RU2653795C1 - Medical robot - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine; robotics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to medical robotics. Medical robot comprises a housing housed in it at least one moving device with electric drive(s), an analyzing device and at least one tool with an electric drive. Analyzing device is made in the form of a chemical sensor and is located on the front part of the housing on which a piezoelectric element is also located, Electric drive(s) of the moving means are electrically connected to the chemical sensor, electric drive(s) of the tool(s) is electrically connected to the piezoelectric element, chemical sensor and piezoelectric element are made in the form of a ring. Chemical sensor is located at the edge of the front part of the robot.

EFFECT: technical result consists in increasing reliability and accuracy, expanding the functionality and simplifying the design of the medical robot.

8 cl, 4 dwg

Description

Medical robot

The invention relates to medical robotics and can be used in the delivery of drugs to a given point in the body, the targeted treatment of diseased tissues, cells, the destruction of cancer cells, parasites, bacteria and viruses.

One of the most promising areas of modern medical robotics is the development of small robots (from a few millimeters or less) that have the functions of movement, processing, transmission of information, execution of programs and designed to penetrate the body in order to carry out recreational work.

Some types of nanorobots are robots that can accurately interact with nanoscale objects or manipulate objects, in particular, with a size of less than 1 micron.

Known spiral floating microrobot moving by means of artificial spiral twisted flat ribbons connected with a magnetic head controlled by an external magnetic field. The length of the tapes is from 25 to 75 μm, the thickness is 27-42 nm, the width is less than 2 μm, and the spiral diameter is about 3 μm (Li Zhang, Jake J. Abbott, Lixin Dong, Bradley E. Kratochvil, Dominik Bell at al Artificial bacterial flagella: Fabrication and magnetic control. Applied Physics Letters, 94, 064107 (2009)).

The only way to control the movement of this device in the body is to create external electromagnetic fields. This greatly reduces the accuracy of its positioning and, accordingly, makes it difficult to spot treatment. The disadvantages can also be attributed to the high complexity of control with the help of visualization of its position.

Known endovasal mini-robot, designed to move diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic equipment inside the tubular organs and includes a means of movement that provides the peristaltic principle of movement and is a mover made in the form of separate transport modules, each of which is installed with the possibility of connection with other modules, and of the connector, at least one measuring module connected to them, on which the monitoring means of at least one acting module connected to them, on which the means of influence are installed, the transport modules being thin-walled structures containing shell and elastic deformable elements (RU 2218191 C2, A61M 29/00, 12/10/2003).

A device is known for moving in the cavity of the tubular organs, containing a mechanism of movement, a means of gripping and moving the delivered material (tool), an expanding part configured to fit snugly against the walls of the tubular organ in order to fix the device near the target (treatment site), and a diagram control, partially installed directly on the device and providing remote control of this device (US 7998060 B2, A61B 1/00, 08/16/2011).

The closest analogue of the proposed invention is a medical micro-robot containing a housing, inside of which, successively moving the robot, a power supply unit, a control unit and a vehicle in the form of a propeller mechanism are arranged electrically connected to each other. The robot design includes the image acquisition and transmission unit (analyzer) installed in front of the power supply unit, electrically connected to the power supply and control units, a treatment tool installed behind the power supply unit in the form of a container for transporting drugs with a controlled shutter and installed behind a screw or screw propeller flagellum mover with a piezoelectric motor electrically connected to the control and power units, and the body is made in the form of a flexible cover worn on a system of three tripod mechanisms connected to each other with a shift of 120 ° in the cross-sectional plane, each of which contains tripods connected in series, while the upper platform of one tripod is the lower platform of the subsequent one, and the platforms are made in the form of two-part triangles, between which there are actuators with linear electric drives electrically connected to control and power units; rowing mechanisms installed in the attachment points of the platform rods contain flexible flagella associated with piezoelectric rotary electric drives electrically connected to control and power units (RU 2469752 C1, A61M 37/00, 12.20.2012).

