portions and convex portions that do not deform even when a load required for gripping the mucosal tissue is applied can be formed. In addition, since it is possible to manufacture with high processing accuracy, as a result, the sliding resistance when the uneven portion is fitted and slides and moves is reduced, and the control accuracy by pushing and pulling the drive wire of the bent portion is improved. Can be raised.

FIG. 6 is a top view showing the plate-shaped member 122.
The plate-shaped member 122 is basically a circular plate, has a device through hole H1 in a central portion, and has six bending through holes H2 in a peripheral portion thereof. The device through hole H1 is a hole through which a core wire for controlling the opening and closing of forceps, which is an end effector, an electrode wire for a high-frequency knife, which is an end effector, and a solution flow path for injecting a solution under the mucosa are inserted. .. The bending through hole H2 is a hole through which a driving member represented by a wire for bending the bent portion is inserted. As will be described later, the treatment tool T of the present embodiment has three "basic bending axes" having relative angles of 120 ° to each other, and three corresponding to each "basic bending axis". It is equipped with a drive wire. Therefore, although there are three holes through which the drive wire passes in the bending through holes H2 of the plate-shaped member 122, as shown in FIG. 6, six bending through holes H2 are formed at 60 ° intervals at point-symmetrical positions. By providing the plate-shaped member 122, the plate-shaped member 122 can be shared. When individual plate-shaped members 122 (three types) corresponding to three "basic bending shafts" are used, the number of bending through holes H2 may be three. In this case, instead of being unable to standardize the parts, the bending through hole H2 can be formed larger than when the bending through hole H2 is six, and a thicker drive wire can be adopted. It is possible to increase the load that can be generated.
Notch portions 1221 that engage with the convex portions P11 and P12 of the tubular member 121 are formed on both sides of the plate-shaped member 122. Further, a slit S1 from the notch portion 1221 to the device through hole H1 is formed in one of the notch portions 1221. The presence of the slit S1 improves workability when the plate-shaped member 122 is fitted into the convex portions P11 and P12 of the tubular member 121. Here, the slit S1 extends from the notch portion 1221 to the device through hole H1 as an example, but it may be a slit from the notch portion to the bending through hole depending on the difference in the configuration of the joint member. ..
The plate-shaped member 122 can be manufactured, for example, by laser-cutting or pressing a standard SUS plate, and can be processed inexpensively and with high accuracy. As a result, stable strength can be obtained, and through holes and bending through holes for devices that do not deform even when a load required for gripping the mucosal tissue is applied can be formed. Since the hole diameter can be processed with high accuracy, the clearance between the hole diameter and the diameter of the drive wire or the core wire can be reduced, and the wire diameter can be maximized.

The joint member 12 is configured by fitting the tubular member 121 and the plate-shaped member 122. No steps such as welding or bonding are required to fit the two.
In the joint member 12 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the relative angle between the line L1 connecting the pair of concave portions C11 and C12 and the line L2 connecting the pair of convex portions P11 and P12 is approximately 120 °. ..
Therefore, by connecting the joint members 12 having the above configuration in succession, each joint member 12 is provided while rotating by 120 °. As a result, in a state where the bent portion 1 is straight, a bent shaft in the same direction appears every time three joint members 12 are connected in series, and this bent shaft in the same direction is referred to as a "basic bent shaft" in the present invention. Called. The bent portion 1 of the present embodiment includes three "basic bent axes" having a relative angle of 120 ° to each other.
The "line L1 connecting the pair of concave portions C11 and C12" and the "line L2 joint member 12 connecting the pair of convex portions P11 and P12" are the bases of the joint member 12 when the joint members 12 are connected, respectively. It is a bending axis on the end side and the tip side. When the pair of convex portions P11 and P12 and the pair of concave portions C11 and C12 are formed in a substantially arc shape as in the present embodiment, L1 and L2 are straight lines passing through the substantially center of each arc.

8 and 9 are a front view and a side view showing the base end member 11.
The base end member 11 is a member whose basic embodiment is cylindrical (hollow), and convex portions P21 and P22 are formed on one end side thereof. The convex portions P21 and P22 are fitted to the concave portions C11 and C12 of the joint member 12 (tubular member 121), and the convex portions P21 and P22 and the protrusion AL of the base end member 11 are the joint member 12 (tubular member 121). ) Has the same configuration as the convex portions P11, P12 and the protrusion AL.
The base end member 11 is a member that connects between the joint member 12 and the sheath portion 2. The end face of the coil tube of the sheath portion 2 and the end face of the base end member 11 on the base end side are joined by welding or the like. When a multi-lumen tube is used in the sheath portion 2, the position of the bending through hole H2 of the plate-shaped member 122 provided in the joint member 12 and the position of the drive wire penetrating hole in the sheath portion 2 are aligned with each other. It is preferable to fix the side surface of the multi-lumen tube in the sheath portion 2 and the inner wall of the base end member 11 with an adhesive or the like. Since the multi-lumen tube is fixed to the base end member 11 with an adhesive or the like, the multi-lumen tube does not rotate with respect to the base end member 11 even when the entire treatment tool is bent, and the base is formed from the sheath portion 2. It is possible to prevent an increase in frictional resistance due to twisting of the drive wire between the end members 11. The hole H3 formed in the base end member 11 is an injection port of the adhesive for the adhesion.
By making the inner diameter of the base end member 11 larger than the outer diameter of the multi-lumen tube, the multi-lumen tube can be introduced into the lumen of the base end member 11, and the multi-lumen tube is adhered to the base end member 11 while checking the position of the drive wire. It's easy to do.

10 and 11 are a front view and a side view showing the tip member 13.
The tip member 13 is a member whose basic embodiment is cylindrical (hollow), and recesses C31 and C32 are formed on one end side thereof. The recesses C31 and C32 are fitted to the convex portions P11 and P12 of the joint member 12 (tubular member 121), and the configuration on the base end side of the tip member 13 is the base end of the joint member 12 (tubular member 121). It is the same as the configuration on the side.
A plate-shaped member 122 is attached to the tip member 13, and a notch 131 and an engaging recess 132 for that purpose are formed. The engaging recess 132 engages with the notch 1221 of the plate-shaped member 122 at this portion. The notch 131 is a triangular notch formed on the side surface of the tip member 13 so that the plate-shaped member 122 can be introduced into the tip member 13.
The tip member 13 is a member for attaching an end effector, and in order to fix the end effector, the end face of the outer edge portion on the tip side preferably has a circumferential shape. When the end effector is an electrode female, it is preferable to fix a pin 4 (see FIG. 12) made of a fluororesin having both heat resistance and insulating properties, ceramics such as zirconia and alumina, to the end face.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the bent portion 1 of the treatment tool T.
As described above, the bent portion 1 is composed of a plurality of joint members 12 that are continuously provided, and a proximal end member 11 and a distal end member 13 that are provided on the proximal end side and the distal end side thereof.
An end effector (electrode female 5 in the example of FIG. 12) is provided on the tip member 13, and the electrode wire CW of the electrode female 5 is inserted into a device through hole H1 provided in the center of each plate-shaped member 122. To.
Further, three drive wires (two of W1 and W2 are drawn in FIG. 12) are inserted into the bending through holes H2 of each plate-shaped member 122, respectively. The three drive wires W1 to W3 are fixed by inserting the plate-shaped member 122 provided in the tip member 13 and then crimping the SUS tube 8 through which the drive wires W1 to W3 are passed.
The bent portion 1 and the sheath portion 2 are preferably covered with a polymer tube PT. By using the flexible polymer tube, it is possible to minimize the bending radius and reduce the load on the drive wires W1 to W3 at the time of bending. Further, it is possible to prevent the concave and convex portions of the two engaged joint members 12 from being displaced or disengaged in the radial direction of the tubular member. By using a rigid member such as a SUS wire for the drive wire, it is possible to prevent the concave and convex portions of the two engaged joint members 12 from being displaced or disengaged in the radial direction of the tubular member. be able to.
In the coating of the bent portion 1 and the sheath portion 2, a high-density fluororesin is used for the coating of the sheath portion 2, and the fluororesin in which the resin density of the tube is graded so that the portion applied to the bent portion 1 becomes porous. It is preferable to use a tube because it can maintain the electrical insulation required for an electrode knife or the like and can bend the tip with a minimum radius without hindering the bending of the bent portion.

The electrode wire CW and the drive wires W1 to W3 pass through the inside of the sheath portion 2 and reach the operation portion 3.
The sheath portion 2 includes a flat coil made of SUS or the like, a coil coil tube which is a liner blade tube, a lumen tube inserted inside the coil tube, a drive wire inserted inside the lumen tube, and a penetration for a device. It is composed of an electrode wire passing through the hole and the like. As the lumen tube, a multi-lumen tube or a plurality of single lumen tubes made of a fluororesin having a low sliding friction resistance is used. Drive wires and electrode wires are inserted through the lumen tube. By doing so, it is possible to prevent friction of the drive wire when the drive wire is pushed and pulled, unintentional meandering of the drive wire, and breakage of the wire, and it is possible to improve the controllability of the bent portion. Since the electrode wire and the core wire often have a larger diameter than the drive wire, they may be inserted into the lumen tube or may be arranged in the coil tube as they are. By inserting it into the lumen tube, it can be expected to prevent the wire from breaking and improve the controllability of pushing and pulling, as with the drive wire. When a plurality of single lumen tubes are used, a dummy wire or the like may be packed in the coil tube in order to prevent meandering in the sheath of the single lumen tube itself. By doing so, the path of the wire in the sheath can be uniquely defined even in the case of a single lumen tube. If a round wire coil, flat wire coil, inner flat coil, etc. made of SUS etc. are used for the single lumen tube, compression of the lumen tube and sheath part can be prevented even if the drive wire is pulled, so the controllability of the bent part can be improved. improves. Further, a PTFE tube may be used as the single lumen tube through which the electrode wire is inserted. The sliding resistance of the electrode wire is reduced, and the effect of insulation can be obtained.