A common drawback of all the described medical robots is their structural complexity and the lack of the possibility of autonomous operation - they perform movement and medical operations using remote control systems, which at the moment cannot provide greater accuracy at the micro and especially at the nanoscale. In the event of a sudden failure of the control system, it is quite difficult to determine the location and remove robots from the body due to their small size, and at the same time to ensure high reliability of the complex control system of robots of such small sizes and designed to perform operations at the micro and nanoscale in the framework of modern industrial production also very difficult.

The objective of the proposed invention is the development of a high-precision medical nanorobot designed to move inside a living organism and conduct medical operations, with a simplified design and capable of working offline.

The technical result of the proposed invention is to improve the accuracy of work, expanding functionality and simplifying the design of a medical robot.

The technical result is achieved due to the fact that the proposed medical robot containing the housing 1, placed in it at least one vehicle 7 and / or 9 with electric drive (s), an analyzing device and at least one tool 5 with electric drive, This analyzing device is made in the form of a chemical sensor 2 and is located on the front of the housing 1, on which the piezoelectric element 4 is also located, the electric drive (s) of the means (s) of movement 7 and / or 9 are electrically connected (s) with the chemical sensor 2, the electric drive (s) of the tool (s) 5 are electrically connected (s) with the piezoelectric element 4, the chemical sensor and the piezoelectric element are made in the form of a ring, while the chemical sensor is located on the edge of the front of the robot.

The robot may include a means of movement in the form of a pump 7 with an electric drive located in a through cavity 6 extending along the axis of the robot, and / or a means of movement in the form of a rowing mechanism 9 with flexible flagella 10 located on the outer surface of the housing 1, and piezoelectric (s ) rotary (s) electric drive (s).

The robot may contain tool (s) 5 in the form of an injector (s) and / or cutting tool (s).

The chemical sensor 2 can be made in the form of an electrochemical, which is a galvanic cell with a semi-permeable membrane 3 applied to it.

The robot may contain elements made of magnetic material.

In particular, propulsion devices can be made of magnetic material.

The robot may further comprise a power supply 11, electrically connected through an electronic key 15 to the electric drive (s) 12 and / or 13 means (s) of movement, and the electronic key 15 is electrically connected to a chemical sensor 2.

The power supply 11 can also be electrically connected through an additional electronic key 16 to the electric drive (s) 14 of the tool (s) 5, and the electronic key is electrically 16 connected to the piezoelectric element 4.

The invention is illustrated by drawings.

The proposed robot is shown in FIG. 1 (side view) and FIG. 2 (front view).

In FIG. 3 shows a ring electrochemical sensor (without a semi-permeable membrane).

In FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a medical robot with a power supply included in its design.

In the drawings, the following elements are indicated:

1 - housing

2 - chemical sensor,

3 - semi-permeable membrane,

4 - a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric transducer),

5 - tools with electric drives,

6 - through cavity

7 - pump

8 - electrodes

9 - rowing mechanism with electric drive (s),

10 - flexible flagella,

11 - power supply,

12 - electric pump,

13 - electric propulsion mechanism,

14 - electric tool,

15 is an electronic key in a network with electric vehicles,

16 - electronic key in the network in the electric tool (optional).

Since the morphological change in living tissues is made up of the morphological changes in the cells that form this tissue, it is fair to say that any disease initially begins at the cellular level. The root cause of a disturbance in the normal functioning of the body is various forms of cell oncosis, unfavorable apoptosis (induced, cell apoptosis in an aging body), necrosis, which can be caused, among other things, by isolated destruction of the intercellular substance, and other forms of disturbance in the normal functioning of cells. A huge role in disrupting the activity of cells is played by parasites, in particular pathogens - bacteria and viruses that secrete harmful waste products - active chemicals that penetrate the cell membranes and change their chemical composition.

Thus, parasites and diseased cells tend to secrete specific compounds.