FIG. 13 is a conceptual explanatory view showing the positional relationship between the basic bending shafts BA1 to BA3 and the drive wires W1 to W3 in the treatment tool T of the present embodiment. The figure is an explanatory view from a cross-sectional viewpoint in the bent portion 1.
As described above, the treatment tool T of the present embodiment has three basic bending axes BA1 to BA3 having relative angles of 120 ° to each other, and three corresponding to the respective basic bending axes BA1 to BA3. Drive wires W1 to W3 are provided. That is, the drive wire W1 corresponds to the basic bending shaft BA1, the drive wire W2 corresponds to the basic bending shaft BA2, and the drive wire W3 corresponds to the basic bending shaft BA3. Each drive wire corresponding to each basic bending axis is arranged at the position farthest from the basic bending axis, and therefore generates a large moment with respect to the basic bending axis.
In the example of FIG. 13, when it is desired to bend the bent portion 1 upward, the drive wire W1 may be pulled, and when it is desired to bend the bent portion 1 downward, the drive wires W2 and W3 should be bent by the same amount. By pulling, it can be bent downward as a synthetic component. In this way, the bends in the basic bending shafts BA1 to BA3 are combined according to the traction amount of the drive wires W1 to W3, and the bent portion 1 can be bent in an arbitrary direction as a whole.
In order to control the bending angle accurately and facilitate the control, it is preferable to make the bending control for each of the basic bending axes BA1 to BA3 independent. In FIG. 13, when the drive wire W1 is pulled, the basic bending shaft BA1 is basically bent, but the basic bending shafts BA2 and 3 are also bent. That is, by pulling the drive wire W1, the drive wire W1 is bent diagonally upward to the right in the middle stage of FIG. 13 and is bent diagonally upward to the left in the lower stage. The occurrence of bending at each of the basic bending axes becomes a factor that complicates the control of the bending angle. Further, bending on a basic bending shaft that is not the basic bending shaft corresponding to the drive wire, that is, bending on the basic bending shafts BA2 and BA3 when the wire W1 is pulled, has a small moment and causes uncertainty in operation. It also becomes a factor that makes accurate bending control difficult.
In order to prevent this, as illustrated in FIG. 14, a bending limiting member BL may be provided to limit bending due to sliding contact between two joint members adjacent to each other to bending to one side. By providing the bending limiting member BL, the upper part of FIG. 13 does not bend downward around the basic bending axis BA1, and the middle part does not bend diagonally upward to the right around the basic bending axis BA2, and the lower part. In, it does not bend diagonally upward to the left around the basic bending axis BA3. In the above example, when the drive wire W1 is pulled, only the bending on the basic bending axis BA1 can be performed. As a result, the bending control for each of the basic bending axes BA1 to BA3 can be made independent, and the control of the bending angle can be made accurate and easy.

As described above, according to the treatment tool T of the present embodiment, the joint member 12 is composed of a tubular member 121 whose inside is basically hollow and a plate-shaped member 122 formed separately from the tubular member 121. Since it is configured, the weight can be lightly formed.
Further, since the bending through hole H2 is formed in the plate-shaped member 122, the contact range with the driving wires W1 to W3 can be reduced, and the bending through hole H2 is formed between the driving wires W1 to W3 and the bending through hole H2. It is possible to reduce the frictional resistance.
As a result, the loss of wire traction force can be reduced, and the load lifted by the treatment tool can be maximized.
Further, as described above, the tubular member 121 and the plate-shaped member 122 can be manufactured at low cost by laser-cutting the SUS pipe or the SUS plate. Further, the manufacturing cost can be further reduced by manufacturing the plate-shaped member by a press. Assembling of the joint member is possible only by physical fitting, and steps such as welding and bonding are not required. At the same time, various outer diameter dimensions and wall thicknesses can be selected from general-purpose products such as SUS pipes and SUS plates, and the outer diameter and inner diameter of the joint member 12 can be freely changed. Therefore, even as a single-use (disposable) product preferable for medical treatment tools, it is possible to provide treatment tools with a wide variety of specifications at a realistic cost.
Further, as described above, the tubular member 121 and the plate-shaped member 122 can be produced with high accuracy, and thus stable strength can be obtained. Therefore, even if a load required for gripping the mucosal tissue is applied. It can be a joint member that is not easily deformed (a joint member that can maximize the load lifted by the treatment tool).
The above points are the same for the base end member 11 and the tip end member 13.

Further, according to the treatment tool T of the present embodiment, the relative angle between the line connecting the pair of concave portions (L1 in FIG. 3) and the line connecting the pair of convex portions (L2 in FIG. 3) is approximately 120 °. Since the number of drive wires can be increased to three, the number of drive wires can be reduced as much as possible so that the drive wires can be bent in any direction.

In the present embodiment, the electrode scalpel 5 is taken as an example of the end effector, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, forceps 6 or the like can be used as shown in FIG. The end effector is a part for performing transendoscopic treatment, and those having various functions such as biopsy forceps, grasping forceps, high-frequency snare, high-frequency knife, local injection needle, and peeling forceps can be used.

Further, in the present embodiment, the relative angle between the line connecting the pair of concave portions (L1 in FIG. 3) and the line connecting the pair of convex portions (L2 in FIG. 3) is set to be approximately 120 °, and the drive wire is set to 3. Although a book is used as an example, the relative angle between the line connecting the concave portion and the line connecting the convex portion can be set arbitrarily. That is, the concept of "a joint member is composed of a tubular member whose inside is basically hollow and a plate-shaped member" in the present invention is used for a member having an arbitrary number of drive wires. be able to. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the relative angle between the line L1 connecting the concave portions and the line L2 connecting the convex portions may be approximately 90 °. In this case, the number of drive wires is basically four, but it is also possible to drive by three drive wires.
When it is not necessary to make the bent portion bendable in an arbitrary direction (for example, when it is possible to rotate at the sheath portion), as shown in FIG. 17, the line L1 connecting the concave portions and the convex portion are formed. The relative angles of the lines L2 connecting the two may be substantially parallel.
Further, as the joint member used for one treatment tool, it is not necessary to use a joint member having the same relative angle between the line L1 connecting the concave portion and the line L2 connecting the convex portion, but the line L1 connecting the concave portion and the joint member. It is also possible to mix and use joint members having different relative angles of the line L2 connecting the convex portions.

In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a pair of concave portions are formed on one end side in the axial direction of the joint member and a pair of convex portions are formed on the other end side, but the present invention is not limited to this, for example. As shown in FIG. 18, a concave portion C41 and a convex portion P41 are formed on one end side of the joint member in the axial direction so as to face the radial direction of the joint member, and the concave portion C41 and the convex portion P41 are formed on the other end side so as to face the radial direction of the joint member. The convex portion P42 and the concave portion C42 may be formed on the surface.
In this case, the relative angle between the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on one end side in the axial direction of the joint member and the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on the other end side can be arbitrarily set as described above. ..
In the present embodiment, the convex portion is formed on the tubular member as an example, but the convex portion may be formed on the plate-shaped member side. By bending the convex portion formed in a plane so as to partially extend the outer peripheral portion of the plate-shaped member by 90 °, it is possible to form a convex portion vertically erected from the plate-shaped member (SUS). Can be manufactured by pressing a plate, etc.).
Further, if there is no problem in strength and operation, only one convex portion and one concave portion may be formed.

Here, FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a state of an internal drive wire in a sliding contact (bending) state of the joint member.
As shown in the figure, the inner surface of the tubular member 121 and the drive wire W1 interfere with each other on the lower end side of the outer peripheral portion of the tubular member 121. When such interference occurs, the bending operation is hindered and the drive wire traction force is lost.
In order to prevent this, as illustrated in FIG. 20, the diameter of the tubular member becomes wider than the diameter of the drive wire at the portion inside the bending due to the two joint members adjacent to each other sliding in contact with each other. The slit S2 may be formed. The slit S2 can suppress interference between the side surface of the tubular member and the drive wire.

In the present embodiment, there is an example in which the convex portions P11 and P12 are provided with a protrusion AL that engages the plate-shaped member 122 and limits the bending angle due to sliding contact between two joint members adjacent to each other. However, it is also possible not to provide the protrusion AL.
For example, as illustrated in FIG. 21A, the notch portion of the plate-shaped member 122 at the root of the convex portion P51 is utilized by utilizing the fact that the convex portion P51 has a shape that spreads in an arc shape with respect to the root portion thereof. It may be engaged with 1221. The limitation of the bending angle of the joint member can be adjusted by the inclination angle β (see FIG. 7) of the base end surface TS on both sides of the recesses C11 and C12.
In FIG. 21 (a), when the engaging force with the plate-shaped member 122 is insufficient, as shown in FIG. 21 (b), the engaging recess P61R may be provided at the root of the convex portion P61. Good. The engaging recess P61R is the same as the engaging recess 132 provided in the tip member 13.