For example, a cancer cell releases oncoproteins and toxic substances, leading to the breakdown of protein structures. Most unhealthy cells contain large amounts of uric acid and its salts, potassium, phosphates and lactic acid derivatives.

During the processes of decay, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, primary and secondary amines are released in organs and tissues during incomplete mineralization of decomposition products - cadaveric poisons (for example, putrescine and cadaverine), aromatic compounds (for example, scatol, indole, which are formed as a result of deamination and decarboxylation of the amino acid tryptophan ) The decay of sulfur-containing amino acids (cysteine, cystine and methionine) leads to the release of hydrogen sulfide, thiols and dimethyl sulfoxide.

In this invention, the direction and speed of the medical robot is proposed to be set using the signal of a chemical sensor 2 with a semipermeable membrane 3, which provides selective transfer of compounds of the above types.

Chemical sensors are sensitive elements that generate an analytical signal, the strength of which depends on the concentration of the detected component in the analyzed medium. An integral part of a chemical sensor is the converter of chemical energy, biochemical or physical processes underlying the definition into an electrical signal.

The most structurally simple, portable and inexpensive chemical sensors are electrochemical. They constitute the most developed and widely used group among other sensors. The sensitive element (transducer) of this type of sensor is a galvanic cell in which two electrodes and an electrolyte are separated from the analyzed medium by a selectively permeable membrane. Such a galvanic cell is capable of generating an electrical signal without additional converters of chemical energy, which makes it possible to make it more miniature.

A chemical sensor 2 with a semi-permeable membrane 3, made with the possibility of passing one or another substance, when a (electro) chemical reaction occurs in it, generates an electrical impulse that is supplied to the electric drive (s) of the means (s) of movement 7 and / or 9 .

The vehicle may be an electric pump 7 located in a through cavity 6 extending along the axis of the robot, and / or a rowing mechanism 9 with flexible flagella 10 located on the outer surface of the housing, and a piezoelectric rotary electric drive, as in the prototype. Moreover, the more the analyte passes through the membrane, the greater the current will flow to the electric drive (s) of the means (s) of movement, providing a faster movement of the robot in the desired direction.

If the robot contains elements made of magnetic material, then it will be possible to determine its location, track by the magnetic field, and also control its movement to the treatment area using a magnetic resonance imager, while further moving the robot to the treatment site, requiring greater accuracy , will be carried out offline according to the scheme described above using a chemical sensor.

Since nanorobots independently find diseased tissues and parasites, if you know the location of the latter in advance, the detection of failed robots containing elements made of magnetic material is simplified.

If a propulsor of a moving means (pump blades, flexible flagella) is made of magnetic material, then this means can be set in motion by creating an external magnetic field.

Once in the place of the body where treatment is necessary, initially the robot is not oriented in the right direction. However, its frontal part will begin to turn in the direction from which a larger amount of the analyte comes in, and it is in this direction that it will begin to purposefully move with acceleration due to the fact that the closer it approaches the target, the more the analyte will be in the environment .

Thus, the robot accelerates to live tissue that needs treatment, or to the parasite that needs to be destroyed. Due to contact with a tissue or parasite, the piezoelectric element 4 generates an electrical impulse that is transmitted to the electric drive (s) of the tool (s) 5.

If the tool is a drug injector (or poison for cancer cells and parasites), then the electric drive 14 opens the partition (not shown) of the injector, and the medicine (poison) acts on the tissue (parasite).

If the tool is made in the form of a knife (cutting tool), then the electric drive ensures its forward forward movement, due to which the cutting tool causes damage to parasites, or cuts cholesterol plaques from the walls of blood vessels.

In order to generate electric pulses of greater strength, which, in turn, is necessary for faster operation of the means (s) of movement 7 and / or 9 and the tool (s) 5, it is necessary to use a chemical sensor 2 with a larger contact surface with the medium under study and also a piezoelectric element 4 with a larger surface. This can be achieved by using a chemical sensor 2 and a piezoelectric element 4 in the form of a ring.