In the present embodiment, each joint member is provided with a plate-shaped member as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The main function of the plate-shaped member is to pass the drive wire and the core wire that controls the end effector through the hole to prevent interference between each wire and other members (another wire or another joint member to be fitted). In addition, it suppresses the displacement and disengagement of the concave and convex portions of the two engaged joint members 12 in the radial direction (direction along the bending axis). If the rigidity of each wire is sufficient and interference between the members or the radial deviation of the two joint members 12 is relatively unlikely to occur, for example, every other joint member is a plate-shaped member. It does not matter if it is provided with.

As in the present embodiment, if the bending through hole of the plate-shaped member is arranged so as to penetrate in parallel with the central axis of the tube of the tubular member when another joint member is connected vertically, the drive wire And the friction of the bending through hole can be reduced, and the radial deviation between the concave portion and the convex portion of the two engaged joint members 12 can be reduced. As in the present embodiment, it is possible to make all the joint members to be stacked vertically the same by forming the bending through holes point-symmetrically according to the angle formed by the concave portion and the convex portion. A plate-shaped member may be prepared. Since the tubular member and the plate-shaped member are separate, it is possible to easily respond by changing the plate-shaped member (preparing a plurality of plate-shaped members in which the positions of the bending through holes are changed).

<Embodiment 2>
As the second embodiment, a method of controlling bending of the treatment tool by the electric drive machine will be described.
Since the treatment tool in the present embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, the description here will be simplified or omitted.

FIG. 22 is a front view showing an outline of the operation unit 3 and the electric drive 7 of the treatment tool.
The operation unit 3 of the treatment tool of the present embodiment is mechanically joined to the electric drive 7 that can be electrically operated.
Each dial 31 protruding from the operation unit 3 pushes, pulls, and rotates each drive wire passing through the bending through hole and the core wire passing through the through hole for the device, and is driven by the electric drive machine 7.
By providing the dial 31 of the operation unit 3 and the pulley 75 that fits the dial 31 on the electric drive unit 7 side, each pulley 75 of the electric drive unit 7 is rotated by each motor 74, so that the bending treatment tool can be used. It drives the dial.
The electric drive 7 is provided with an input unit 72 composed of, for example, a joystick, and receives an input of an instruction in a bending direction from a user. In the electric drive 7, each motor 74 is driven in response to an input from the user by a control method described below, and the bent portion is bent as instructed by the user. It should be noted that not only electric operation but also manual operation (direct operation to the dial 31 of the operation unit 3) is possible.

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the electric drive device 7.
As shown in FIG. 23, the electric drive 7 includes an input unit 72, motors 74 _U to _{W , drivers 73 U} to _W for driving the motors 74 _U to _W , various arithmetic processes, and each driver 73. _It is provided with a calculation unit 71 and the like that control U to _W. A device (potentiometer, encoder, etc.) for detecting the rotation position and the number of rotations is provided on the rotation shaft of each motor, and feedback control (PID control, etc.) is performed based on the detection result of the device.
When the target bending state is input from the input unit 72 as XY coordinates, which is the target position based on the input bending instruction, the calculation unit 71 calculates the wire traction amount based on the XY coordinates as described below. calculate. The desired bending control is performed by converting the wire traction amount obtained thereby into a motor pulley angle corresponding to the wire traction amount and setting the pulley angle as a target angle for feedback control.

Next, a method of calculating the wire traction amount will be described.
FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a conceptual flow of an algorithm for calculating a traction amount of a drive wire in bending control of a treatment tool.
The calculation algorithm of the traction amount of the drive wire is a step of acquiring the target bending state as XY coordinates and a vector represented by the XY coordinates in an n-dimensional (three-dimensional in this embodiment) multidimensional oblique coordinate system. A step of vector decomposition into a coordinate axis vector along the coordinate axes, a step of calculating the joint flexion angle around each basic flexion axis by multiplying the obtained vector amount of each axis by a predetermined gain, and a step of calculating the joint flexion angle around each basic flexion axis. The step of calculating the amount of change in the path length of the drive wire corresponding to each basic flexion axis based on the flexion angle (processing on the lower side of the branch in FIG. 24) and each basic based on the joint flexion angle around each basic flexion axis. The step of calculating the load applied to the drive wire corresponding to the bending axis and calculating the elongation amount of the drive wire based on the load (processing on the upper side of the branch in FIG. 24), the amount of change in the path length of the drive wire, and the drive wire. It has a step of calculating the traction amount of the drive wire by adding the elongation amount of the drive wire.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram of expressing a target position on a predetermined coordinate system (acquiring a target bending state (user's input to the input unit 72) as XY coordinates) for bending control of the bending portion 1. is there.
Here, as the input unit 72, an analog joystick is used as an example, and a bending unit 1 is bent according to the direction and amount of tilting the stick. FIG. 25 models the state of the stick, that is, the state in which the stick is tilted by a user operation. That is, the user operates the stick of the input unit 72 in an attempt to bend the bent portion 1 in a desired direction, so that the stick is tilted.
FIG. 25 models the tilted state of the stick of the input unit 72, but at the same time, it also models the state in which the bent portion 1 is to be bent. This is because the bent portion 1 is bent according to the direction and amount of tilting the stick. That is, the XY plane in FIG. 25 corresponds to a plane substantially orthogonal to the axial direction of the treatment tool at the base end portion of the bent portion.

First, as shown in FIG. 25, the direction and amount of tilting the stick, which is a bending instruction input from the user, are acquired as _{target coordinates (X 0} , Y _0).
In the present embodiment, the maximum bending angle is set in the bending control. That is, the process is such that a constant limiter is provided for the input.
As shown in FIG. 26 (a) and the following equation 1, when the input size (corresponding to the bending size) based on the _{XY coordinates (X 0} , Y _{0 ) is Mag and the limiter is Mag Max.} the input Mag is when I exceeds the _{Mag Max,} the input Mag by substituting _{Mag Max,} in which are provided a limiter. Further, the input Mag to which the limiter is applied as described above is _{normalized by using Mag Max} to obtain a vector r whose size is 0 or more and 1 or less (FIG. 26 (b)). The normalization is performed for the convenience of subsequent processing (calculation). Further, θ shown in FIG. 26 and the following equation 1 represents the vector r in polar coordinates.
The vector r on the XY coordinates obtained by the processing indicates the amount of tilting the stick (with a limiter), that is, the magnitude of the bending angle, and θ is the direction in which the stick is tilted, that is, the bending direction. Is shown.

Next, in the multidimensional oblique coordinate system having the coordinate axes corresponding to the basic bending axes, the vector r is vector-decomposed into the coordinate axis vectors along the coordinate axes.
FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram of vector decomposition in a multidimensional oblique coordinate system. FIG. 27 (a) shows the above-mentioned XY coordinate system, and FIG. 27 (b) shows a multidimensional Cartesian coordinate system.
The "multidimensional oblique coordinate system" is an n-dimensional coordinate system on the XY plane having a coordinate axis corresponding to the basic bending axis, and in the present embodiment, the basic bending axes have a relative angle of 120 ° to each other 3 Since it is the basic bending axis of the book, it is a coordinate system having three coordinate axes (U, V, W) having relative angles of 120 ° to each other on the XY plane.
As shown in FIG. 27 (b), the vector r is vector-decomposed into a coordinate axis vector along the coordinate axes in the multidimensional oblique coordinate system. The vector decomposition closely approximates the target bending state with respect to each of the n (three in the present embodiment) rotation directions existing as the basic bending axes. That is, the amount of rotation for obtaining good operability can be obtained.
Table 1 shows the θ of the vector r, the coordinate axis vector _{(D U, D V, D} W) a relationship.

As described above, each coordinate axis vector D _U , _DV , D _W , which is a decomposition vector, has a value corresponding to an angle that needs to be tilted at each basic bending axis, and therefore, each coordinate axis vector D _U , D. _{By multiplying V} and D _W by a predetermined constant G (deg), the joint flexion angle T (deg) at each basic flexion axis can be obtained. The number 2 expresses this.

In order to obtain the joint flexion angle T (deg) at each basic flexion axis, a tensile load corresponding to the joint flexion angle is applied to the drive wire. Since the joint flexion angle and the wire load are substantially proportional to each other, the wire load F (N) can be obtained by dividing the joint flexion angle T (deg) by the coefficient H (deg / N). The number 3 expresses this.

Since the amount of elongation of the drive wire due to the load is proportional to the load, the amount of elongation L (mm) of the drive wire due to the wire load F (N) is obtained by Equation 4 using the coefficient k (N / mm).

On the other hand, in order to obtain the joint flexion angle T (deg) in each basic flexion axis, a drive wire corresponding to each basic flexion axis, that is, a drive wire located inside the flexion with respect to the basic flexion axis is provided. It is necessary to pull only a fixed amount. At the same time, it is necessary to feed a predetermined amount of drive wires located outside the bending with respect to the basic bending axis. FIG. 28 shows an explanatory diagram regarding a change in the path length of the drive wire (that is, an amount of pulling or sending out the drive wire) when the bent portion is bent.
As shown in the figure, for example, at the joint flexion angle T (deg) of the basic flexion axis BA1, the drive wire W1 (the drive wire located inside the flexion with respect to the basic flexion axis) corresponds to the basic flexion axis BA1. The decrease in the route length is calculated by approximating it as M × 2 × Rtan (T / M / 2). At the same time, the increase in the path lengths of the drive wires W2 and W3 located outside the bending with respect to the basic bending axis BA1 is M × 2 × R / 2 × tan (T / M / 2). R corresponds to the distance from the basic bending axis BA1 to the drive wire W1, and M is the number of joints (= number of joint members 12 + base end member + tip member-1 = number of joint members 12 + 1). Equation 5 represents this (increase / decrease in path length P (mm)).