The execution of a chemical sensor in the form of a ring located on the edge of the front of the robot allows you to quickly and more accurately orient its movement in the direction corresponding to the direction of increasing analyte concentration, since this concentration will be captured by all diametrically opposite points of the front of the robot.

The execution of the piezoelectric element in the form of a ring ensures timely activation of the electric drive of the tool, which occurs when the object touches the entire or most of the surface of the piezoelectric element. When it is executed in a different form, the electric motor of the tool can work when this element has reached the object, and other parts of the front side of the robot and the healing tool have not reached or are not directed at the object. At the same time, the probability of contact with the object of the piezoelectric element increases if it repeats the shape of a chemical sensor.

Thus, the shape of the chemical sensor and the piezoelectric element significantly increase the accuracy of the medical robot.

Chemical sensor 2 may be a biosensor. The electrochemical biosensor, as a rule, includes three electrodes: a reference electrode, a working one and an auxiliary one. Biological material is applied to the surface of the working electrode, which specifically reacts with the analyte. Charged reaction products create potential at the working electrode. The potential difference of the working electrode and the reference electrode forms an output signal.

The electrodes of the electrochemical sensor can be made in the form of a ring (Fig. 3).

In too viscous media, the operation of vehicles under the influence of weak pulses of a chemical sensor can be significantly difficult. To solve this problem, a power supply 11 can be included in the robot design, which must be electrically connected via an electronic key 15 to the electric drive (s) 12 and / or 13 of the vehicle (s) (pump and propeller), and the electronic key must be electrically connected with chemical sensor 2.

You can also enhance the operation of the tool (s) 5 by electrically connecting the power supply 11 through an electronic key 16 to the electric drive 14 of each instrument, while connecting the electronic key 16 to the piezoelectric element 4.

Thus, the proposed high-precision medical nanorobot is able to carry out more accurate and reliable operations due to the fact that it can autonomously find, treat diseased tissues and cells, as well as destroy parasites and cancer cells without remote control systems that currently cannot provide greater accuracy at the micro and especially at the nanoscale. Since the robot may contain a drug injector and / or a cutting tool to kill parasites, cancer cells and remove cholesterol plaques from the walls of blood vessels as a treatment tool, it has enhanced functionality. The exclusion of a complex control system and a block for receiving and transmitting images that are contained in the prototype robot simplifies the design and makes it possible to manufacture a robot with smaller dimensions.

The development of new nanotechnologies, the production of nanoscale membranes, electrodes and motors in the near future will provide the possibility of manufacturing the proposed robot nanoscale.

Claims (8)

1. A medical robot containing a housing, at least one electric vehicle (s) placed therein, an analyzing device and at least one electric drive, characterized in that the analyzing device is made in the form of a chemical sensor and is located on the front the housing, on which the piezoelectric element is also located, the electric drive (s) of the vehicle (s) are electrically connected (s) to the chemical sensor, the electric drive (s) of the tool (s) are electrically connected (s) to the piezo The electrical element, a chemical sensor and piezoelectric elements are designed as rings, wherein the chemical sensor is located on the front edge of the robot. 2. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means of movement in the form of an electric pump located in a through cavity passing along the axis of the robot, and / or means of movement in the form of a propeller with flexible flagella located on the outer surface of the body , and piezoelectric (s) rotary (s) electric drive (s). 3. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains the tool (s) in the form of an injector (s) and / or cutting tool (s). 4. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the chemical sensor is made in the form of an electrochemical, which is a galvanic cell with a semi-permeable membrane deposited on it. 5. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains elements made of magnetic material. 6. The robot according to claim 5, characterized in that the propulsion device (s) of the means (a) of movement are made of magnetic material. 7. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a power supply unit electrically connected via an electronic key to the electric means (s) of the vehicle (s), and the electronic key is electrically connected to a chemical sensor. 8. The robot according to claim 7, characterized in that the power supply unit is electrically connected through an additional electronic key to the electric drive (s) of the tool (s), and the electronic key is electrically connected to the piezoelectric element.

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