Here, using the approximation of tan α≈α, the number 5 becomes the number 6.

FIG. 29 shows the relationship between the elongation amount L (mm) of the drive wire and the increase / decrease P (mm) of the path length obtained by the above and the wire traction amount W (mm) required for this. is there. That is,
Wire traction amount W (mm) = drive wire elongation amount L (mm) + path length increase / decrease P (mm)
Is. Based on this, the number 7 represents the wire traction amount W (mm).

That is, based on the target coordinates _{(X 0, Y} 0), coordinate axes vectors obtained by the vector resolution _{(D U, D V, D} W) based on, by making the number 7 calculations, each drive it is possible to calculate the wire pulling distance _W U to _W-W of the wire.
Table 2 shows specific examples of the coefficient setting values used in the above calculation. This is an example, and each coefficient may be appropriately determined according to the specific specifications of the device and the like.

The arithmetic unit 71 calculates the wire pulling distance W _U to _W-W of the drive wire by the above calculation method, according to the specifications of the conversion wire pulling distance W _U to _W-W in the pulley angle (individual specific apparatus defined Multiply the resulting coefficients, etc.). Then, by performing feedback control with the pulley angle as the target angle, bending control corresponding to the bending instruction input from the input unit 72 is executed.
Here, an analog joystick is taken as an example, and an example in which the input to the input unit 72 is treated as an instruction of the bending direction and its size is taken as an example, but an instruction of only the bending direction may be accepted. .. For example, when a digital input means such as a direction key is used, the target position may be handled only in the direction, and the bending angle (bending size) may be set as a constant value in one control cycle. That is, it may be a process of adjusting the bending angle according to the time when the direction key is input.
Further, for example, an input unit capable of detecting the speed at which the joystick is tilted may be used, and the bending angle may be changed in one control cycle according to the tilting speed. In the process, the gain may be multiplied according to the speed of defeating in Equation 2 or the like.

As described above, according to the bending control method of the present embodiment, even in the bending control of the non-orthogonal wire arrangement type treatment tool in which the control wires are arranged at 120 ° intervals as in the first embodiment, the reverse motion is performed. It is possible to perform bending operation with good operability by simple calculation without the need for complicated calculation using science.
In the present embodiment, the basic bending axes (and the control wires corresponding thereto) are spaced at 120 ° intervals (the multidimensional oblique coordinate system is three-dimensional) as an example, but the “many” in the present invention has been described. The concept of calculating the traction amount of each control wire based on the vector decomposition into the "dimensional oblique coordinate system" can be applied to the n-dimensional one.

1. 1. .. .. Bent part
11. .. .. Base end member 12. .. .. Joint member 121. .. .. Tubular member 122. .. .. Plate-shaped member H1. .. .. Through hole for device H2. .. .. Bending through hole 1221. .. .. Notch S1. .. .. Slits P11, 12. .. .. Convex parts C11, 12. .. .. Recess AL. .. .. Protrusion (bending angle limiting member)
BL. .. .. Bending limiting member S2. .. .. Slit (slit that is wider than the diameter of the drive member)
BA1-3. .. .. Basic bending axis 13. .. .. Tip member 131. .. .. Notch 132. .. .. Engagement recess 2. .. .. Sheath part 3. .. .. Operation unit 31. .. .. Dial 5. .. .. Electrode female (end effector)
7. .. .. Electric drive 71. .. .. Calculation unit 72. .. .. Input unit 73 _U to _W. .. .. Driver 74 _U ~ _W. .. .. Motor 75. .. .. Pulley CW. .. .. Electrode wire (core wire)
8. .. .. SUS tube PT. .. .. Polymer tube T.I. .. .. Treatment tools W1-3. .. .. Drive wire (drive member)

Claims (21)

It is a substantially tubular joint member that constitutes a flexible treatment tool that is juxtaposed with each other substantially on the same axis.
A concave portion is formed on one end side of the joint member in the axial direction, a convex portion is formed on the other end side of the joint member in the axial direction, and the concave portion of one joint member in two joint members adjacent to each other is formed. It is designed to be in sliding contact with the convex portion of the other joint member.
The joint member includes a tubular member and a plate-shaped member arranged so as to cross the tubular member in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the plate-shaped member has the plate-shaped member in the axial direction. A joint member including a through hole for bending that penetrates through the plate and a through hole for a device that penetrates the plate-shaped member in the axial direction. A pair of the recesses are formed on one end side of the joint member in the axial direction so as to face each other in the radial direction of the joint member.
The joint member according to claim 1, wherein a pair of the convex portions are formed on the other end side of the joint member in the axial direction so as to face each other in the radial direction of the joint member. The joint member according to claim 2, wherein the line connecting the pair of the concave portions and the line connecting the pair of the convex portions are substantially parallel. The joint member according to claim 2, wherein the relative angle between the line connecting the pair of the concave portions and the line connecting the pair of the convex portions is approximately 90 °. The joint member according to claim 2, wherein the relative angle between the line connecting the pair of the concave portions and the line connecting the pair of the convex portions is approximately 120 °. The joint member according to claim 5, further comprising a bending limiting member that limits bending due to sliding contact between two joint members adjacent to each other to bending to one side. The pair of convex portions are formed as a part of the outer peripheral portion of the tubular member, and the plate-shaped member has a notch portion that engages with the pair of the convex portions, so that the plate-shaped member is paired. The joint member according to any one of claims 2 to 6, which is engaged with the convex portion. The joint member according to claim 7, wherein the plate-shaped member includes a slit from the notch to the bending through hole or the device through hole. Any of claims 1 to 8 in which a slit wider than the diameter of the driving member is formed at a portion of the outer peripheral portion of the tubular member that is inside the bending due to sliding contact between two joint members adjacent to each other. Joint member described in Crab. The concave portion and the convex portion are formed on one end side of the joint member in the axial direction so as to face the radial direction of the joint member.
The joint member according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion and the concave portion are formed on the other end side of the joint member in the axial direction so as to face the radial direction of the joint member. The joint member according to claim 10, wherein the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on one end side in the axial direction of the joint member and the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on the other end side are substantially parallel. The tenth aspect of the present invention, wherein the relative angle between the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on one end side in the axial direction of the joint member and the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on the other end side is approximately 90 °. Joint member. The tenth aspect of the present invention, wherein the relative angle between the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on one end side in the axial direction of the joint member and the line connecting the concave portion and the convex portion on the other end side is approximately 120 °. Joint member. The joint member according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a bending angle limiting member that limits the bending angle due to sliding contact between two joint members adjacent to each other to less than 30 °. The bending angle limiting member is a protrusion formed on the convex portion, the tubular member, or the plate-shaped member, and the protrusion abuts against the adjacent joint member as the adjacent joint member bends. The joint member according to claim 14, wherein the bending angle of two joint members adjacent to each other is limited to less than 30 °. The joint member according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the concave portion and the convex portion are integrally formed as a part of an outer peripheral portion of the tubular member. A treatment tool formed by assembling the joint members according to any one of claims 1 to 16 to each other. A plurality of tubular members having a concave portion on one end side in the axial direction and a convex portion on the other end side,
A plate-shaped member having a through hole for bending and a through hole for a device,
The concave portion of one tubular member in the tubular member adjacent to each other is configured to be bendable by sliding contact with the convex portion of the other tubular member.
A treatment tool in which the plate-shaped member is arranged so as to cross at least one of the tubular members in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular member. The treatment tool according to claim 17 or 18, wherein a plurality of the bending through holes are formed in the plate-shaped member, and a plurality of driving members inserted into the plurality of bending through holes are provided. A method for controlling bending of a treatment tool having a plurality of basic bending shafts and having the driving member corresponding to each of the basic bending shafts.
A target based on an input bending instruction in a multidimensional oblique coordinate system having a coordinate axis corresponding to the basic bending axis on a plane substantially orthogonal to the axial direction of the treatment tool at the base end portion of the bending portion of the treatment tool. A step of vector-decomposing a position into a coordinate axis vector along the coordinate axes,
A step of calculating the traction amount of the driving member corresponding to the basic bending axis corresponding to each coordinate axis based on the coordinate axis vector, and
A method for controlling bending of a treatment tool. The plurality of basic bending axes are three basic bending axes having a relative angle of 120 ° to each other, and the multidimensional oblique coordinate system is represented by three coordinate axes having a relative angle of 120 ° to each other. The method for controlling bending of a treatment tool according to claim 19, which is an oblique coordinate system. In calculating the traction amount,
A step of calculating the amount of change in the path length of the driving member before and after bending of the treatment tool, and
A step of calculating the amount of elongation of the drive member due to a load applied to the drive member when the treatment tool is bent, and
A step of calculating the traction amount based on the amount of change in the path length and the amount of elongation of the driving member, and
The method for controlling bending of a treatment tool according to claim 19 or 20.

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